NECA TOYS Ultimate Sarah Connor Review

NECA Toys Ultimate Sarah Connor

Sarah Connor, the mother of the free world.  Sarah may be the best female action character of all time, even better than Lt. Ripley.  OK, you can frown and shout at the screen after reading that sentence, but it's my honest opinion.  The evolution of Sarah through Terminator 1 and 2 really shows how strong and relentless she is.  Terminator 2 has four main characters, and all of them bring their own unique back story to the movie.  Sarah shows she can break out of a prison, outsmart guards and even kick some ass when needed.  Her character is of equal importance to that of the T-800, and to see the two of them work together and the evolution of Sarah throughout the movie is awesome.  By the time Sarah has met up with her friends and geared up to take out Miles Dyson and Cyberdyne, she is one bad ass bitch! This figure created by NECA captures her from that moment on in the movie, fighting for what she believes is freedom and to change the future.  One of my favorite lines… "There's no fate but what we make for ourselves."

COBRASHADOWJOES 2015 Holiday Giveaway Contest!

It's that time of year again!!!

  Here at CobraShadowJoes we like to have fun and spread Holiday cheer with others!

Entering the contest is easy!  All that we ask is you complete the two items below.

1 - Retweet one of our giveaway tweets that has #CSJXMAS in it.  

2 - Take and post a Christmas/Holiday/Winter themed fun picture with your favorite toys and make sure to add the hashtag #CSJXMAS to your post so we can find it.  

Have fun and be creative!!

*Sorry, Continental US Only*
**You can only enter once so make sure it's your best entry!**

Grand Prize - GI JOE Skystriker

Second Prize - Transformers Jetfire

Third Prize - Star Wars 6" Black Series Storm Trooper

Fourth Prize - NECA Terminator Genisys T-800 Guardian

Please, submit by no later than 12:01 am EST 12/25/2015 .

Winners to be announced after between Christmas and New Years.

Good luck!

Please feel free to reach out with questions!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

NECA TOYS Alien Eggs Carton (6 Pack)

NECA TOYS ALIEN EGGS

If you are a fan of the NECA Toys Alien line then you are going to love the Xeno eggs. These are the perfect accessory to compliment your Alien collection. NECA has already brought us so many Alien goodies and there is no plan to stop in sight. By this point, we have all kinds of humans whether they be crew members or Colonial Marines, all kinds of Xenos, as well as the Blue and Red Queens, and the Power Loader!!! If you are into making your own dioramas like we are then the Alien eggs are a dream come true for you.

NECA TOYS Aliens Power Loader Review

NECA TOYS Aliens Power Loader

Hi everyone, I just received the Kenner Aliens Power Loader, and man this thing is just a hunk of plastic.  Oh wait, I actually got the NECA Toys version of the Aliens Power Loader and this thing is much more than some plastic!  Classic, a perfect word to describe the NECA Power Loader.  It's truly something pulled right out of the Aliens movie, and not just to fight the Queen, but to also help me move things around in my room.  It comes in a smaller box than you would think, but wait until you take it out you and get a feel of how cool and in scale it is with all of your NECA Aliens collection!

NECA TOYS Terminator Genisys T-1000 Review

NECA Terminator Genisys T-1000

If you have already watched Terminator Genesis you have an idea of all the characters that star in this movie.  I wasn't a huge fan of the entire movie, but there was some great parts that you can't overlook.  Some of the things I actually did like about the movie were the additional characters that were introduced. Genisys brought us a new/different T-1000. This isn't the iconic Robert Patrick version that we all know and love from T2. However, since T-1000's are shapeshifters it does make sense for them to have the forms of a different people. The T-1000 from Genisys is played by Byung-hun Lee. This character is pretty freaking awesome. The only downside is that the creators of the movie teased us big time and the character is hardly even in the movie. With that said, I won't let my gripes with the movie interfere with my review of this kickass figure.

MEZCO Toys Judge Dredd Figure Review

DREDD

"I am the LAW!"

Who exactly is Judge Dredd?  Joseph Dredd is a future law officer in Mega-City One.  His role is to be a "street judge", to arrest, convict, sentence and best of all execute criminals. In Mega-City One, he is the top of all the Street Judges, just waiting for the chance to execute those who do not obey the law.  Dredd was once offered the job of Chief Justice, but refused the position to continue to be Judge, Jury, Executioner.  There are many layers to this character, and the foes he faces in the not too distant future.  If you follow the comic story lines, you realize he has also fought against Xenomorphs and even a Predator.  Dredd has no fear, and is deadly force to any enemy that crosses his path.

NECA TOYS Commando 30th Anniversary Ultimate John Matrix Review

Ultimate COMMANDO John Matrix

*Cue the steel drums*

One of my most beloved and iconic movie characters, John Matrix of COMMANDO, has finally been brought to life in 7" action figure form. I love Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the past NECA has brought us different figures based of Dutch from Predator and Arnold's T-800 from the Terminator series. They are very cool and are must haves for any Arnold fan. One thing I always wanted to have was a John Matrix figure. NECA has made me one happy customer, and went all out for this one by giving him the Ultimate treatment. Be forewarned: I eat toy reviews for breakfast. And right now, I'm very hungry! It's time for me to let off some steam. On a side note: I have to remind you readers, I'm typing this with my weak arm. Ok, enough with this macho bullshit!

NECA TRU Exclusive Aliens vs Predator 2 Pack Review

Aliens vs Predator 2 Pack

In the 90's, toys were really starting to come off the tracks with design and colors.  This is the same time that Kenner was producing the Aliens vs Predator line that had cool ideas but not exactly perfect figures.  I always felt for some reason the Kenner Aliens were better overall compared to their Predator counterparts.  There was just something about the Predator size and articulation with the figures that made them not look like the Predator we knew from the big screen and comics.  NECA has been successful in turning the tide with the Kenner lines and adding their own mark on these original figures.  Let's take a closer look at what may be the best 2-pack NECA has ever produced. Are you an Aliens or Predator person….you decide!

NECA TOYS Ultimate T-800 T2 Figure Review

Ultimate T-800

The iconic T-800 may be the best character ever made! How many one liners have you spun off from this movie since you first watched it in 1991?  I can remember watching this movie with my family, 10 years old at the time and the scene where the step dad (Todd) takes the sword arm through the milk carton and his head.  My mother immediately said I was done watching Rated R movies. I laughed and so did my dad, because that was one of our favorite things to do.  Why do I mention this you ask? Because this figure brings me the same joy and mild snickers I had as a kid watching the movie.

NECA TOYS Retro NES Nightmare on Elm Street Figure Review

Toys R Us Exclusive NECA TOYS Retro NES Freddy

For those of you who follow Randy Falk on Twitter, you know that he has many "surprises" in store for us fans over the next few months. One of them recently came out and it is the Retro NES Nightmare on Elm Street Figure exclusive to Toys R Us. The response to this guy has been amazing. Fans were certainly hyped to hear this news. They now have a retro NES Freddy to go with their retro NES Jason's!!!!! Ya can't have one without the other!

I hope everyone who wanted one was able to snag one. According to friends on Twitter, it sounds like scalpers are having a field day with this one...some asking as much as $75. Of course, scalpers are scum and take the fun out of collecting, but that is a tale for another day.

NECA TOYS 1954 Godzilla Figure Review

NECA TOYS 1954 GODZILLA

I have been waiting with much anticipation (for a loooooooong time) for both the NES Godzilla and 1954 Godzilla by NECA. They are both awesome in different ways, and it is impossible for me to pick one of them over the other. 

A few months ago Steve and I went up to Hillside, NJ to hang out at the NECA Studio with Randy and the rest of the crew. We saw lots of amazing things that day (most of which we can't speak about). When we were walking around the studio I spotted a loose '54 Godzilla. That was my first time seeing it in person, and it was love at first sight. Ever since that moment I have been saying repeatedly how bad I wanted to have it.

That brings me to how I obtained this figure when it's not out yet. Well, sadly, as many of you know my father passed away at the beginning of the month after a courageous eight year battle with Prostate cancer. I worked with my dad so I was lucky enough to see him every day. He wasn't just my dad, or my boss, but my role model and friend. Although, we knew for a long time that this day would come there is no way to really prepare for it. On Sunday, August 2 the time came to say goodbye. 

NECA 25th Anniversary Darkhorse Predator Review

NECA Darkhorse Predator 

"They like the HEAT dammit, the SPORT. Leave 'em be and in two, three weeks they'll be gone.  Mess with them-and god only KNOWS what might happen."

The Loyal Subjects Decepticon Bonecrusher

Constructicon Bonecrusher 

The Loyal Subjects is quickly becoming a company to watch with toy lines that are going to grab every one's attention. Today we are going to look at the Constructicons Bonecrusher figure.  Bonecrusher has a great G1 look to him with nice details that remind you of the toy you probably had as a kid.  One of the first things that came to mind with this figure is I have my devastator in combiner mode, and with these figures I am able to have them in that cool single robot mode look.  He comes with 3 separate pieces to complete his look along with his tech card.  The gun, front Decepticon symbol and the hood of the bulldozer on his back.  

NECA NES Godzilla Figure Review

GODZILLA: MONSTER OF MONSTERS

The NES Godzilla is a figure that we have been patiently anticipating for a looong time. We first laid eyes on this work of art all the way back in September when we were at NECA studios. As soon as we saw this we immediately knew that this was going to be a hit. It is so different from any of the other VGA figures and the paint, pixels, and details are fantastic. Now the game may have sucked, but this figure is AWESOME!

Packaging:

The NES Godzilla comes in the usual window box which is stylized to look like the original NES game packaging. The box is a little bit wider than the ones used for past NECA VGA action figures. The cover art is spot on as usual. When you open up the box the left side has a picture from the main hex grid screen which is where the monsters and levels are in the game. NECA's license with TOHO is very specific and only applies to Godzilla. For that reason, NECA had to improvise with the grid because they are restricted from using any other of the monsters. They did a good job with this despite not having access to the other monsters. The right side of the box is the window with the figure. The top has the health/power bar. There is also a pixelated background behind the figure.

NECA ALIEN Ripley Jumpsuit Figure Review

Jumpsuit Ripley

This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.

"In space, no one can hear you scream....."

This is the figure that all ALIEN fans have been waiting for for such a long time. It is awesome to know that Randy Falk doesn't give up easily, and that he will aggressively pursue and try all avenues in order to get a figure made. If I were Sigourney Weaver I would be ecstatic about these figures. The sculpt and likeness is amazing. 

Packaging:

Jumpsuit Ripley comes in the standard ALIEN packaging that we are all accustomed to. The front shows the figure with the accompanying accessories and the back shows the other figures that are also available in this wave.

The Loyal Subjects: Transformers Laserbeak Review

Decepticon Laserbeak

When we went to Toyfair this past February one of the companies we got to see up close was The Loyal Subjects. They had a lot of great items on display that really caught our eye with a few different lines.  We were finally able to get our hands on some of these very unique figures and they really don't disappoint. I think a lot of collectors are always looking for new things that are unique to add to their collection.  A lot of us just don’t have enough space to buy and put out all of the things we love.  That’s one of the best things about The Loyal Subjects line, that they are detailed, made well, and don't take up a ton of space.  We will be reviewing some of their items over the next week or two to give you a up close look at the amazing collectibles they are putting out.

NECA Alien Compression Suit Dallas Figure Review

Compression Suit Dallas

NECA Alien Ripley Compression Suit Figure Review

Alien

Compression Suit Ripley

Alien is a great movie that really started the trend for many Sci-Fi movies to come.  I can remember watching it in the 80's, as a very confused kid with a huge imagination.  At that time I believed something like this existed, just like the Predator.  Not all the movies I watched as a kid gave me this feeling, but Alien surely was one I had nightmares about.  The thought of the unknown is such a curious thing. There are no limitations to the imagniation when watching a movie like this. The compression suits work very well in this movie, and gave a distinct feel to the movie.  Are you ready to put on the suit and find out about Ripley?

Packaging:

The packaging is done well and continues with the Alien(s) theme NECA uses for their figures.  All of the Alien figures from Series 4 are very appealing to look at just in the package...you choose which looks the best.  The alien egg art is always striking when I look at it...that feeling of what if I was wearing the compression suit and walking around these eggs, no thanks!  

Figure:

The Compression Suit Ripley has very nice paint apps and sculpt to the figure.  The compression suits are all similar with Kane, Ripley and Dallas with nice color variation that brings you right into the movie.  Ripley's suit is mostly white with some nice highlights of grey and off white to give it more dimension and detail.  She also has the marking on the suit just like in the movie to keep that authentic look.  She moves well with ease and has a very nice face sculpt that NECA should be proud of!

Accessories:

Ripley comes with helmet, gun with 2 different muzzle tips on it just like in the movie...it's your choice.  The head needs to be removed in order to get the helmet on Ripley.  I tried a few different ways to put the helmet on with no luck and didn't want to break any pieces forcing it on.  The best thing to do is pull her head off and then place the helmet pieces and head back on.   This was a very simple process that will keep you from damaging your figure. Let's not forget the awesome Jonesy the cat, which is a great sculpt itself. 

Overall:

Alien is a classic movie which was an absolute must to have figures created for it.  NECA has really brought all of this to life with 4 figures (2 Ripley's) and the Big Chap to recreate all of that horror and suspense the movie brings.  The figure poses well and stands out next to a lot of my other figures. I really think all 3 figures from series 4 are terrific figures that are made well with no real issues that I have experienced.  One can only wonder what wonderful Aliens things NECA has in store for us in the future! 

Sample Provided by NECA Toys

Make sure to follow us on Twitter!

@cobrashadowjoes