Review of Lenny, the Phantom - Gremlin action figures

Introduction

There aren't too many lines I'm actually looking forward to right now, at least not in the smaller scales. But one that I'm keeping up on, buying the whole series so far, is the Gremlins from NECA.

Series two includes the two figures I'm reviewing tonight - Lenny and the Phantom Gremlin - as well as a third I have yet to pick up, the Brown Gremlin. All three of these guys are in their monster form, with appropriate extras from the film.

These have just started shipping, and you should be able to find them in the $15 - $18 each range, depending on both the retailer and whether or not you buy the full set at one time.

Packaging - ***1/2
These are clam shells, which I like but others hate. They are very sturdy, but they are also very hard to open. They show off the figure extremely well though, with a big window all around. The interior card art looks good, and there's very little waste. You'll have to break out a knife to get it open, but I'm sure you'll manage it without a trip to the E.R.

Sculpting - ***1/2
Both sculpts are great, matching up nicely with the on screen characters. I particularly like the dopey Lenny, with his extreme expression and floppy ears.

The Phantom has the damaged skin on his face, with gruesome detail. There's a ton of texture on the skin, and the size (about 6.5 inches tall) works well for these characters.

Another nice touch is the soft goods hair on the Phantom. It's works much better in this scale than sculpted hair.

These sculpts look terrific, and NECA is really doing this license proud. I'm not quite sure how far they can go with it, but it looks like they plan on taking it all the way wherever that might be.

Paint - ****
The paint work is well above average, with some nice detailing and clean lines.

There's some slop, but it's very minor, and much of it is done in the classic McFarlane style, where it's actually on purpose to simulate reality.

It works pretty well here, although some of the gloss finish is a bit much. Perhaps the best work on is on Lenny's back, where there's some very cool detailing. The eyes are also worth a mention, especially Lenny's, since there's so much color and intricacy in the design.

Articulation - ***

These have a ball jointed neck, but it's a bit limited in it's movement. The ball shoulders - NECA style - work well, and the pin/disc elbows and ball wrists give the arms a reasonable amount of posability. You can't quite turn the arm far enough to hold the mask right over the face, but you can get it close.

V hips, pin knees and ball ankles round things out, and they all work well. He's never going to be called super poseable, but you can still get some good looking stances out of them.

Accessories - Phantom ***; Lenny **1/2
I was a bit disappointed to see that Lenny didn't have much in the way of extras. They did add in the silly neck tie, which has a terrific paint job. Some folks may not consider it an accessory though, since it's not easily removable.

They make up for it a smidge with the Phantom Gremlin. He has both the white mask and the acid glass. The container fits perfectly in the left hand, and the right hand can hold the mask, although not quite as close to the face as I'd like. You can place the mask on the face by itself though, and it actually stays.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
These are really well built action figures, plenty of fun for kids who have seen the films. They have enough articulation for posing and play, and the sculpts and paint are great quality. A few more accessories would always be welcome, but these are still mighty fun.

Value - **1/2
If you pick up the set at $15, you're getting a solid value. If you pay in the $17 - $18 each range, you can drop another half star in this category.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***1/2
I like this series so much I even bought the goofy Lightening Gremlin - and that's a pretty silly figure. But NECA is doing the license right, and the issues we have seen with paint on some of their other lines is not a problem here. The paint and sculpt are terrific, and the articulation is good enough to obtain some great poses.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has a case for $240.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Past reviews include the Mogwai versions of Lenny and Lenny, gremlined out versions of Lenny, Daffy and Flasher. And don't forget that NECA started with these years ago.

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!