Welcome back as I fight my inherent laziness to deliver more content! Sorry, sorry. But anyway, we're not done with Alien: Covenant. I haven't found the Xenomorph at retail, but we CAN look at the movie's unique creature - the Neomorph! As sort of an intermediary between the Deacon and the full Xenomorph, the Neomorph occupies a very weird slot. It's very fleshy, like the human-alien hybrid in Resurrection, but it's also clearly its own thing. Their larva just burst out of wherever, and the first one popped out of a character's back, making them "backbursters." The two you see alternate between seemingly invincible viciousness and just sort of standing there, but they do feel like "real" creatures in a lot of ways. And that mouth - that tiny, creepy, unhinged-jaw mouth. It was a good design.
The Deacon figure is fantastic, and remains one of NECA's best offerings. The Neomorph figure thus has a lot to live up to, and a steep curve because it's a "new" design, and technically not a Xenomorph. It spawns as fungus, after all!
And yes, the original idea in the movie was for David to breed Xenomorphs as a copy of Engineer creatures, but Ridley Scott apparently changed the script to make him the sole creator, thus introducing tons of plot holes and retconning every other movie out of existence. Or we could just go with the original idea, and then Covenant fits!
PACKAGING: ****
NEA is slowly but surely moving to window boxes, and this looks classy! its a lot easier to open and reseal than a clamshell, too!
SCULPT: ****
Skinny and small. The Neomorph looks delicate and fragile, which belies its vicious nature - but it fits quite well with its "vulnerable" moment in the movie. The figure is very spindly, with textured, wrinkled skin.
Even its dorsal spines and tail are small. The spines are rubbery and the tial is bendy, though it feel somewhat fragile because of the thin coating. This isn't the most durbale figure, though it isn't badly breakable.
Both heads are very well-detailed, and although it might have been nice if the open mouth were open a little wider, they are accurate to the movie, and surprisingly intricate.
PAINT: ****
The paint eems simple at first, but it really isn't. The Neomorph has layers of various shades of white, off-white, and pinkish flesh, which combine to make it look like a living, breathing organic creature. The subtleness is amazing - some of the best paint jobs aren't obviously complex ones, but the subtle color combinations, and this one is exquisite.
The "closed" mouth goes a little heavy on black paint, and that might be this figure's only flaw - it's very minor, but that stands out when compared with everything else.
But yeah, the paint is absolutely fantastic.
ARTICULATION: ****
With a lot of figures, the question is whether you can get it in any known, featured poses. And then there's the Neomorph. You can make it sassy! Lazy! Sultry! Energetic! This figure's articulation is incredible, and it really feels miles above most of NECA's Alien offerings.
Seriously, the ease at which it can take even jokey poses is a really great mark in this figure's favor.
ACCESSORIES: ****
The Neomorph comes with two accessories. An alternate head, and the newborn backburster. The baby Neomorph is tiny, and quite distinct from its adolescent form in the accessory pack. It's a tiny, spindly accessory, but not quite as fragile as the chestburster. Its tail is rubbery, for one thing. It certainly looks great, and is blood-splatteringly accurate to the movie.
it's also fully articulated, and even with simple swivel joints, the backburster looks great in a variety of poses!
As for the alternate head, it at first feels impossible to swap - the socket is very low on the neck joint, sunken deep into the torso. The trick is to turn the Neomorph's head to the side, and then pull is off with kind of an angled twist. You can sort of hinge it off from the "front" of its chest, without stressing any plastic.
VALUE: ***1/2
This figure should cost you about $24, which is the standard for NECA. Small as the figure is, it's got good extras, and great playability.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
The tail joint feels fragile on mine, but that's about it.
WHERE TO BUY:
Toys R Us is your best bet right now.
OVERALL: ****
Feelings about the movie are kind of mixed, but the creature designs are top-notch, regardless. The Neomorph is a unique entry intot he Aliens line, and its sculpting, paint, and articulation represent some of NECA's best work. It even comes with a little mini figure buddy, for good measure! It's a great figure, and worth collector attention.
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