This toy came out over a year ago! I've actually had it sitting on my shelf in package for almost that whole time, and finally got around to reviewing it.
NECA makes tons of Predators from all over the franchise lore, but they have also focused on the main ones. In this case, the regular ungle Hunter has gotten a lot of figures in a lot of different designs. This particular sculpt, for the masked appearance in which he spent 90% of the movie, has even been used for the cloaked Preds, the Nintendo repaint, or other characters such as Wasp. But now, finally, I can hold it painted the way it was originally meant to be. So let's take a look!
PACKAGING: ****
The Jungle Hunter comes in exactly the same blister pack as pretty much every other P1 Predator out there.
SCULPT: ****
This sculpt is not new, but this is one of its most basic uses. In a short year, we have gotten it pretty much wholesale for the NES Predator, Half-Cloaked Predator, and Wasp. Most of it has shown up in a lot of other figures, too. So what can I say? It's a great sculpt!
Even though the Masked Jungle Hunter is almost a blank canvas by now, you can really appreciate the "Generic Predator" details. NECA's sculptors are top notch, and they made a guy who looks like he stepped right out of the movie!
So, why did I take so long in unboxing it? Because I wanted to svae up the review for a rainy day, obviously. My personal prefefrence is for an unmasked Jungle Hunter, but there is something about this figure's sleek simplicity around the mask that works extremely well.
PAINT: ****
Since I own this exact sculpt, what about the paint? This Predator is not cloaed or Nintendoey, he actually has to be film-accurate! And acurate he is, which means that he is mostly a bunch of tans and silver shades. The paint is good, although his netting is a little sloppy (it always is).
The Jungle Hunter also has some battle damage, particularly on his helmet - see those burn marks? Those and other similar details are painted, not sculpted, and add a little bit of character to a "basic" Predator sculpt.
Aside from that, it is a pretty basic Predator design. When they want to make a generic pred, they often just photocopy the original Jungle Hunter and call it a day. Does that make this a genuine army builder?
ARTICULATION: ***1/2
The Predator’s articulation is exactly like all of the other versions that use his body – ball-jointed head, wrists, and ankles, ball-and-socket shoulders, elbows, and hips, hinged knees, swivel waist, and extendable wristblades. His range of motion is as good as any Predator, though it can feel slightly limiting until you get used to it.
The interesting thing is, the Predator will seem stiff and unwieldy at first. But I am an old hat at these guys, and I have figured out ways to contort them where they need to be. A fight scene? Sure!
Interestingly, the post that most fits a Predator is also pretty easy - that battle stance where he holds his arms out and bends a little at the knees is easy to do without sacrificing his balance.
ACCESSORIES: **
The Predator did not use too many weapons in his first outing, but this figure only comes with his plasma caster. They should have given him a skull, or even a scorpion or something.
VALUE: ****
Originally at $20, this figure puts a lot of other toys to shame.
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
Be careful not to break those wrist blades! It only takes one bad move.
Also, watch the plasma caster - it has a tiny wire, and the movable joints are pretty small and prone to stress, as well.
WHERE TO BUY:
You'll have to scour comic shops or check out Amazon nowadays, since this figure is over a year old!
OVERALL: ****
This Predator is really generic... but that's not bad! If anything, it's good to have the basic movie Preds in all their forms, and a masked Jungle Hunter is extremely important. It's like a really rich, creamy vanilla ice cream. Sure, it's just vanilla, but it's good vanilla.
So sure, the figure isn't a Kenner guy or in neon colors, but he's just a really good, solid Predator. He is what he needs to be, and this body has been used for so many other figures that it's great to see the original!
