“Hey Billy….”- Hawkins
It’s always a happy day whenever NECA delivers another character from one of the greatest sci-fi action films of all time. No matter how insignificant the character is or how limited the screen time, it’s always a guaranteed purchase. As an SDCC exclusive limited to 3000, NECA has finally given us the figure that nobody thought they wanted—Hawkins from the original Predator! He’s one of the guys who’s not Arnold or Jesse the Body. Or Apollo. Remember? With the glasses?
Packaging
This is standard NECA packaging for their Predator line. It’s a nice window box that displays the figure well and keeps everything safe and sound. One shock was the quote on the back. Hawkins, apart from being lucky victim #1, is really best known for his cringey jokes about his girlfriend. So I was pretty surprised to see that referenced on the back of the box…on the back of the box. (see…because of the echo)
Sculpt/Paint
In my eyes, NECA either puts out A+ work or A+++ work and this is definitely the latter. From the serial killer glasses down to the boots, it’s so ridiculously spot on. I’m not always a fan of open-mouthed expressions, but I think it works quite well here. As Dutch is one of the strongest sculpts in NECA’s entire catalog, I’m glad that Hawkins can stand toe to toe with him quality-wise. Who knows if we’ll ever get another teammate, so it’s nice to have at least two homeruns.
Articulation
It’s pretty standard for modern NECA figures, although I do wish they include some of the newer double joints like on their Blade Runner figures. You don’t get much torso movement because of the overlay, but the range of motion in all of the other joints is enough to get him into most poses. I’m not going to do a complete rundown, but I will report that all joints are tight without any stuckage.
Accessories
Hawkins isn’t exactly packed with accessories, but he’s got enough. The backpack is a big selling point as it’s wonderfully sculpted and gives an extra dose of realism to what could have just been a boring looking army-guy. He comes with his machine gun, a knife, and his pistol. The pistol fits securely into the holster, which is not actually attached to the backpack as it seems. The holster plugs into the rubber overlay and I didn’t try to remove it. The knife fits into the backpack, although the fitting is a touch loose. It tends to fall out anytime the figure falls over. It’s also too small to actually fit into his hands, so it’s pretty much going to stay in the backpack. His machine gun is also terrifically sculpted, but as it’s made of a hard plastic, it can be a bit tough getting him to hold it with two hands. You may have to soften the hands up a bit first.
Overall
Hawkins may have been an odd choice, but as Shane Black is the writer director of the next Predator film, I get why they did it. And given that Shane Black also wrote Lethal Weapon 1, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and MONSTER SQUAD, you get why this figure is front and center in my Predator display. It really is another amazing figure by NECA and will serve as a constant reminder of how great getting the entire team would be.
This was available at SDCC and was up for pre-order on NECA’s site prior to the Con. I would imagine Ebay would be your best bet now.
Thanks for reading!
