We’ve previously looked at the original Alien – one of the most iconic creatures of horror and Science Fiction, and today we have its successor – the Alien Warrior. From James Cameron’s sequel, Aliens, the Alien Warrior is a different beast to the original. The evolution of the Alien (it is argued) can be attributed to a longer period of uninterrupted growth – as opposed to the mere 24 hours of existence the first Alien endured.
Now, that sleek, phallic head is ribbed, with what looks like reinforcement and obvious development. The translucent ‘shell’ for the head may have become thicker, as we can no longer see the scary, eye-less skull under the surface. A distinct tinge of blue shading is present – though this is probably to distinguish the shape of the creature better in low light conditions when filming. The Warrior is more about being hunched over, keeping more to a quadrupedal stance when moving about.
That said, the core shape and design of the torso and limbs remains intact, with long, slim arms and legs leading to the deadly mistake that this is a weak and feeble being. Balancing the act and giving the Warrior a more animalistic look is the long, ribbed tail, complete with a blade-like protrusion on the tip that is oft-used as a weapon. All the tubes, ribs, and biomechanical appearances you’ve seen in the film are here, and probably more considering how hard it was to take in a full view of such a vicious antagonist.
Like the original, the Warrior enjoys a decent design – thanks in part to it’s few colours. As mentioned, the partially see-through design of this Revoltech shows the chameleon-like nature of the Alien, and how it likes to meld into it’s surrounds when hunting or hiding. Shining light through it, it looks a lighter brown to the first one, and certainly a lot less black. The silver tail tip, claws, teeth, and smaller mouth are the only differences in colour. An unhatched Alien egg is included, as well as a steel grate floor with an acid hole to act as a relevant base.
There’s a plaque with the Alien Warrior’s name on it, as well as it’s attributing film, but it’s about the only thing you’ll fit into the otherwise pointless Revo Container. There are alternative forearms and hands too. The arms are essentially sans the extra bit of tubing which hangs from each, meaning less to get in the road when posing. It’s a completely different mould too, though I’m not sure if one or both styles were actually used in the film. The hands are more simpler, though just as pointy moulds of the other three-fingered set, and don’t really improve anything.
The long tail has a wire running through most of it, allowing us to set it in an appealing way, or just act as a balance since no stand is included for this Revoltech. That said, I’ll take a wire tail over a wonky plastic arm and base any day. But still, you will have a hard time posing this thing; if not from balance, than with fighting the revolver joints that are (as usual) connected improperly. Though it’s hard to get a decent pose out of an Alien regardless, it always feels harder on a Revoltech. The jaw can hang too low too, and since the extra mouth is connected to the bottom jaw, it can easily look out of place.
Though it looks okay, once again Kaiyodo has struggled to make this an appealing toy. As a figure or a model, sure, it’s fine. But if you want to pose it often and not have headaches? Nope. Unwanted extras like those arms or uninteresting changes like a jointed fin on the back so that it doesn’t collide with the head just don’t cut it. the Alien Warrior just lacks something exciting like the skull of the original, or the massive girth of the Alien Queen. As a fan of the Alien franchise, I can appreciate the look and sculpt of this Revoltech, but as someone who wants to actually use and pose such a thing, I dread the effort involved.
lifelike texture 