NECA Predator 30th Anniversary Rick Hawkins SDCC 2018 Exclusive – Toyark Photo Shoot

The final figure (I believe) in the Predator 30th Anniversary figure line up from NECA is a really surprising release. For this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, they are offering a Rick Hawkins 7″ Scale Figure. This is notable for a two reasons. The first is that this is the first member of Dutch’s team to see a release from NECA (beside Dutch himself). The second reason is that the character was played by Shane Black, who you may recognize as the person directing The Predator, which hits later this year. In the 1987 film, Hawkins is the teams radio operator. He was known for his crude humor and supremely large eyeglasses (both purposely chosen by Shane Black to get the character to stand out a bit). Hawkins is also the very first victim of the Jungle Hunter Predator, gutted and eventually hung from a tree.

The new Rick Hawkins figure from NECA features the authorized likeness of Shane Black. The figure includes a submachine gun, a pistol, and a knife. NECA was kind enough to send the figure along for us to check out. After the jump you can find my full photo shoot and review.

San Diego Comic-Con 2018 Exclusive – Predator 30th Anniversary – Rick Hawkins 7″ Scale Figure by NECA

Pros

• Nice likeness
• Solid overall sculpt
• Clean paint work
• Great to see another member of the team
• Good articulation

Cons

• Hands seem a little thick

Overall
The Hawkins figure comes packaged in the same Predator 30th Anniversary window box we’ve seen on the main line release, as well as the Red Shirt Dutch. There’s a check list and a photo of Hawkins on the back. The figure and accessories are packaged on a plastic tray. Two guns and a knife are included with the figure.

It was a nice surprise when this figure was announced. While having a new character as a SDCC exclusive isn’t ideal, this may have been a hard sell for general retail. The character isn’t as recognizable as Dutch or Dillon. However, it is great to see that Dutch will no longer have to fight the Predator alone. The sculpt on the figure is handled very well. The fatigues are have nice realistic folds throughout, with nice stitching detail throughout the outfit. The radio backpack is included as well, which has a holster for the pistol and a sheath for the knife. The head sculpt is really close in quality to the prototype. The head is cast in the translucent skin tone we’ve been seeing more of, and it works nicely here. The likeness is good as well. Hawkins sports his large eyeglasses as he did in the film, and they fit nicely and don’t look out of place. The rest of the body has a solid plastic feel too it, and feels very similar in quality to the Dutch figures. One spot that does seem a little odd are the hands used for the figure. They’re a little on the thick side and look a little out of place compared the rest of the figure. It’s a minor issue, but is noticeable as I looked at the figure up close.

Articulation on Hawkins is about what you would expect. The figure has about 20 points of articulation, with single jointed elbows and knees. Range of motion is decent, and the figure can easily hold the gun with both hands as intended. I didn’t run into any noticeable joint issues here. None of the joints were paint locked and they were nice and solid for posing. The paint deco on the figure is strong. The fatigues look outstanding in hand, with clean lines in the camouflage deco, and a bit of a paint wash over it to bring out the sculpted fabric details. The portrait has a bit of digital printing for the camo makeup, but also has some traditional paint work for the five o’ clock shadow, the eyes, and mouth. for the most part, there are no problems here. I do wish he was looking a bit more straight ahead, but it seems to work well with the glasses.

It really is good to have a second member of the team here. It shows that there is still possible hope for other members, should those individual licensing deals ever pan out. Hawkins is a great representation of his on screen look and has solid accessories as well. Fans can find the figure at NECA’s booth during SDCC 2018. The figure is priced at $30. Check out some select photos below and the full gallery after that.