Review of Leatherface - Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Cinema of Fear action figure

Introduction

As part of their Cinema of Fear series, Mezco has produced the second 9" rotocast stylized figure - Leatherface from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  The first was Jason, a figure I really liked, although I'm generally not a huge fan of cartoon style 'real' people. But there's something about these figures...

Additional figures in this style are planned, including a very cool looking Freddy. These run around $30 each, depending n the retailer.

Packaging - ***
I like boxes, particularly for large figures like this. It's fairly collector friendly, although there's a few twisties to bug you.

The graphics are fairly basic, but there's some good text on the back, and the box is not overly wasteful.

Sculpting - ***1/2
These are not done in realistic proportions, or in a realistic style. They are 'cartoony' in style, with somewhat of a caricature look. Considering how out there the killer designs are to start with, these stylized versions are quite unique.

As I mentioned, I'm not a big fan of the usual caricature style, but I really like this guy. There's something goofy yet gruesome about the design, creating an almost cute look but without losing the basic gory concept.

There's excellent detail work in the hair and stitching, and the mask is sculpted in such a way as to appear as a separate piece from the underlying distorted face. It's not - don't try pulling off the mask. But it looks great, and even with the sculpted hair and long mask, it doesn't interfere with the neck articulation at all.

The arms are sculpted with veining and skin texture, and he's wearing a pair of sculpted boots, the sort of thing a fine Texan would wear to Sunday service.

He stands great on his own, and there's enough articulation (and it works well with the sculpt) to allow you to pose him in a number of ways and still keep the center of gravity lined up properly.

Paint - ***1/2
This one is going to be more aesthetic than quality based, so your mileage could vary quite a bit.

The quality is great all around. The cut lines are clean, the colors are consistent and the coverage even. There's enough small detail work, but the amount is in proportion to the caricature style.

For me, there's a one aesthetic issues that pull the score down a bit. First, there's the bloody hands. They are VERY bloody, so much so that it ends up looking like paint to me, not blood. They tried to go with a glossy look too, like the blood is wet, but I think that just ends up accentuating the paint-like appearance.

Articulation - ***
This guy is surprisingly well articulated, especially for a rotocast figure. The articulation is generally well hidden too, so it's difficult to tell how well he poses til you get him out of the box.

The best surprise is the double ball joint on the neck. There is a long post that inserts into the neck, which has a ball on both the bottom and top. It allows for a ton of movement in the neck, plenty of tilting and leaning, and some very realistic head poses.

He also has ball jointed shoulders that work great, along with cut elbows and cut wrists. He has a pseudo ab-crunch, but because of the sculpt it really only works as a cut joint. There's additional cut joints at the knees and ankles, which allow you to keep him standing with the arms in just about any pose.

Accessories - ***1/2
There are three weapons, along with a nasty bucket of parts and blood.

The bucket is well scaled, with innards and bones sculpted on the surface, but I would have liked a handle. He can sort of hold it, but had there been a handle, the display potential would be a bit better.

The weapons include his chainsaw...of course...as well as a hammer and knife. The knife is described as having a bone handle, but it looks more like a carved hunk of wood. The blade is bloody, as is the head of the hammer. The hammer fits in either hand easily, but the knife is a tough fit without some hot water to soften the hands.

The chainsaw is the coolest of the accessories. The handles can be held in both hands, or held in either hand by either handle. It looks great, and is likely to be the display weapon of choice for most folks.

Outfit - ***
This figures has a cloth shirt, pants, apron, and tie. The apron is easy to removed, since it is simply tied in back, but the shirt and pants are removable too. They are sewn together as one piece, with a Velcro closure up the back. The tie is attached to the shirt, so it all comes off together. It's not easy, and a nekkid Leatherface is not something you probably want to see, but for the sick and twisted it's a possibility.

There's blood stains of course, but they have the look of old, dried spots, not fresh. That's a nice touch, since fresh marks would probably look too much like paint, but these dried versions look like real stains.

It's also worth noting that the clothing is all very much in scale. That's not easy to do in a 1/8th scale, especially when it comes to the thickness of the material. But Mezco has managed to do it consistently.

Fun Factor - ***
Oh, I'm not sure Leatherface is exactly the right figure to give your eight year old, unless you want to send him down a long road of therapy. But the articulation and accessories actually make for a fun toy - ironic, eh?

Value - **
At $25 - $30, this guy is even more expensive the the previous SDCC exclusive Jason. Things are getting tight for collectors, and it's not going to be an easy year for the companies with prices on the rise.

Things to Watch Out For -
I managed to snap the blade on the knife trying to get it in to the right hand. It doesn't fit well in either hand, although it does make it into the right with some work. A little hot water would go a long way to make it easier.

Overall - ***1/2
Regular readers know I'm not generally a fan of the overt caricature style, but there's something about this 9" rotocast line that really does appeal to me. The Jason was great, and this Leatherface follows up on that success. I'm looking forward to the Freddy release now, and we need a Myers to finish off the quartet of mayhem.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has this version for $30.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
They did a 9" rotocast stylized version of Jason as well.

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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