Tuesday, July 23, 2013

The Prometheus David 8 Action Figure Might Be One Of The Best Action Figures EVER!


The Good: Great sculpt, Exceptional poseability, Incredible coloring detailing, Neat accessories, Awesome balance!
The Bad: I’m not wild about the mechanism for the interchangeable head . . .
The Basics: A perfect action figure, the Prometheus< Series 2 David 8 action figure is a must-buy! Nothing says to an actor that they have completely landed in the public psyche like going from virtual obscurity and bit parts to leading roles that result in the manufacture of peripheral merchandise. Michael Fassbender has landed. Fortunately for the immensely talented actor, some of his best roles in recent years have given him a number of opportunities and his role in Prometheus cemented him as an actor science fiction fans might want to have merchandise of. Michael Fassbender ought to be thrilled, too, because his immortalization in plastic comes from NECA as part of their Prometheus Series 2 toy line. And NECA got the actor absolutely right!

The Prometheus David 8 action figure is available exclusively from the NECA line and is one of two figures from their second wave (there are at least two more on NECA’s docket for this year). The David 8 figure is a worthy release alongside the three prior Prometheus figure releases and is the best-articulated, most detailed (in coloring and in sculpt) figure I have seen in years!

Basics

Based on the character that was seen in throughout Prometheus, David 8 is the android son of the reclusive industrialist Weyland. He was the only member of the crew conscious for the long journey out to the distant world where Holloway and Shaw believe they have found the architects of human evolution.

Standing seven inches tall, the David 8 figure is an incredibly detailed version of the character in his environmental suit (the one used whenever the character was seen outside the protection of the ship). The sculpting of this figure is absolutely immaculate. David 8 looks just like Michael Fassbender as he appeared in Prometheus. The outfit is molded with each and every bit of padding and protection as well as every pocket and seam that the character had in the film. It is astonishing how detailed the figure is. Moreover aspects like the ears and hair have such fine molded lines and grooves that they look realistic and viable as opposed to flattened or helmet-like. The David 8 figure is actually one that looks equally good from behind as NECA included such molded detailed elements as the camera on the shoulder with the video line that goes across the figure’s back and the pouches, power packs and flashlight-like objects molded to the figure’s belt!

As for the coloring details, NECA managed to get David 8 perfectly right! The hair has depth and shading to make the figure look more realistic, as opposed to stylized. The skin is given appropriate tone and shading and even the lips have a slight pink tint to them. The figure’s uniform is very clean, but it includes such fine paint detailing as the name “Weyland Industries” beneath the logo painted on the figure’s chest. For the scale, the fact that such words are perfectly legible is nothing short of amazing. Every possible nook and cranny of the figure is detailed with appropriate coloring to make this figure a powerful addition to one’s collection.

Accessories

The David 8 comes loaded with accessories, putting the first wave of Prometheus figures to shame! David 8 comes with a lighted specimen case, helmet and an alternate head. The alternate head accessory replaces the standard David 8 head and has the helmet-like head covering that obscure’s the character’s hair. The accessory features the character’s name on a patch on the forehead, just like the uniform had in the movie. Accurately colored for both the head and headcovering, the 1” by 5/8” wide by 7/8” tall accessory looks just like Michael Fassbender as David 8. The accessory head easily swaps out with the original head, though it also reveals the figure’s sole potential weakness. In popping the standard head off, one has to push the accessory head onto a remarkably thin stick and it is not the easiest or most comfortably stable replacement.

The helmet is a clear plastic fishbowl-style helmet exactly like what was seen in the movie on the environmental suits. The helmet slides easily over the head and fits into well-concealed grooves on the figure’s shoulder-area. When applied to the figure, it matches the level of detailing quality for the figure and looks great there!

The final accessory is the flashlight, which is attached to what appears to be a specimen container. The 1” by 1” by 3/16” accessory fits perfectly in either of David 8’s hands and looks pretty natural there.

Poseability

David 8 has a sense of balance that is just as good as the detailing! This figure stands in any variety of poses, completely unaided. Despite the fact that there are no playsets for the Prometheus action figures, David 8 comes with two tiny holes on the bottoms of his feet, as if they could be supported by pegs in a playset!

Fortunately, because of all of its joints, David 8 can be posed in incredible ways. With nineteen points of articulation, David 8 has absolutely amazing poseability and the sculpt allows one to make good use out of all of the joints. The David 8 has ball and socket joints at the ankles, shoulders, wrists and elbows. The bust, waist and head are on ball joints, with limited range of motion there. There are additional joints – two joints each! – on the knees and a very cool hinged and rotational joint on the groin socket. It seems to imply that someday there might be a vehicle toy for David 8 to straddle!

Playability

All of the articulation makes David 8 a decent toy for play, but one suspects those who would recognize David 8 enough to enjoy the figure would not be the type to actually play with it and the Prometheus toy line is intended for the adult collector. The superlative play function for this figure is the replaceable head, though the extensive articulation cannot be undersold!

Collectibility

NECA Toys made an absolutely perfect figure with David 8, but given how NECA has a tendency to pick the losers (past history has shown that NECA’s figures quickly sell to the fanbase, then end up severely discounted at the few retailers that carry them) and there is no reason to believe that the Prometheus figures will be any exception. Given the limited appeal of the Prometheus figures, it is hard to believe that they will be a good investment figure. Given that Series 1 figures are still easily available at the Toys R Us stores around me, unless the Series 2 figures were comparatively underproduced, it is likely this figure will not readily appreciate in value, despite its fine quality.

Overview

Fans of the Alien franchise, Prometheus, Michael Fassbender, androids and the David 8 android in particular are likely to want this figure. In fact, anyone who loves science fiction and fine collectibles will want to pick this up, if for no other reason than to encourage NECA to continue making such finely crafted figures of beloved characters!

This version of the David 8 appears solely in Prometheus, reviewed here!

For other Prometheus-related reviews, please visit my reviews of:
The Furious Gods: Making Prometheus
NECA Series 1 Engineer (Pressure Suit) figure
NECA Series 1 Engineer (Chair Suit) figure
NECA Series 2 Deacon figure

10/10

For other toy reviews, please visit my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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