Warning: I’m going to make it my goal to avoid typing any Arnold catchphrases while putting together this review.  I don’t find it humane to subject my readers to such things, and thus any references to “helicopters” or “ugly you-know-whats” will be omitted.  Thank you.

Today the NECA Predator series turns eight!  Not eight years, but instead eight waves of Predators from the first and second movies, the 2010 film Predators, and even a fan film called Dead End.  Most toy lines don’t last this long and for all intents and purposes a line based on the Predator movies should not have this long of a life either.  However NECA played it smart, constantly improving the actual figures and focusing on often fan requested versions of the monsters from the various films.  Series 8 takes the line in a new direction by introducing the first non-alien character Dutch or as the kids lovingly call him “The Governator.”

NECA’s eighth Predator series features two similar, but quite different versions of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Dutch role.  There is the sleeveless, commando-esque Jungle Patrol Dutch and the version we are reviewing today, Jungle Extraction Dutch.  This version of Dutch is from the early part of the movie where they are demonstrating how elite Dutch and his crew really are in order contrast their skills against the Predator.  What attracts me most to this version is the head because it depicts Arnold smoking his trademark cigar.

I suppose it’s becoming old hat now to say “NECA is adding articulation” but at the same time this would be their most articulated version of Arnold yet.  He’s officially a fully articulated figure with over twenty-two joints from head to toe.  This means you can get him into some great poses.  I’ve been sitting around all day playing with his different joints trying to find the most ridiculous look I could.  Once I find something that looks completely absurd I move on to attempting a way to make him look completely badass.  This is the cycle I find myself in day after day.  Having so much articulation on an Arnold figure has caused me to fiddle with him all day like a Rubick’s Cube; I’ll eventually have to get these guys off my desk if I want to get any work done.

Dutch comes with a handful of accessories including a M-16, pistol, machete, and knife.  NECA was kind enough to make sure Dutch could keep all of his belongings on his person when he’s not handling them, so you will notice his pants are littered with holsters.  I appreciate being able to store all weapons on the actual figure because I lose these things most of the time.  The nice thing about NECA accessories is that they are of good quality and can be used with other figures, so that isn’t the problem.  I just don’t like to risk throwing them in the “accessory drawer” for fear of forgetting what knife goes with what figure.

So the articulations, paint, and sculpt are great … what could possibly go wrong with this figure?  Wrong is too strong of a word, it would be better to ask what could be improved?  You will notice that the grenades strapped to his vest are a little small.  In a perfect world these would probably be bigger; Dutch certainly wasn’t throwing cherry bombs at Columbian (?) weapons camp.  I’m betting that they couldn’t go any bigger without sculpting a separate piece so this is probably why the grenades are so small.  I’m fine with that because the last thing I need to be doing is tracking down loose plastic grenades, or even worse finding out my daughter ate them.

If you are a big Duke Nukem Forever fan (and I know everyone is!) you bought NECA’s Duke action figure a few years back.  One of the things Duke does really well is hold his cigar up to his mouth.  Dutch can almost do this but just can’t quite reach.  I don’t mind his hand being a small distance from the cigar, but it would have been awesome if he could look like he’s holding it.  Of course I am not sure I would want that weird joint they gave Duke to reach that pose … so I guess there is a trade-off for that possibility.  I feel like if they added bicep swivels to Dutch he would have been the perfect figure.

Are you in the market for a super-posable Arnold?  Then Dutch is for you.  As always NECA keeps the price at or below $20 depending on where you pick him up.  Another bit of great news is that we have three more versions of Dutch if the Jungle Extraction version isn’t your cup of tea.  Dutch can be found over at Amazon, and I suggest you pick him up.  He’s a great value and a contender for “FIGURE OF THE YEAR!”

Stick around, because we’ll have a review of the other version of Dutch in the “Jungle Patrol” flavor coming soon!

Shit did I just say “stick around?”  And I was doing so good …

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