NECA Pacific Rim Deluxe Axehead

NECA Pacific Rim Axehead Review

The wait for that new Gipsy Danger and Tacit Ronin is reaching excruciating levels of pain at this point.  I haven’t seen either of them show up on NECA’s eBay store which is typically where things show up first.  Strangely Toys “R” Us just shipped my Gipsy without his wave-mate Tacit Ronin.  This leaves me to guess that characters are shipped in solid cases, or Toys “R” Us runs a terrible web store (more than likely the latter).  Why am I starting a review on Axehead with an impatient rant about other figures?  I just want something new!  Gipsy isn’t going to get here until Friday.  And who the hell knows when Tacit will show?

Anyways Axehead!

NECA Pacific Rim Deluxe Axehead

You may say, “But Jon, you already did a review of Axehead back in March … what is this malarchy?” Well actually that was Trespasser.  Trespasser can easily be confused with Axehead because they are basically the same Kaiju.  Axehead was the concept that eventually became Trespasser in the film.  Really you could get away with constantly making slight variations of the Trespasser and Knifehead body since the aliens basically mass produced them like clones in Pacific Rim.  Which is kind of what NECA has been doing since I blinked and now have five figures that all use that same base body!

At first glance it is pretty easy to come to the conclusion that he is a shameless repaint.  But take a look closer and there is a surprising amount of subtle retooling to the original Trespasser formula.  The head is new and the easiest way to tell is compare the eye structure.  Trespasser’s eyes both look forward while Axehead’s look to the side.  They do both share the same jaw, however.  Axehead’s backpack or shell (or whatever you call it) is also a new part, donning a broken right spike.  The other original part is the toenail looking thing coming out of his shin.  For hands he uses those puppy dog paws that Scunner came with.  All in all Axehead is a nice little remix of everything Kaiju we have seen so far in the line.

NECA Pacific Rim Deluxe Axehead

Of course, Axehead comes in the new window box packaging that the TRU Knifehead was shipped in.  He’s priced same as the past “deluxe” Kaiju releases at $24.99 which I think is a fair price for how much monster you get in that box.  I’m pretty sure that most, if not all, Pacific Rim deluxe Kaiju are all still available at their retail price, so it would only cost you about $125 to own every single version!  Seems like a deal to me.  The nice thing is that this should mark the end of this body type, at least I assume since I don’t think any others exist in movie or fan fiction form.  We’ve been a bit spoiled with the Jaegers since every single one has an original sculpt.  Otachi is on her way though early next year, and I’m sure they can squeeze a variant out of her since she was very similar to a video game boss and had different phases.

Axehead is pretty solid as far as a variant goes.  I still think I’m partial to the line patterns on Trespasser, but that’s not to say that Axehead’s paint scheme isn’t unique, well done, and fun.  He’s got enough new tooling that justified my going back for more.  He’s also keeping me somewhat satisfied until those two new Jaegers show up … any … day … now …

NECA Pacific Rim Deluxe Axehead

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7 thoughts on “NECA Pacific Rim Axehead Review”

  1. Trespasser is the only kaiju I have, and I’m on the fence about getting axehead when I don’t yet have Scunner or Knifehead. I really love this paint job though, more than the neon lines painted on all the monsters from the movie, but it’s just hard to justify getting a second kaiju that is sooooo similar to the one I already have.

    I’m also dying to get the new jaegers. I’ve frequently going between TRU, amazon, BBTS, and entertainment earth waiting to see who gets them first.
    Since TRU’s website has had the new Gipsy listed as in stock for a couple of weeks I’ve started hitting up their stores. Yesterday I wandered into one, and low and behold saw two pegs full of Gipsy Dangers that were empty last week! Although I didn’t see a single Tacit Ronin, I got excited and went to grab one. Then…wait a second, something is wrong here. Dang it if they weren’t the original Gipsy Danger with a new barcode taped on top of the old one. Dirty pool, Toys R Us.

    1. Yeah, like a week back my TRU got a solid case of the original Gipsy and also a solid case of Caesar from the first Rise of the Planet of the Apes series. Odd that they brought both of those back, especially Gipsy with this new one on the way. They also mislabeled him as “Gipsy Dancer,” LOL!

      1. After reading this review I got all excited about the prospect of getting a new kaiju, and headed to TRU to pick one up (it also doesn’t help that I watched Pacific Rim again just last night). They had Axehead and the new Knifehead. After looking each one over, and going back and forth between which one I’d rather spend the money on, I left them both on the shelf, came home, and ordered Scunner.
        I’m sure I’ll end up with all of them eventually anyway, but I decided for now I want something completely different, or as different as possible with the current offerings, than Trespasser to team up with him. So the yellow lines of Knifehead and the head sculpt of Axehead put those two on the back burner for now, and Scunner should be here early next week.

        1. I think Scunner is a good choice, the body is pretty much the same but the giant head is pretty cool. I wish he could look straight up a bit more to be in his swimming pose. And come with some kind of stand to achieve it. But I think you chose wisely as the two Kaiju out now are essentially repaints.

          1. I found Gipsy Danger and Tacit Ronin at a TRU tonight. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Gipsy Danger (I’m really impressed, overall), but Tacit Ronin has shocked me. His engineering is pretty incredible, and he is much more poseable than I expected given his top-heavy, chicken-legged design.

          2. I do have Gipsy and I think he’s my next review, the short of it is I really like him. I have a couple issues with his feet, so he’s not quite as good as Cherno Alpha who I still think is the best Jaeger made thus far. But I have not seen Tacit anywhere, and TRU still hasn’t shipped my preorder so I am a bit sad about that cause I want to mess with him badly.

  2. Pingback: NECA Pacific Rim Ultra Deluxe Otachi Review « Preternia

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