Review of Pinhead - Hellraiser III action figure

Introduction

What can you say about a guy like Pinhead that hasn't already been said? An existence forever marked by pain, by suffering, by never getting to wear a hat again...and yet he manages to maintain a positive attitude.  He's positive you're going to suffer too.

As the star of most of the Hellraiser films, he's been immortalized in plastic a number of times.  For the true sixth scale collector, there's a version coming out from ThreeZero some day, but we're talking big bucks - almost $200. For the cost conscious collector, Mezco has just released what they are advertising as a 12" Pinhead. This guy is based on his look in Hellraiser III, although only the most serious of Cenobites will be able to tell the difference.

Mezco is producing two versions. There's the regular version I'm reviewing tonight, which will run you around $40 at most places, or you can pick up a limited exclusive directly through Mezco, called the 'bloody' version with blood effects and a different head sculpt, for $60.

Packaging - ***1/2
The die cut outer box is designed to look like the Lament Configuration. This uses the theme to best effect, while showing off the figure inside nicely. It's all collector friendly of course, with no damage necessary when freeing the evil. It's a lot easier to open than the Lament Configuration too, with less damage to your soul.

Sculpting - ***
From the neck down, you're getting a very detailed texture to the sculpted costume and torn flesh.  This is more a vinyl figure than anything else, with the majority of the parts hollow and light weight.

The rope on which you can hang his instruments of transformation is actual rope, making it much more sturdy than plastic or rubber. The overall detail on the costume isn't quite as sharp and deeply cut as you'd get with a solid cast figure, but they've done a good job within the vinyl medium.

The underlying head sculpt looks great, matching up nicely with the actor from III. However, it suffers from the same problem so many Pinhead figures, busts, and statues do - the pins are much larger than they should be.  If you compare this to the original prototype photos, it will be all the more obvious. These pins are actual metal, making them very sturdy and unlikely to bend or break, but getting them small enough for this scale and still maintaining a lower end price point was not possible.

It's more of a issue in macro photos though than it is in hand. It's much less obvious on the shelf, and will probably be a minor nit for most fans.

This is a sixth scale figure, if you were wondering. He comes in at 12" tall without the pins, and should fit in with any other sixth scale figures from a distance.  Up close, the obvious sculpted clothes give him away, but this is still much better quality than most 12" fully sculpted figures on the market right now.

Paint - ***1/2
While this paint work won't rival the best work on $200 action figures, it's certainly well above average at a $40 price point. The work around the eyes looks terrific, from the soulless pupils to the discoloration. The lips are a little dark, but it helps the mouth stand out from the maze of pins.

The rent flesh on the chest and stomach looks good, with hooks and pins attached. Even the fingers have the right amount of blood, and the skin tone matches nicely between the face, hands, and torso.

Articulation - **1/2
The marketing material says there are seven points of articulation - I'm assuming they are counting the cut neck, ball shoulders, cut wrists, and cut elbows to get to seven.

The neck doesn't really count, however.  The tall collar and overall design don't allow the head to move more than a mere fraction side to side. He's going to be staring straight forward until the end of time.

The ball shoulders work well, with a design that allows for quite a bit of inward and outward movement, allowing you to bring the hands together in front of the body or out stretch the arms to either side. A little neck mobility would have gone a long way to getting better looks with the various arm poses.

Accessories - ***
There are eight in total, including one extra set of hands. He comes wearing a pair that work well clutching the Lament Configuration, but there is a second set designed to work with any of his various tools of the trade.  The hands swap quite easily, with no fear of damage.

There are three tools to attach to his belt or hold in his hands.  All three could be deemed 'saws', since they have a serrated edge. One is designed like a hacksaw, while another is very similar to a modern day drywall saw.  The third, with its hooked end, has me stumped on what to call it, other than scary. All three attach neatly to the rope belt on the front of the figure in any configuration.

Finally, there's the Lament Configuration.  A good sculpt and appropriate scale make it work nicely with the figure.

Fun Factor - **1/2
A better neck joint and this score would jump, since the arms are fairly well articulated. He's still a great looking figure on the shelf, but you won't do a lot of reposing with him over time.

Value - ***1/2
You can pick this guy up for around $40 at most retailers, which is a great value. There's a little of the old mixed media here, from the metal pins to the rope 'belt', and getting it at a reasonable price is a nice surprise.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***
If you're a Pinhead fan, you'll be very pleased with this figure at this price point. This won't replace the quality of a $200 clothed sixth scale figure, but it can stand in until one exists. It's also perfect for the cost conscious collector, with a far better price point than most figures this size.

For the adventurous, this head sculpt could make for a very interesting Pinhead custom. If you or someone you know gives that a try, I'd love to see the results!

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - **1/2
Accessories - ***
Fun Factor - **1/2
Value - ***1/2
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- you can get him directly from Mezco for $44, or get the exclusive 'bloody' version for $60.

- Entertainment Earth is also at $40.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Hellraiser has had its share of figures, believe it or not, with more to come. I just covered the Premium Format statue from Sideshow, and many years ago, NECA did a series of Hellraiser figures, including Pinhead, Barbie, Skinless Julia, Skinless Frank, Dr. Channard, Bloodless Twins, Butterball, Surgeon, Angelique, another Pinhead, Chatterer, Chatter Beast, CD, Wire Twin, and Stitch.

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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