NECA ARTICULATION

Posted in Action Figure Chatter

This is a pretty simple topic, but I find it still relevant. I've been loving the NECA releases lately, specifically their Predator series, though this topic doesn't apply only to them.

Specifically, I have an issue with NECA's articulation, in that they will sculpt fantastic looking figures, give them all kinds of articulation, and then render it moot by covering the figure in rubber that is either very stiff or only partially flexible. Some of the best looking Preds like Scarface or Ahab might as well not have ball joint hips when you look at the heavy skirting they use. This issue is not so much the thickness of the rubber, but the flexibility.

I absolutely love the Movie TMNT figures Gamestop has, but while they're fantastically detailed, the knee and elbow pads make the double joints there nearly pointless, as at best you can only get a 90 degree curve. They have an ab crunch, but the plastoid on their torso not only keeps them from leaning forward, but it keeps the hips from rotating 90 degrees for a sitting position. I hade to heat and reshape each figure to fix the hip probelm. It was a simple fix, but I shouldn't have had to to it in the first place.

I feel that NECA is slowly but surely getting there with the QC, but they could be doing so much more right now. Simple things like more flexible rubber, or higher placements of kneestraps or shoulder guards.