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REVIEW: Sideshow PREDATOR Statue
New Collectible Wows With Wicked Beauty...
The Predator Statue is in-stock at Sideshow priced at $299.99 with a payment plan available.
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It's a good time to be a Predator collector. From a slew of action figures (including all of the briefly seen Lost Tribe) to more statues, busts and replicas than you can shake a stick at, Predator merchandise has been coming in recently hard and fast. Sideshow Collectibles has been leading the charge for years now with high-end sculptures releasing from their many brand lines, including Legendary Scale Busts (read our review HERE) and 1:1 scale mask replicas (HERE). Sideshow's latest Predator offering is a stunning resin statue of the original Jungle Hunter seen in the 1987 sci-fi classic Predator. While not a Premium Format Figure, the Predator Statue - as it is simply called - certainly fits the format in height (20 inches tall) and weight (10 pounds!). This is an impressive piece, priced accordingly at $299.99 (a payment plan is available).
When the Predator Statue arrives on your doorstep, the massive shipping box will floor you. There's something really magical and exciting about receiving a package this large, a feeling akin to waking up on Christmas morning as a kid. Big box... something good. With the plain cardboard shipper removed, fans will be greeted to another brown box graphically adorned with Predator imagery. There's a photo of the actual statue on one side (the only photo actually, keep it handy for assembly) and a close up of the warrior on the flip side. On the bottom of the box you'll find the edition size, mine being numbered 608 of 2000 produced. This edition size is also printed on the bottom of the statue's base, so no need to keep the package if you lack storage space. Overall it's a rather simple packaging affair, but it's sophisticated and clearly conveys what's inside... as if you didn't already know :)
With the top lid opened, the Predator Statue slides out safe and snug encased between two hard Styrofoam shells. The first thing you'll note once the tape seal has been cut is that the statue comes unassembled. While it doesn't take a genius to put together, that one photo of the statue on the box does come in handy as reference. It would have been nice if Sideshow had packed simple black and white instructions - as I did hit a small snag once. More on that in a bit. Predator pieces include: a sturdy log base, base body, left and right arms, hand clutching skull, head and shoulder-mounted cannon. Assembling the statue, as mentioned, is rather straight forward, with all the pieces locking together plug and socket style. Each squared-off plug is tipped with a long, sturdy steel rod that inserts into a corresponding hole for a firm connection.
The small snag I encountered was resistance when trying to place the Predator's right, wrist-bladed arm on. The steel rod just wouldn't sink in, leaving me to believe I had the arm crooked. Observing the box photo helped solve the correct arm placement, the issue simply being a tight connection solved with a dab of WD-40. Everything else attached easily, though do use extra caution when mounting the head. The Predator's fragile-looking resin dreads do brush up against the rest of the sculpt when the head is placed on: a forced or incorrect connection could easily cause breakage. Also keep in mind when moving your statue that the body and base are not one piece: always have one hand planted firmly under the base and the other gripping the Predator when repositioning.
Once assembled, the Predator Statue wows with wicked beauty. The composition of this piece is elegant and flowing, the Predator standing tall, leaning forward on a fallen jungle tree. With wrist blades extended, the Predator's right arm is thrown back, while its left thrusts out triumphantly with a human skull trophy. While not a PFF, the Predator Statue does include some nice mixed media in the form of a bone skull knecklace that drapes around its head (actually, you put this on before you mount the head). The paint apps are also that of a PFF, the Predator done up in realistic shades of weathered gun metal, earthy tans and browns. The use of brilliant red (or even a light-up feature) for the Predator's targeting system would have been nice to break up the drab color scheme, but it is what it is and still looks remarkable.
Sculpting details on the Predator Statue are superb and movie-accurate. Clean mechanical details abound on the Predator's armor sections and cannon, while the smooth texture of the helmet and lower base (etched in cool Predator glyphs) balance the sculpt. The Predator's netting is sadly not real, something this piece could benefit from in Premium Format. The webbing work, however, is well done and not distracting in the slightest. The only thing you're going to be focusing on is this huge, awesomely posed Predator warrior... and that grisly human skull! Ordering the Sideshow Exclusive Predator Statue (in-stock and limited to only 750 pieces) will get you a bloody human head and spine, but I personally prefer the stark bone white of the standard skull. It's all very sophisticated and Shakespearean ("Alas, poor Yorick!"). The real bonus of ordering the exclusive is the unmasked Predator head. I've always been a bigger fan of the masked Predator, but I know there's many out there that prefer the creature's "one ugly mo-fo" appearance.
In closing, it's hard to find fault in this stunning sculpture. While the Predator Statue could have benefitted slightly from Sideshow's Premium Format (real webbing, metal wrist blade) the end result is the same: a large dynamically sculpted showpiece that instantly grabs your attention. There may be a lot of Predator merchandise on the market today, but few pieces as nice as Sideshow's Predator Statue. Those looking for a cool collection centerpiece need look no further...
Review and Photography by Jeff Saylor
Review Sample Courtesy of Sideshow
