As I mentioned in my previous review of a Michael Myers figure, the Halloween franchise has gone through a short-lived attempt to change to an anthology series, a retool rendering three prior movies non-canon, a rebooted pair of films by Rob Zombie, and another retool that made everything but the first non-canon. The 2018 movie by Blumhouse was the first one in like nine years, and it was great and brutal. I haven't seen Kills or Ends yet, and I need to scout out DVDs for them, but I did get NECA's take of this version of Myers not too long ago.

Michael's return to killing saw him donning his iconic mask once more, but since 40 years had passed, it's rather worn out. The various creases and wash on it represent its aged look well, as the material for it is close to falling apart, but the hair remains clean, and the detail and paint on it is pretty good. It even still has the punctured hole from when Laurie jabbed him with a clothes hanger, a nice little detail to sneak in. His eyes are visible from behind the mask, and while the right eye is cleanly painted, the left eye is near-blank, having lost some of his vision due to his age. The second head is the same sculpt-wise, but there's nothing but black behind the eyeholes, making for a creepier appearance. The paint of the mask is just as good on it, though.

Michael is rather tall, standing just around 7 3/4", making him a more imposing figure. Everything to this release was sculpted by Kyle Windrix, and some of the tooling would later see reuse with the 1981 version of the character, namely the arms, thighs, and some of the hands. The coveralls, yet again stolen from a murdered gas station attendant, look great, with plenty of creases and folds for a baggy appearance. They're a very dark blue as well, but there's a bit of wash to bring out some of the details. His hands have an aged look to them, since he's at least 60 by this point, and they're stained with blood as well, fitting for a serial killer like him. The design of the wrist joints creates a seamless look for the hands, and the rest of the articulation blends in well with the sculpt.

As for the articulation, Michael moves no differently from the '81 version I got prior. He has a peg and ball head, swivel/hinge shoulders, elbows (double-jointed), hips, knees, and ankles, swivel/hinge wrists with swivels going into both the forearms and the hands, swivel thighs and calves, and a ball-jointed chest. Everything moves with no issues, and the heads and hands swap with little difficulty. I like how the wrist joints are done as they allow for various good poses with the accessories, but the sleeve cuffs restrict their range a bit. This figure got reissued recently, and this one (or at least an earlier reissue) changes the hips to ball joints, and I'm glad NECA is doing this to some of their pre-2020 Ultimates, as these joints work better than swivel/hinge ones, but have the same range, if not more, than the older joints.

There's plenty of accessories here, both for Michael to make use of and for neat displays. Aside from the extra head, six hands are included: two open/semi-relaxed, two gripping, a reaching left hand, and another left hand with the ring and pinky fingers blown off by Laurie. The wounded hand is a cool option, and the sculpt and paint on the exposed flesh is good. Michael comes with his favorite weapon, a kitchen knife, as well as a hammer and fireplace poker, and the arm articulation works great with them. He also comes with the head of one of his victims, whose face has been carved out to look like a jack-o’-lantern. It's not as grisly in appearance as the quarter-scale version, but the detail on it is pretty good, and it shows how all that time in the asylum made Michael much more brutal. Speaking of jack-o’-lanterns, a regular one is included with a unique gimmick: push down on the stem, and the light inside flickers, just like a candle. NECA doesn't do LEDs often, but they always work great and add to the fun. Lastly, there's the tombstone of Judith Myers, Michael's sister and his first victim. It's great for a Halloween-themed display if you want to set one up, and Michael can even hold it.

Although the 2018 Michael was the first Ultimate of him NECA did, it wasn't after I got his II and Curse counterparts (as well as the 2018 Laurie) that I picked him up. That said, he's a very solid figure that does one of the most iconic slashers justice, and it's good NECA is keeping him out there. Since they're done with the Blumhouse movies, and are starting to go back to older films, I'm hoping we get something new announced at SDCC later this month, and you probably know what I'm hoping to see.

- 7/1/25...[See More]

When Street Fighter comes to mind, you don't think about two aggressive drunks going at it in the middle of the road; you think about heroes and villains duking it out with super strength, energy blasts, fire, electricity, and other abilities that no real-life person can do. The second game brought one of the series' most outlandish characters in Dhalsim, an Indian yoga master… who has elastic limbs. And breathes fire. And is the first Jada figure I'm reviewing in a long while.

Being from India, Dhalsim has a darker complexion than the figures before him, as well as face and head paint that fits his culture. He's also outfitted with large earrings (actual metal, mind you, since that's what Jada likes most) and what seems to be a bead in his forearm, but more unusual than that are his blank, white eyes. He comes with two portraits, the default one being a stern expression while the extra one is shouting, and both bear the same great likeness and paint, with clean work all around. Below his head is a necklace of skulls, apparently those of children from his village who died from famine. The skulls are way too small, even for a human child, so I guess the youth in his village are smaller than average.

Standing right around the 6" mark, Dhalsim has more slender proportions than the other men, but he's just as muscular, thanks to all the yoga and fighting he does. His body isn't as covered up either, wearing shorts with a rope belt, forearm and shin wraps, and large bracelets. The bracelets are made out of a stiff plastic, rather than metal like the earrings, and they aren't attached to anything, with the hands being what keeps them from falling off his arms. The few articles of clothing he has look great, with his shorts meaning the thigh joints can be concealed well, and they bear both texturing and paint wash. The belt is sculpted as part of the shorts, and the paint is good on it save for some off edges.

Being a fighting game license means these figures need plenty of articulation, and Dhalsim moves no differently than the others. He has a barbell head, swivel/hinge shoulders, wrists, and ankles, ball-jointed neck, chest, waist, and hips, double-hinged elbows and knees, swivel biceps, thighs, and shins, and pectoral hinges. The joints move well and offer plenty of range, with the waist joint being designed to allow plenty of forward lean, and the interchangeable parts swap easily. Aside from the different heads, he has flat and grasping pairs of hands, as well as different limbs to represent his stretchiness. The extra arms have the hands curled up into fists (unfortunately there are no fists for the regular arms), while the legs have the feet arched for a proper kick. It gets easier to swap the limbs the more you do it, and yes, they're bendable, allowing for plenty of fun poses. There's also a stand with support arm for the legs to keep Dhalsim standing up, though I'd recommend using a dynamic stand for the figure itself to help with certain poses.

Jada likes doing exclusive repaints for this line, and Dhalsim is no exception. Recently, someone leaked a purple and orange version of him for SDCC, but that's not the only difference. This version features a fire-breathing head with two different Yoga Flame effects, and the much-needed fists, in both default and purple colors! Even cooler than that is a recreation of the SFII burned sprite, rendering his opponent engulfed in flames, and meant to be held in mid-air by a stand. I haven't gotten any of these "deluxe" releases yet, but Dhalsim may be my first thanks to the inclusion of necessary pieces.

Jada has done some great stuff with Street Fighter, but Dhalsim is a standout in how unique he is. The bendy elongated limbs are what make him special, and there are enough swappable parts here for tons of display options. Chun-Li may be my favorite character, but Dhalsim is my favorite figure in the line so far.

- 6/30/25...[See More]

eBay User Name: homeinstead343
Current Projects: At Home Instead of South Bend, Granger, and Mishawaka, IN, we’re proud to be part of a compassionate and award-winning team committed to making the aging journey better every day.
Honorable Mentions: At Home Instead of South Bend, Granger, and Mishawaka, IN, we’re proud to be part of a compassionate and award-winning team committed to making the aging journey better every day.
Comments: At Home Instead of South Bend, Granger, and Mishawaka, IN, we’re proud to be part of a compassionate and award-winning team committed to making the aging journey better every day.
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Favorite Figure: Daredevil Mafex
Favorite Series: Black Series
First Figure: Toybiz Spiderman
Currently Collecting: Black Series, Marvel, Dc, Hot Wheels, Hammond Collection, MicroGalaxy Squiadron
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Current Projects: Mcfarlane/Mattel Dc Multiverse: currently none

Star Wars The Black Series:
Kyle Katarn

Marvel Legends:
Daisy Johnson AKA Quake (Agents S.H.I.E.L.D TV show version)


Power Rangers Lightning Collection: currently none

Fallout:
None

Pokemon: Shiny Pokémon (ongoing)
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Want List: X-Men: Evolution, Marvel Legends (Spider-man, Fantastic 4 & X-Men Universe), Star Wars Black Series
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Throughout the history of the franchise, the Halloween series has been retooled and rebooted a lot, with the Blumhouse trilogy notably ignoring everything after the first. One of the now-non-canonical timelines took place over three movies, with the last of them (and sixth overall), The Curse of Michael Myers, revealing that his bloodlust was the result of a cult. Not many fans liked that explanation, and it's commonly agreed Michael's just the walking embodiment of evil, but it hasn't made the film any less of a guilty pleasure. Now that NECA's done figures of all three modern Michaels, they're going back to 1995 and giving us his aforementioned Curse appearance.

After the first two and the fourth films used a modified Captain Kirk mask for Michael, the next two used all-new masks, with the Curse mask being a large improvement over what was used in Revenge. Trevor Grove sculpted the head/mask, and it's very accurate to the film. It has the same creepy, emotionless expression these masks usually have, with his eyes barely visible behind it, and the look and texture of the hair is good. The mask also has a grainy look for the paint, as if it was spray painted, while the hair uses different shades of brown for a realistic look. The alternate head is the same sculpt, but with green ooze pouring down on the mask. This comes from near the end when Paul Rudd beats the crap out of him, and I'm guessing this ooze is his evil-tainted blood, with a great look to it.

Standing tall at 7 1/2", Michael utilizes an all-new sculpt for the body, done by Kyle Windrix and Anthony Minichino (who also did the fabrication). The Thorn trilogy coveralls are a lighter, somewhat faded blue, and the color here is more accurate than the larger figure Trick or Treat Studios did (though those were fabric, whereas these are just sculpted). The details on the sculpt are great, and the paint on the outfit is more solid than washy, but it makes for a clean look that matches the film. Given that Michael was set ablaze at the end of Halloween II, his hands have a scarred look and bear a pinkish hue resembling burned flesh. The sculpt on the hands is fine, but there are some seam lines and small bits of excess plastic here and there.

Despite being a new sculpt, the Shape's articulation isn't too much different from previous Ultimates. He has a barbell head, swivel/hinge shoulders, elbows (double-jointed), wrists, knees, and ankles, ball-jointed hips, swivel thighs and calves, and a ball-jointed/barbell chest hidden under the coveralls. The joints move very well, with enough range for various slashing poses, and the extra heads and hands swap easily. Since the chest is hidden under a thick rubber outfit, don't expect it to have much movement. The hips are pretty tight, making a creaking noise when posed, but still move fine enough that you won't have to worry about anything breaking.

This is one of the most "Ultimate" feeling Michaels NECA's done, as he's loaded with accessories. There are plenty of weapons for him to use, with two knives, an axe, a crowbar, a syringe bundle, and the surgical machete he uses on the Cult of Thorn at the end (serves them right). There are also various hands to go with them, as aside from a pair of relaxed hands, there are also two pairs of gripping hands - one vertically-hinged and one horizontally-hinged - and a wide right for the syringes. Doing hands with different types of joints is better than the semi-revolver joints previous Michaels had, as they allow for more range, and work with plenty of weapon poses. For non-killer accessories, Michael also comes with a trio of candles, a bag of runes designed to rest on the floor, the pumpkin and lone mask (also designed to lay on the floor) from the final shots of the film, and a Strode Realty sign with a Michael cutout that clips onto it. I wouldn't call the sign and cutout necessary, but they're a neat inclusion that makes for good displays.

Although Curse was one of the least-liked Halloween movies, I thought it was pretty good, and NECA put out a figure that's even better. Michael does well in every category, save for a few issues, and despite not being the most memorable appearance of the Shape, the number of accessories here combined with a great appearance and poseability makes him worth getting. Hope this means we're closer to NECA doing an Ultimate '78 Myers.

- 6/24/25...[See More]

Current Projects: SickHead from 31
Comments: Horror customs are my favorite right now. Any twisted and evil
Favorite Figure: It's a custom I made for myself
Favorite Series: Horror
First Figure: Can't say
Collection Size: Maybe 300 to 400 figures
Currently Collecting: Mostly I create my own but I do collect neca horror and Mezco
Want List: Parts pieces and accessories for fodder
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eBay User Name: Heinzaut
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eBay User Name: copperpotcustoms
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Am was a Force-sensitive human female clone who, like her twin brother Karre, was created through advanced cloning technology and the dark side of the Force. The two were raised from birth to become Dark Lords of a remnant of the Galactic Empire known as the T-Empire....[See More]

eBay User Name: makoto-raphael
Favorite Series: S.H. Figuarts
First Figure: Archer (Arrow-Strike Crossbow) & Chip Hazard (Platoon Leader)
...[See More]

Karre was a Force-sensitive human male clone who, like his twin sister, Am, was secretly created through the dark side of the Force and raised to become a Dark Lord of a remnant of the Galactic Empire known as the T-Empire....[See More]

Kul Teska was a Skakoan male mercenary active during the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Before he took a criminal's path, Teska was a respected scientist in the Techno Union. However, an accident with his pressure suit left Teska disfigured and forced him to leave the Union. With the help of his knowledge in the field of cybernetics, Teska rebuilt his pressure suit, equipping it with a variety of weapons, and became a gun-for-hire. All the while, Teska continued his own experiments with gravity and began construction of the gravitic polarization beam, a superweapon with enough firepower to collapse a star. Teska's experiments soon attracted the attention of Count Dooku, the leader of the Confederacy. During the Clone Wars, Teska came into Dooku's service and was provided with a laboratory on the planet Behpour in the Naboo system, where the Skakoan continued the development of his weapon....[See More]

Jakks Pacific has shown a willingness to work with different scales for their licenses. With Mario and Sonic, they've done 2.5" figures and playsets, basic 4" figures, the occasional 5" subline, and even figures larger than that. So far, their Simpsons line is only in the 2.5" and 5" scales, but unlike their other major licenses, I've been willing to get both scales because of how much I love the series. That said, the latest 2.5" wave isn't easy to find at retail, though I managed to find Homer first, and then everyone else sometime later.

Unlike the past two waves, the Simpson variant here isn't Bart, but Homer, and in his "Dancin' Homer" outfit. At 3" tall, Homer stands out for not having a stiff pose or a blank stare like most of these figures do; the legs are spread, the left arm is bent at the elbow while the right arm isn't exactly straight down, and the face bears a more excited expression than just a smile. The portrait looks great, and although the cap isn't removable, it looks pretty nice on him. The outfit and colors are good as well, though they didn't bother painting the suspenders on the back due to his cape covering it. I get Jakks likes to use colored plastic to cut down on paint, but I expected a little better here. The usual joints are here with a swivel neck, swivel/hinge shoulders, and "sit-down" waist, and while the head and arm movement works great with the pose, it'd be nice if Jakks could make the waist turn as well, something that would work better with the sculpt.

Moving onto the other adults in the wave, next up is Principal Skinner, and considering all the kids we're getting in this scale, getting some school faculty makes a bit of sense. Skinner has a stone-faced expression befitting his personality, and yeah, it's a little odd to look at him dead-on, but the likeness is great. Standing a bit under 3", Skinner has the stiff pose we usually get with this scale of figures, but it actually kinda works for a (sometimes) no-nonsense authority figure. The colors match the show very well, and the paint on the shirt and tie are clean. The neck and shoulders work fine, though the lower body can't sit down all the way, a problem with everyone in this wave.

The last adult in the wave is Selma, and I'll admit it's a bit odd to get her alongside Skinner, since Patty was the one he was in a brief relationship with. Selma has the most characterization and focus of the two, so I suppose there's a reason she was made first. She has her usual unamused expression, and the hair is sculpted similarly to Marge, with a clumpy look that sorta reminds me of Floam. She's the tallest of the wave at around 3 1/8", and the work all around is pretty good, save for the feet. They have a somewhat bluish hue and I can't understand why. Aren't her shoes separate pieces glued onto them? She also has the least range in her waist due to her dress, and if I was in charge of sculpting here, I'd make the dress a rubber piece over the joint and sculpted legs underneath for better range. It's a shame the adults in this scale don't have accessories, because Selma would benefit from having Jub-Jub with her.

The remaining figures in the wave are both kids, one of whom is teacher's pet Martin Prince. Like Skinner, Martin is a little weird to look at face-to-face, but if you turn him to the side or 3/4 view, the accuracy to the show becomes more clear. He's also the only "happy" figure in the wave besides Homer, and the expression fits Martin well without looking too zombie-like. He stands about 2" tall and has decent paint, though he suffers more than the others when it comes to bleed and uneven edges (at least the pens have clean work). Martin comes with an algebra textbook, befitting his intellect, and while a simple piece, the work on it is good, and he can hold it in both hands.

Finishing off the wave is everyone's favorite bully with a heart of gold: Nelson Muntz. He's taller than Martin at 2.5", and while the scale with the other kids is good, the scale with adults is not. He should not come up to the adults' necks, and if these kids were like half an inch smaller, they'd scale much better. In spite of that, Nelson has a great sculpt, including his ugly mug, which is quite good given how difficult some of these designs can be to translate to three dimensions. The paint on the torso and shoes is good as well, and while there is some bleed, it's not as noticeable as Martin. His accessory is a rake with a wasp's nest on the end, something more unique than what Martin has, but it befits the type of mischief Nelson usually gets up to.

Although I prefer the 5" line, Jakks has done a great job building up a small-scale world of Springfield, with plenty of variety to the cast, and some great sculpts and accessories to boot. With this wave in particular, Dancin' Homer is a standout thanks to the more expressive sculpt, and while Selma is the weakest for a couple of reasons, it's nice to get the extended family. With the family sedan set now showing up in Australia, and a leaked wave five lineup along with it, I look forward to getting much more of these, though I still have to get Scratchy and that Walmart-exclusive Bartman.

- 6/18/25...[See More]