Beetlejuice (Tour Guide) (Beetlejuice (Neca)) Review

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Beetlejuice (Tour Guide) (Beetlejuice (Neca)) Review

Beetlejuice (Tour Guide)
Beetlejuice (Neca) (Neca)I feel we've all heard of Beetlejuice, be it through the film or the animated series, and there's no denying he's the ghost with the most. I've seen both the original film and its sequel twice by now, and they're both great horror-comedies. NECA's had a bit of history with the first film, as it was the first line of figures they've made, and now we're getting Ultimates. The first Ultimate for him is this "Bio-Exorcist" outfit which, while not as iconic as his striped suit, was his main look for most of his screen time.

The front flap of the box depicts what looks like a flyer for Betelgeuse's (pronounced Beetlejuice) services, with an aged, unfolded appearance. The movie logo is a sticker in the upper right corner, and it can be removed if you so desire. As per usual, there are photos of the figure on all the other sides, and it's easy to get everything inside out of the tray, provided you cut out the ties and tape first.

Since this isn't NECA's first Beetlejuice, they know how to handle him by now. The Michael Keaton likeness is very accurate, with all the makeup as well. The skin is a pasty white, with what looks like patches of mold around the face and other parts of the skin to create a more decayed look. The hair is nicely detailed, and it turns transparent near the ends, creating a bit of realism and semi-ghostliness. The default portrait is looking off to the side, resembling the original poster, but he also has three extra faces. Not heads, faces. They did swappable face plates before with Gargoyles, and now they're reaching other licenses, likely taking cues from S.H. Figuarts and Figma and all the other overseas figures. In addition to the "poster" face, you also get one looking forward with a less wide-open mouth, a somewhat intrigued/surprised expression, and a more disgruntled face. The faces swap with no issues, though the unique assembly means the hair and face are a bit off-center on the neck.

At about 7 3/8" tall, the "Name in Laughter from the Hereafter" is sculpted by Jason Frailey and dressed in his aforementioned bio-exorcist clothing. The shirt, overlaying a sculpted undershirt, has a unique pattern that's painted on pretty well, and the shapes remind me of little devils, which makes sense for the character. The trench coat is also soft plastic, with a very wrinkled look and some of the same moss seen on the skin. The one I got has a small cut in the right side, likely a manufacturing error. The hands also have some moss, albeit only painted on rather than sculpted, and there's a little ring on his left index finger (the sequel sort of explains why). His striped pants have two belts wrapped around the waist (gotta keep that gut in), and his socks and shoes are mismatched, indicating Beej's not the neatest person. The paint all over is clean, including the pants pattern and wash on the shoes, and it makes for a nice, almost realistic look.

The usual NECA articulation is present on BJ, with a barbell head and chest, swivel/hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles, ball-jointed hips, and swivel thighs. The joints are good enough for a variety of poses, but it's not all perfect. The first one I got had a chest that was stuck really tight, and when trying to break it free, I ended up twisting the joint apart (probably should've heated it up). The second one had a good chest, but the right foot suddenly snapped off as I was posing it. Thankfully I still have the other one, so I was able to swap out the leg. Overall, he can pose fine, but the QC leaves a bit to be desired.

The Ghost with the Most is pretty good when it comes to accessories. I already mentioned the extra faces, but he gets an extra head as well, wearing his tour guide hat. Thanks to the soft material for the hair, the heads swap easily, and then in combination with the faces can create eight different looks for him. NECA likes doing paper extras at times, and one of them here is the "Afterlife" newspaper, which can open up, with text and images on both sides (R.I.P. Sarah and Maxie Dean, you will not be missed). He also has his business card as well, bearing some of the graphics as the advert on the box and the newspaper. Non-paper accessories are his lantern and a rat that can rest in his hands. Speaking of which, there are six hands here: two semi-splayed, two loosely grasping, a pointing right, and another right for holding a card. Like the heads and faces, I had no issue swapping hands, and they come in handy with the various extras.

While it's not the most iconic look for him (don't worry, NECA already has that covered), this bio-exorcist Beetlejuice is pretty fun. The sculpt and paint are great, and the various extras work well with him. My only nit is that the joints could be a little better (as in, not having to get two and both of them breaking a joint), but it really depends on how lucky you end up being. Hopefully, NECA can try and do some more characters beyond him; the Maitlands would make for great figures.

- 3/12/25