Please share with your friends!
Introduction
It's been a long time since SOTA did their version of MacReady from the Carpenter classic The Thing. Too long. But NECA has the license now, and is incorporating figures into their 'ultimate' line of 7" characters.
They started with a MacReady of course, and it was a terrific figure. They are following that up with a variation on the character, called the 'station survival' release. I believe this one is a Walmart exclusive here in the U.S., which is where I picked it up for around $30.
Packaging - ***
Nice Struzan style artwork makes these packages particularly
beautiful. It's not quite as collector friendly as I like, but the
effort to remove the figure and accessories is still pretty minimal
with little package damage.
Sculpting - ***
The figure is in a 7" scale, hitting that number just about dead on.
He'll fit in great with the rest of the series, and he works a bit
better with the play set that came with the SOTA release than the
larger SOTA figure. In fact, that's the diorama you see me using in
the photos.
These are the same portraits you saw with the first release, but with a hair swap. The open mouth head now has the hair, while the closed mouth has the blue hood. Since I want the first one to wear the hood (with the hat) and this one to have the hair,, I would have actually preferred keeping them the same, so I'd have two different expressions on the shelf. I suspect I'll go back and swap the original hooded head for this new closed mouth version, so I have both expressions on display.
No biggie though, and the portraits are great from the right angle, so-so from others. The detail work on the hair and beard is really nice, and the sculpt from the neck down - with different clothing textures, wrinkles, and folds - is nice, and identical to the first release.
The one change in the costume is the addition of the belt and holster for the handgun.
Paint - ****
Just like the earlier release, the paint work here is excellent. No
slop, no bad edges, and there's a lot of realism communicated
through the paint applications.
The faces are particularly good, with clean eyes and a subtle transition from the beard to the skin. Small details like the buttons or zippers are well done, and add to the appeal. The wash on the leather coat is worth noting, as it creates a black/brown combination that is very life-like in hand.
Articulation - ***1/2
The body is identical to the first release - everything you had
there you have here in this category.
The ball jointed neck is a bit restricted with both portraits, but you can still get a little lean and tilt. The heads swap easily.
The shoulders, elbows, and wrists will fine with the accessories, which is particularly important with the flame thrower. The hands swap easily as well.
The torso can turn, but there's no ab-crunch due to the coat. The hips, knees, and ankles work well, and you can get some decent rocker movement to plant the feet in deeper stances.
NECA has done a nice job hiding this articulation with a well engineered design. None of the joints are obtrusive or glaring, adding to the realism of the figure on the shelf.
Accessories - ****
The 'ultimate' figures always come packed with goodies, but there's
some particularly cool ones with this release.
As I mentioned, there's that alternate portrait. I suspect I'm going to swap this one in on the original body with the hat and goggles.
There's also five extra hands, all un-gloved. He comes wearing gloved hands, but these bare versions are designed to work with various accessories. They swap easily as well.
I mentioned he's wearing a gun belt and holster now, and there's a handgun to go in the proper place. There's also a bundle of dynamite, and a climbing axe.
Perhaps the coolest extra is the Petri dish labeled 'Palmer'. There's an exploding blood effect that you can attach, and a spool of wire as well. With these three pieces you can recreate the blood testing scene.
The big extra everyone will want is the flame thrower. It fits on his back pretty easily, and there's a flame effect you can attach to the barrel.
Fun Factor - ***1/2
With solid articulation and a ton of extras, you'll have a lot of
fun trying out various poses for the shelf. If you have the other
version as well, you'll be able to do some combining to get the most
out of both.
Value - **1/2
At $30, he's right there with the rest of the Ultimates line. With
this many extras - especially additional heads - it's a solid value.
Things to Watch Out For -
The straps on the pack are a little thin, so be carefully when
putting it over the arms. I did both arms at once, and it seemed to
work pretty well.
Overall - ***1/2
The first MacReady was good enough - he had the iconic hat, and the
different heads gave you all the options you really need.
But this version takes it up a notch with the flame thrower. For the diehard fan of the movie like myself, there's no way you won't be picking this one up. The only downside is finding one at Walmart, although if I was able to do it I'm betting anyone can.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***
Paint - ****
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ****
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy
This guy is a Walmart exclusive, I believe, where he's the usual
$30. Online options include these site sponsors:
- you can always search ebay for a deal.
Related Links -
Check out the regular release MacReady, reviewed here.
You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.
Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!
Please share with your friends!
This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and
text by Michael Crawford.
