PHOTO REVIEW: Kotobukiya ALIEN “Big Chap” ARTFX+ Statue

When you love a property, you tend to dive in and find out all you can about it. You watch and study the movies, you buy the books and collectibles, and you relish every behind-the-scenes, making-of moment. You become a self-proclaimed expert on the subject. That’s how I have been with 1979’s sci-fi movie ALIEN and it’s brilliantly designed movie monster.I own a sizable ALIEN collection, however there’s only a handful of “Big Chap” collectibles that I deem truly movie-accurate. NECA’s newest 8-inch and 18-inch action figures instantly come to mind, but the rest? While cool as hell, most companies tend to take artistic liberties with H.R. Giger’s creature design. That’s not necessarily a bad thing (and it really depends on the type of a collectible), but it just goes to show how hard it is to find truly accurate collectibles of the original xenomorph.

Enter Kotobukiya and their new ALIEN “Big Chap” ARTFX+ statue. This thing is drop-dead gorgeous. Standing 8 1/2 inches tall, the plastic statue is displayed in a rarely seen, classic ALIEN pose. Many artists like to depict “Big Chap” in action, with inner teeth lunging and the creature moving all agile and bug-like like something out of James Cameron’s ALIENS. They need to re-watch ALIEN again. “Big Chap” was slow and methodical while stalking and killing its prey; the creature using the element of surprise to dispatch its victims. Koto’s ALIEN ARTFX+ perfectly captures this sinister trait. The creature is posed slightly hunched over, slightly turned, with its splayed six-fingered hands by it’s side and barbed tail coiled around it’s legs. It’s mouth is clinched shut in a sneer, my absolute favorite look for the creature, when pulled off correctly.

Paint and detail is also spot on. The translucent head dome is expertly recreated, the cranium tented just enough to expose the human skull beneath. While mostly shown in the dark, “Big Chaps” mottled brown color scheme is accurately reflected on the figure with fantastic shading. Needless to say, every biomechanical detail is here and sculpted in great detail. The artist behind this is to be commended, he/she knows their ALIEN well.

Display bases are something Kotobukiya has recently been aggressively improving. Where past ARTFX+ figures included a simple black stand, more recent releases, such as their Marvel ARTFX+, now come with colorful logo bases. Koto’s ALIEN series takes the design improvements one step further by including a diorama setting that can be fully customized.

Gone are magnets in the feet and in their place is a brilliant peg system. Koto provides six large 5″x 5″ plastic plates that resemble the metal grating on a spaceship, such as the Nostromo, along with two pieces with metal pegs to mount the figure. Using different types of dual-pegged connectors (48 are included), fans can assemble the grill plates in a variety of ways: from a single tile, multiple tiles to form a large floor, interlocked to create a floor with walls, to using all six plates to build a floor with walls and ceiling (as I did with mine). The pièce de résistance is a LED strobe light that you can integrate into your display, giving the entire piece some extra eerie atmosphere.

Koto’s ALIEN ARTFX+ Statue retails for a SRP of $89.99. That’s a bit more than I like to spend on an 8 1/2″ static plastic collectible, but when it comes to something you love, no price is too high. It also helps that this is hands-down one of the nicest ALIEN collectibles I own. If you are a die-hard ALIEN fan, this remarkable figure is a must-have. Check out more photos of the ALIEN ARTFX+ Statue below!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”masonry” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” display=”all” sort_by=”random” animation_effect=”bounce” album_title=”true” album_id=”475″]

Keep up with all the latest toy news by following Figures.com on Facebook and Twitter!

To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, TheToySource.com, Toynk.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, and EntertainmentEarth.com.