Occasionally I'll highlight those items here -- the stuff too expensive, or too artsy to be considered "toys," but tied into the collector world just the same. That's where today's item fits, the Predator Mini-Bust from Palisades Toys.

If you have any question, comments or figures you'd like to suggest for reviews, you can always reach me at mwc@mwctoys.com. If you enjoy this review, take a minute to check out my other site at Michael's Review of the Week, and let me know what you think. Now on to the review!

"Predator Mini-Bust"

Over the last few years, mini-busts have become all the rage. Made popular by Randy Bowen, his work on various superheroes brought collecting "art" to the comic masses.

Anything that starts making bucks starts attracting others, and it didn't take long for other artists and other companies to leap onto this particular bandwagon. Some have been more successful than others, based largely on the sculpting talent and the license itself.

Palisades Toys is doing a series of busts for the tremendously popular ALIEN and PREDATOR films. The first two released are the Alien and the Predator without his mask. There will be a second Predator, this time masked, coming out later this year.

Packaging - ***1/2
Most mini-busts and other statues come in simple, square boxes, perhaps with a few graphics. Palisades has gone against that tradition here, putting a window panel on the front of the box to allow you to see the bad-ass alien hunter in all his glory. It's a smart selling point, since being able to see the terrific sculpt is crucial to impulse sales.

They also print the limited-edition number "XXXX out of 2500" on the box bottom, and not just on the statue itself. That's particularly good for those shopping for low numbers.

Sculpting - ****
The sculpt on the face and torso is excellent. There's tons of detail in the eyes, mouth and upper body, along with a nicely sculpted set of "trophies" that hang loose around his chest.

Yes, he has no arms. How threatening can he be looking like the Black Knight halfway through a battle? Actually, with those big, nasty chompers, he still looks pretty damn menacing.

Paint - ***
I was a little disappointed in the paint operations (ops). Don't get me wrong -- the ops are very clean, with appropriate and varied colors, and certainly no slop of any kind.

But there's something about the detail around the mouth that bothers me. Or should I say, the lack of it. It seems too basic, both in color and in style, particularly inside the gaping maw. Perhaps it's very true to the source material and it just seems plain to me, or maybe oral hygiene is just really important to this guy. Or girl. Either way, I think the inside of the mouth needed better detail added through the paint ops to make this statue really jump out at you.

Pose - ****
This is a category you'll never see me use with an action figure, although with the number of non-articulated action figures out there these days, perhaps I should.

The pose of any statue or bust is crucial, and can make or break the art. Here we get a nicely menacing look, with his mouth open wide, and a reactionary or attack positioning of the head and shoulders. Rather than a static look or feel, which can work well for some characters, the Predator design had to communicate movement, and they've done an excellent job capturing the essence of the alien.

Quality - ***1/2
The overall quality of the statue is great, with a well-designed base, and a nice sturdy design on the dreadlocks, something that could easily break had they not been as thick or sturdy. There's a nice heft to the bust, and it won't topple over and end up in a million pieces too easily. Still, I'd avoid dropping it on a concrete or tile floor, unless you enjoy putting things back together with super glue.

Value - **1/2
The Predator and Alien Mini-Busts have an SRP of $50, which is what I paid at Media Play. You may find some comic shops or specialty stores selling for less, and some for more. This is a pretty average price for this type of statue in today's market, so while it's not a great value, you certainly aren't getting stiffed either.

Overall - ***1/2
Of the two statues already out -- Predator and Alien -- I prefer this one. While I love the ALIEN movies, the creature itself always left me a little cold. Too much like a big cockroach with nasty teeth.

But the original PREDATOR film and the look and style of the monster are favorites for me, and this rendition by Palisades stays true to the source, with great style and sculpting. I also prefer this unmasked version over the next release, the masked version, because of the additional detail and look of the face.

If you're not already a mini-bust collector, you may have some trouble finding a place for this in your collection. And once you buy one, you know what a slippery slope that will be. Next thing you know, you'll have Thor and Spike on the shelf. But if you're willing to take that risk, this is a great statue to pick up.

Where to Buy -
I had no luck finding a good online source for these -- everywhere I checked was already sold out. Now I know that they are stocking them at Media Play stores, and they aren't moving too fast there yet, so it's clearly your best bet. You should also try your local comic shop.

I'm always looking for leads on new retailers online, so if you have suggestions, please let me know!