Sandman's Toy Box: Cinema of Fear part 1

OK, so I am a horror toy freak. Especially 6-7" scale figs from my favorite scary movies/games/books/anything. But when Mezco landed the license for New Line's House of Horror (Freddy, Jason, and Leatherface), I was angry.

See, Mezco does cool work, but they have always been kinda cartoony. I was a NECA fanboy from the day that Hellraiser Series 1 hit shelves, and now I was gonna have to put up with these animated figures? NO WAI.

But when the pics surfaced, I was excited. These looked pretty good, and I started looking forward to these. Not onlywere they not as cartoony, but they were actually giving us figures that had never been made before!!!! And another Leatherface!!!!! We get Chop Top, 'Human' Jason, Freddy Krueger in tuxedo, and...another Leatherface.

Now, the real star of this series IMO is Jason. Simply because he is the biggest name in the series, and NO ONE has done a figure of him in this incarnation in this scale. McF's Jason from MM1 was clearly a post-mortem 'zmobie' Jason, and NECA has followed suit, making more different versions of him after he returned from the grave in Part VI: Jason Lives. Also, Neca made a pretty dam cool gift set of Mrs Vorhees and potato-sack headed 'redneck retard'Jason. But still no figures from when Jason first donned his hockey mask, but when he was still just a really strong guy.

Until now, that is. Tonight I am reviewing Jason and Chop Top, with Freddy coming mid week next week. Leatherface I didn't pick up, for 2 reasons. First, it's impossible now to really improve on NECA's version from CC5. Second, Mezco's version looks like TOTAL ASS. WTF happened?

Anyways, here we go.

JASON VORHEES (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter), and CHOP TOP (The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre 2) Packaging: Standard collector market fare. Clamshell with generic insert. Kinda oversized compared to recent NECA offerings.

Scuplt: both are pretty cool. While these are not super-accurate to the movies, they are a HUGE step in the rightdirection from things like Miami Vice and The Warriors. Jason has some good bulk to him, and will fit in wellwith your other Jasons.

His head is very well sculpted, giving him a freakish, deformed appearance. Jason's mask is removable, and the straps are hard plastic, rather than rubber, giving them a sturdiness I have not seen before.

Chop Top is cartoony, but he was cartoony in the movie as well. I can really see the likeness of Bill Moseley in both heads.

Paint: Jason has a simple, flat paint job, which is really improved by nice weathering on his boots and pant legs.Also
included on Jason are some not-too-real looking blood splatters. Chop Top has a pale, albino-like complexion, which really matches his appearance in the movie. His teeth are icky yellow, and his plate looks absolutely GROSS. Again, just like the movie.

Articulation: Jason has a ball jointed head, ball jointed shoulders, hinge elbows, swivel/hinge double jointed wrists, hinge knees, cut hips, and an interesting invisible articulation joint: ball jointed waist. The shirt covers it up perfectly, and it really adds to the range of poses he can pull off. This is without a doubt the most articulated Jason in this scale ever made.

Chop Top has all of these joints except the waist, but the elbows are sculpted in such a way that you can pose him with his hanger scratching his plate, which is his signature pose. Good stuff.

Accessories: Jason comes with a removable mask, alternate head, alternate left hand, Pamela Vorhees' tombstone, machete, axe, hacksaw, and meat cleaver. In short, he's fucking loaded!!!!!

Chop Top is just as loaded, with alternate head, hands, coat hanger, and NUBBINS!!!!! WOO!!!! For the record, he also has a TINy cigarette lighter sculpted into his alternate left hand, so he can heat up the coat hanger. Nice detail.

FREDDY

Well, this one is not quite as cartoony as Chop Top, and really
fits in quite well with more realistic Freddies. He is in his tux, which
could be a pretty bland sculpt, but Mez livens it up with blood splashes
and a maroon and green bowtie. Nice touch. The burns on the face,
and the smirking expression are really well done, matching NECA's work
pretty well.

He's got the standard articulation with this line, meaning ball jointed
neck, hinge elbows, hinge and socket wrists. Plus cut waist and hips, and
hinged knees.

The accesories are cool too, although not as loaded as Chop Top. He has
an alternate head and left hand, and a Skeleton Freddy. Cool, but not as
many accessories as we have come to expect.

Overall, this one might be the best fit to go with your NECA/McF figures.
Kudos to Mezco for giving us not one, but TWO Freddies that we haven't
seen yet.

All in all, these are awesome figs and well worth the money. I have to admit, I was not looking forward to this series when Mezco first got the license. But the proof is in the pudding, and they have made a true believer out of me. GO GET THESE.

The Sandman