NECA's SDCC Exclusive STEALTH BERSERKER

[JeffSaylor]

Advance look at "Predators" bad boy...

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NECA has provided us with an advance look at their San Diego Comic-Con exclusives to share with our readers in anticipation of the show. These action figure exclusives will be sold at NECA's Comic-Con booth #3145 July 21-25 priced at $20 and will be offered via their Amazon storefront in limited quantities for those that can not attend.

We kick things off today with a look - or lack thereof - of the Stealth Berserker Predator from the just released sci-fi movie, Predators. I saw the film this weekend and found it to be an entertaining homage to the orginal while still retaining its own cool identity. One of its defining cool factors is the trio of new Predators introduced, all three being turned into 8-inch tall action figures by NECA (see our story HERE for a look at the first series).

The Stealth Berserker is a varaint of the fully painted Series 1 figure cast in totally clear plastic, unlike NECA's Half-Stealth Wolf Predator released as an exclusive back in 2008 (read our review on that figure HERE). The translucent effect works well for mimicing an invisible character, or a cloaked one as the case may be. I found the partial cloak effect on the Wolf more inspiring, but collectors will no doubt want to add this figure to their collection after seeing the movie - the Berserker is one bad hombre and is guaranteed to be a fan-favorite, cloaked and non.

Another reason to get this exclusive is for the fantastic packaging. NECA ditched the clamshell in favor a very creatively designed blister card. The Stealth Predator shares the same card as Series 1 with the addition of a "Comic-Con 2010 Exclusive" sticker and a personalized name card. More specifically, the name card's graphic is different, depicting an image of the Berserker cloaking as opposed to a full color picture as seen on the standard Series 1 figure.

The Stealth Berserker also acts as a great preview of the amazing articulation found on NECA's new Predators' figures. Articulation is far beyond that seen in the AvP: Requiem assortment allowing for some incredible action poses. Articulation points include ball-jointed head and shoulders, swivel-hinge shoulder cannon, swivel-hinged elbows, ball wrists, swivel waist, cut hips with an additional cut at the upper thigh, swivel-hinge knees, ball ankles and a wrist blade that can be removed (and interchanged with various blade lengths found with other Predators in the series).

The creature's construction is solid as well; with soft plastic dreads for easier head turning and extremely durable plastic for the body and limbs. Like the warrior it depicts, the Berserker can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.

Predator figure collectors will definitely want to add the Stealth Berserker to their collection. It creates some nice visual pop to a display, but most of all, the Stealth Berserker is more of a very cool Predator design.

Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor

Review Sample Courtesy of NECA

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[wesitron]

Daaaaaaaaaamn. That is a nice lookin figure. I was curious about the articulation on these guys. It seems pretty straightforward but in the pics I've seen so far it looked like Classic Predator has no thigh swivels. I hope he gets the same degree of articulation as this guy.

I don't think the head looks as crazy big as people think. In general, Predators have pretty huge heads just because of their anatomy, but I don't think it looks much bigger.

Took my lady friend to see it with me and some friends this weekend. I thought she was going to break my hand during some of those scenes.

Awesome flick and awesome figure of a really cool new Predator. Can't wait to get them all. I'm praying they'll at least get to the Tracker, but is it too much to ask for well-articulated versions of Dutch and the gang, Royce, and even Harrigan? I know Sonny Landham is kinda protective of his likeness, but if they've got the likeness rights to Arnold for the Conan and T2 lines, I would love to see them tackle Dutch in as many costume variations as they could.

And really, who doesn't want a Shane Black action figure?

[JeffSaylor]

Tracker (my personal favorite) is confirmed for Series 2 this fall. I'm sure we will also see an unmasked Berserker. Then we'll get the original Predator and Elder preds in early 2011. NO humans have been announced, but one can always hope we at least get Dutch (though Royce held his own, love his AA-12 auto-shotgun, a devastating fave of mine in MW2.

And yeah, their heads ARE NOT too big. They are tall figs (8 inches) and the head is perfectly in scale with the body. Some shots may make them appear larger, but in hand it is simply not the case.

[wesitron]

So there are only two Predators in the first wave, then? I thought the classic was supposed to be the original but if we're getting him next year you can still consider me a happy panda

My goodness, I had no idea how far they would take this line. Just those few you mentioned for series 2 and beyond have got me seriously stoked about the future of my Predator collection. Cheers!

BTW that last pic with the heavy light saturation is awesome

[JeffSaylor]

Yeah, Predators, as in the new movie, Series 1 is Classic from Predators (dude tied up - nod to the original Pred, slightly different - no bone necklace, etc), Falconer and Berserker (masked)

Predators Series 2 so far only has Tracker confirmed.

Then 2011 we go into Predator with the Original Classic Pred and Predator 2 Elder.

[wesitron]

Classic-styled then, cool. I gotcha. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for the explanation.

[IAMHIJKLM15]

how come on the bottom right pic it shows the back of the card and it says bezerker was the youngest yautja to kill a xenomorph [alien] when rodriguez says this movie ignores aliens

[JeffSaylor]

how come on the bottom right pic it shows the back of the card and it says bezerker was the youngest yautja to kill a xenomorph [alien] when rodriguez says this movie ignores aliens

I noticed that too Would have to ask NECA or FOX.

[Peajam]

To IAMHIJKLM15
The reason it says he is the youngest to kill an alien is because these predators would have killed aliens before, just like in the first alien vs predator it says the predators killed aliens for sport so im sure the predators in the new movie would have taken part in that sport or simply killed one before. Also in answer to that quote given by rodriguez; yes aliens are ignored 'in this movie' because they wanted an only predator movie or it would have been another alien vs predator, that doesnt mean these predators couldnt have encountered aliens before, they just dont encounter any in this movie hope that clears things up for you and anyone else thinking the same question