Joining NECA’s Ultimate horror line this year are two new Puppet Masters sets that are available now, and this assortment includes Blade with Torch, and Pinhead with Tunneler. The figures are inspired from the 1989 classic horror film, which was a straight to-video release, and became a sales and rental success. Torch is the only character in this set that is from Puppet Master 2. The original film follows a puppet maker named André Toulon and he uses an ancient Egyptian potion to bring his numerous puppets to life. While Nazi’s attempt to steal his secret, Toulon decides to take his own life to keep it out of their hands, after packing away his creations. Several years later, four psychics are brought together, and found out that one of their colleagues had committed suicide. While they try to unravel the mystery leading up to his death, Toulon’s puppets begin to attack, and begins to take out each of them in gruesome ways.
The film has reached a cult classic status and saw eleven sequels and/or prequels, including the addition of new puppet characters and expanding on the history of the crazed killer marionettes. Between all of the films, there are over 20 puppets that have been introduced, and these sets from NECA Toys are hopefully just the beginning.
Thank you to NECA Toys for providing their Puppet Master Ultimate Figure 2 Packs for review.
Availability: June 2021
The figures are packaged in a window box that has the artwork and appearance of puppet display cases from the movie. The artwork on the cover is phenomenal and includes images of the puppets inside, along with the cases. The back includes images of the figures and showing off some of the accessories. The boxes can open, and inside you see the figures showing through the window box, as well as a look at their accessories that are stored inside a plastic tray.
The sculpts on each of the figures are quite impressive, and pay great likenesses to how they appear in the film. Some of the characters, including Tunneler and Blade have interchangeable parts, and it’ll be wise to heat them up with a hair dryer as breakage may occur. None of these broke as I heated each part up before swapping it, including Pinhead’s hands, and Blade’s head. The figures are also depicted as 7″ scaled, but stand at 4.25″ tall so you have all that detail, deco and likeness. Any smaller you’d loose this detail, and this taller size does sacrifice the Ultimate scale, but in this case it’s better that they went this route.
Pinhead is a bulky looking figures with a large chest, arms, and legs. He comes in a textured long sleeve shirt that is brown with a black wash, dark grey pants, black shoes, and black gloves with his fingers poking through. The head sculpt is tiny, but has some nicely done facial details, and is shaped like a pin for the namesake. Pinhead includes swap out hands, a pipe wrench, two hooks with rope, a fire poker, and a potion bottle.
His articulation includes a swivel and ball jointed head, ball hinged shoulders, ball joined elbow, ball jointed and swivel wrist, ball jointed torso, hinged-swivel hips, ball hinged knees, ball jointed ankles.
Tunneler is in his green military outfit, with badges and metals that are sculpted and painted, with some gold deco on the shoulders and forearms, dark green parts, black boots, and a black belt with a gold belt buckle. The figure comes with two interchangeable head sculpts with a drill on top that rotates, with nicely done sculpted and deco. Both head sculpts are given nicely done facial details and nicely applied deco. Included is a pick axe, a machine gun, a swap out trigger finger right hand, and a second portrait with a bloody drill and closed eyes.
His articulation includes a ball jointed head, swivel drill, ball hinged shoulders, swivel-hinged elbows, swivel-hinged wrists, ball jointed torso, ball jointed hips, swivel-hinged knees, hinged rocker ankles.
Torch comes in a beige trench coat with pickets in the front, a black belt with a buckle, dark grey pants and black boots. His left hand is gloved, and the right has a attached fire effect piece that can be removed. His head sculpt looks amazingly detailed, and like a metal head wearing a metal helmet with his eyes looking through. His teeth look sharp and long, and his jaw is hinged with shark looking teeth at the bottom as well. The top of the helmet has a long blade sticking straight up.
His articulation includes a hinged jaw, ball jointed head, ball hinged shoulders, double swivel-hinged elbows, swivel-hinged left wrist, swivel right wrist, ball jointed torso, ball jointed hips, swivel-hinged knees, hinged rocker ankles.
Blade comes in a black trench coat with a belt holding it tight around the waist, black pants and shoes. The sculpt is the thinnest in the set, and he comes with weapons including a hook on the left, and a knife on the right that can be swapped out for a bloody knife. His head sculpt includes a head that is painted in white, with light grey hair, with the eyes and mouth blacked out. The eyes have blades poking through, which is a nice touch. The hat is sculpted on and the rim is made of a soft plastic. Blade includes a swap out bloody portrait and bloody knife
His articulation includes a hinged jaw, ball jointed head, ball hinged shoulders, swivel-hinged elbows, swivel-wrists, ball jointed torso, ball jointed hips, swivel-hinged knees, hinged rocker ankles.
Overall, NECA’s team has done a fantastic job on the Puppet Master figures that fans are surely going to love. The attention to detail, likenesses and overall quality is top notch. The accessories and every aspect about these figures are awesome!!
Just make sure to heat up the necks and hands before swapping it out as there’s a potential breakage issue here.
Purchase:
