If you are reading this, it stands to reason that you survived Alien Day yesterday, so congratulations! In true Fwoosh fashion, we are a day late, but since don’t work on Sundays around here, it had to be #MonsterMonday before we could bring your our feature of the new Ultimate Edition Big Chap Alien figure from NECA. As luck would have it, though, it is certainly worth the wait.
This is a big year for Alien from NECA. I mean, with the amount of product they release, every year is pretty much a big Alien year for NECA, but 2020 is really special. They are celebrating the original (and BEST) movie is high fashion with new releases featuring the ENTIRE crew of the doomed Nostromo. This is a huge deal since it seemed like we would never be able to get everyone in the line due to licensing issues. Well, once again, NECA has come through and saved us, and I for one cannot be more excited. I am a great appreciator or the overall Alien line, but since the first movie is far and away my favorite, I pretty much base my collecting habits off of those releases.
So now I am going to have a new Ripley and Dallas (featuring new accessories and face-printed decos) but also Brett, Parker, Ash, and a new Kane with John Hurt’s likeness. I am not sure if Lambert will be rejoining the throng, but luckily, I already have the previous release. I beyond thrilled with is, and they will all be presented in slick new retro-style packaging. The first wave kicks off at Target, then wave two is at the specialty market stores, and wave three will be at Wal-Mart by the end of the year, so we will certainly be celebrating all year.
Kicking things off, though, is this new Ultimate Edition of the titular “Big Chap” Alien, and it has never looked better. This dude played havoc with the Nostromo crew (they should have listened to Ripley when she demanded to follow the quarantine protocols), and now it can cause trouble for your entire collection. With a new deco and Ultimate-style accessories, this is pretty much the definitive release of Big Chap, so even if you have a previous release, you are going to want to upgrade with this one.
After the actual Alien and Sigourney Weaver, this movie is most certainly known for its horrifically beautiful design work by H.R. Geiger, and this figure is an exercise in plastic recreation of that design work with slavish attention to detail. NECA has had, of course, lots of practice with getting the Alien design work down, but I am still always impressed by the sheer amount of detail in these figures. There is nary a millimeter of this plastic canvas devoid of some kind of sculpted detail, and even though the figure is mostly black, the paint work does a tremendous job of bringing out all of intricacies. Plus, this is the figure that I think they really nailed the “dome” in terms of its translucency and color, and the details you can see beneath really bring out an entirely new level of attention.
Something else that I find to be a major improvement in the functionality of the articulation. This is something that NECA is getter better and better with, and even though I am pretty sure we have had this base before, the range of the joints and smoothness of the movement is much improved and it somehow has joints that feel stronger than before as well. These are qualities that are showing up a lot in the NECA TMNT line too, so I am quite pleased that they still continue to take steps to give us better product with each release. I have alway said that I am alway good for an upgrade, and this figure is certainly that, especially with the articulation.
Big Chap is not alone in the box, though, as you also get hatched egg, facehugger, and chestburster, too. I am pretty sure we have seen all of these before, but having them included with this release helps to highlight the “Ultimate Edition” pattern, so they are most welcome inclusions. I have to admit that I did not previously have any of these pieces, so I am certainly glad to have them, and if you have been sleeping on the line overall until now, this is a great way to get caught up with some essential accessories. The facehugger and chestburster both feature bendy wire to help pose them, and the egg splits from the bottom base as well.
It feels great to be back to the original Alien movie when it comes to these figures. It is most certainly what I enjoy the most, and getting a new and improved iconic Big Chap, especially with the accessories, makes for a required edition to my collection. You should not wait on this, and grab it at Dorkside Toys now, even if you plan on blowing it out the airlock.
As I said, he precedes the crew of the Nostromo coming later this year, so that is going to be a big deal for those of us who enjoy the movie and charters. I do hope that NECA will swing back and get us Dallas, Lambert, and Kane in their Nostromo crew suits, too (non-compression suit releases), then my collection would really be complete. Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream, but you can hear Alien fans screaming with joy at this new hotness.
