Aliens

Aliens

Lanard Toys

Wow...what a weird property to reemerge at the hands of a low-rent toy company!  I mean "low-rent" in the best way, as Lanard has managed to deliver some great quality toys in the last couple of years at basement prices.  Aliens is quite a gamble on their part, considering there isn't a new movie out and Ridley Scott and crew did their best to kill any interest for me.  Lanard is going full-on nostalgia with multi-colored aliens, power loaders, space marines, and Alien Queens...and I fell for it...hard!  

The alien figures are top-notch as far as sculpting goes.  Articulation could be better, but it's still good for the price point.  I dig the ball jointed hands, hips, and feet.  The only thing lacking is a bit more range in the head (swivel cut), and an action feature for their tongue-mouths or ability to port an extended attachment.  The colors might be a turn-off to older collectors...get over yourselves and grab a paintbrush.  I like how they used a different color for each class (Newt: "Mostly.") 

There are some noticeable sculpt differences in the head and appendages between the Drone and Soldier Aliens.  The details are pretty crisp for a four-inch figure.  A black paint wash could make these pop even more.

The Runner (or Ox or Dog, depending on which cut of Alien 3 you prefer) gets little extra attention considering it runs on all fours.  The extra movement with the elbows and wrists gives it a better range of attack poses.  Its larger tail also gets an extra joint for max-impalement potential.

These aliens are packaged with some human figures to menace.  While Lanard's Corps lends itself to this area thematically, these are the weak point in the deal.  The sculpts and articulation vary from acceptable to down right insulting...okay, maybe not insulting...hilarious!  The repurposed space suits fare better than the Marines.  If you were expecting Lanard to shell out for Ripley, Hicks, and Bishop, prepare to be disappointed.  I'm indifferent.  The aliens are enough of a selling point to me and I'm glad they included anything for them to munch on at the least.

One of the sets (which I bought two of) included an alien egg and facehugger.  Scale is an issue here, as the tail cords wrap better around the waists of the figure than their necks.  These would probably scale just fine with NECA's 7-inchers.

The mid-range sets include a power loader and APC vehicle.  The load is another repurposed Corps gadget, and it fits just fine.  I do wish that it had two claw hands, but a chainsaw is pretty rad even if not canon.  The APC should be bigger in scale to the figures, but looks decent and seats three Marines.  Its artillery rotates and the wheels roll...that's about it.  It could also benefit from a paint wash and a little detailing on the front windows.

The roughly twelve-inch tall Alien Queen is the best part of the line, as she should be.  The sculpt is great for a big, $20 monster.  Lots of Giger lines and protrusions. These areas look great with the metallic purple, but may also stand out a bit more with some black wash.  She has decent shoulder, elbow, mini-arm, and feet articulation...nothing that would rival NECA, but at least she can stand!  They took some liberties with the legs, making them bulkier for better balance, which I'm fine with.  She is also the only figure in the line with an action feature.  The jaw can be opened manually and, when you tilt the head back, her tongue comes out.

Despite what other adult collectors may think about this "garbage kids line," I want more.  The smaller sets with an alien, human, and accessories are $10, the mid-range vehicles are $15, and the Queen was $20...$80 for a full line of fun is hard to beat these days!  These are exclusive to Walmart and should be hitting now.  Fingers crossed that Lanard can snag the rights to Predator...they're coming for you, NECA!