Review : Neca's Ultimate Jason Voorhees figure

Jason Voorhees is no stranger to being immortalized in plastic. Throughout the years there have been a slew of Jason figures of varying degrees of quality readily available to fans and collectors alike. I myself can trace back the beginnings of my current collecting habits to one fateful day in 1998 at a Spencer's Gifts store in the mall, where I first laid eyes upon a Jason figure from the very first Movie Maniacs series from McFarlane toys. I was majorly impressed with the sculpting detail put into the piece. It was something I had never seen before in an action figure. At the time I wasn't really a collector per say, but I figured, well this would be cool to have on a shelf somewhere since my name is Jason, and I was a fan of the character and horror films in general. Fast forward to 2015 (yikes, that was 17 years ago) and horror collectors (myself included) have a new go to company for their fix, NECA. 

NECA (National Entertainment Collectibles Association) burst onto the action figure scene in 2002 (or so my quick Google search would leave me to believe). One of the first figures they released which quickly helped make a name for themselves was an 18 inch Jason figure from Friday the 13th part 7. This was something fans of McFarlane's movie maniacs line were clamoring for for years to go along with their Freddy, Michael Myers and Leatherface figures. NECA delivered (along with a long thought to be impossible 18 inch Pinhead figure as well) and from there on never looked back, producing various versions of Jason throughout the years. From the Freddy vs Jason version to the now extremely popular NES Friday the 13th Game inspired 8-Bit Jason. Now they have released the newest and possibly best Jason figure for your collection, Ultimate Jason Voorhees. 

Based on his appearance in the 6th Friday the 13th film "Jason Lives" this version is part of the current Ultimate line from NECA that features definitive versions of iconic characters. They have already released Freddy Krueger, Leatherface and Terminator's T-800. I can safely say Jason is another welcome addition to the series. 

Part of the appeal of the Ultimate line is undoubtedly the packaging. NECA has done a really nice job of designing these thus far, utilizing the always preferred original one sheet poster imagery for the front flap of the box, which opens up to display the figure and all it's accessories. 

As you can see above, the figure comes fully articulated along with a nice stash of accessories. The only thing I would have liked to be included here that isn't is an interchangeable open left hand, but that is a minor quibble. I have read some people state the mask is a bit too narrow and based on some stills from the film, I am inclined to agree, however overall it still looks good and certainly does the job. I especially love the inclusion of the tombstone and fence post. Things like that are what make the Ultimate line extra fun for die hard fans. 

I was really happy they decided to go with this particular version of Jason, as Jason Lives is definitely one of the high points in the series and the look hasn't gotten enough attention when it comes to the merchandise front. It's is an interesting design as it's the first appearance of "zombie Jason" but not the full on rotted look from the following film. One thing to note is that the mask does not have actual eye holes. It is simply painted black where the eye holes would be, whether or not this was done to replicate the fact that in the film the eyes were covered with a black mesh to hide the actors eyes or not is up for debate and something I may ask NECA about. If the covered holes bother you, they can easily be drilled out to make way for the man behind the mask. I initially thought that it would bother me, but upon receiving him, I didn't give it a second thought. The overall paint apps on the figure are very well done and neat. No smudging or bleeding and all the colors are vibrant with the right amount of wash applied to bring out the details of the sculpt. This also helps replicate the appropriate dirt and grit on this clothing, particularly on his gloves. This guy stands out nicely when placed next to other Jason figures, (something I would have illustrated here if I wasn't too lazy to dig out the others I own) and he also looks fresh when surrounded by his other boogeymen brethren. 

Overall this figure is one of NECA's coolest to date and certainly one of the best Jason figures ever made. A few minor nitpicks shouldn't be enough to deter anyone from picking this one up. It is an ideal Jason figure for collectors and casual fans alike. The avid collectors should be happy to add this latest Jason figure to their collection, while a casual consumer, at the price point of only about 22 bucks can add a highly detailed version of this iconic character to their shelf or desk or even under the Christmas tree. NECA has done it again here and shown that the Ultimate line once again lives up to it's name. 

Check out a few more photos we snapped of this badass figure below that should help you decide if it is worth your hard earned moolah.