In today’s post, we’re going to deviate from the usual Predator goodness and touch on one of my other favorite movies: T2. Terminator T2 was a revolution in special effects, once again brought on by the amazing world of Stan Winston. One of the most amazing props in this film is the T800 Terminator Endo Skeleton battle chassis, otherwise known as the shiny skeleton with the gun. Today I’d like to show off the screen-accurate Combat Edition Endo Bust produced by Stan Winston Studios and Sideshow Collectibles.

Unlike the first Endo I received, which was the shiny chrome edition, this one arrived packed properly and not bouncing around in the box. The first one I got, which I just shipped back for replacement was actually not wrapped in anything and was rattling around inside the Styrofoam inserts. The Chrome ended up getting all scratched up to hell and back, so it had to be returned. THIS ONE however was wrapped in foam wrap, plus had big chunks of foam around it to prevent it from bounding around inside the box. And believe me, it is BADASS!

Once I carefully unwrapped everything, I popped the batteries in and flicked on the switch… I almost had a heart attack when the eyes didn’t light up! So I just rolled the batteries around to rub the contacts and sure enough they fired up. I’ve heard that some folks have had issues using their own batteries on this bust, but I suspect it’s the same problem – bad contacts. Just wiggle the batteries around and it should kick back up.

Let’s start off by saying this piece is completely off the hook! Cast from the original SWS molds, this is a very accurate piece featuring a weathered chrome finish to replicate some heavy use on the battlefield. The bust weighs in at almost 20 lbs and it feels extremely solid. It’s about 15″ in height or so and scaled at the full 1:1 size. There are two VERY cool elements on this bust… the first is the light up eyes. They actually fade out like in the movie when you shut off the switch, rather than just shutting off suddenly like a regular light. I had no idea it did this, so that was a really cool surprise.

The next cool bit is the entire CPU assembly! Check this out:

The bust comes with a CPU, the protective housing piece that covers it and a cap. The housing piece is actually a magnet, so what you do is remove the cap and use a chrome metal rod provided by Sideshow to lift out the housing and the chip. It’s completely cool and probably the best thing about the bust.

This isn’t the cheapest replica in the world, but it’s definitely a piece worth having and easily the best Endo skull replica available on the market today. And make no mistake.. it’s REAL chrome, not chrome paint. You can tell because the finish is cool to the touch, whereas chrome paint heats up to room temperature like the rest of the piece. In terms of which one I favor, I love the mirror finish on the clean version, but I also love the battle scarring on this one, giving it a very menacing look.

Want to order yours? Better do it fast, the clean version is already sold out so you know this Combat Edition will be next! Order it direct from Sideshow HERE!

And of course, what’s a review without juicy pics?! Click on the photo icon below for my photos of this gorgeous piece:

Thanks for reading an enjoy!
Dan