Hot Toys Giger Alien

[Batty]

You all do realize that if they make all the changes we are suggesting that we definitely won't have this by the end of the year (if we ever were to begin with)

I'd rather have it done right than fast.

 

[MaulFan]

I'd rather have it done right than fast.

That's what she said

 

[Batty]

 

[SilentSurfer]

I actually like the coloring on this shot from the Toyworld Tokyo Fair coverage.
The way the ribs end at the back doesn't look right though. Item 151 on today's glitch list.

Clear shot of the skull with excessive detail.

 

[MaulFan]

Are the hooks on the elbows short and going in the wrong direction?

 

[plasmid303]

Are the vents/fin on his back the same ones used on the previous xenomorph figures?

 

[SilentSurfer]

Are the hooks on the elbows short and going in the wrong direction?

Those look acceptable.

Are the vents/fin on his back the same ones used on the previous xenomorph figures?

Different. Much longer and not as carved.

 

[abake]

Awesome job getting in touch with them Jeff!
It's god to hear stuff directly from HT through you. Would it be too much to ask to have them take a look a this thread and the lots of reference pics we gathered here and in the poll thread as well?

I took a look at the different inaccuracies listed by everyone and tried to put it all together here, if anybody has more suggestions, add it up!

Hands: the sixth finger is wrong, it's actually a second thumb, not just another finger.

Arms: there is extra ribbing on the inside of the forearms which shouldn't be there.

Skull: the shape of the skull is wrong, it is way too "evil" looking and back slanting. It has to have a much more human look.

Dorsal Pipes: The fifth spike (upper center) looks wrong in shape.

Mouth: the teeth are the wrong shape and there's too much lips. The actual lips were translucent, so failing that, I would prefer no lips, especially the upper lip. Also, there is an extra tube coming out of the lower jaw, check the reference pics.

Shoulders: should have a more pronounced ribbed tubing on them, especially towards the front were the upper smooth side is a lot thinner.

Torso: the ribs end too soon, they should go further back.

Neck: it looks wrong, too wide and some of the detailing looks invented, but I can't really tell from the pics.

Hips: again, there seem to be extra tubes/ribbing that weren't there (on second thought, maybe it's not wrong, would have to get a better view)

Legs: fantastically wrong! Again there's ribbing on the inside of the calves, and as SS pointed out, what's with the muscle? Also, the three "bars" on the back of the leg (towards the ankle) look to be the wrong shape.

Feet: can't see much, but it seems they're missing the oxen jaws.

Tail: can't really see the shape, but it should be very flat at the base, getting rounder as it goes to the tip.

Now, I realize that this is basically asking for a full re-sculpt, and that's probably too much to ask for, but what's the use in not asking, right?

I don't know if it is insulting to the sculptor, but have him check out NECA's and Medicom's figures, both are -in their own ways- more accurate than what we're seeing here.

So again, thanks a lot Jeff for getting in touch with the folks at Hot Toys, hopefully they will change some of the more glaring errors. It didn't really work out with the A3 dragon, but maybe this time around they'll actually do something about it.

 

[Sexual Predator]

Hands: the sixth finger is wrong, it's actually a second thumb, not just another finger.

Arms: there is extra ribbing on the inside of the forearms which shouldn't be there.

Skull: the shape of the skull is wrong, it is way too "evil" looking and back slanting. It has to have a much more human look.

Dorsal Pipes: The fifth spike (upper center) looks wrong in shape.

Mouth: the teeth are the wrong shape and there's too much lips. The actual lips were translucent, so failing that, I would prefer no lips, especially the upper lip. Also, there is an extra tube coming out of the lower jaw, check the reference pics.

Shoulders: should have a more pronounced ribbed tubing on them, especially towards the front were the upper smooth side is a lot thinner.

Torso: the ribs end too soon, they should go further back.

Neck: it looks wrong, too wide and some of the detailing looks invented, but I can't really tell from the pics.

Hips: again, there seem to be extra tubes/ribbing that weren't there (on second thought, maybe it's not wrong, would have to get a better view)

Legs: fantastically wrong! Again there's ribbing on the inside of the calves, and as SS pointed out, what's with the muscle? Also, the three "bars" on the back of the leg (towards the ankle) look to be the wrong shape.

Feet: can't see much, but it seems they're missing the oxen jaws.

That's odd. You just listed everything I look for in a woman...

 

[jungle jom]

Awesome job getting in touch with them Jeff!
It's god to hear stuff directly from HT through you. Would it be too much to ask to have them take a look a this thread and the lots of reference pics we gathered here and in the poll thread as well?

I took a look at the different inaccuracies listed by everyone and tried to put it all together here, if anybody has more suggestions, add it up!

Hands: the sixth finger is wrong, it's actually a second thumb, not just another finger.

Arms: there is extra ribbing on the inside of the forearms which shouldn't be there.

Skull: the shape of the skull is wrong, it is way too "evil" looking and back slanting. It has to have a much more human look.

Dorsal Pipes: The fifth spike (upper center) looks wrong in shape.

Mouth: the teeth are the wrong shape and there's too much lips. The actual lips were translucent, so failing that, I would prefer no lips, especially the upper lip. Also, there is an extra tube coming out of the lower jaw, check the reference pics.

Shoulders: should have a more pronounced ribbed tubing on them, especially towards the front were the upper smooth side is a lot thinner.

Torso: the ribs end too soon, they should go further back.

Neck: it looks wrong, too wide and some of the detailing looks invented, but I can't really tell from the pics.

Hips: again, there seem to be extra tubes/ribbing that weren't there (on second thought, maybe it's not wrong, would have to get a better view)

Legs: fantastically wrong! Again there's ribbing on the inside of the calves, and as SS pointed out, what's with the muscle? Also, the three "bars" on the back of the leg (towards the ankle) look to be the wrong shape.

Feet: can't see much, but it seems they're missing the oxen jaws.

Tail: can't really see the shape, but it should be very flat at the base, getting rounder as it goes to the tip.

Now, I realize that this is basically asking for a full re-sculpt, and that's probably too much to ask for, but what's the use in not asking, right?

I don't know if it is insulting to the sculptor, but have him check out NECA's and Medicom's figures, both are -in their own ways- more accurate than what we're seeing here.

So again, thanks a lot Jeff for getting in touch with the folks at Hot Toys, hopefully they will change some of the more glaring errors. It didn't really work out with the A3 dragon, but maybe this time around they'll actually do something about it.

Get some help....

 

[Master Wayne]

I'm going to wait to see this bad boy in person @ SDCC before I get out my pitchfork.

 

[DARK-SIDE]

sadly Hot Toys.com doesn't have a chinese version ……
maybe we can communicate more easier

 

[wookster]

Awesome job getting in touch with them Jeff!
It's god to hear stuff directly from HT through you. Would it be too much to ask to have them take a look a this thread and the lots of reference pics we gathered here and in the poll thread as well?

I took a look at the different inaccuracies listed by everyone and tried to put it all together here, if anybody has more suggestions, add it up!

Hands: the sixth finger is wrong, it's actually a second thumb, not just another finger.

Arms: there is extra ribbing on the inside of the forearms which shouldn't be there.

Skull: the shape of the skull is wrong, it is way too "evil" looking and back slanting. It has to have a much more human look.

Dorsal Pipes: The fifth spike (upper center) looks wrong in shape.

Mouth: the teeth are the wrong shape and there's too much lips. The actual lips were translucent, so failing that, I would prefer no lips, especially the upper lip. Also, there is an extra tube coming out of the lower jaw, check the reference pics.

Shoulders: should have a more pronounced ribbed tubing on them, especially towards the front were the upper smooth side is a lot thinner.

Torso: the ribs end too soon, they should go further back.

Neck: it looks wrong, too wide and some of the detailing looks invented, but I can't really tell from the pics.

Hips: again, there seem to be extra tubes/ribbing that weren't there (on second thought, maybe it's not wrong, would have to get a better view)

Legs: fantastically wrong! Again there's ribbing on the inside of the calves, and as SS pointed out, what's with the muscle? Also, the three "bars" on the back of the leg (towards the ankle) look to be the wrong shape.

Feet: can't see much, but it seems they're missing the oxen jaws.

Tail: can't really see the shape, but it should be very flat at the base, getting rounder as it goes to the tip.

Now, I realize that this is basically asking for a full re-sculpt, and that's probably too much to ask for, but what's the use in not asking, right?

I don't know if it is insulting to the sculptor, but have him check out NECA's and Medicom's figures, both are -in their own ways- more accurate than what we're seeing here.

So again, thanks a lot Jeff for getting in touch with the folks at Hot Toys, hopefully they will change some of the more glaring errors. It didn't really work out with the A3 dragon, but maybe this time around they'll actually do something about it.

Hi Abake, i do share (some) of your concerns, but funnily enough i had just posted this in the MJ head sculpt thread, i hope you don't mind biut I'm gonna cut and paste here as well, as it kind of spells out how i feel... and i'll make sure HT know all about this thread-

Cut'n'paste-

I make sure they are aware of threads when I can (they know of this one), but as I'm sure we all know HT would love to make the collectors as happy as they can, and from my experience they genuinely do there best to keep both fans and licence holders happy. But there comes a point where their hands are tied (ALIEN Kane and Ed Scissorhands for example).

I've been lucky enough to know people inside quite a few collectibles manufacturers over the years, and some have told me (funnily enough this doesn't apply to HT, but I'm sure it's true of them as well) they feel like they are bashing their head against a wall when trying to keep everyone happy... better to please some of the people some of the time I guess!

I like things to be as accurate as is realistically possible, but I'd rather have an artist interpret something into 1/6th while injecting some personality and dare I say it 'artistic licence' rather than a computer scanned, perfect tiny, lifeless doll! You just have to look through the SS Vader and HT ALIEN thread to see how people have pulled them to pieces... and they're great figures... room for improvement, but both great figures that we couldn't have imagined getting at this scale with this much detail just a few years ago!

I guess it's about perspective and enjoyment... very few of the figures in my collection are 100% perfect, but they are damn close, and I ENJOY them, I don't wince every time I see a button in the wrong place or the wrong shade of purple/brown/green/black!

(next bit to be read in an Obi Wan ghostly voice over way!)

Come on, let loose, let go your feelings of negativity!

Don't think, FEEL, and you'll find a little of the spirit of what ever given character you are looking at. If you don't feel it then it's not for you. Feel free to say why you don't feel it in a constructive manner then move on!

By the way, this isn’t aimed at any one person, I know sometimes I feel let down by figures, but generally they have to be half arsed attempts to make my blood boil!

Rant over... carry on!

 

[Master Wayne]

Bravo! Bravo!

 

[Devil_666]

I like things to be as accurate as is realistically possible, but I'd rather have an artist interpret something into 1/6th while injecting some personality and dare I say it 'artistic licence' rather than a computer scanned, perfect tiny, lifeless doll!

I'd actually prefer the "computer scanned, perfect tiny, lifeless doll" tbh. And to me, that "lifeless" part makes no sense because if it looked like a "perfect tiny" representation of a character in 1/6 scale how would it look "lifeless"!? "artistic license" is fine when that's what you're buying: an artists interpretation of a character or person. But when you're buying something that's supposed to be based on an exisiting character or person, and it's officially licensed you expect it to be as accurate to that representation as possible.

Narin takes a huge amount of artistic license with most of his Predator models. And that's cool. Because they're based on his "original" designs derived from the existing Predator designs. That's an example of "artistic license" imo.

But if you make an official product of say the movie Predator or Predator 2, which means your products design(s) will be based off of the design(s) seen in those films.. then yeah accuracy is crucial. Because if it isn't, and it isn't a priority, why bother with the license to begin with!? Why bother making something if you then plan to take "artistic license" with the existing design(s)!?

I guess it's about perspective and enjoyment... very few of the figures in my collection are 100% perfect, but they are damn close, and I ENJOY them, I don't wince every time I see a button in the wrong place or the wrong shade of purple/brown/green/black!

But like you said, it's not so much that you can accept something not being "perfect". It's more so that as long as CERTAIN things are perfect, to you, you can look past other things. Right?

EXAMPLE:
If the headsculpt is dead on, the clothing looks great and the accessories are cool; some might be able to look past the color of the clothing being wrong. Maybe a Dark Blue suit instead of Black.

Same figure: If the headsculpt is slightly off, the clothing looks great and the accessories are cool WITH the suit being Black instead of Dark Blue; some might be able to look past the headsculpt being off.

You see what I'm saying? It's different for everyone. So what you think of as trivial others might see as important. And vice versa. Others might enjoy a piece with faults that you personally couldn't stand. Same as the pieces you currently enjoy in your collection with faults others couldn't stand.

Pick a figure from your collection that you really like. Think of one thing that you really love about it. Now pretend the company that made it changed that or took "artistic license" or dropped the ball, however you wanna label it, and made it completely different. Would you still like it as much? I doubt it. Little things add up. And eventually a crap load of little inaccurate elements form up into a Voltron-like, innacurate, enjoyment destroying robot. And if that makes no sense at least give me props for throwing in a Voltron reference dammit.

 

[a-dev]

(next bit to be read in an Obi Wan ghostly voice over way!)

Come on, let loose, let go your feelings of negativity!

Don't think, FEEL, and you'll find a little of the spirit of what ever given character you are looking at. If you don't feel it then it's not for you. Feel free to say why you don't feel it in a constructive manner then move on!

By the way, this isn’t aimed at any one person, I know sometimes I feel let down by figures, but generally they have to be half arsed attempts to make my blood boil!

Rant over... carry on![/COLOR][/I]

FROM MY POINT OF VIEW THE INNACCURACIES ARE EVIL!!!

Ahem. Well essentially I don't think I'll be 'feeling the spirit of the character', not while the head looks like that - the other problems I could probably deal with, provided what they say is true - that only the lighting is making it appear brown. The head and mouth are vital areas though. If they don't look like what we saw in the film, the whole thing falls to the dark side IMO. Just like the dog alien which is more 'piranha' faced than alien.

 

[wookster]

I'd actually prefer the "computer scanned, perfect tiny, lifeless doll" tbh. And to me, that "lifeless" part makes no sense because if it looked like a "perfect tiny" representation of a character in 1/6 scale how would it look "lifeless"!? "artistic license" is fine when that's what you're buying: an artists interpretation of a character or person. But when you're buying something that's supposed to be based on an exisiting character or person, and it's officially licensed you expect it to be as accurate to that representation as possible.

I have to admit, this was a cut a paste job from the MJ thread where I was refering to human sculpts... computer scanned ones look really dull and lifeless!

But if you make an official product of say the movie Predator or Predator 2, which means your products design(s) will be based off of the design(s) seen in those films.. then yeah accuracy is crucial. Because if it isn't, and it isn't a priority, why bother with the license to begin with!? Why bother making something if you then plan to take "artistic license" with the existing design(s)!?



But like you said, it's not so much that you can accept something not being "perfect". It's more so that as long as CERTAIN things are perfect, to you, you can look past other things. Right?

Right!

EXAMPLE:
If the headsculpt is dead on, the clothing looks great and the accessories are cool; some might be able to look past the color of the clothing being wrong. Maybe a Dark Blue suit instead of Black.

Same figure: If the headsculpt is slightly off, the clothing looks great and the accessories are cool WITH the suit being Black instead of Dark Blue; some might be able to look past the headsculpt being off.

You see what I'm saying? It's different for everyone. So what you think of as trivial others might see as important. And vice versa. Others might enjoy a piece with faults that you personally couldn't stand. Same as the pieces you currently enjoy in your collection with faults others couldn't stand.

Yep, I understand completely... hence the 'move on' coment, in this case we haven't seen the final version yet so constructive coment is important. BUT, once the final product is shown it's time to vote with your wallet. If you're not content with the final item say why and then 'move on'. I hate to use the term 'put up, or shut up' but have you seen the Vader thread... I don't tend to go there now, when you visit you can actually feel the event horizon where all fun and enjoyment is sucked from your body.

Pick a figure from your collection that you really like. Think of one thing that you really love about it. Now pretend the company that made it changed that or took "artistic license" or dropped the ball, however you wanna label it, and made it completely different. Would you still like it as much? l

This is a bit moot, as in that alternate reality I'd have never known the other version, so I would be happy... I think?

OR... if it was that bad, I'd have seen it and not bought it. It's like the SS Shaun of the Dead figures, plenty of people are happy with them! I really wanted to like them... I wanted to want to buy them, but I just couldn't, so didn't! To quote my self in my last Ironman review-
The human face is a wonderful thing, they’re even more individual than our finger prints… even identical twins are never truly identical. We are all genetically hard wired to search them out where ever we look. It’s the reason we see faces in clouds, trees, fires and even the moon… we want to see faces. But we are also designed to search out different characteristics in faces. It’s why we find different people attractive, and why some times you might say to a friend ‘don’t you think ‘insert name here’ really looks like ‘ insert another name here’, and while some people will agree with you, others will say ‘what the hell are you thinking’. It’s the same reason people get into such heated arguments over the quality (or lack of it) on various sculpts from various companies; we do actually see things differently!


You make a lot of good points, and I agree with a lot of it. I also know HT are developing further. For me on this occaision if they can alter the eye shape, refine the mouth, make sure the colour is closer and perhaps add the jaw heel, I'd be pretty happy. I found out the fingers on one set of hands will be the bendy variety, so we should be able to position in the manner we like.

 

[CelticPredator]

All Hot Toys needs to do is fix the horrible head. Thats all it needs.

It looks like the Alien otherwise...

 

[abake]

Hi Abake, i do share (some) of your concerns, but funnily enough i had just posted this in the MJ head sculpt thread, i hope you don't mind biut I'm gonna cut and paste here as well, as it kind of spells out how i feel... and i'll make sure HT know all about this thread-

Cut'n'paste-

I make sure they are aware of threads when I can (they know of this one), but as I'm sure we all know HT would love to make the collectors as happy as they can, and from my experience they genuinely do there best to keep both fans and licence holders happy. But there comes a point where their hands are tied (ALIEN Kane and Ed Scissorhands for example).

I've been lucky enough to know people inside quite a few collectibles manufacturers over the years, and some have told me (funnily enough this doesn't apply to HT, but I'm sure it's true of them as well) they feel like they are bashing their head against a wall when trying to keep everyone happy... better to please some of the people some of the time I guess!

I like things to be as accurate as is realistically possible, but I'd rather have an artist interpret something into 1/6th while injecting some personality and dare I say it 'artistic licence' rather than a computer scanned, perfect tiny, lifeless doll! You just have to look through the SS Vader and HT ALIEN thread to see how people have pulled them to pieces... and they're great figures... room for improvement, but both great figures that we couldn't have imagined getting at this scale with this much detail just a few years ago!

I guess it's about perspective and enjoyment... very few of the figures in my collection are 100% perfect, but they are damn close, and I ENJOY them, I don't wince every time I see a button in the wrong place or the wrong shade of purple/brown/green/black!

(next bit to be read in an Obi Wan ghostly voice over way!)

Come on, let loose, let go your feelings of negativity!

Don't think, FEEL, and you'll find a little of the spirit of what ever given character you are looking at. If you don't feel it then it's not for you. Feel free to say why you don't feel it in a constructive manner then move on!

By the way, this isn’t aimed at any one person, I know sometimes I feel let down by figures, but generally they have to be half arsed attempts to make my blood boil!

Rant over... carry on!

Very cool post Jeff, and again, thanks for getting in touch with the powers that be at HT!

As I said earlier, my rant was over and I was/am enjoying the figure for what it is, I only brought the comments back because there was a chance that HT would look into them.

As for the computer generated scan vs. the artist's interpretation, and the life-like or life-less quality of a sculpt, I do agree with you to a certain degree.
I look at HT's DX Joker and compare it to DC's and the sculpt has a quality,a life of its own that shines through in the HT Joker, and that is indeed (IMHO) the life that the sculptor breathes into it.
However, I do believe that in the case of the aliens there isn't a real effort from HT to make them accurate, which to me means they don't really care. Look at NECA's and Medicom's and Marmit's aliens, all tried to make them as accurate as possible and to the best of their abilities, and yet each looks very different from the other. You can see the artist's hand in them, but not trying to make something up, not trying to make it consciously different, it's just the artist's (as it were) interpretation and what each sculptor most responded to. In Kyle's (NECA) case it was the texture and the big menacing teeth, in the Medicom it's more about the lanky frame, the Marmit has the long arms and large head... but they all strove for accuracy. In HT's aliens you can't really see an effort to make the sculpt accurate and that is what frustrates me.

So, again, rant over and back to enjoying what HT is giving us. It's a Hot Toys alien, not THE Giger alien, but so have been all their aliens.

I do wonder what type of material they will use on this one, getting some articulation into the hips will be very tough!

 

[abake]

Get some help....

Yeah, I need some one to help me find a truly accurate 1/6 scale alien figure!

But seriously man, no need to get aggressive... there were questions and suggestions about accuracy floating around and I put them all together. This is stuff we care about. Just like some people care about Vader's widow's peak, or Michael Jackson's stubble, or Batman's belt. It's all about what we love and cherish in the movies/figures we like.

If you have an opinion to share about the figure, fire away, if not, what purpose does it serve?