Available in stores and online now is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990 Movie – Foot Soldier 1/4 Scale Figure from NECA Toys. This 18″ tall figure is based on the Foot Soldiers seen in the original TMNT live action film. The fully articulated figure includes numerous weapons and interchangeable hands, which makes it great for troop builders with a little extra shelf space. This is the sixth figure in the TMNT 1/4 Scale Figure line. The Foot soldier joins Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Trench Coat Disguise Raphael. Also released is a small set of 1/4 Scale Baby Turtles as an accessory pack. We picked up the figure from Toyark sponsor Entertainment Earth. Check out the review and photos after the jump.
Related Entertainment Earth links: NECA Foot Soldier, NECA Shredder, All NECA TMNT Items
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990 Movie – Foot Soldier 1/4 Scale Figure by NECA
Pros
- Fantastic sculpt
- Great articulation
- Tight joints with no locking issues
- Cloth elements work well
- Weapon and extra hand assortment is excellent
Cons
- Feet and ankles seem to lack range of motion
Overall
The Foot Soldier is packed in the same window box style they have used on all their 1/4 scale TMNT releases. It’s modeled after a mix of the original poster and VHS box. The back includes images of the figure. Included are a total of four sets of hands, two sets of nunchucks, a katana, an axe, a sai, and a baton. The figure sits in a plastic tray attached to a cardboard backdrop, held in by a number of twist ties, while the accessories are held onto the side by a glued on plastic overlay.
The 18″ tall TMNT line has been outstanding since the first release, with all five Turtle releases handled with great attention to detail. The Foot Soldier, thankfully, is no exception. The sculpting of the figure looks quite life-like, with a great woven texture for the costume. The shirt and pants have realistic looking folds, and the articulation cuts aren’t overly glaring, which helps to keep the figure looking great when posed. The armored pieces, mask, and fabric-like wraps are all handled nicely. The intricate texture work helps to highlight the different materials that were used in the film. The wire mesh for the eye pieces on the mask are especially nice looking. The figure has a fabric bandana, and a fabric belt, which is elastic. The fabric belt is tightly wrapped around the waist, but still allows for weapons to be stored in it. The figure has seemingly minimal paint, but close inspection reveals some subtle black washes over the dark gray outfit. Metallic area have a nice shine to them, and different the small amount of exposed skin on the hands looks spot on to what you’d hope for.
Articulation is great, with double jointed knees and elbows, and a great range of motion throughout. The hands can be swapped out at the wrist joint, and they pop off without too much force, and snap in nicely. Joints are very solid, especially the hips, which help to keep the figure balanced in most poses. The ankles and feet don’t quite have the same dynamic range as the rest of the body. There’s no toe joint, so the feet can only be planted flat, and the ankles were really tight, and I didn’t want to force them too much. The figure has a bunch of great weapon choices. There are two sets of grip hands included with the figure. One set is geared towards the sword and axe, while the others have a tighter grip for thinks like the sai and nunchaku. All of the weapons are cast in a more solid plastic, which prevents any noticeable warping.
If you have the space available, the Foot Soldier is an excellent companion piece to the four Turtles. Strong sculpting, solid articulation, and numerous display options give you a solid value for the price. Check out some select photos below, and the full gallery after that.
CompaniesNECA
CharactersFoot Soldier
Scale1/4