Review of E.T. the Extraterrestrial
Ultimate Action Figure

Introduction

It's hard to believe - for some of us - that it's been 40 years since E.T. hit theaters. I saw it then of course, and many times over the decades, but I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan. It's a bit too sweet for me, and when Speilberg messed around with it years later, it soured me even more. But the extraterrestrial at the heart of this film remains a classic character, and one that stands out from the usual portrayal of evil, mean, and diabolical creatures from another world.

NECA has done a bunch of versions over the years, and along with some new versions, re-issued them for the 40th anniversary. There's the Dress Up E.T. I reviewed almost ten years ago, which also has a new release, along with the telepathic version (comes with the phone and the blue shirt), the 40th anniversary deluxe with the 'phone home' device, the Elliot and E.T. Bicycle set, the light up version, and this ultimate friendship version with the white sheet I'm reviewing today.

This guy will run you around $35, depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***1/2
Very attractive of course, with the 40th anniversary logo obvious on the front. The light up version looks identical from the outside except for a small circle on the cover letting you know you're getting the light feature. It's all fairly collector friendly, but you will have a few plastic ties to cut to free him quickly.

Sculpting - ****
This is a terrific, highly detailed sculpt, that looks just like the on screen character.

There's lots of folds and wrinkles, and a highly detailed skin texture. He has a slight smile and a look of wonder, perfect for the character. While the physical characteristics of E.T. make it difficult to articulate him, they've done an excellent job designing the sculpt to work with the joints.

He does seem a smidge large to me, standing between 4 1/2 and 5 inches, depending on how you tilt the head and neck. Next to other seven inch scale figures, you'll see what I mean. Still, this size and volume make for a more interesting figure on the shelf, particularly if he's not getting displayed with other 7" figures.

Paint - ***1/2
There's not a ton of paint detail, since he's largely a gray alien. But they've used a nice wash technique to highlight the detailed skin texture and sculpt, allowing the wrinkles to really pop.

Of course, it's the eyes that really matter here, and the pupils and whites look great. There's a minor blip here and there along the edges, but the bright color and catchlights really make them stand out.

While his finger doesn't light up, the paint job on the special hand does replicate the effect extremely well.

Articulation - ***1/2
As I mentioned, the short, stubby, chunky body doesn't lend itself to a lot of articulation, but NECA did a nice job on the engineering, getting in all the joints they could and making what's here very mobile.

The joints at the top and bottom of the neck are key, and both balls have a terrific range of movement. You can add a ton of personality to the pose using these two.

The arms have rotating hinge joints at the shoulders, elbows, and wrists, and these work great as well, allowing for natural arm poses. The hands swapped pretty easily too, with little fear of damage.

Of course, there's no torso articulation, but they did manage to get ball joints at the hips, hidden up under the folds. This allows for some leg movement, and is particularly useful in making sure the big feet are flat on the ground.

Accessories - ***
He doesn't have a ton of extras, but there's some nice ones here that differentiate him from the other releases.

There are several hands of course, including the right with the brightly colored finger tip. They swap pretty easily, and stay on when posing.

There's the speak and spell that he later uses to create his 'phone', as well as the 'peanut butter candies', which lure him out of his hiding spot. I guess NECA didn't want to pay Hershey for the license.

E.T. heals a flower during his stay, and the healthy version is included here. And last but not least, he has a sculpted plastic white sheet that he wrapped around himself. It's designed to fit over his head and rest properly on his shoulders, and looks great in place. I'll be using it in my display, because it creates such an iconic look.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
The accessories give you a lot of options, and the articulation is much more useful than you might expect. You'll be able to create a lot of looks on the shelf with this guy, adding to the 'fun' for collectors.

Value - **
I'm not loving the $35 price tag we're seeing with the more recent NECA releases, and I'm it has stopped me from buying a number of them in the last few months. They are at that tipping point for a lot of collectors, and I hope it doesn't end up affecting demand and therefore what they produce in the next couple years.

Things to Watch Out For -
You always want to take care when swapping the hands on a figure like this, but with a little patience you should be fine.

Overall - ***1/2
I almost didn't pick this one up. Even when I did buy it, I thought about returning it before I opened it. I already had the Dress Up version...did I really need this one too?

Once I opened it though, I was completely sold. He looks fantastic on the shelf next to the Dress Up release, and is such an iconic look that he's definitely necessary. Being able to have him in the sheet or out is also a big plus, and allows you to create more than one look.

I don't think I'll pick up the telepathic or light up versions, but I am keeping my eye on the one that comes with Elliot and the bicycle...

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is at $35.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Check out the old review of the Dress Up E.T.

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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