McFarlane Toys’ Alien Queen and Scar Predator Diorama Review

After Dark Horse first published its Aliens vs. Predator (AvP) comic book miniseries in 1989, it was hard to predict where this crossover idea would go next. Over the following decade, it would spawn more comic books, a few novels, dozens of video games, and a short-lived line of Alien and Predator action figures from Kenner. While it was exciting to see this crossover in miniature form, the figure selection was poor in detail and goofy in variety (including a Predator with swinging dreadlocks). It wasn't until McFarlane Toys picked up the licenses for Alien and Predator in 2002 that fans could get their hands on some high-quality Alien and Predator figures for a reasonable price. This review will cover a two-part diorama that McFarlane Toys produced in 2005 under the license of the 2004 Alien vs. Predator movie. Read on for my complete review and picture gallery, which includes some pictures from McFarlane Toys.

The merchandise that McFarlane Toys released for the AvP movie was the last it produced before the Alien and Predator licenses were picked up by NECA. McFarlane's AvP movie merchandise was released in two series: The first consisted of highly detailed, multi-jointed figures based on Alien and Predator characters from the movie, and the second consisted of five dioramas that depicted scenes from the movie. (Curiously, even though most of the dioramas didn't feature any moving parts, they were labeled as "playsets".)

Two of the dioramas featured Predators fighting Warrior Aliens, but I ignored those. I wasn't impressed with McFarlane's gnarled and sinewy sculpt of the Warrior Alien for AvP--a sculpt it recycled from its Warrior Alien figure for Alien Resurrection--and I wasn't interested in adding that to my collection. Another diorama featured two Predators in a re-creation of the film's final scene. The remaining two dioramas could be linked together; when combined, they included a Predator (who is identified as "Scar"), a cocooned human victim, several Alien eggs, a dead facehugger, a few human skulls with attached spines, and an Alien Queen that's very faithful to the original design from Aliens.

Regardless of what anyone thinks of the AvP movie itself, the Alien Queen and Scar Predator diorama is a sweet piece of Alien and Predator merchandise. Most Alien and Predator dioramas can be very expensive, but I purchased this two-piece diorama at its original price for under $50. For everything that's included, this diorama is worth the money.