NECA Aliens Pvt. Ricco Frost figure review

I’m not sure if there was another Aliens fan more excited with NECA’s reveal of a Private Ricco Frost figure than me. There weren’t a ton of options growing up, but I always liked the cool black guys in science fiction films. The guys who rarely lost their composure, didn’t get rattled or was around simply to be ‘the black guy.’

My big three was Lando Calrissian (The Empire Strikes Back), Winston (Ghostbusters) and Frost. We’ve got figures of the first two, but I was thrilled to be able to add Frost in my collection. And thankfully NECA didn’t let me down.

Packaging: NECA stays consistent with its clamshell packaging. NECA is definitely package size conscious and avoids having a lot of wasted space. Of course you’ll need scissors to open it up. The biggest difference here is a big Aliens 30th anniversary logo.

All of the accessories are neatly arranged in the display window. Along the sides are the camera view of Ricco in action. I was very happy to see NECA added a bio for Frost. That’s especially helpful here since he wasn’t a character whose back story wasn’t covered in the film.

Likeness: You can definitely see actor Ricco Ross in this sculpt. This is a stern expression of a man ready for whatever craziness comes his way.

The Colonial Marines figures are fairly standard for NECA at this point. Frost is basically a Sgt. Windrix figure with a new head sculpt. That’s no fault of NECA since this is accurate to the source material. Hicks, Hudson, Vasquez and Drake were the ones who had more distinct attires so it’s nice to have Frost in the basic outfit.

Scale: Ross is 6’3” putting him three inches taller than Michael Biehn and Bill Hudson. That’s not particularly reflected with the figures as Frost is right around the same height as the others. Frost’s head is a tad pin-headed to accommodate the helmet.

It also gives the visual impression that he’s shorter than the other figures. In fairness, Frost wasn’t noticeably taller than the others in the film. And honestly, he wasn’t around long enough to notice.

Paint: This is where NECA gets to make each Colonial Marine figure stand out. It sounds minor, but definitely helps make the guys stand out. Funny story about the Heath in the heart. Ricco Ross’ girlfriend at the time was named Heather and Ross painted her name too big to fit within the heart so it became Heath.

The camo work on the outfit is really well done. Some companies struggle with getting an accurate black skin tone (cough Mattel cough) but NECA has Frost’s shade just right.

NECA went with a heavier black eyeliner effect around the eyes. It’s hard to miss, but at least it helps draw attention to the eye paint. As much as I love NECA’s work the eye paints continue to be a challenge. I saw a couple Frost figures with some misaligned eyes and with the sculpt, the eyes need to be painted looking straight on.

Articulation: The Colonial Marines weren’t doing a bunch of flips or side kicking — or much else for that matter but getting killed by xenomorphs. NECA packs the line with a generous articulation scheme. According to NECA, Frost has 25 points of articulation. The articulation is nice and functional with no wasted points just to beef up the number.

The articulation model would be even better with a bit more range forward for the shoulders and double elbows to allow for better aiming poses. The ‘diaper’ hip piece may feel odd, but it helps Frost pose and be aesthetically correct.

Frost has:

• neck (ball-jointed)
  shoulders (ball-jointed)
  elbow
  wrist
  waist
  hips
  knee
  ankle

Accessories: Unlike the Hicks and Hudson figures, Frost comes with a removable helmet. The helmet is scaled properly and doesn’t look gigantic on his head. I appreciate NECA’s willingness to do a little extra with Frost. And again, having a functional helmet mold should allow NECA the opportunity to dip back for more Colonial Marines. Apone seems to be the most likely choice.

Additionally, Frost also comes with the M240 flamethrower we’ve seen previously with Sgt. Windrix. It fits snugly into his right hand and he can be posed cradling it with his left hand for additional support. You’ll need to pose it with both hands since it’s awkward fit with just one hand.

Like his buddies, Frost wasn’t about to hand over all his firepower when entering the xenomorph chamber. He’s got his pistol for close-up action. While it’s not the most efficient weapon against the xenomorphs it’s better than nothing. The detailing on the pistol is very nice for this scale and it fits with no problem in the holster.

Frost also comes with an ammo bag. It’s a nice snug fit unlike some shoulder strap style accessories. He also has the flashlight rig for the body armor. You’ll probably want to glue the flashlight to ensure it stays in place. I appreciate that Frost can appropriately hold all of his included gear.

Worth it? In a perfect world NECA would be able to lower the price down since there’s so much reuse. That’s not the case, but paying $22 feels like a fair price especially considering NECA says retail isn’t exactly clamoring for human figures.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

It took Frost a while, but NECA ensured the figure was worth the wait.

Where to get it?  I stumbled onto the set at Toys R Us, which also has them available on their website. Amazon also has them in stock as well.