Review of Red Pyramid Thing - Silent Hill 2
One:12 Collective Action Figure

Introduction

What do I know about Silent Hill...well, it's a video game series that, while I've never played, has been a favorite of fans for many years. It's also been two movies (with a third supposedly still coming), the first of which I watched but felt was mediocre at best.

So why would I jump on a figure based on the Pyramid Head creature, aka the Red Pyramid Thing? Because it's a One:12 Collective figure, that's why! And if that's not a good enough reason, he also makes an excellent new character to add to the horror shelf.

This guy has just started shipping, and will run you around $100 at most retailers. We haven't seen any word yet of additional One:12 characters from the license (I'm hoping for a bubble head nurse) but with the variety that existed in the game, it would seem like a missed opportunity if we didn't get any more.

Packaging - ***
These come in the standard cardboard packaging, with pretty generic Silent Hill artwork. It's all collector friendly though, so it does manage to do the most important things a package should do, and do them well.

Sculpting - ****
There are  two portraits included with this figure, two different versions of the pyramid helmet.

These designs were originally inspired by tank designs, and you can tell. He comes wearing the smoother, less detailed version, which always reminds me of a church steeple. There's a ton of metallic like texture, with some rust damage, aging, and even pock marks. It's the larger of the two, stretching down farther on the front of the figure.

The second has more detail to the surface, along with the same great texture. The edges of the sculpted surface designs are sharp and straight, creating a very iron-like appearance. Again, there's all that amazing surface texture, which really sells the creepiness and weirdness. This one is a little smaller, but not much. However, you can see a bit more of the costume, and there's a little more mobility when he's wearing it.

These two heads swap easily, and both look fantastic. The top spike on the larger helmet is a bit bent on mine - it's softer plastic, to avoid breakage - but that's a minor nit. I think I'll go with the smaller, more intricate helmet in my display, but including both means you'll have choices, and you'll be able to alter his look in your display over time.

Of course, there's also some great sculpting on the accessories - especially the weapons - but more on that in the appropriate section. He stands about 7 1/4 inches tall, fitting in great with the rest of the line.

Paint - ****
Getting just the right patina on the helmets to create the proper aging and iron-like appearance was key - they nailed it perfectly.

There's not a lot of small detail paint work, but the paint is still intricate and complicated. Getting it just right was critical, and they've created a very realistic, very life-like appearance on both helmets.

There's also a nice spattering of blood, especially on the hands, weapons, and clothing. This guy wouldn't be nearly as imposing without the leftover remnants of his past deeds. There are a few small details as well - like the buckles on the shoes - and these are done with care and quality.

Articulation - **1/2
You knew he'd take a hit here, even with the nicely articulated body that includes double pin elbows and cut biceps.

That's because both helmets, even with a ball joint buried underneath, have almost no movement. You can turn them slightly, and get a little forward and backward movement, but I mean a little. The larger helmet has less movement than the smaller, as you'd expect, but neither are going to rival the movement of a normal head.

The rest of the body has the usual articulation at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, and torso. The two piece boot design allows for easy positioning of the feet in deeper stances, and the arms can manage two handed poses with the spear.  Even then though the helmet can get in the way, blocking a lot of potential with two handed poses.

He stands great on his own, even with the large helmets. You can adjust for the center of gravity, and create some dynamic stances.

It's also worth noting here that the robe has a wired edge along the bottom, which gives your poses a bit more dynamic movement, and works quite well.

Accessories - ***1/2
Of course the most important extra here is the second portrait, which is necessary (in my opinion) for any One:12 release. Both helmets look great, and while getting them accurate isn't as difficult as a human portrait, it's still nice work.

Then there's the hands - 12 in total. He comes wearing fists, and there are five more sets for various poses and weapons. They swap easily, but didn't pop off while I was working with the accessories and poses.

Another item provided in great number is the Creeper bugs. There's nine of them, quite large, and they are sculpted in a couple different poses for variety. They are so realistic that if you leave them laying around, someone is sure to try to squish them.

He has two weapons, both from the game - the spear, and the 'Great Knife'. He can wield these using the various hands, and both are extremely impressive weapons. The sculpts and paint are excellent, and they work nicely with the included blood spatter effects.

There are seven blood effects or splatters included. Two work great on the end of the knife (one large, one small), two work great on the end of the spear (again, one large and one small), and one is designed with a clear plastic band to attach around the waist of a victim. Finally, there are two that are more generic. These work great, assuming you can come up with an appropriate victim.

There isn't a 'victim' here, but there is a Mannequin. There's articulation at the four hips, and yes, since it has feet on one side, you can get it to stand on its own.

Finally, there's the usual display stand, and you can use either the foot peg or the clear support rod to keep him standing. Or you can do what I do, and just get a stable pose with Museum Putty on the feet.

Outfit - ***1/2
While the outfit is covered quite a bit by either helmet, they didn't use that as an excuse to skip any detail.

There are straps and buckles over the shoulders, around the side, and along the back. There's also nicely tailored pants, and the two piece sculpted boots. As I mentioned earlier, the bottom edge of the vest/robe is wired, so you can pose it as well.

There's plenty of blood to go around, adding to the butcher-like design elements of the costume itself. It's a simple costume, but it's very, very well executed.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
If you're a One:12 collector, you're building up quite a nice little horror shelf at this point. With classics like Michael Myers, Freddy Kruger, and Jason Voorhees, along with more modern killers like Pennywise, Predator and Alien, it's filling out nicely. Adding in this great looking design will give the display even more punch, and it's definitely a unique look. Anyone else surprised we don't have a One:12 Valek (Nun) yet?

Value - **
This guy is a little more expensive than the usual One:12 figure, coming in at around $100. That usually means there's a light or sound effect, but I'm betting the larger helmet heads drove some of the additional cost. And who knows, maybe Silent Hill is an expensive license?

Things to Watch Out For -
Not much. Like I said, don't leave those Creepers out where someone might think they need to squish them.

Overall - ***1/2
If a complete non-fan of a property can find a figure like this amazing, just think how the fans will feel! Actually, you can never tell how 'fans' are going to react to anything, but they should love this guy. Great sculpting and paint, better articulation than you might assume, and a nice assortment of extras, all go to making this figure a terrific release.

While it's a bit of a bummer if we end up not getting any further characters, this design is interesting and unique enough to stand alone with the other horror icons in your collection.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ****
Articulation - **1/2
Accessories - ***1/2
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him in stock for $100. Use my link and get an additional 10% off, plus free shipping!

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other recent horror characters in the One:12 Collective include Leatherface, the Crow, and Predator.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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