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Introduction
I'll admit it right up front. I'm not a huge fan of the Conjuring franchise. James Wan does what he can with it, but I don't like horror flicks masquerading as documentaries, particularly when scam artists like the Warrens are at the center. It also waters things down - I found nothing about this particular movie all that scary or compelling.
But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate some of the better evil creature designs. I really like the look of Valak, which is why I picked up the sixth scale version. And the latest NECA figure to hit, the Crooked Man, speaks to a very deeply rooted sense of human foreboding. The idea of a tall, skinny, gangly, weird dude goes back centuries, and the name 'crooked man' in this film comes from the old nursery rhyme.
NECA's version of the character is hitting retailers, and as part of their 7" 'ultimate' line, will run you around $30 or so depending on the store.
Packaging - ***
The artwork on the box is nice, particularly the cover shot, and
it's largely collector friendly. There's really no reason to keep
these figures packaged up, a big selling point as far as I'm
concerned. The reason I bought this guy was to add a unique
character to the shelf of horror - being able to do so without
destroying the box is a positive.
Sculpting - ***1/2
This is one creepy character. Weird, gangly, skinny characters that
move oddly are a particular favorite with Wan - did you see the
recent Malignant? - and they've been popular in general, with the
Slender Man getting more attention than he deserves and the super
freaky 'pale people' in the latest season of American Horror Story
showing up in your nightmares.
This is an 'ultimate', and that generally means more than one portrait. Here you get three, each with a very dangerous looking open mouth. One, with it's broad grin, is quite distinctive, but the other two are quite close to each other in expression.
The detail work on the teeth is fantastic, and the wrinkly skin gives him a corpse-like appearance. The small, dark holes for eyes and the stretched skin over his skull doesn't do him any favors in the beauty department, but it does make for excellent nightmare fuel.
From the neck down, he's got the skinny, weird body you expect. Arms and legs are long and thin, with a slightly pooched out belly. The clothing has a nice texture, with all the proper wrinkles and folds, and the articulation and sculpt work well together.
He's in a 7" scale, and comes in at almost 8 inches tall.
Paint - ***1/2
They did a nice job with the paint, although they did go with the
'messy hides problems' design.
The faces and hands are a deathly pallor, and the eyes and mouth stand out nicely against this background. There's a wash to bring out the details, but it's not overdone or sloppy.
The suit is dingy, with a variation in the red that is either blood or dirt or both. The pin striping is nicely done, and the skin on the hands matches the face. But it's the work on the snarling, laughing mouths that really stands out, and gives this figure his creep factor.
Articulation - ***1/2
They've hidden the joints nicely within the design of the sculpt,
and yet most of them still have a solid range of movement.
Of course the heads have lots of lean and tilt on the ball jointed neck, and they swap easily. The rotating hinge elbows, shoulders, and wrists can manage decent arm poses, particularly with the umbrella accessory. The hips are a bit restricted by the sculpted pelvis, but the knees and ankles can manage good short to medium poses, and he can easily stand on those skinny legs and tiny feet.
There's also a bit of a rocker torso joint, but you won't get a lot out of it. Still, you should have no trouble creating some great poses.
Accessories - ***1/2
Ultimate figures usually come packed with extras, but this one is a
bit lighter than normal. Still, what's here is really well done.
There's the extra two heads I already discussed, and there's three extra hands as well, sculpted to work with specific accessories. These swap easily with no fear of breakage.
There's the umbrella I already mentioned, crooked as the man himself.
I'm also counting his hat (with attached glasses) as an accessory, since he doesn't have to wear it. They did something smart here - rather than have holes in the hat to see the eyes behind, they added eyes to the hat. This keeps them properly lined up behind the glasses, and you can tilt the hat slightly and still keep it looking good.
Finally, there's the zoetrope, a key feature for this character and the movie. You can pose him holding it with one hand grasping the handle between two fingers.
Fun Factor - ***1/2
With good articulation and extras, you should have no trouble coming
up with some really weird, creepy poses for this guy. He's a great
addition to any horror shelf, adding some variety to all the
Freddy's and Jason's.
Value - **
He isn't quite as packed out as the usual 'ultimate' release, and
unlike major characters from other films, I have no expectation that
we'll see him get a second, more heavily loaded release. The $30+
price tag is a little harder to justify this time, but he's still
close to an average value.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.
Overall - ***1/2
I haven't bought a new Jason, Freddy, Michael, Leatherface, etc.
etc. etc. in the Ultimates line in quite awhile. After years of
Mezco, McFarlane, NECA, and others doing them in the 6 - 7" scale, I
have more than enough.
But when they crank out a new, unique character like this, I can't resist. He brings something interesting to the display, something out of the ordinary, even among the monsters. And that's not easy to do.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy
I picked this guy up at Target where he was $30. Online options
include these site sponsors:
- Entertainment Earth has him for $35.
- or you can search ebay for a deal.
Related Links -
If you're a fan of the Conjuring franchise, you should check out
some of the Valak figures, like the sixth
scale release from Threezero, or the DeFoReal figures from Quantum Mechanix. And of
course, there's always Annabelle!
You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.
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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and
text by Michael Crawford.