NECA’s Colonel Stars & Stripes Hits the Streets

The best part of Kick-Ass 2 joins NECA’s toy line.

I really did not like Kick-Ass 2. However, one of the movie’s few shining moments was Jim Carrey stealing the show as Colonel Stars and Stripes, the leader of vigilante hero team Justice Forever.  The Colonel was a great character, and Carrey imbued him with a manic energy not unlike Nicolas Cage’s Big Daddy in the first Kick-Ass movie.  So even though the sequel pretty much totally sucked, I knew I’d need the good Colonel for my collection.

And Colonel Stars and Stripes is a remarkable figure!  Fully articulated and looking like he just stepped off the big screen, this is a great entry in NECA’s overall Kick-Ass series.  Col. S&S is slightly taller than the average NECA figure, which is accurate to Carrey’s own height, and it gives him a great sense of scale alongside Kick-Ass and Hit Girl.  To top that off, NECA really nailed Jim Carrey’s bizarre likeness in the movie.  Even as a toy based on a heavily made up Carrey, the actor’s portrait is very clearly defined and instantly identifiable.

The new hero is fully articulated, with double jointed knees, ball hips and shoulders, a ball neck, ankles wrists and more, allowing for lots of great posing opportunities.  He’s decked out in his camouflage crime fighting costume, which has a wonderful accurate paint deco, right down to the tiny details like the red shoe laces and scuffs on the boots and the mini US flags printed on his gloves.

There are two different versions of Colonel Stars and Stripes, both shipping in the second assortment of Kick-Ass figures, with his hood either up or down.  Both share the same fantastic headsculpt, so it really just depends on your preferred look from the movie.

Colonel S&S includes his star-spangled club and his pet/ sidekick Eisenhower.  The German Shepherd is also screen accurate, with his camo vest and mask, plus an articulated head and jaw.  Not unlike the Leatherback figure from Pacific Rim, it’s impressive that NECA was able to squeeze this much– a 100% newly tooled figure, with accessory and a sidekick figure– as a basic retail figure for under $20.  I can’t think of another company cool enough to ever pull that off.

I wish Kick-Ass 2 had been a better movie, but NECA’s toy line outshines the dubious quality of the cinematic sequel by leaps and bounds.  I knew I needed to at least add Colonel Stars and Stripes to my collection, and I’m glad I did– NECA really did justice to this great character.