Biohazard 5: Sheva Alomar (BSAA Version) Hot Toys Figure Review

Being extremely disappointed with NECA's attempt to recreate Sheva Alomar in figure form, I was excited to hear Hot Toys would be making their "1/6th scale fully poseable collectible figure" of Sheva.  I'd seen the preliminary photos of their Sheva figure and was thoroughly impressed.  Although Sheva's facial sculpt wasn't exactly "video game accurate", it looked far better than NECA's feeble attempt.  Despite the high price for this line of collectibles, I figured "why not?" and plunged head-first into Hot Toys "Biohazard 5" line.


Flavor Text:


"Age: 23
  Height: 5'4"
  Weight: 115 lbs.
  Sex: Female
  Organization: BSAA Western Africa Division


Sheva Alomar is an agent with the BSAA West African Branch.  Sheva's parents are killed in a factory accident.  Later she joins an anti-government guerilla group, but is rescued by a government agency and sent to live in America.  She joins the BSAA after graduating from a university.  She is assigned to the current mission to assist Chris Redfield, who is unfamiliar with the area.  A versatile fighter with extensive experience, her ability to use firearms is on par with Chris.  Her highly conditioned body allows her to pull off physical attacks that Chris could never do."



The Good:

• A better sculpted and fully poseable Sheva Alomar figure with loads of accessories has finally arrived!

• Sheva has approximately 16 points of articulation: ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, bendable arms, ball-jointed wrists, ball-jointed torso, ball-jointed hips, swivel upper thighs, hinged knees, and hinged ankles.

• Due to Hot Toys's "rubber body" technology, those ugly [and sometimes bulky] joints no longer protrude, thereby softening the overall look of the figure.  This allows Sheva to retain her overall feminine look without giving up articulation.
  

• Tons of accessories: H&K PSG-1 rifle, M3 shotgun, Ithaca M37 shotgun, S&W M29 magnum, M92F handgun, knife, VZ61 machine-gun, AK-74 machine-gun, Red Hawk 30 pistol cartridge, Jackal parabellum sub-machine gun cartridge, flash grenade, 2x additional sets of right hands, 1x additional left hand, 2x sets of joints, necklace, radio headset, radio pouch, ammo clip pouch, 2x decorative strips, 1x backpack, 1x shoulder holster, and "Biohazard 5: Sheva Alomar (BSAA Version)" base and stand.

• Like Albert Wesker's (Midnight Version), the Hot Toys packaging design is standard.  The "Biohazard 5" (also known as Resident Evil 5 in the U.S.) logo is off-center with a well-known picture of Sheva holding the Ithaca M37 that overlaps onto the right-side of the packaging. Hot Toys incorporated the magnetic flap which can be easily opened and closed.  Opening the flap reveals the beautiful display of the figure and its accessories.  The right-side displays the entire figure, while the left side displays all of the weapon accessories in neat fashion.  A scene of the marshlands (Chapter 3 in the Resident Evil 5 video game) serves as the backdrop for the weapon accessories display.

• The sculpt of Sheva's hair, the separate sculpt of her earrings, her gloved hands are all equally impressive.  Her fingernails are also painted without any stray marks.  The belt buckles and leather straps all over her legs are intricately-detailed as well.  The detailing on all the [weapon] accessories are top-notch and they even have movable parts as well!

• Sheva's hands (including the additional ones) are sculpted in some sort of sturdy yet pliable plastic, which makes it a heck of a lot easier to insert all sorts of weapons into her pre-posed hands.
  

• I'm really impressed with Hot Toys handling of Sheva's bust size.  They made it pretty accurate to her video game counterpart.  I was surprised that she was even given sculpted nipples (her chest area is slightly pliable).  I have to say that her chest certainly feels like fake tits (don't ask).
  

The Bad:

• Although Sheva's face is nicely sculpted, something doesn't look quite right.  The preliminary photos of Sheva looked far better than the one I have in front of me.  However, both facial sculpts don't look exactly similar to her video game counterpart.

•  The "instruction sheet" that came with Sheva isn't exactly comprehensive.  The "directions" are printed on an approximately 6" x 8" paper, one side in English, the other side in Chinese.  Putting Sheva together was just like putting together a lawn mower or bookshelf.  I had to figure it out by myself by examining the picture on the box and through trial-and-error.  This process with Sheva took nearly an hour and a half!  I wasn't aware that Sheva's belt-buckle was actually functional, so I was confused as to how in the hell I was supposed to attach certain accessories onto Sheva's belt.  However, what consumed most of my time was pulling Sheva's head off and putting it back on (I had to do this in order to place her damned necklace on).  My God, it was like pulling teeth!

• Because Sheva is Hot Toys's first female figure to utilize the "rubber body" technology, there were instructions (the same instructions I mentioned just before) that ranged from "do not fold up the arms over 180 degrees" to "do not raise the arms aside over 80 degrees".  I was overwhelmed by these "do not" warnings that I was afraid of even touching the figure.

• Sheva's holster can be "opened" (by "popping" out the straps) in order to accommodate her M92F handgun, but it can't be closed.  Maybe I'm doing it wrong because I end up with my fingers hurting like hell with the straps still "open".  DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT use tweezers to try and close the holster straps.  I tried that and nearly ripped off the entire flimsy holster strap.

• Certain pouches can be "opened" as well.  Unfortunately, once you open them, it'll take all the luck in the world to get them closed... or someone with dexterous fingers.

• Because Sheva's pants are accurately (and attractively) tight, her leg movements are restricted.  If I try to place her in an "open-stance," the velcro at the "fly" of her pants will start pulling apart, thus revealing the quite not-so-attractive naked spot.

• This is really nitpicking, but Sheva's top is supposed to be colored purple, not blue.  I have no idea why or how this happened.

• Because Sheva is wearing high-heeled boots (women and the men who design women's footwear!) she has a much harder time standing up on her two feet.

• There are two specific things "Accessories Supervisor" TS Wong screwed up on: 1. The design and sculpt of the Ithaca M37 Shotgun; and 2. Not including Sheva's well-known Dragunov SVD Rifle.  At first, I couldn't recognize one of the shotgun [weapon] accessories (the M3 shotgun was easily recognized), but because the brown-colored "forend" (forearm) with the grooves in it, I knew that had to be the Ithaca M37.  After all, there are only four shotguns in the entire Resident Evil 5 video game.  For some reason though, the Ithaca M37 accessory was sculpted with a much shorter barrel and stock.  While having the H&K PSG-1 rifle accessory is nice, it would've been nicer if Sheva was given the Dragunov SVD (I guess it's a matter of preference).  Hey, at least NECA gave us one with their Sheva figure!

The Ugly:

• As I've mentioned before, the lack of detailed instructions made "assembling" this figure much harder and complicated than it should've been.

• The way most of these accessories (pouches, clips, etc.) are designed, it's very difficult to attach or "clip" them onto their appropriate spots.  While I was trying to clip Sheva's radio/walkie-talkie set on her shoulder holster, the wire piece connecting the head piece and radio snapped off.  As much as I tried, there was no possible way to re-insert the damned wire.  I ended up with frustration and aching finger.  There has to be an easier way.

• This collectible figure is not only pricey, but involves particularly hard work.  Make any sense?  Yeah, I didn't think so either.

I pre-ordered Sheva from eBay at a slightly high price of $178.88 from a seller in China. Despite the risks (of pre-ordering anything from eBay and buying from a seller residing in China), I strongly urge you to do your research. Look around online what the going prices are for these figures. Check the eBay seller's reputation. Does he/she have any negative feedback recently? If so, what were the buyer's reasons? Last time I checked, Hot Toys Sheva is now available for purchase from CornerStoreComics, BigBadToyStore, and other retailers.

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY, CORNERSTORECOMICS, OR BIGBADTOYSTORE. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES. I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM.


Despite the overwhelming negatives surrounding Hot Toys Sheva Alomar (BSAA Version), I'm taking quite a liking to her as my new addition to my Resident Evil collection. Although the facial-likeness can use a lot more work, the amount of articulation and accessories (her nice bust and sculpted nipples helps!) makes up for the high price and large amount of effort to set Sheva up. If you've been disappointed with the lack of quality Resident Evil figures, I suggest you start looking into Hot Toys's offering.



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Biohazard 5: Albert Wesker (Midnight Version) Hot Toys Figure Review

Being a huge fan of the Resident Evil series, I was extremely excited to hear that Hot Toys acquired the rights to produce 1/6th scale Resident Evil figures.  What was more exciting was the fact that the Resident Evil antagonist, Albert Wesker, would be one of a few that were selected to be released for mass consumption.  Now, I've seen the photos of Albert Wesker (Midnight Version) and wasn't too impressed by the facial sculpt.  I was also worried that the head would be bigger than the rest of the body (look at Sideshow's Star Wars figures for reference).  Despite my fears, I went ahead and snagged one of these to see for myself.

Flavor Text:


"Age: 48
  Height: Unknown
  Weight: 198 lbs.
  Sex: Male
  Organization: Unknown


Albert Wesker is the former leader of the Raccoon City Police Department's Special Forces Unit known as S.T.A.R.S., as well as a former member of Umbrella's information department.  Wesker is calm, highly intelligent, and possesses keen decision making skills.  Wesker exploited S.T.A.R.S. for his own gains in what later came to be known as the Mansion Incident.  Following this incident, it is believed that Wesker went into hiding but continued to manipulate events related to the fallout of the Mansion Incident.


Wesker encountered Chris Redfield again at an underground laboratory in Antarctica, but the superhuman abilities Wesker had gained from exposure to the T-Virus meant Chris could barely hold his own in the fight."



The Good:

• An updated Albert Wesker figure from Resident Evil 5 makes its long-awaited appearance in plastic form!

• Wesker has approximately 22 points of articulation: ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders, swivel upper biceps, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, ab-crunch joint, swivel waist, ball-jointed hips, swivel upper thighs, hinged knees, swivel boots, and hinged ankles.

 

• Loads of accessories: Wesker's (trademark) sunglasses, Wesker's coat, PDA accessory, PDA clip, watch, shoulder holster, two sets of additional hands, two sets of joints, L. Hawk magnum, S&W M500 magnum, H&K MP5 machine-gun, Hydra shotgun, H&K P8 handgun, Wesker's knife, knife holster, Laser Targeting Device, two sets of ammo clips, and "Biohazard 5: Albert Wesker (Midnight Version)" base and stand.

 

• The package design seems pretty standard.  The "Biohazard 5" (also known as Resident Evil 5 in the U.S.) logo is off-center with a picture of Wesker in his "Midnight" outfit aiming to shoot someone that overlaps onto the right-side of the packaging.  Hot Toys has incorporated the magnetic flap which can be easily opened and closed.  Opening the flap reveals the "meat and potatoes" of the packaging design.  The right-side fully displays the collectible figure for your viewing pleasure.  The left-side displays all of the [weapons] accessories in neat fashion with the picture of the hangar area where you battle Wesker for the second time in Resident Evil 5 (videogame) that serves as a backdrop.

• The sculpt of Wesker's hair, the creases in his forehead, and slight wrinkles around his mouth are quite the masterpiece.  You can even see his veins protruding from his arms!  The slight creases in the leather gloves and boots are also done in very subtle manner.  The detailing on all the weapons are equally impressive.

• The paint application is superb beyond belief!  I'm quite blown away by this collectible figure at this point.

The Bad:

• Although the sculpting is truly top-notch work, something about Wesker's face doesn't seem quite right.  I can't seem to pinpoint the exact location.  Maybe I'm just imagining things.

• The battery-operated "light-up" eyes is a bit gimmicky for my tastes.  Why on Earth would I want Albert Wesker to look like the Terminator?  Instead, I would've preferred Hot Toys paint Wesker's eyes reptilian (mixture of red, orange, and yellow) as seen in Resident Evil: Code Veronica.  It would've also been nice if Wesker actually came with said batteries.

• Hot Toys really should've included an additional head with a "seriously pissed" look on his face.  Perhaps with gritting teeth and a nasty-looking snarl.  Although Wesker has been cool and rational throughout the Resident Evil series, he clearly lost any trace of this in Resident Evil 5.  We need another head that shows this.

• The sculpt of Wesker's chest area bothers me a lot.  His chest seems to be placed a lot lower than the average person.  There's a pretty wide gap (about the length of my thumbnail) between Wesker's neckline and where his chest begins.

• Wesker's shoulders also seemed to be placed quite lower than usual.  It's either that or the slightly bulky (and not that tight) "Midnight" outfit is a little too big.

• If you look closely, the "temple" (the hinge part of the glasses) aren't designed to be straight as it should be, but rather angled upwards.  I don't recall Wesker's sunglasses ever being designed like that in any of the cinematics from Resident Evil 5 (the videogame).  My guess is that Hot Toys head sculptor Kim Jung Mi either didn't or couldn't sculpt Wesker's ears in such a way to provide enough space to accommodate the "temple" part of Wesker's sunglasses.

• Although I do appreciate the amount of accessories that Wesker came with, some of them don't belong or are missing.  For example, why does Wesker have the Laser Targeting Device?  He definitely didn't use that (hint: Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar did).  Where is Wesker's handgun which he used in the videogame to fire cheap shots at Chris and Sheva?  Why didn't Hot Toys include at least one rocket accessory, which Wesker effortlessly throws at our protagonists?  That would've been one hell of a killer (no pun intended, seriously) accessory.  What about the serum shot filled with Wesker's daily dose of the "Uroboros cocktail"?

The Ugly:

• I mentioned this before, but I'll say it again: the "light-up" eyes feature has got to go.  It's a stupid and terrible idea.  Just paint his eyes in a reptilian manner and call it a day.  None of this "light-up" crap.

• This collectible figure is on the pricey side.

I purchased this figure online from eBay at a slightly higher price of $150.00 (+ $30.00 S&H charge).  I must admit that I don't feel comfortable with this "doll"around the house, but Albert Wesker is my favorite Resident Evil villain.  Against my better judgment, I ordered this from a seller located in China.  Why did I saw "against my better judgment"?  Most sellers from China sell loads of bootlegged items for dirt cheap prices.  But they also sell bootlegs for extremely high prices to ward off any suspicion that their items are fakes.  It's my understanding that Hot Toys collectible figures are made in factories located in China, so I took a chance and purchased it from a seller with a very high satisfaction rating.  If you don't want to take that chance, I'd order this from either Cornerstorecomics or Bigbadtoystore (they have it for $139.99, not including S&H).

NOTE: I DO NOT REPRESENT eBAY, CORNERSTORECOMICS, OR BIGBADTOYSTORE.  I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO MENTION THEIR NAMES.  I AM ONLY RECOMMENDING THEIR SERVICES BASED UPON MY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH THEM. 

This being my "first" (I purchased Wesker many months after I pre-ordered Hot Toys Sheva Alomar) Hot Toys collectible figure purchase, I'm pleased with the overall quality and value.  The loads of articulation and accessories (not to mention the detailed sculpts) just about makes up for the high price.  If your Resident Evil collection is starving like mine has, I suggest you save up for either (Midnight Version) Albert Wesker or (S.T.A.R.S. Version) Albert Wesker.  You won't be disappointed.

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