Reviews by Dark Fire Action Figure Art
T-800 (Endoskeleton)Terminator (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated
4.35 stars by
Dark Fire Action Figure ArtThe best version of NECA's T-800 Endoskeleton. While the Cult Classics and Terminator 2 releases had articulated jaws, the head sculpts weren't very accurate. This head sculpt on the other hand is a lot more accuracy. It includes one accessory in the form of a phased plasma rifle, but no alternate hand like previous T-800 Endoskeletons.
This version was originally releases with their "The Terminator" line, but was difficult to find and all the copies had their biceps on incorrectly. This one lacks that problem and is overall a good figure. The sculpt is detailed and the articulation is pretty good too. The pistons, joints, etc can be fragile so it should be handled and posed with care. This is especially true with the supports on the neck, so you'll want to be especially careful...[
See More]
Serpent HunterPredators (Neca) - Series 17 - Alien vs Predator
Rated
4.50 stars by
Dark Fire Action Figure ArtA mostly faithful recreation of the Serpent Hunter Predator from the Aliens vs Predator 2010 video game. This was somewhat of a surprise release given this Predator isn't a main character in the game and is kind of obscure. It was a dream figure for me at the time of release just due to the Serpent Hunter mask alone.
It uses the AVP (2004) Predator style body, which is easily one of NECA's best Predator sculpts given it's articulation, height, and just overall look. This figure has a few unique parts from the others. Aside from the unique masked head, it has unique dual wristblade gauntlets with retractable blades. The left gauntlet also has an opening wrist computer. The belt/skirt are unique as are the lower legs. The figure can hold a lot of cool poses, but part of the skirt can get...[
See More]
Endoskeleton (Judgement Day)Mafex (Medicom) - Terminator
Rated
4.55 stars by
Dark Fire Action Figure ArtThis is probably my favorite T-800 Endoskeleon figure even if it is in a scale I don't often collect. It has great sculpting and is pretty solid (my copy was at least, aside from a loose foot joint).
For a long time the NECA T-800 Endoskeleons were my favorite depiction of the killing machine in figure form, but this one has slightly better sculpting (IMO), and has more display options given the alternate hands it includes. That and it can hold two plasma rifles (two of which are included), which is something that is difficult to pull off with the NECA ones. It comes with a stand, but can also stand well on it's own, and it has solid joints as opposed to the loose ones I've come to know the NECA ones for (having multiples of that mold).
I only have a few issues with this figure: 1:...[
See More]
Bone ThronePredators (Neca) - Dioramas
Rated
4.75 stars by
Dark Fire Action Figure ArtAn awesome piece with great sculpting and a lot of heft. Some of the tail spine bits on the back were a bit fragile on my copy and were chipped, but other than that it's a pretty cool piece. It includes some Alien Queen dorsal tubes/spines, but they tend to not want to stay plugged in, and the plastic they're made of causes them to droop over time (the Alien Queen figures have this same issue with their spines). I personally just never bothered displaying them on the throne as it takes up less space without them.
As for displaying figures on it, your experience may vary depending on the Predator your wish to sit on it. Most can't completely sit due to their armor, the NECA Clan Leader Predator it's often shown with being a good example as he will not sit flat due to his armor and...[
See More]
Trophy WallPredators (Neca) - Dioramas
Rated
4.75 stars by
Dark Fire Action Figure ArtA faithful recreation of the trophy wall seen in Predator 2. The detail is amazing and the paint job is quite good, too. This is a very solid and heavy piece. It includes one big alien creature skull, but if you want it to be film accurate you either have the get the skull pack or collect all the figures that included the skulls. My only complaint about this piece is some of the bits don't hold onto the trophy skulls as well as they should, which required some extra support. You can also store more skulls on the shelf in the center to give it your own unique take. Overall it's an amazing piece. I've had mine since 2013. Nowadays it's quite expensive in the aftermarket as is the trophy skull pack, but well worth adding to your Predator collection if you can find them at a price you're...[
See More]
Hagane Works RobocopRobocop (Good Smile Company) - Basic Series
Rated
4.75 stars by
Dark Fire Action Figure ArtIn my opinion this RoboCop is the best 7" scale depiction of the character and is leagues above the NECA figures of the same scale. It is a bit on the higher price side but well worth it if you're a RoboCop fan and can find it at retail price. The sculpt is pretty film accurate and the figure is made of a mix of die and plastic. The metal gives it a bit of heft and actually makes it so it stands on its own well, though it also includes a stand.
The figures comes with an array of accessories and alternate parts including: hands, mouth pieces for different expressions, battle damaged parts, two different Auto 9 Pistols, and a Cobra Assault Cannon as well as a base and a stand arm. The base also opens for part storage, which is really nice. The only accessory I wish it had included is a...[
See More]
Blue-Eyes White DragonS.H. MonsterArts (Bandai) - Yu-Gi-Oh!
Rated
4.80 stars by
Dark Fire Action Figure ArtI've had a few Blue-Eyes White Dragon figures over the years. Some decent, others not so good, but this one is by far the best above all the others in my opinion.
Firstly, this a big figure, mainly due to the wingspan. This does prove a problem if you wanted to display it in something like a detolf like myself, but I can't fault it for that. The articulation on this figure is also incredible as are the sculpting and the paint job which mixes a almost peal white with a light metallic blue. It is also a solid figure (or at least my copy is), making it very fun to pose.
It includes a flight stand with four arms, three to hold up the dragon itself, and a fourth to hold up an included energy blast effect. If you want to pose the figure in a standing pose it is solid enough to stand on it's...[
See More]
MachikoPredators (Neca) - Series 18
Rated
4.45 stars by
Dark Fire Action Figure ArtThis was another long awaited figure for me personally. Machiko Noguchi is easily my favorite human character in the Alien and Predator Universe, and NECA did a fairly good job at capturing her appearance from Aliens vs Predator: War.
This figure comes with a couple of accessories in the form of her burner rifle, a removable bio-mask, and an alternate hand. The mask is accurate to the one she wore in Issue 0 though it would have been nice if it had included a more Jungle Hunter-like one, too, as she wore one like it through the rest of the series. The mask's tubes can plug into her shoulder cannon, but it's a bit of a pain to plug them in and keep them in. I put some super glue on the ends, allowed it to dry and that seemed to make them fit more snugly. The rife is accurate to the one...[
See More]
RobocopRobocop (Neca) - 35th Anniversary
Rated
4.25 stars by
Dark Fire Action Figure ArtThis is a decent figure of RoboCop, but it is essentially a reissue of the old Spring Holster RoboCop with some added accessories. The articulation is limited just like their previous RoboCop figures. This isn't a huge deal since RoboCop has pretty stiff movements in the films, but I feel there could have been some upgrades made, given the Hagane Works RoboCop is the same scale and has much better articulation then the NECA figures. The spring holster is very fragile and easy to break on these figures, so I avoid using them at all given I had bad experiences with the previous three releases. This one also should have been the one to be included with the Repair Chair, but that was more of a smart move on NECA's part forcing fans to buy both pristine and battle damaged versions if they...[
See More]
Broken TuskPredators (Neca) - Series 18
Rated
4.50 stars by
Dark Fire Action Figure ArtThis was a long awaited figure for me, given the original Aliens Versus Predator comic run is probably my favorite comic series of all time. The figure is essentially the Ultimate Jungle Hunter Predator mold NECA tends to reuse a lot, which is justified given he looked a lot similar in build to the Jungle Hunter in the comic series, too. Some pieces of the armor such as the wristblade gauntlet, belt, and knee guards are new sculpts, the rest of the armor is a reuse of the Kenner homage Stalker Predator they had released in series 16, but again this reuse is justified given his appearance in the comic.
He includes his burner gun, which is nice and pretty comic accurate, though I feel it should have included some ammo on the sling given it was present in the comic. A blast effect would...[
See More]