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Packaging: N/A
This item isn’t sold in stores, its only available through the Noble
Collection catalog and website. It has no package to speak of. It is
shipped wrapped in plastic in a plain cardboard box.
Sculpt: ***
While I’m 99% certain this was not cast from the actual prop, they did
do a good job of sculpting it, the size seems correct and when I
compare it to a frame from the film it looks very close to accurate. It
would have been nice to have the 5 bars or grates over the lips to have
been separate pieces. It should be noted that this mask is designed to
fit a smaller female. If you have a large head, say that of a 6 foot
tall, 297 lb male with a freakishly thick skull, it may not fit very
well. Paint - *** They
have done a reasonably good job here. There is little slop and despite
a relatively complex pattern the lines are neat. The base coat give an
appearance of real metal and they have used both a wash to bring out
detail around the mouth and a spray to give it an aged look, both work
effectively.
Construction: *
I must admit that the Noble Collection never states what the mask
is made of either on their website or in their catalog. That said, I
never in my wildest imagination expected the mask to be so poorly
constructed. While I din’t actually expect the mask to be made of
metal, I did expect it to made of artist resin, or fiberglass, or at
least ABS plastic.
The mask is made of vinyl. It has the thickness of a nickel. If you
have a vinyl rotocast bank from Bob’s Big Boy that’s the material,
althouth the Bob’s bank may be slightly thicker. The interior of the
mask has a sturdy, ¾ inch thick velcro strip securely rivited in place
to help the mask onto your head should you decide to wear it. It also
has a female velcro strip on the top of the interior to attach to the
display stand. The main problem is the materail they chose to construct
the mask. Even though the mask iteself is very light, the material will
start to wilt under its own weight. This of course has always been a
problem with latex and foam masks, but its not an issue you would
expect from a mask like this. Had it been constructed of a more rugged
material this piece could last decades and still look new. Sadly, with
the material they chose, it will start to show its age in only a year
or two.
Accessories: **
This is an unusual case of the accessory being better constructed than
the main item. The accessory is a display stand its its very well made.
The Noble Collection refers to it as a “wood display”. Its actually
made of MDF or medium-density fiberboard, which is techically,
wood. It is well painted, nicely crafted, features a metal name plate,
and has a subtle designed silkscreened on it that compliments the
design on the mask. The back features two metal saw tooth hangers, each
securely held on by two screws each. The display actually weighs
several pounds. The top part of the display features a “lip” covered
with male velcro. This attaches firmly to the female velcro inside the
mask and holds it securely. There is a serious design flaw though, the
mask is only supported at the top of the head. Picture two latex masks.
You display one on a styrofoam wig form and the other on an empty
paper towel tube. Both may diplay well at first, but over time you will
see the mask diplayed on the tube become mishappen as the weight of the
mask pushes down on itself and deforms over the tube. The mask on the
wig form may also deform over time but not to the same extent, nor as
quickly. The same situation is taking place here. The weight of the
mask will pull down upon itself it it will deform. This problem could
have been mitigated by having the lip be a half circle that followed
the interior edge of the upper half of the mask, supporting the entire
upper 2/3 of the mask. Another option would have been to have there be
a “negative” form under the mask, made of flocked styrofoam or a ridgid
plastic, to offer support in the way a plaster life mask offers support
to a foam FX appliace on display. They certainly put thought into this
display, just not enough. Oddly, the advertisements for the mask show
it with a grey display. The one I received was black. I’m unsure is
only black is available or if there are two versions of the display.
Value: *
At $95 plus shipping and hadling this is no bargain. Elope made a mask
with hood that runs about $19, not good for display but comfy to wear
or play in (my safety word is Pineapple). Corgi manufactures a mask
with a voice changer wand that runs around $50, it is made of a thick
plastic that will endure for a very long time. Neither comes with a
wooden display. Either way, both are far superior values to the
Noble Collection version. I can’t help but wonder if the large, heavy
display is included mostly to take one’s mind off the fact that they
have just paid $95 for a mask of similar quality to those sold in an
chain drugstore around Halloween.
Overall: **
This is sad not only because of where they failed, but because of where
they succedded. The scupt is nice, the paint is nice, the base was a
big step in the right direction, but the choice of vinyl and failing to
take steps to offer support for the vinyl during display kills it. Had
the mask been cast of a more durable material this would have been a
home run, instead they struck out and I had to resort to using a sports
metaphor.
Score Recap:
Packaging - N/A
Sculpt - ***
Paint - ***
Construction - *
Accessories - ***
Value - *
Overall - **
Where to Buy -
If you're so inclined, Noble's website is the place to head. Or you
could also search ebay for deals using Michael’s sponsor www.MyAuctionLinks.com.
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