- Manufacturer: Super7
- Released: 2018
Finally we come to the last set of figures in this release. This is set No.2 and inside you will find: yet another version of the Alien, Parker and Brett. It’s a mostly welcome presentation, made particularly notable with the inclusion of 2 human characters that have never been previously available in the 3.75 inch ReAction figure range.
Let’s take a closer look at what this troublesome trio have to offer.
First up, is this new iteration of the Alien. 16 variants of this figure have been released to date with each one differing only by displaying cosmetic makeovers. This is the first iteration to physically differ without relying solely on a new color scheme. It actually features fresh sculpting to its head, albeit a minimum makeover to its face and upper surface.
For this version of the Alien, the horizontally flat tongue has been replaced with a more screen accurate version. Gone is the sliding mechanism used to manipulate it and the opening on top of the head has also been appropriately filled in. This makes the new tongue a static feature devoid of any movement. It’s a nice idea but not as fully realised as it could could have been. The tongue is an improvement but it is now vertically flatter than desirable and the curvature of the dentition is more pronounced than it should be.
The end result is a little bit of a misfire considering the fantastic overall sculpt of the rest of the figure and it’s a revision that should have been better. As it is, this addition looks like someone has drilled a hole into the Alien’s mouth and shoved an open-ended spanner in there. It’s passable for a 3.75 retro item but the inaccurate shaped tongue feels out of place on the rest of the figure. The ropy masked silver paint work around the mouth does little to help give the finish it really needs.
The remaining presentation duplicates the blood spattered black Alien figure we see in Set No.3. The varying features of the mouth are all that distinguish these figures from each other, otherwise they are almost identical and that’s a bit of a problem. It just feels like a cheap variation on a theme.
Along with the revised Spanner Mouth Alien, we also have 2 human characters in this set. Let’s take a look at Parker first. The big man is represented for the first time in this retro style and he’s a decent figure. The likeness is solid and his physical build has some weight to it helping to give this figure some presence. A presence that comes across with Parker on screen in the movie.
Mind you, Parker really should be the tallest of these figures but height scaling isn’t exactly consistent across the board with ReAction items. He measures the same height as all the other human figures but that’s fine and forgivable because Parker is a fantastic figure.
Finally we have Brett. Right? Surprisingly, Brett is one of the best figures Super7 have released in this range of Wave 3 ALIEN items. The sculpt is terrific, his slender physique looks appropriate along with the likeness which is terrific; and the hair flowing from under his peaked cap all look excellent. For what amounts to a modern interpretation of a glorified toy, Brett is pretty damned good.
Paint work on this figure is as exact as these things get. Compare Brett’s eyes and brow finishings to the teeth on the Alien mentioned above and you’ll see what I mean. I love the Brett figure. Of the 9 figures released in the ReAction figure Wave 3 range, this one is my favourite. I didn’t expect that to be the case but it’s true. Brett is best.
Right, Brett Baby?
Right.
Regardless, it’s good to see Super7 finally flesh out the entire crew of the Nostromo and now all 7 of them are represented in their popular 3.75 format with at least one iteration. Brett and Parker are outstanding pieces and both are enthusiastically received by myself. Thanks for these, Super7. You did good on these. I was hoping these w wouldn’t suck. A it turns out, I didn’t have to be concerned at all. This pair is fantastic.
Now let’s talk about the accessories included with this set. Well, bad luck, Man. There aren’t any.
So instead let’s consider the items these figures could have included but are clearly missing. Let’s start with the obvious ones first. Parker or Brett could easily have included a cattle prod. Or maybe a net. Or maybe a motion tracker. There’s an entire sequence when all of these items were in the possession of these 2 characters while hunting for what they believed to be the still nascent Alien form; and instead, they find Jones. Hell, under these circumstances even another Jones would have been acceptable. Maybe a different sculpt – one with the cat’s back arched as Jones’ response to having a cattle prod shoved into his face or as he watches Brett being assaulted by the Alien. That would have been fun! There could have been at least 4 accessories here. Nope. Zero.
But there’s a greater opportunity missed here. Both of these male characters were killed by the Alien using its bolt action tongue to deliver its signature lethal ‘headbite’. How appropriate would this pair have been had interchangeable heads been included? Default removable heads that could be swapped out with alternate heads featuring their mouths wide open, blood streaming down their faces and gaping holes in their foreheads. Holes big enough to fit the Spanner Mouth Alien’s tongue into. Wouldn’t that have been an amazing pair of accessories – a pair of interchangeable mutilated heads for both of these human characters?
That’s what I would have loved to have been able to do. Stand the Spanner Mouth Alien in front of Parker or Brett and insert its tongue into their faces. Such a creative feature would have made this a killer set! In more ways than one. Sadly, no. No interchangeable heads. No accessories. No extras at all. Nothing. Disappointing, I say. *sigh*
This is a great set of figures. Both human characters look terrific. The alternate Spanner Mouth Alien head sculpt is a great idea and very cool despite the shape of the tongue being a little incorrect and is not quite as ‘screen accurate’ as desirable. The complete paucity of accessories also contributes to lowering the overall score. So much potential has been missed here that could have made this an amazing trio.
Score: 7/10
Parker and Brett are the main reason you will want this set. Neither of these characters have seen any prior release in this format. If you already have enough figures of the Alien, then the one included here is at least a little different but is still a long way from being an essential item. A great pair of human characters; and a bonus Alien figure at leas,t is still a good thing. It’s just missing any extras to help bring the pack alive.
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-Windebieste.
