Alien Reaction Figures 3-Pack: Color Accurate?

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Super7 has announced they are releasing a special 3-pack of Alien Reaction Figures at New York Comic Con: Dallas, Kane, and Lambert, all in the space suits they wore on the surface of LV-426.

Some fans have questioned the colors of the figures and wondered whether or not they are film accurate.

It’s difficult to remember what color the space suits were in the film, as most of the scenes featuring the space suits are very dark, sometimes lit with little more than the lamps mounted on the helmets of the space suits. There is also dust and wind during the march to the derelict ship. But a look at behind-the-scenes photos like this one reveal the colors of the costumes worn by the actors: pink, blue, and yellow. Here’s another photo of the actual costume worn by John Hurt. It’s clearly yellow, not tan/orange as the original Kane Reaction Figure is. So as far as hues go, the pink, yellow, and blue, respectively for Dallas, Kane, and Lambert, are film accurate.

So where did Kenner/Super7 get the tan/orange color scheme from? Probably from a photo like this one. Remember the red/blue Snaggletooth debacle from the original Kenner Star Wars line? Toy designers weren’t always given the best photo references back in the day.

When it comes to the saturation and brightness of the colors shown on the space suits, this is certainly up for debate. Comparing the new Kane action figure to the original prop certainly shows many discrepancies between the colors. The shoulders are more green/brown than the blue on the action figure. The blue gloves on the action figure are also more yellow/green on the actor’s costume. The yellow on the original costume is weathered and dirty, the Reaction Figure is clean.

Super7 claims “each character is a faithful representation of the character in the classic Alien film.” Are the pink, blue, and yellow a tad bright on the Reaction Figures? I think so, but nowhere near enough to bother me. Part of the charm of the Reaction Figure line is the not-quite-accurate sculpts and colors, in keeping with the vintage aesthetic. If you’re looking for an Alien toy line where film accuracy is of the upmost importance, check out what NECA is doing in their 7″ scale line.

Some have speculated that this 3-pack will be rereleased after New York Comic Con, perhaps with less saturated color scheme. Super7 claiming the figures are “a faithful representation” leads me to believe they will not be changing the colors of the space suits. But I think we will be seeing a wider release of this 3-pack, changing the packaging of the box from blue to black, similar to what was done with the egg chamber playset.

Either way, I’m very excited about this 3-pack, provided I can get my hands on it for a reasonable price.

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