Lanard Toys are a Hong Kong based toy company who recently agreed on a licensing deal with Fox to produce Alien and Predator action figures. They kicked off with a 4-inch line in 2020 echoing the original Kenner figures with brightly coloured Aliens alongside generic Marines and various pieces of military kit. When the Predator line came along, Lanard switched scales with the Predators coming in at 7-inch tall in what would be a 6-inch scale. That left fans and kids a little bemused that they couldn't face off Aliens vs Predators - but that would soon be fixed as Lanard revealed a new Aline Collectors line of 6-inch scale Aliens. The line launched in the US in 2021 where it is exclusive to Walmart, it landed in the UK in late 2021 sold via Smyths Toys.
The Alien figures uses the same box for all three releases in Wave 1 with a green theme complete with cartoon artwork of the Aliens down the side panels. The header with the handing peg uses the original Alien movie logo from 1979 as well as confirming these as a 'Special Edition Collectors Series'. The bottom panel of the box front names the figure simply as Xenomorph - and this is the same on all the packaging. The Alien is named via an inserted red & yellow insert within the blister confirming the Alien's role in the hive.
The rear of the box does go more specific for the particular Alien packed. We have an illustration of the figure included and the accessories and the features of both. To the side we have a checklist of the other releases in this wave. The top section has some generic text and then an evolution of the Alien type chart that details the different roles of the Xenomorph from Egg to Queen.
"Calling all Colonial Marines! Get ready to gear-up and take on the most fearsome creatures to inhabit Planet LV-426 and beyond in an epic space battle! The dreaded Xenomorph's have multiplied in vast numbers, threatening the lives that inhabit space colonies reaching to the far ends of the universe. Gather your crew to take on, fight, and eradicate the ever-growing numbers of these terrifying aliens!"
Out of the pack and in hand, the Xenomorph Drone is designed to capture the key elements of the onscreen Aliens, but in a more robust and slightly exaggerated form that will protect it in during more enthusiastic play sessions. The whole figure is cast in an off-white bone coloured tone, similar to the original Concept's for the Xenomorph in the 1979 Alien before it reverted to the darker colour scheme we know today.
The Xenomorph sculpt is shared across this figure of the Warrior and the Drone, with the dome of the head adjusted on the figures to match the physiology of the Xenomorph they are depicting. There are plenty of impressive details within said sculpt included such as the rib cage, exposed grid panels on the arms & legs, and the tubing around the waist - all something you find on the movie Aliens but toned down slightly. The only other decor is added to the jaw with slightly messy silver paint on the teeth. It is a pity this wasn't extended to the claws on the hands and feet. The tail is a softer plastic, but there is no internal armature to allow it to be posed.
Articulation commences with the jaw which can be opened and closed by way of a pivot. Inside you can see the internal jaws sculpted into the mouth cavity, but these do not move or extend in any way.
The set comes with an open Alien Egg and a Facehugger. These are both parts taken directly from the original 4-inch Alien line from Lanard where they were oversized. The Egg remains a touch too small but has a good level of detail from the textured outside to the open flap sections. It is brightly coloured with a light green base plastic and then painted flesh tone around the rim and flaps.
The Facehugger is a good size for a 6-inch scale and cast in sand colour with no other paint application - but plenty of detail in the sculpt particularly the underside where the mouth section sits. While it is a softer plastic, the Facehugger has no posing options and sits in the pose in which it is delivered, utilising the curled tail as a base to stand within the Egg or on its own.
Articulation is quite basic and uses visible pins across a total of 16 points of articulation which includes the jaw movement as detailed above. The legs and arms are pretty expressive with ball joints at the hips and shoulders, but the knees and elbows don't quite bend far enough for crouching hunched posing. The joints also feel a little loose straight out of the box, an issue that existed on the smaller figures and on the Predator line.
Despite their more mature source material, these are designed as pocket money toys with a £9.99 UK price point. For your tenner, you do get a 7-inch tall Alien with a good level of sculpted detail, albeit a little bit exaggerated to make a more bulkier Alien. Paintwork is minimal and articulation is basic and the cheaper plastic obviously used does make these prone to loose joints and broken parts. For a young Alien fan, these are much more affordable than the NECA or Hiya Toys, and working them into a 6-inch scale also opens up the ability to integrate them during play with other lines like Star Wars or Marvel.
For us collectors, they are perhaps a niche line for Alien fans or offer some customising options for those handy with a paintbrush.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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