The Terminator was one of the most important films for not only actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, but also for director James Cameron. The movie helped to launch Schwarzenegger to stardom, and helped establish Cameron as a visionary science fiction director, with a keen eye for action and compelling characters. This was also the first film in a long running franchise. And while The Terminator films no longer have the cultural and box office impact they once did, the original film stands tall as one of the greatest science fiction and action films of the 80’s.
NECA has been producing figures based on The Terminator films for some time now. Their ever growing line up of Terminator figures began back in 2009 in the Cult Classics Series. That eventually morphed into a dedicated line up. NECA has been revisiting The Terminator brand in recent years with new Ultimate Figures. Available now is The Terminator – Tech Noir T-800 Ultimate 7″ Scale Figure. The figure is based on the first of two very iconic looks for the T-800 in the film. Today we’re taking a look at the figure. We’ve grabbed the figure from Toyark sponsor Big Bad Toy Store. There are 65 high resolution images and a full review. Check them out after the jump.
Related Big Bad Toy Store Links: Ultimate Tech Noir T-800, Ultimate Police Station Assault T-800, All NECA Terminator Figures
The Terminator – Tech Noir T-800 Ultimate 7″ Scale Figure by NECA
Pros
- Fun accessories
- Three very different interchangeable heads
- Great sculpt
- Good likeness of Schwarzenegger
- A ton of display options
- Movie accurate weapons
Cons
- Elbow articulation is limited
Overall
Packaged in the great flapped window boxes that all Ultimate figures comes in, the Tech Noir T-800 has great shelf presence right off the bat. The packaging features the fan favorite poster design, which is instantly recognizable. It has the look of those oversized VHS boxes you would see in video stores. Inside the box you’ll find the figure, three head sculpts, an interchangeable battle damaged right forearm, an extra hand, surgical tools, an AMT Hardballer .45 long slide with laser sighting, Uzi 9 MM, and an Ithaca 37 shotgun. Everything can be easily placed in the tray for storage or display after opening.
The T-800 is an updated version of the older Tech Noir Terminator released by NECA in 2011. It features all new leg articulation, adding in hip movement, double jointed knees, and more. This release combines the original standard and battle damaged versions into one massive figure release. With the added leg cuts, this 7″ scale figure now has over 25 points of articulation. The sculpt was already very well done, and it holds up strongly, even after 5 years. The only real down side is the elbow articulation. They remain single jointed elbows, and the jacket sculpting does stop them from bending as much as they potentially could.
The figure includes five swap out piece. The three head sculpts all swap out very easily with no heating required. The right arm and left hand also were easily replaced. All of the joints were tight, with no paint locking issues. The added articulation in the legs is excellent, and allows for much better dynamic poses, as well as giving the figure some added stability. The weapons and surgical tools look great. The pistol is especially nice, with a metallic silver paint scheme and well done small details. Paint apps overall look to remain largely the same as the original release, with some minor tweaking here and there for added realism. They also kept the actual metal chain from the original releases.
There’s a lot to like here. It has a great film accurate look, some really fun accessories, and three distinct and well done head sculpts. At $25 or less, there’s a lot of value in this package, and it’s hard to pick a specific look to keep him displayed in. By combining two previously released figures into this package, it carries the “Ultimate” label well. Check out a few highlight photos below and 65 images in the gallery below that.
