Review of the Lawgiver - Planet of the Apes statue

Introduction

One of the most iconic characters in the original Planet of the Apes franchise wasn't even alive, at least not until the final film, Battle for the Planet of the Apes. The large, imposing statue of the Lawgiver is a common sight around Ape City, and when one topples or is seen bleeding in a vision, you know it just got real.

NECA has been doing a terrific job with their 6 - 7" scale line of classic Planet of the Apes action figures.  You can't have apes without a diorama, so to help you out they've released an in scale version of the Lawgiver statue.  It's limited to 1700 pieces, and will run you around $60 depending on the retailer.

Packaging - ***
It's a box - it has Styrofoam eggshell trays, and they are the good stuff, none of that soft crap here.  He's a one piece statue, and the package appears to do a very good job of keeping him safe. You won't be able to see the one you're buying at the store, and there's no Certificate of Authenticity, but the graphics are attractive and the amount of text is reasonable.

Along with no COA, there's no mention of the run size or edition number on the package. It is printed on the bottom of the statue, however.

Sculpting - ***1/2
The guy who owns the actual prop was featured on Hollywood Treasures at one point, and this photo of the prop in his yard (!) gives you a pretty good idea of scale. The figures are in a 6 - 7" scale, and the statue stands 11 1/2" tall. It's easily large enough, perhaps even bigger than the actual prop. I'd prefer too big to too small, particularly with a statue like this.

It's also made from a solid resin, giving it heft and weight. The sculpt itself is properly detailed to look like a stone effigy, not an actual ape. Overall, he seems a little thin to me, stretched out a bit, but it's a very minor nit. However, they've captured that rough cut stone appearance extremely well, and the scrolls and fur look great.

Paint - ***1/2
They've tried to capture that same stone-like appearance in the paint work, and are fairly successful. The overall color is a little light, but the uneven tone and sandy hue works great.  The work on the furry paws could look a little better, and there could have been a little more of a wash on the face to highlight some of the sculpt detail, but these are very, very minor nits.

Fun Factor - ***
Normally, a statue doesn't get a grade for 'fun factor', because really...how much fun can you have with a rock?  But because this statue is such a cool diorama piece, and goes so well with an action figure line that IS a ton of fun, I'm going to give it some love here as well.

Value - ***1/2
You can pick this guy up for $60, maybe less (see my Where to Buy section below), and that's an above average value right now. This statue is similar in quality to what we're seeing with Batman Black and White statues, and even DC Bombshells, both of which are smaller in size. Considering that the Black and Whites will run you $70 and the Bombshells are now over $100, I'd say $60 for this guy is almost a steal. Add in the limited nature, and I have to amend that - it is a steal.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***1/2
The classic figures from NECA are one of my favorite current lines. I hope we can continue to see at least a few more releases, and maybe...just maybe...we can get a human or two before they are done.  Providing the Lawgiver is a huge step though, allowing you to build a very cool diorama with the figures they have already released. Let's face it, even a clutz like me can make up some properly scaled stone structures like they had in the film (hello Styrofoam and paint!), but I'm not going to be sculpting my own Lawgiver.

Getting him is one thing - getting him at such a terrific price is another. With the limited run, I suspect this guy will sell out, perhaps slowly, but he will sell out. And once he's gone, the entire run will be in the hands of the people that want him, not dealers or speculators, so the price is going to rise...a lot. If you're on the fence, this is one to get now, not later.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth comes in at just $55.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
NECA is doing both classic and modern apes in this scale. I looked at series 2 of the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, as well as series 1. They've also done wave 1 and wave 2 of the classic apes.

Other recent reviews include this cool bust from Weta, and a couple years ago Hiya Toys did their version of Caesar and Koba from Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

There's other versions of the Lawgiver too, including the small one from Medicom and the very large sixth scale version from Sideshow.

Other Ape related reviews include:

- Hot Toys did a few excellent apes based on the original films.

- Sideshow did a Premium Format figure of Dr. Zauis.

- I reviewed Sideshow's Ape Marauder and Enforcer, Zira and Cornelius, and both the regular and exclusive versions of Dr. Zauis.

- I also looked at a couple of the smaller figures for the bad remake.

- here's a guest review of Sideshow's General Ursus, Caesar, prisoner Taylor, Astronaut Brent, slave Brent,

- and the first guest review ever done at my site, way back over 13 years ago, was on the Medicom POTA figures.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!