The Terminator was one of the most important films for not only actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, but also for director James Cameron. The movie helped to launch Schwarzenegger to stardom, and helped establish Cameron as a visionary science fiction director, with a keen eye for action and compelling characters. This was also the first film in a long running franchise. And while The Terminator films no longer have the cultural and box office impact they once did, the original film stands tall as one of the greatest science fiction and action films of the 80’s.
NECA has been producing figures based on The Terminator films for some time now. Their ever growing line up of Terminator figures began back in 2009 in the Cult Classics Series. That eventually morphed into a dedicated line up. NECA has been revisiting The Terminator brand in recent years with new Ultimate Figures. Available now is The Terminator – Tech Noir T-800 Ultimate 7″ Scale Figure. The figure is based on the first of two very iconic looks for the T-800 in the film. Today we’re taking a look at the figure. We’ve grabbed the figure from Toyark sponsor Big Bad Toy Store. There are 65 high resolution images and a full review. Check them out after the jump.
Related Big Bad Toy Store Links: Ultimate Tech Noir T-800, Ultimate Police Station Assault T-800, All NECA Terminator Figures
The Terminator – Tech Noir T-800 Ultimate 7″ Scale Figure by NECA
Pros
- Fun accessories
- Three very different interchangeable heads
- Great sculpt
- Good likeness of Schwarzenegger
- A ton of display options
- Movie accurate weapons
Cons
- Elbow articulation is limited
Overall
Packaged in the great flapped window boxes that all Ultimate figures comes in, the Tech Noir T-800 has great shelf presence right off the bat. The packaging features the fan favorite poster design, which is instantly recognizable. It has the look of those oversized VHS boxes you would see in video stores. Inside the box you’ll find the figure, three head sculpts, an interchangeable battle damaged right forearm, an extra hand, surgical tools, an AMT Hardballer .45 long slide with laser sighting, Uzi 9 MM, and an Ithaca 37 shotgun. Everything can be easily placed in the tray for storage or display after opening.
The T-800 is an updated version of the older Tech Noir Terminator released by NECA in 2011. It features all new leg articulation, adding in hip movement, double jointed knees, and more. This release combines the original standard and battle damaged versions into one massive figure release. With the added leg cuts, this 7″ scale figure now has over 25 points of articulation. The sculpt was already very well done, and it holds up strongly, even after 5 years. The only real down side is the elbow articulation. They remain single jointed elbows, and the jacket sculpting does stop them from bending as much as they potentially could.
The figure includes five swap out piece. The three head sculpts all swap out very easily with no heating required. The right arm and left hand also were easily replaced. All of the joints were tight, with no paint locking issues. The added articulation in the legs is excellent, and allows for much better dynamic poses, as well as giving the figure some added stability. The weapons and surgical tools look great. The pistol is especially nice, with a metallic silver paint scheme and well done small details. Paint apps overall look to remain largely the same as the original release, with some minor tweaking here and there for added realism. They also kept the actual metal chain from the original releases.
There’s a lot to like here. It has a great film accurate look, some really fun accessories, and three distinct and well done head sculpts. At $25 or less, there’s a lot of value in this package, and it’s hard to pick a specific look to keep him displayed in. By combining two previously released figures into this package, it carries the “Ultimate” label well. Check out a few highlight photos below and 65 images in the gallery below that.
The Terminator - Ultimate Tech Noir T-800 - Toyark Photo Shoot
I've only ever seen the first movie and the only part I liked as a kid was the "surgery" scene, so I may get this just to add another Arnie to my collection. I've skipped all the other Terminator releases, but just the value of this one alone is enough to tempt me. I did ponder getting the ultimate Robert Patrick character, because I need some plain ol' cops for my shelves.
NECA Terminator Genisys T-1000 - Toyark Gallery - The Toyark - News
Never mind, I pulled my head outta my caboose and googled it. Yeah, that is the one I thought about getting. Just didn't need a cop bad enough to spend over $25. Clearance sounds good though.
Well, then never mind the never mind!
I bought two of these figures..one for his early look where he's 45-longsliding people, and one for his motel self-surgery look. Both look awesome, and the figure overall is a great upgrade from the original and a great value with all the interchangeable parts.
And I have to agree with you Joe, the only bummer about this figure is the limited elbow articulation...I would have loved to have been able to get the forceps a little closer to his actual arm wound to make it look like he's actually repairing himself, but as it is you can't even get them close. Not a huge deal, however.
Oh, and while the quality of the figure itself is fine, I wish NECA would stop casting the accessories for their Ultimate figures out of cheap, rubbery plastic. As with the Ultimate T2 figure, most of the weapons are warped right out of the package (the uzi is the only exception as that plastic is harder, but the shotgun is like a noodle). Luckily, I still have my original Tech Noir figure with it's higher-quality weapons, so I just did a swap, and I assume I'll have to do the same when the Ultimate Police Station Assault T-800 comes out. It's unfortunate that NECA's cheaping out in that regard.
And finally, his knees aren't double-jointed, unless you're referring to the fact that they can swivel in addition to bending...in which case I stand corrected.
BTW, great pics, always a great job, blah, blah, blah...
Got mine yesterday and I love it. The rubbery weapons are annoying, especially the shotgun. The main thing that bothers me is that the hands seem a little cheap feeling, particularly the sloppily painted fingertips, at least on mine and the ones I saw at the store.
On the plus side I had no frozen or stuck joints for once. The knees and shoulders are stiff, but they're not stuck.
Overal I love it, it's exactly what I wanted when they started making ultimate terminator figures.
Thanks for the reviews guys, I kinda accept standard releases will have bendy weapons, but since I really wasn't sure about this Ultimate line I think I'll give it a miss altogether. I've enough of the previous releases anyway.
oh hai
It's pretty inexcusable. Charge another buck or two for the figure if you can only afford to cast the weapons out of Jell-O, guys.
I mean, the quality of the same exact weapons that came with the original Tech Noir release back in the day is so much higher.
Were the T-1000 and Sarah like this?
Yikes. Looks like I'm going to have to continue to justify owning a blow dryer as a bald man. Hopefully they'll be able to sit in their natural state once heated up.
The T-1000 was mixed. The alternate crowbar arms (the ones he used in the hospital scene) are fine, but the alternate hands with the elongated stabby fingers are really, REALLY soft and warped as shit.
It's like the minigun that came with the Ultimate T2 T-800...that thing was bent and warped to hell. Good thing I have all the original versions of these figures and can swap the higher-quality old accessories for the shitty new ones. And I'm sure I'll have to do the same thing with the shotgun and machinegun that will be upcoming with the Ultimate Police Station Assault T-800.
Bad form, NECA.
Hey, a dude from NECA recently signed up here and has commented on a few threads...what are the chances he'll actually chime in on this? I won't hold my breath.
Full Thread: Ultimate Tech Noir T-800 - Toyark Gallery
Not a member yet? Join Toyark Now!