Ultimate Gremlin Review
There are very few movie franchises that I love more than the Gremlins. Watching the original 1984 movie on cable as a kid is one of my earliest cinematic memories, and I enjoy watching it (and the sequel!) just as much now as I did then. So, unsurprisingly, NECA’s longstanding Gremlins action figure line is one of my favorite things to collect. I know I am biased, but I feel this is one of the best lines they have ever done, and this new 1985 Gremlin is probably their best release in that line to date. And that is saying something.
I make it a point to watch Gremlins at least once a year and usually around the holiday season since I believe it counts as a Christmas movie. So, with a viewing fresh in my mind, it only hyped me more for this new Gremlin (and the Stripe that should be hitting any time now), and man, Mr. Futterman is gonna have a heart attack because this figure is simply perfect. I know, that gets tossed around too often with all kinds of things, but, the only nitpick I have here is that I did not get it before the end of 2018 to include in my “Best of” list. As it stands, he is just going to have to wait a year to be on the 2019 version because he is already a lock.
So, what to do here? I mean I could gush about this guy all day long and enjoy every single moment of it. However, I really hope the pictures can speak for themselves in most instances and just understand that I love this figure so much that I still need about a dozen more, heh. Fortunately, NECA and GameStop are teaming up to bring a “Gamer” version of the Gremlin out this spring, (you can preorder that right HERE), so we will get even more variety for our little troublemakers. That pushes the ski mask Gremlin (the one who shoots at Kate in Dory’s Tavern right before Billy shows up) to the top of my list for G1 Gremlins, so hopefully NECA can find a way to get that head out there at some point since that is about all they will need.
Now, I have been with NECA and their Gremlins releases since day one, so I still have quite the collection of their original G1 Gremlins figures (all currently packed away awaiting the completion of the finishing of my basement that is in-progress), and while I still like the sculpt work on those older figures, they simply do not hold a candle to this new version. I apologize that I don’t have mine handy for comparisons, but those older figures will now be in the background of my display going forward with a new army out in front. That is not a slight to the older figures AT ALL, it is just that this new one is too good, and I am positive Instagrammers will be fooling people with their action figure shots impersonating movie stills. They are simply that well done and accurate to the source material.
The New Batch has done quite well in this line due to the diverse array of featured Gremlins and Mogwai in that sequel. However, while Greta and the Veggie Gremlin are both still SORELY needed in the line, I was ready for a return to the classic, and between the sculpt, paint, articulation, and accessories, this figure scratches every itch. I mentioned that the old G1 Gremlins sculpt is still very nice, but those figures were most certainly lacking in the articulation department, so there is ZERO contest in that forum between the old figures and this new update. While the Gremlins in the movies were practical puppets, they got themselves into some pretty wacky situations (duh!), and with this new articulation, you can make most of that mischief happen with ease. I mean, these guys have EAR articulation, and while that might even seem over the top, the ears make these so expressive that it is most definitely a requirement in terms of points of articulation.
Just as a precautionary note: most of the joints on this figure were VERY tight when I first got it. I heated up the figure to get the joints going and I would recommend doing so to prevent any breakage.
However, that said, even if these things did not move at all, they would still be accepting accolades for their accuracy in the translation from screen to plastic because the paint and sculpt on these is almost unreal. NECA is no stranger to this territory, and I admire my TMNT movie figures for this quality on an almost daily basis, but I am still never unimpressed by it. This past holiday season I decided to let my 6 year-old daughter watch some 1980s classics that I grew up with and still love to this day. So, while she took an immediate shine to The Goonies and some others, Gremlins was still a bit too scary for her, and the best compliment I can give this figure from a looks perspective is that she does not want to anywhere near this figure. This figure is funny and scary and wonderfully detailed in all the best ways. Nothing is overlooked in terms of sculpted details, but the paint job is every bit as good as the sculpt, so it forms that rare perfect tandem in which each of these strengths actually make other even better, and the end result is gruesomely gorgeous.
Finally, more so than any other figure I can think of collecting in recent memory, this figure’s accessories not only make sense for inclusion, but they make these guys even better. Yes, of course, accessories are meant to enhance any release, and while these things do that in the traditional sense of giving the figure something to interact with, these also make the figure itself better because so many of the included pieces can be added to the figure to essentially give you a complete different and unique G1 Gremlin. Take the popcorn bags for instance, put those on the ears and you instantly have a different Gremlin from the one standing next to him without the bags. It is WONDERFUL to be completely honest, and NECA was so smart with this because it is impossible to deny the urge to buy multiple figures for all the display options. Heck, just having the figure stand there with nothing added to him makes him look naked (I realize that he is), but Gremlins cause havoc when they interact, and these are great pieces to interact with.
Towards that end, I am glad the beer and cigarette are included here. I know that sounds a bit extraneous to specifically point out, but the debauchery of the Gremlins is kind of the whole point of the movie, and like it or not, they drank and smoked their brains out on Christmas Eve with reckless abandon. I mean, one of the featured scenes takes place at Dory’s Tavern and is nothing but a showing of this activity. So, beer and smokes are important, even though it is likely frowned upon by someone’s mom to include with toys. So, kudos to NECA for doing so, and kudos to the licensor for letting it happen (even though it is rumored the crossbow and any firearms were nixed for the same reason). Frankly, my Gremlins figures look cooler with cigarettes, so I am going to go nuts.
Simply put, I could not be happier with this release. I love the Gremlins so much, and getting action figures like these the do the original concepts so much justice is just a joy. As I said, I would love to see the ski mask Gremlin come (I have plenty of plastic guns for him), or a box set of the carolers from Mrs. Deagle’s house would be AMAZING. Heck, give me a close enough scale Billy in the 8-inch soft goods line to go with these dudes, and I will flip. With all of those and the other from the sequel like Greta and Veggie, this license still has a lot of legs to it, and I will buy them ALL. Well done, NECA, this figure is perfection. Do NOT wait, go to Big Bad Toys Store and or one or six.