Every time I watch the movie, I think "wow this would make a really good toyline!" Then I remember the Neca figures, and get sad. Not making a figure of what was arguably the main kaiju in the movie? This blows my fucking mind. Whatever. I just don't even care anymore. Please please PLEASE let someone else do the PR2 line. I don't think I've seen a toyline's potential squandered this hard before. It's appalling.
No kidding. This line is almost worse to own than it is to not, knowing first hand this is it: this is all we got.
I have the NECA Gipsy, Crimson, and Knifehead from the first wave. I'd really like to pre-order Cherno, but I'm not feeling it for these figures. Crimson's legs have collapsed completely and have essentially no friction left to them except at the hips, which has effectively shrunk his height as a result. He's pretty indicative of the problem. These types of joints aren't good for a rigid posing robot especially ones with mass distribution like these have. Gipsy's a little better, but he shifts slightly after a pose too. I want/need something revoltech-ish. Something that locks and holds so I don't have to pray they won't take a dive off the shelf 15 minutes after putting them in a new pose. I'm really hoping some Japanese line takes a stab at these. I'd gladly offload these and upgrade.
No kidding, del Toro just about said as much in the special features! I get why he would be a challenge but if they are just making broken shit anyway it might as well be ambitious broken shit.
You should leave them on store shelves. The only products worth owning from this film is the movie itself, the art book, the prequel comic, and maybe the 10 heroclix figurines (which needs more than 10 honestly). What really hurt this film's merchandising was everyone's heavy caution with handling the property. Pretty much all companies involved in making products for it didn't know if the film would be a success or a flop (like the original Star Wars), so they made the most basic stuff, and in NECA's case, with the most basic, cheapest, materials at their disposal with passable effort. This is why we have rubbery, poorly articulated and engineered figures and not the usual top shelf stuff from them. But fear not! NECA pulled the same deal with their Predators figures and now look at how successful and improved that line has become. It all comes down to them treading lightly with their first foray into something new and untested. The Predators line became a smash hit and old crappy figures from earlier waves got redone with new improvements (articulation/sculpt/construction/paint/etc.) so those character's toys didn't suffer anymore from early wave cost-cutting measures. Now we are seeing the same happen with the Kaiju (and hopefully these new Jaegers) with wave 3. And given how the PR figs keep selling out, despite their quality issues, it wouldn't surprise me of NECA went back and redid the first two waves of figures with better quality, more articulation, greater detail, and any other issues addressed. So right now it's a waiting game of hoping for some improvements. *fingers crossed*
Y'know, I think of all the problems with this line this is the one that frustrates me the most. This was the most toyetic movie I've seen in a good while, to the point its pointed out in the opening kids toys of the Jaegers and Kaiju exist in universe! Where's my friggin spring loaded punch Cherno Alpha? Spinning waist Crimson? Weapon swap action Gypsy? Missile launching Striker and Coyote? Blade swinging Ronin and Hyperion? Not to mention the Kaiju... Seriously, about 15 to 20 bucks for a six+ inch figure with a topical gimmick and basic articulation, I'd buy the hell out of that line. High end imported SRCs and Monsterarts would be a bonus, what I really want out of these designs is fun, playable toys I could let my nephew play with.
I imagine they're taking their time with this one. That or concentrating on others before putting any real work into what I imagine would be a rather frustrating design to turn into a toy. It did. All it was, was a prototype picture of Cherno Alpha. Edit: I'm not sure how well this idea would play out, or even if it would be possible, but... Pop vinyl jaegers and kaiju... Could be the cuetest little mo-fo's around.
Hell yeah. I bet that wave three will be way better, and I have faith that they will make redoes of the exceptionally horrible designs.
Based on designs and prototypes we've seen so far: Knifehead and Trespasser: yes. Cherno Alpha: not much different. Plus same hips as Striker Eureka = Alert Coyote Tango: A much better articulation than any Jeager that came before
Again; most toys have the same hips as Striker. It is literally the most common joint design ever. It's a disk-hinge, you see them everywhere. Transformers have them, superhero figures have them. I'm all for sticking it to NECA where they deserve it, but they did not invent the joint, nor is the joint inherently prone to breaking. Afterall, Striker's LEFT hip has almost never broken on any Striker's I hear about. Nicest thing ever said about the Pacific Rim line.
I'll probably leave them in the package, for years, until I forget I have them, and then try to sell them on ebay, at which point they will probably be worth nothing, and I'll basically be giving them away. That's the usual formula for lines I jump into and then lose interest in. I'm cool with that though.
damn, wish i had picked up the $10 leatherback from my comics shop... i think it was $10. might've been $20.
Quickly looking at sold listings, Striker and Leatherback have been selling for $25-$35 each. After ebay fees I expect that wouldn't be much of a profit.