NECA - Planet of the Apes

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Found and bought the gorilla two pack at TRU this morning with no sign of series 2. After lunch I checked the local collectors shop and they had received series 2 so I grabbed the full set.

Here's my initial thoughts -


Gorilla two pack - Definitely compare paint in the store, especially eyes and the brown paint around the face of the one packaged on the left. Some were sloppy. Really like the new headsculpts on these two. With how tightly fitted the backpacks are I now understand maybe why the bandoliers are missing in this set. Haven't tried slipping one off yet. I love the new rifle with the bayonet, and the fact that it is retractable is a such an awesome touch. The snare sticks are also pretty nice. Do be careful removing them from the package. The new clubs are also cool. They are definitely different than the series 1 soldier's club. The machine gun is really well done but it is really tricky getting it to fit in either figure's hand. You have to bend the thumb a bit to put it through the hole behind the grip.
Overall I'm happy with this set, it's a nice value for the price.


Dr. Zaius v2 - This version is indeed a new sculpt. He's an alright figure. The sculpt is wonderful and the paint is decent. His only accessory is his cane, I do wish they would have included at least one more item, like perhaps a smaller sized lawgiver statue or something. Despite being a well made figure he ends up seeming a bit dull compared to the others in the wave which is unfortunate. I don't regret getting him though. Also his hair looks much better molded on than being a separate piece like the series 1 version.


Zira - Really impressed. Her likeness is very strong in person, and the whole sculpt is really well done. She is also nicely scaled with the other figures. The accessories are well thought out. She includes the paper airplane (made from actual paper), the notepad, and a portrait depicting her with Cornelius. Her only real flaw is that her articulation is hindered in a few spots, such as her elbows and her hips. However, I feel neca did the best they could with the costume design and while a little hindered she can still be posed enough to be on par with the rest of the line. The fabric inner skirt piece is good quality and still allows knee movement and some forward leg movement at the hip. Overall she might be the best of the wave, and she looks wonderful at Cornelius's side. Now we really need a Taylor!


General Ursus - Another very impressive figure. Be sure to compare paint though at the store. Some had eye and mouth slop. My only issue with him is that he can barely hold his included machine gun. And no matter how hard I try, I cannot get him to hold it in a firing position. Very frustrating. He can however hold his pistol just fine and it fits in the holster really well. I may just give the machine gun to one of his soldiers and only let him have the pistol. Not a huge loss I suppose. His likeness and costume details are both really strong. I love the expression they gave him. His articulation is also great. He appears to reuse the legs from the gorilla soldier, and I am ok with this. And in case anyone is still worried about his height, he is barely shorter than his troops. The shoulders line up, but his head appears to rest lower. Not really an issue though imo.

Pics hopefully by the weekend.

Another thing I noticed is that all of these figures were a real pain to remove from the plastic trays. I can't even imagine how they were placed in them at the factory. Very tight fits.
 
Update!


Just discovered that both of my two pack gorilla's right wrist pegs were put in backwards. I was able to correct this pretty easily. Not sure if it was just mine or if others are like this. Just a heads up.
 
Mine were fine although the plastic seems very hard. Here are some quick pics I took of my little army. I need General Ursus. Neca did a great job on the new rifle, I really like it. The sling is also different and in a different position.








 
Looking forward to making the purchase although I might skip on the Dr. Zaius v2 for now. Does anyone know when Dawn of the Planet of the Apes figures are being released?
 
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look like...


band.jpg
 
Found the complete new wave of figures including the Gorillas set tonight at TRU. Multiples of all except Zira so I could choose those with the best eyes. Can I say the new Zaius kind of sucks without having that one clown here jump on my **** again?
 
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So far I've had no luck finding the new wave.

As far as the new Zaius is concerned, I'm not holding my breath. The pictures I've seen have not been very encouraging. By keeping my expectations low I might just be pleasantly surprised. And the prototype that they showed last summer looked so promising! Damn.

So BB what is your views on Ursus? He seems to be the favorite of this wave. Is there a height issue with him?
 
It will be awhile before I can do outdoor shots with these, so in the meantime here's a quick look at them together.


Neca Planet of the Apes - Series 2 by scarrviper, on Flickr



Dr Zaius Comparison by scarrviper, on Flickr

I like both versions of Zaius, but if I had to choose I would say series 2 is superior overall.




Gorilla Soldier Infantry 2 Pack by scarrviper, on Flickr

I'm in the process of making them some homemade bandoliers. I might also replace the backpack straps so that they are easier to take on and off. The stock ones are too tight, especially the waist strap.
 
ScarrViper, great photos. What's your opinion of General Ursus. I have yet to get any of the wave 2 figures, but hope to soon.


Thanks a bunch Jungle Jom!
 
The eyes on Your Zira look a lot better than some of the pictures I've seen.
 
ScarrViper, great photos. What's your opinion of General Ursus. I have yet to get any of the wave 2 figures, but hope to soon.


Thanks a bunch Jungle Jom!


Thanks! Ursus is fantastic. I think the likeness is strong, and the detailing is first rate. My only complaint is that he has difficulty holding the machine gun in a proper firing pose. The hand meant for holding his weapons can grip the pistol perfectly, but because of the rifle's design he can't quite hold it properly. Otherwise I think he's perfect. I will warn that you may have to compare paint in the store. I picked mine out of 3 that were on the shelf. The other 2 left had issues with excess paint from his teeth. Nothing horrible, I'm just picky.



The eyes on Your Zira look a lot better than some of the pictures I've seen.

I should have mentioned I did repaint part of her eyes. The blue they were painted before made her eyes look very cloudy in some lighting, so I painted over the blue with brown and added gloss black pupils. I still think she might be the true star of the wave, the likeness is really stunning in person, especially in profile.
 
Zira does look fantastic. However the whole wave does.... Ursus is awesome, and I think the New zaius is way better then wave 1.. His hair is way better and his detail is much better.
 
$_57.JPG


I finally found the Statue of Liberty that NECA had been working on! It was in an auction on eBay.
 
Yes it is still an active auction and it was under NECA Planet of the apes. It was for the new Taylor doll in a foreign auction!

The seller used this as one of the pics for the auction.
 
Yes it is still an active auction and it was under NECA Planet of the apes. It was for the new Taylor doll in a foreign auction!

The seller used this as one of the pics for the auction.

Thank you Parkhopper, By any chance can you cut and paste that address here, I can't seem to find it?
 
I should have mentioned I did repaint part of her eyes. The blue they were painted before made her eyes look very cloudy in some lighting, so I painted over the blue with brown and added gloss black pupils. I still think she might be the true star of the wave, the likeness is really stunning in person, especially in profile.

Great job. NECA should hire you. I hope NECA fixes some of their paint app problems for this line. I'm not talented enough to do it myself.
 
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