Packaging - ***
Jason is large, so he comes in a box. I prefer boxes of course, since
they are always easier to store for the MIBers, they tend to handle
shelf/storage wear pretty well, and they are usually pretty 'collector
friendly' i.e. you can open them without destroying the package.
This package fulfills on most of those counts. There are still
quite several twisties, so returning him to the box is a bigger pain than
most will want to suffer, but the box is attractive without being over done.
Considering this is a con exclusive, I'm surprised we just didn't end up
with a plain white box!
Sculpting - ***1/2
Mezco has been playing around with their 'stylized' look for several years
now. Sometimes, it's been very much like a caricature from the local
carnival. Other times, it's been more cartoon style, almost animated.
Jason seems to fit someplace in between. There's plenty of detail,
much more than in a usual cartoony style, with nasty rotting skin, moldy
teeth and rotting flesh. This variant version has "fresh from the
grave" moldering skin that is visible through tears in the clothing as one
of it's unique attributes.
Jason is also very 'designer vinyl' like. The size, proportions and
style give off that vibe, so he's likely to be a hit with collectors of that
genre as well.
The hunched appearance is completely sculpt - no padding is added to the
clothing. While Jason certainly never looked like he suffered from
osteoporosis in any of the films, the look really does work for a hulking,
evil character like this.
The hands are sculpted to work with the accessories, although the sculpts
are designed really to work with different accessories. You'll need to
experiment a little to see which hand holds which goodie the best.
I did have a little trouble getting that sweet spot where Jason would
stand on his own indefinitely, but it is there. He's quite tall too,
considering he's hunched over and still stands almost 10 iinches above the ground.
I really like this version, and it's something about this marriage
between styles that works.
Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is solid, with particularly good work done on the face and
hands. The quality is almost perfect, with a nice gray/brown rotting
appearance to the skin. There's an appropriate wash used on the mask
to imply dirt and damage, and the open wounds on his face are all the more
painful in appearance due to the realistic paint job.
The right pupil on mine is a bit wonky though, having a bit of a blurp at
the top. It doesn't appear intentional - it's not really the kind of
thing that would make sense even from a damage perspective - but with the
mask on it's not noticeable.
Articulation - ***
The figure is more articulated than I had anticipated, with 14 points being
advertised.
There's a ball jointed neck, and this works quite well. With the
hunched shoulders, it was important to provide a neck joint that would still
allow him to look upward, and they did that quite well. It also tilts
and turns, allowing for plenty of personable poses.
He also has ball jointed shoulders, but remember that he's hollow like a
vinyl figure. The shoulder joints are less mobile than some ball
jointed shoulders out there, but they still have a good range of movement.
There's also cut elbows, cut wrists, cut ankles, cut hips and cut knees, all
designed to get him in just that right menacing pose.
Finally, there's a very cool torso joint, which allows for him to turn
and tilt back and forth. It works surprisingly well, and adds quite a
bit to the poseability.
Accessories - ***1/2
Jason is well outfitted, with three weapons of personal destruction, and a
poor victims severed head.
The severed head sculpt is excellent, although it's not quite as detailed
in it's gruesomeness as Jason's own face is. The hair is sculpted so
it can be held in his left hand, to take home to mommy as a present.
He comes with a bloody machete, bloody axe, and bloody spear, all
designed to look menacing and deadly. The scale is good, and they fit
nicely in his hands. The machete is intended to fit in the top cut on the
mask and skull, but I never could get mine to stay there. You might
have better luck.
Outfit - ***1/2
The outfit is where the figure has two more distinct features over the
regular release. There's the battle damaged mask, complete with
'scratches' across the front, and dark brown pants.
The outfit consists of his shirt, jacket, pants and hocky mask. The
pants fit extremely well, with the trademark rope belt holding them up.
There's some great damage and dirt added, including some very suspicious
stains...
The shirt and jacket look terrific as well, although the collar does ride
up a bit on his hump. That's just part of having a hump though...real
coats aren't really tailored for the deformity, and I doubt Jason would have
his clothes personally fitted.
The mask is fitted tightly on his head, but goes on and off fairly
smooth. The bands over and around are plastic, not material, which
makes them look great in place, but take care you don't scratch the paint
job removing or replacing it, and don't put too much pressure on the straps
lest they break.
When you go with a scale smaller than 12", it can be very difficult to
get clothing to look right. Mezco is one of the few companies that's
managed to pull it off, both with their Hellboy line, and now here.
Fun Factor - ***
Okay, so I don't know if you want your 8 year old playing with a monstrous
serial killer that comes with a severed head. But if you were of that
mindset, you couldn't find one that's more fun!
Value - **
Just like everything else, Con exclusives are getting more expensive.
I was expecting something more in the $20 - $25 range, but this is at least
a) large figure and b) a mixed media figure, adding a little value to
compensate for the higher price tag.
Things to Watch Out For -
The weapons can be a bit tricky to get in and out of the hands, so take a
little care not to damage the paint on either when you're attempting it.
Overall - ***1/2
I was a little worried about the 'stylized' look with this figure. At
times, I've been a critic of the style - other times, not. Once I had
this guy in hand, I realized it really works for me this time. I think
that's due in large part to the designer vinyl feel to it, and the excellent
work on the clothes. If you're a Jason fan hitting the con, it's well
worth snagging this guy.
My only hope now is that he's not the only figure we get in this style -
I'd really love Freddy and Leatherface at least!
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