Available in stores now is the Alien 3 – Ultimate Dog Alien 7″ Scale Figure by NECA Toys. This version of their extremely popular Dog Alien figure features some newly sculpted pieces, updated articulation, and new accessories. The new inclusions are the curled up Queen Burster, which was a major part of the films marketing, and a Chestburster. A figure stand, like the original release, is also included.
In Alien 3, Ellen Ripley is the only survivor when the ship that escaped LV-426, as she crash lands on Fiorina 161. The planet is a desolate wasteland, where former inmates of the planet’s maximum security prison live and work in relative anonymity. When a new type of the dreaded Xenomorph appears, Ripley must fight with the unarmed colonists to destroy the creature. But Ripley learns a terrible truth, and will do whatever it takes to keep the creature out of the hands of those who would exploit it.
Our friends at NECA Toys have provided us the figure. After the jump, you can see all of my photos and thoughts on the figure.
Alien 3 – Ultimate Dog Alien 7″ Scale Figure by NECA Toys
Pros
- Sculpt is still excellent
- Joints are noticeably stronger then original release
- All-new knee joints make for better stability in legs
- Great paint application
- The coiled Queen Burster is a nice addition
Cons
- Feels like it needs few more accessories for an Ultimate release
Overall
The figure is packed in a flapped window box. The front features the theatrical poster used for the film. The back showcases the figure and included accessories. The figure sits on a plastic tray, held in by a few twist ties. The included coiled Queen Burster is mounted on a small stand, while the Chesburster has a wired tail.
The Dog Alien has always been one of NECA’s best movie Alien figures. When originally released, the excellent articulation allowed for almost any movie themed pose. The new version isn’t all that different upon initial glance, which means you get a petty outstanding Alien release. Upon closer inspection, you can start to see the differences. The biggest sculpt difference looks to be the knees. A larger knee is in place compared to the older figure, which adds some extra range of motion. I also noticed a bit more range in the elbows and the neck, which seems to have more give compared to the older one. The joints on the Ultimate figure were definitely stronger compared to the first release. The figure seemed to hold the standing poses better, and balancing in the crouched and running style poses was easier. Paint application was just as good here, and the paint looks to have been updated a bit as well. The translucent dome on the original had a bit of blue tint to it, while this one has a slight brown hue. The paint on the figure is darker, with a heavier doze of yellows to punch up the sculpt a bit. Rhe entire figure is covered in a clear coat, which adds a nice, slimy, gloss.
The two included accessories are nice additions. However, the release feels a bit bare overall. I can’t help but feel a few items from the Alien 3 creature pack could have been added here, and perhaps modified a bit, to add some extra flare to the release. As is, the coiled Queen Burster is the better of the two pieces, as it’s a nice homage to the films marketing, and scaled nicely with the figure.
If you did miss out on the previous releases, then this is an absolute must buy for Alien fans. The Dog Alien remains one of their best film Alien releases, and revisiting it for the review only reminded my of how much fun the figure is to pose. For those that do own the originals, this makes for a great army builder as opposed to a full blown replacement. In the gallery below, you an see a few photos were I added some extra slime to the figure. I used a aloe on some photos, and a glycerin oil on others. I also recreated the poster by editing the NECA Queen Burster a bit. Check out some of the select photos below, and a full gallery after that.
Some of the backgrounds featured in pics below are from Extreme-Sets.com. Enter code TOYARK at checkout and get 15% off your order!
CompaniesNECA
CharactersDog AlienChestbursterQueen Alien Burster
Scale7 Inch