Figure Review: Play Arts Kai Variant Bone Predator

He'll feast on your flesh and chew on your bones...

An ugly MoFo who's chock-full of calcium

Picture this: A wounded samurai, you walk down a dark and dank cave passageway, alone and desperately searching for a seemingly elusive exit. The stench of death and blood fills the air, penetrating your nostrils. As you pass through the nightmarish landscape, you step over the skeletons of the unfortunate souls who never found their way out. Suddenly, you hear a noise from behind you, and feel more than smell a foul breath on the back of your neck, instantly sending shivers down your spine. You stop dead in your tracks, reach for your katana with a weakened hand, and turn. Then you see it. It is huge. It is hideous. It is hungry. The demon - an otherworldly predator - wants your blood, and it is ready to feast on your flesh until you're nothing but a pile of bones laid on the ground...

...WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO??

Finally, the second half of Play Arts Kai's extraterrestrial duo has finally arrived, and I surely am glad to own another great rendition of a sci-fi icon. PAK's first offering was the classic/American Predator (a.k.a. Ahnuld's nemesis), which is, in my opinion, the best representation of the Yautjan behemoth's movie incarnation. The second one is what I'd call its 'Japanese counterpart', as it has repeatedly been referred to as the Oni Predator. The word 'oni' refers to a kind of humanoid yokai (supernatural monster) which has usually been portrayed in Japanese folklore as a hideous, gigantic ogre-like creature with wild hair, sharp claws, and two long horns sitting on top of its head. Moreover, it is also depicted as sporting a loincloth and wielding an enormous club known as the kanabo. Such imagery leads to the expression 'oni with an iron club', which means to be 'indomitable' or 'indestructible'. Indeed, these elements comprise the figure itself, which I will discuss in further detail.

Nope, this isn't the guy who had a few days to kill in L.A. back in '97 

When I first saw the figure's prototype in last year's San Diego Comic Con (SDCC), I honestly thought (and expected) that it was the one from Predator 2 (specifically the 'Warrior Predator'), mainly because of the figure's skin tone and that it was standing next to the prototype of the classic version. However, I eventually saw that it was lacking the signature weapons such as the combi-stick and the smart-disc, and that's when I realized that this was another variant. Despite an unmet expectation, I'm certainly in good spirits that the guys over at Play Arts came up with this figure, which is officially known as the 'Bone Predator'.

A gloomy and bloody packaging

Let's start with the packaging. The Bone Predator's box is much wider as compared to the other offerings of Play Arts Kai, which is both good and bad - 'good' because it is more of a unique type of packaging, and 'bad' considering that it could take up more space should it be displayed within a cabinet. The packaging has a red and black motif, which complements the figure inside. Furthermore, the style of the Predator's name on the packaging is much simpler as compared to that of the classic version.

"Why me?"

 Figure description:

"An Alien Race That Lives to Hunt

Lone alien hunters originating from a culture based entirely on aggressive tracking and combat, the Predators are equally feared and respected throughout the cosmos. Their existence is only rumor but their presence is intimidating. Merciless yet honorable, they have no code of good and evil -- just kill or be killed. Utilizing advanced weaponry and technology, they can adapt to any and all terrain or prey. The hunt is on...

Bone Predator
Even routine hunts can go wrong... The origins of the Japanese monster myth

While exploring a world in the beginning stages of civilization, an errant Predator is left stranded and nearly weaponless on a rocky deserted island in the archipelago of Japan. With survival as its primary goal, the alien hunter adapts, heading into direct combat and making itself even more fearsome to the natives. It covers itself in bones from fallen prey and wields makeshift weaponry. From this lone warrior springs the tale of an infamous ogre... Ancient Japanese folklore is full of legends of this creature. Believed to be demons from hell, they are said to hunt down sinners on earth, crushing their bones and peeling back their flesh to make them pay for their sins. It was said that they had an insatiable appetite for human flesh, an unquenchable thirst for human blood. Those who claim to have laid eyes on the monster all described a similar silhouette: horns atop its head, long sharp claws, skin red as blood, wild hair, carrying a massive gnarled, thorny club. The Predator survives by feasting on human flesh, hunting down anyone wretched enough to land on the rocky shores of its home, from samurai warriors to sea-bedraggled fisherman. Those unlucky enough to come in contact with this Bone Predator would have to make a deal with the devil himself to survive the encounter..."

Breathing in that new action figure smell...

The Bone Predator almost has the same dark plastic mold with the classic Predator, except that it has its own distinct accessories. It's also interesting to note that there are only three additional replaceable hands for the figure, whereas the classic one has four.

...

Then there's this one. 'Nuff said.

For the Bone Predator's accessories, he's got the following:

(1) A primitive-looking bio-mask:

It's horny

(2) A removable mandible/mouth piece:

Extraterrestrial pie-hole

(3) A pair of open hands and a semi-closed one:

He's probably a biker back at home

(4) A removable three-pointed claw:

Good ol' Jimmy ain't got nothin' on him

(5) A bone club:

Got soup?

Moving on to the core figure:

A calcified alien

Just like the classic version, the Bone Predator sports some neat sculpting. He stands around 11 inches tall, and has over 20 points of articulation. One thing that's notable is that the figure's aesthetic design looks more primitive than the other, which suggests that he could either be an ancestor, or simply someone who shared almost a similar fate with Tom Hanks who's been forced to go into 'survival mode'. He's quite 'bony' from the bottom to the top, which justifies the package description stating that he covers himself in bones from his unlucky victims.

They're getting prettier by the minute...

When it comes right down to it, the Bone Predator is another ugly MoFo. He has the same facial structure with his distant cousin, save for some horns on his noggin. Also, his mouth basically has the same style as the other one, with the exception that he's got bigger teeth and mandibles since he's the carnivorous-type based on his description - more of a monster than a hunter, so to speak.

"Mi gat big hair, mon!"

The Bone Predator also has the signature alien dreadlocks, which are long, hair-like appendages on its head set into its skull. As compared to the classic Predator's dreadlocks, he's got a thicker mane with a black/red hue and semi-translucent tips.

Bony dud

Looking at the torso area, the Bone Predator, as his name suggests, is composed of a red/yellow bony armor. He's got that primeval look, devoid of any weapon or armor plating, and I'd picture him as someone who prefers brute force over fancy weaponry. He's got a couple of hinged shoulder pads which can be moved upwards and downwards. Moreover, he wears a codpiece on the crotch area and a Tarzan-like loincloth covering his high-knee.

Jurassic tootsies

For the lower limbs section, the Bone Predator sports a hinged hip armor on both sides that can be slightly moved upwards and downwards. He also sports a black/yellow leg armor, which serves as shin guards. Furthermore, he has the same feet as his American counterpart, which resembles that of a dinosaur's, specifically a T-Rex.

All he needs is a sword... and a bottle of Sake.

The Bone Predator also has a couple of neatly sculpted bracers/gauntlets just like his counterpart. However, his bracers are more of the armor-type than technological, which works well for the figure. 

Now for some cool poses:

He's in the mood for boxing

Snikt!

BP's ready to go clubbin'

And here he is posed with the classic version:

Hats off to these bad-ass Predators!

Final thoughts: Now, you might be wondering why there's no picture of the Bone Predator wearing his bio-mask. The reason for this is that his removable forehead has been inserted snug tight, which is really a tough nut to crack when it comes to taking it off. I'm still figuring out how to remove it without chipping the paint or surface, and perhaps I'll just update this blog post once I've successfully set the helmet in place. That nitpick aside, I consider myself lucky to own this excellent figure from Play Arts Kai, especially since I'm a big Predator fan. The Bone Predator has got a superb sculpt, a cool body armor, some nifty weapons, as well as an archaic yet flamboyant ogre-like design. Despite the undeniable steep price tag, it's absolutely worth every penny considering the overall package!

He's happy with his new souvenir    

Would you like to see more Predator figures from Play Arts Kai? Sound off in the comments below.

Packaged Review: Play Arts Kai Marvel Universe Variant Venom

Marvel's infamous 'mouth with a face' gets no cooler than this...

He's the personification of the word "sticky"

Play Arts Kai has recently introduced their rather interesting 'twist' to the characters from the two 'big guns' of the comic book industry, namely DC and Marvel. As a comic book fan, I have always been more on the Marvel side than DC, but strangely enough my current collection of Play Arts figure consists almost entirely of the latter. Perhaps it's because DC came first instead of Marvel in their 'Variants' line, or I gradually became more interested with the brainchildren of Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson than Michael Goodman's, I'm not sure. Anyway, moving along, when I heard of Play Arts having their own take on the Marvel characters, I made a personal vow not to get any of such figures to limit myself, considering the sweat-inducing price tag. Then along came this image:

Brock's got the mother of all tongues

Let's put it simply, this is one of those promo/prototype pics that made me say "Oh sh*t!". Venom, a.k.a. Eddie Brock, is one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Comics, and him being rendered by Play Arts (particularly by Hitoshi Kondo) is an eye-candy that I certainly wouldn't want to miss out on. As a brief character background, in the comics Brock is a journalist who exposes the identity of a certain 'serial killer', only for the real suspect to be caught by Peter Parker's alter-ego, Spider-Man. This left him disgraced and suicidal, and eventually he came into contact with an alien symbiote (an amorphous extraterrestrial parasite known as the 'Klyntar') which Spider-Man previously rejected. Sharing a mutual hatred for the web-slinger, Brock and the Klyntar bond together, resulting in the ugly MoFo known as Venom. Though he repeatedly clashes with Spidey, he also tries to redeem himself, becoming some sort of an anti-hero who protects those he considers innocent. This earns him the moniker "Lethal Protector".

Along came a spider...

The figure comes in a standard PAK Marvel Universe Variant packaging. which is comprised mainly of a black/red motif (excluding the obligatory package labels). The magnetic front cover/flap of the box shows Venom in an arachnid-like pose, wherein he menacingly crawls on his obsidian webbing, seemingly stalking an unsuspecting prey/enemy/whatever.

Bad-ass extraterrestrial poses

The back of the packaging shows the figure being placed on several nifty poses, mostly with his alternate hands which I will discuss later in detail.

Open Sesame!

Opening the flap of the packaging, there's the detailed description of the action figure itself, which I could say is somehow longer than the ones seen on the packaging of the DC variants. The window of the packaging sports a horizontal red bar striking across the lower section.

Figure/package description:

Venom

"Spin your webs, little spider... Venom is always watching, always waiting... always hungry!"

- Eddie Brock a.k.a. Venom

Disgraced reporter Eddie Brock discovers a corrupting alien Symbiote and the result of their bonding is Spider-Man's greatest nemesis: Venom.  Brock has inherited knowledge not only of Spider-Man, but also of Peter Parker, from the symbiote's brief bond with our web-slinging hero, understanding his opponent literally inside out. The thirst for vengeance is twofold, since both Brock and the Symbiote despise Spider-Man. That hunger is expressed in the distortion of Spider-Man's iconic emblem on Venom's chest, and the hulking exaggeration of Brock's already considerable physique. 

Venom has adopted various inhuman traits displayed prominently on this figure. Tightening its skin to protect itself during combat or extending its form for intimidation is just the beginning. Brandishing multiple, powerful webbing nozzles atop each clawed hand, this Symbiote is a formidable foe. Once venom has prey in sight, its mouth unhinges like a serpent, revealing a frightening vision of innumerable teeth and a terrifying tongue unraveling from within its maw.

A constant, looming threat to any who would cross its way, MARVEL Variant Play Arts Kai Venom is always right where you least expect. 

A jolly inmate

In a typical Play Arts tradition, the core figure is stored within a sticky clamshell packaging along with the accessories, which include the following:

1) A pair of closed nozzled fists: [If he chooses to beat the crap out of Spidey the old-fashioned way!]

If Brock's in the mood for fisticuffs...

2) Three hands sporting some webbings: [Though it is a sensible way to depict how Venom shoots his webs, I'm not particularly impressed with the representation of his predominant ability. I mean, the webbing-symbiote combination that springs from the nozzles of his knuckles is kind of short (literally). They could have made it a bit longer, or they could have added another fist that shoots a single long webbing, as he usually does in the comics. Anyway, it's a 'variant', so what are you gonna do, right?]

Oozing with extraterrestrial snot!

3) An open-mouthed head: [In my opinion, this is where the figure shines. According to some online reviews that I've seen, the alternate head features a removable tongue, which is something that I would look for in any type of Venom action figure. Even the jaw is articulated, which is also kind of cool. Furthermore, the tongue is designed to be shifted sideways, which allows for more option when it comes to posing the head.]    

He's making that nasty face again...

Now, let's get on to the core figure:

Tall, dark and never mind

Looking at the actual figure itself, I'm happy to say that I'm impressed with it overall. It's one of the best designed variants produced by Play Arts Kai, just like this figure, It is truly a unique take on the character, which is comprised of neatly meshed black and violet/purple hues. Standing around 10 inches tall, Venom sports over 20 points of articulation, which is typical being a PAK figure.

Brock never gets tired of smilin' that damn smile

The default head features the signature "Venom smile" seen in the comics, and I'd say it is well-executed through the sculpting - the teeth, gums, and the lips are chiseled to perfection! The eyes are a bit thinner as compared to its comic book counterpart, but blends well with the overall facial design. Another nifty feature of the figure is the emblazoned (and twisted) metallic 'spider' insignia, which is somewhat spread all over the upper half of its torso.

He's got the groin

The figure's default hands are the opened ones, which again show the nozzles on the knuckles. The lower torso is not adorned with any of the metallic 'residue' from the spider insignia, rather it is sculpted with lines and in overlapping patterns as well.

Alien fungus

The figure's foot are sculpted nicely also, as the toes are visible underneath the black symbiote. This is another factor that makes the figure stand out above the other renditions of the character, as most of them (if not all) only depict his foot like an almost triangular shoe.

Final thoughts: Initially, I was planning to get the figure out of the box and then do a full review of it. However, when I was carefully examining the figure's packaging, I found that it's in a 100% flawless condition - without dents, folds, and other elements. I tried to look for the slightest imperfection, but to no avail. So, I ultimately decided to only do a packaged review. I must admit that a 'perfect packaging' is my personal Kryptonite as a collector - once I get my hands on it, it will stay that way forever. Taking everything into account, Play Arts Kai's Variant Venom is certainly a must-have, especially for those who consider him as one of their all-time favorite characters in the Marvel Universe! It's superior sculpting as well as the effective combination of colors make it one of the line's coolest offerings. 'Nuff said!

Ehem! How's about a Carnage, Play Arts?

So who's your favorite Marvel character that you'd want to be rendered as a Play Arts Kai variant? Let me know in the comments below.

Figure Review: Play Arts Kai Stormtrooper

The galaxy's infamous poor shot in his finest form...

This is what happens when you've got an armor with QC issues on top of your bad aim...

Play Arts Kai has recently been populating their action figure line with various Star Wars characters, and I can say that their version of the Stormtrooper is one of their finest offerings to date. So, if you don't happen to know who this guy is, here's a bit of character bio. Collectively known as "Imperial Stormtroopers", they are fictional soldiers from George Lucas' Star Wars universe, and they serve as the primary ground force of the Emperor Palpatine as well as his apprentice/appointed commander, Darth Vader. In popular culture, they are shown in various organizational sizes, which range from squads to brigades. Through the years, artists have had their own take on the design of the Stormtrooper's suit/armor, and I'm sure as hell glad that the guys over at Square Enix decided to come up with their own version of the evil Empire's foot soldier.

The Galactic Empire's Japanese infantry division

One thing I'm raving about the PAK Stormtrooper is his design. It is well-executed, and judging by the artwork itself, the designer (whoever you are, great job man!) displayed an obsessive attention to details down to the smallest bits.

United Nations

This Japanese version sports a more angular look as compared to the smooth appearance of the classic/American one, giving a more bad-ass look to it. It's a perfect mix without making the overall design exaggerated.

Trooper infestation

The figure comes in a standard PAK Star Wars packaging, which for me has a niftier design as compared to the other Play Arts boxes. The flap/front cover depicts the Stormtrooper showing off his blaster rifle, standing in front of his compadres. The back of the box shows the figure being placed in several cool poses, with a close up of the upper half of his helmet in the background. Aside from albino-trooper, the print style is also present in the packaging of the other PAK Star Wars figures, namely Bat-Vader, Fett-Neto, and Maul-nourished.

Find the hidden Mickey

With PAK's Star Wars line, the "Disney" logo can be seen at the back of the packaging. The reason for this is that Disney had already acquired Lucasfilm back in 2012, therefore giving them the right to put their company's name in every Star Wars merchandise.

Star-struck!

There's also an image of the galactic superweapon popularly known as the Death Star on the lower left side of the window. This is actually the second Death Star under construction in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. For those who have been living under a rock and haven't seen the film yet, the mobile megastructure was completely blown to bits at the end of the movie.

The Three Stooges

Figure/package description:

Star Wars has been beloved by generations since its release, a testament to the unending inspiration sparked by the iconic series. By accentuating the defining profiles of legendary characters, these action figures offer our unique Square Enix take on the Star Wars series. These designs from a galaxy far, far, away lean towards the classing styles, while adding a touch of our own vision to these unforgettable characters!

With their origins in the Clone Wars, the Stormtroopers became the most feared and venerable rank in the Imperial Army, acting as the will of Emperor Palpatine to further the Empire’s reach throughout the galaxy. In our re-design, we focused on the retro-futuristic style pioneered with the Darth Vader and Boba Fett Variant Play Arts KAI figures. With his high-grade plastoid armor, signature helmet and BlasTech E-11 blaster rifle, our Stormtrooper can re-create poses both in action and off duty.

The ever-sticky clamshell

Taking everything out of the box, the core figure along with the accessories are well stored within a clamshell-type packaging. As always it's tough to crack it open, which only means that you've got something fresh and untampered.

Yep, here's this thing again.

Then there's the obligatory stand, which is again bulky and useless considering the figure can be posed well on its own without any support. This marks my 10th (I think) PAK figure stand already - might as well sell these stuff someday.

The accessories for the Stormtrooper include the following:

1) Two extra (and interchangeable) pair of mitts:

For squishing and pressing

2) BlasTech E-11 blaster rifle: [This is actually one of my favorite sci-fi weapons of all time. The rifle features a stock which can either be folded under the barrel or fully extended beneath the gas refill valve (see schematics). Looking at Hasbro's version of the weapon, I've always wondered what that 'curve' was all about, and I guess the PAK version explained everything. The rifle's counterpart in a galaxy far, far away is the British Sterling submachine gun.]

The 'curvy' gun: mystery solved!

3) BlasTech DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle: [This weapon is not as popular as the E-11 blaster rifle, but it is much more powerful and has much greater range capability. It has a functioning bipod, which is also a neat feature. The heavy blaster rifle's counterpart in a galaxy far, far away is the German MG34 machine gun.]

Troopers must 'love' her, coz her Legs Open Very Easily

4) A 'blast effect' which pegs on the emitter nozzle of both rifles:

Pew-Pew!

Now, on to the core figure:

Intergalactic Zebra

Looking at the figure, I could say that this is one of the best designed figures of the Play Arts line. This version indeed does have a more angular design as compared to the traditional Hasbro Stormtrooper, yet it's not overdone. It's just the perfect mix - the ivory armor blends well with the obsidian body suit underneath, coupled with panel linings everywhere owing to its Japanese roots (*cough* Gundam *cough*). There's also a large holster on the left side for holding the BlasTech E-11 blaster rifle, which I will discuss later in detail.

No heavy breathing required

The helmet (otherwise known as the 'Imperial Issue Helmet') is well done with some nice detailing on it - in fact, I think it's much more detailed than any other Stormtrooper figure out there! All of the elements of a regular Stormtrooper helmet are present: dome/cap, traps, ears, ear screws, osmotic filters, tube stripes, neck trims, cheek tubes, rubber guard strip, lens, black vocoder, auto-seal conduit, aerator/mic tips, and many more. There's also the signature "frown" which consists of 5 grey teeth per side.

A high-grade armor (really?)

The Stormtrooper sports an extremely detailed body armor. The chest and front abdominal plate are finely sculpted, as well as the rear upper and lower back sections. The packaging refers to it as the 'high-grade plastoid armor', which I certainly doubt because these guys can be killed apparently with a single shot from a rebel's DH-17 blaster pistol. I remember somewhere in Episode VI wherein Han Solo fired a single shot at a trooper and that's just about it! Heck, even a bunch of Ewoks could make short work of it (or a little longer).

That's one heavy belt!

Always prepared and ready for combat, the Stormtrooper comes with tons of ammo pack attached to his belt. The large holster attaches on the rear portion of the belt via a bulky tubular component. I'm starting to think if a real-life Stormtrooper could walk still considering these stuff are attached to his body at all times.

Oreo cyber-boots

Going down to the lower limbs section, the Stormtrooper sports a knee pad on his left leg and another ammo pack on the right, just like his Hasbro counterpart. The leg armor is as detailed as the upper body armor and helmet, and blends smoothly with the black body suit underneath.

Oh Sheath!

Aside from the Stromtrooper's E-11 blaster rifle, another favorite accessory of mine is the large brownish, leather-like sheath/holster that holds it. It sports a unique design, having an open cavity in the middle where the folded rifle can be inserted directly. Surprisingly, the gun attaches well to the holster without slipping. Nice!

Now for some cool intergalactic poses:

This is my rifle. 
There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My rifle is my best friend. 
It is my life. 
I must master it as I master my life.

Without my rifle, I am useless. 
I must fire my rifle true. 
I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. 
I must shoot him before he shoots me. 
Trouble is... I can't hit sh*t! 
With my rifle, I am also useless.

And here he is with PAK Tifa and Arkham Knight:

Stormtrooper: "This chick's not even intimidated. Hmmm, I wonder why..."

Black & White - Wanna play chess?

Final thoughts: Out of all the Play Arts Star Wars figures so far, the Stormtrooper stands out among the rest (that, of course, is just my two cents). He's got some exceptional details on him, and the Gundam-like panel linings along with his angular design truly makes everything look better than Hasbro's classic version. Furthermore, his semi-functional weapons are neatly done and would fit pretty well in his hands, allowing for some awesome shooting stances. To sum it all up, the Stormtrooper is one remarkable figure, and he is definitely worth the price tag!  

Looks like the taller one just got the morning wood...

Poster boy for the Galactic Empire

Trivia: Did you know that Stormtroopers can dance too?

Wanna see me bust some moves?

Is this the best version of the Stormtrooper yet? Or is there a better one? Let me know in the comments below.