Back at the beginning of September, I announced the pre-order for a Predator Special Edition Boxset that featured a 1:2 scale Predator bust that had been sculpted by Sideshow Toys. The exclusive boxset was limited to 3000 units in the UK and was up for Pre-Order on Amazon UK when I first posted it. Actually, I’m kind of surprised it actually shipped reasonable on time! I think that’s a first when it comes to this hobby!

So now the question is, was the $200 I spent on this worth it? Well, to be honest, if I was the average Joe and didn’t know about the high-end world of Sideshow Collectibles or of professionally built kits, I would probably think this thing kicks complete ass. But, I know better…

It terms of size, it’s definitely 1:2 scale, cast in hollow plastic with very soft detailing. The first thing you notice is that there is very little separation between the dreads and it’s very obvious they are molded together. It’s as though the sculpting wasn’t deep enough to give the effect of the dreads being individual thick pieces, but that could also be a result of the plastic material being used instead of the usual polystone or resin. It’s very light and flimsy and the back door on the backpack that hides the CD case is delicate. In fact, the little clip part that should hold the door in place arrived snapped off on mine, and I can shake the whole case around and here the little broken off piece bouncing around inside. Luckily the door closes without that piece so it’s not really a big deal.

The other issue that I find cheapens the piece is that the CD cover itself isn’t a completely closed plastic case. It’s a thick cardboard front and back with plastic CD trays inside and I HATE those. They could have at least given a complete closing plastic case!

Now for what’s good about this puppy… the paint overall isn’t all that bad, and the bio helmet is especially good. In fact, the paint saves some of the sloppy sculpting detail, and from a distance, the case looks pretty good. It only starts to look shoddy upon closer inspection. The detailing on the backpack is GREAT though, with symbols engraved in and some nice paint application. It actually seems weird to me that the backpack looks great, but then they sculpt really soft details into the dreads and the hose connection area on the side of the bio and on the laser shroud. It’s as though the backpack was sculpted completely separately.

So we go back to the original question… was it worth $200 (including duty and taxes)? Not really, but it’s still a cool piece and a welcomed addition to my collection, even though I think I spent $75 or so more than it’s worth. To be honest, I would have preferred to pay double the price for a quality resin pre-paint along the lines of the 1:1 scale Sideshow Predator Bust than pay much less for a so-so piece. To be honest, someone with the right skills could probably re-tool this thing and re-paint it and make a GORGEOUS piece from it… it’s a great foundation to build from.

Ready to be the judge? Click the photo icon below for more pics and draw your own conclusions:

Enjoy folks!
Dan