Review of Falcon Predator sixth scale action figure
Predators

Introduction

As much as I love Predators of all kinds, and as much as I love Hot Toys of all kinds, I must admit that the Falconer Predator from the most recent film in the franchise, Predators, has been sitting here for a few weeks now. I've been remiss in getting to him largely because things have simply been so hectic.

But I finally got a few moments this weekend to pull him out and give him the once over. You'll remember that we already got the Berserker Predator from this movie, as well as the heroic human Royce. Now with the Falconer, we've probably seen the last of the characters from this incarnation.

I was pleasantly surprised by the film, and felt that while it was no original Predator, it was solid entertainment.

This guy isn't cheap, even by Hot Toys standard. At $175 - $190, he'll run you as much as the Berserker, and quite a bit more than Royce.

Packaging - ***1/2
Just like the previous Berserker release, the box has the cool outer sleeve with the red slash window. And just like before, I deducted a half star due to the inclusion of several twisties. These aren't as annoying as some, but I still prefer it when they're non-existent.

I also still suggest turning over the plastic tray and untying them before removing the clear cover tray. You'll be glad you did.

There's also a small instruction booklet under the base of the display stand. It has the basics for the light up feature, as well as how to attach the Falcon.

Sculpting - ***1/2
The sculpting is excellent, but that's no real surprise.

The best feature is the most critical - the mask. It's sharply defined, with hard cuts much like it would have if it were actually made from some form of alien metal. The clear plastic lens' look great, and the shorter, rubbery 'hair' is thick and numerous. It's a bummer that the mask is not removable, but I don't recall ever seeing this Predator's face in the film.

The rest of the body is similar to the previous Predators, with heavily scaled skin and lots of texture. Everything is proportional, and while this guy isn't quite as big as he needs to be considering his size in the film, it's still close enough for my display shelf.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work on the armor is excellent, and adds to the metallic appearance. But while I love the look of the outfit, the skin is a bit fake looking this time. I don't know if it's the slightly lighter color, or the heavy wash, but either way I wasn't quite as enthralled with the paint work. That's not to say it isn't excellent - this is Hot Toys production paint after all - but I'm not feeling quite the way I was with the Berserker.

Articulation - ***1/2
These specially designed bodies work well, considering the aesthetic desire. They've done a nice job creating a highly articulated body with very few visible joints.

The ball jointed neck is particularly good, with a tremendous range of movement. It adds a lot of personality and menace to just about any pose.

There's ball jointed hips, shoulders, wrists, ankles, and waist, as well as pin elbows and knees. He stands great on his own, and the large feet give him excellent footing.

I did find that the hands tend to pop off a little easier than I like, but it's preferable to a situation where they are so tough to get off that you break the wrists.

Accessories - ***
The Berserker Predator (along with several others) came with a good number of extras. But the Falconer has one main accessory...maybe two...and not much else.

There's the Falcon itself, which is a great add, considering that's what makes this guy unique. The sculpt is good, but it's a single piece with no moving parts. It fits on a clear rod that then fits into a large hole in his shoulder armor. It's a tight fit, so take some care.

I don't really like the look, and I think I wold have preferred a separate stand. The Falcon sits high above his head, and something about it just looks wonky.

When you don't have the rod in place (the way I suspect I'll display mine) there would be a big, round hole in the shoulder armor. But Hot Toys tends to think of these things, and they included a small plug of armor to hide the hole.

The other key accessory is the newly sculpted Predator skull. This is the sort of accessory that adds quite a bit to the general display.

One of the cooler features of the Beserker has been reproduced here - the three different metal blades for his left hand. I love that they are metal, and even though they are heavy, the arm is tight enough to stay in any pose.

There's also one extra set of hands. He comes wearing fists, and the extra set is splayed in a threatening way. The hands swap pretty easily, and there's an extra set of wrist pegs as well.

The last extra is the stand, of course. It fits in with the rest of the line, although there's no real need to use it.

Light Feature - ***1/2
With the Berserker, I had issues getting the light to work. Sadly, I still haven't had time to go get another battery and try that, but I suspect that's the real issue.

Fortunately, this time I didn't have any trouble. I popped in the battery, and presto - the small triple LED light worked great. The switch is tiny, and you'll need to have a very small screwdriver to get the compartment open, but hopefully there won't be any major issues.

Outfit - ***1/2
The outfit is pretty basic, at least by Predator standards. There's some faux leather pieces, and the top of the boots are a soft material that allows the ankles to work fairly well. The armor is nicely sculpted, and looks pretty screen accurate - but I hate saying that without re-watching the film. 

The dimpled texture really makes the look of the armor much the way the scaly texture on the skin gives him that organic, alien appearance. Hot Toys does an amazing job making plastic look like metal, bringing exceptional realism to this sort of outfit. 

Fun Factor - **1/2
No, this isn't a figure for your basic 10 year old. But it has the DNA of the great sixth scale figures of the 60's and 70's running through it's genes, and it's creators now that once upon a time this format was the best toys you could by. They've taken what made those figures great, and turned them into art.

Value - *1/2
This figure costs about the same as the previous Berserker, yet lacks many of his extras, not the least of which is the removable mask and extra fangs. Even the biggest Predator fan may find it tough to spend that much on what really amounts to just the Falcon.

Things to Watch Out For -
Getting the Falcon on the clear plastic rod is tricky, but it's even tougher to get it into the shoulder. It's fragile too, so make sure you have a good hold on a sturdy section before trying to force it.

Things to Watch Out For -
If this were the only Predator we'd gotten so far from the film, it might not get quite the same score. It's a great figure, but when compared to the Berserker, it's always going to come up a little short.

Still, had the price been more reasonable - or the extras more extra - he would have had a shot at another half star. But at $175 or higher, he's running on the expensive side, even for Hot Toys.

Overall - ***
If this were the only Predator we'd gotten so far from the film, it might not get quite the same score. It's a great figure, but when compared to the Berserker, it's always going to come up a little short.

Still, had the price been more reasonable - or the extras more extra - he would have had a shot at another half star. But at $175 or higher, he's running on the expensive side, even for Hot Toys.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Predator reviews include - 

- the most important, at least in terms of tonight's review, is the look at Royce and the Berserker Predator, also from Predators and also from Hot Toys.

- Hot Toys has done several figures from the original Predator flick, including the big guy himself, Billy and Dutch.

- then there's the Hot Toys Lost Predator, and the Machiko She Predator.

- There's also the AvP Cleaner, the Wolf Predator, the very cool PredAlien, Battle Damaged Predator 2, Elder Predator, the first Predator 2, and the Scar Predator.

- there's also the McFarlane Scar Predator.

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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