Ah, Ash at last. I can't properly describe the state of excitement I was in when I first learned that McFarlane Toys, makers of some of the highest-quality, best-detailed American action figures, was going to make an action figure of Ash. An action figure of Ash by McFarlane had always been one of those dream match-ups fanboys dream of, and it seemed that the Movie Maniacs line was tailor-made for the plastic transmutation of our favorite chainsaw-handed, shotgun-toting hero.

I apologize for the following Harry Knowles-like preamble, but the arrival of the Ash action figure is too momentous an event for an action figure/Evil Dead fan like me not to give it its due.)

At first, everyone on the McFarlane Toys Message Board, including yours truly (you can find me there under the name "Poe Ghostal") was ecstatic. Slowly, over the course of a few months, little details were eked out about the figure - what it would be wearing, what it would come with, etc. Then, finally, we got the pictures - and were disappointed. The likeness just wasn't what had been hoped for; it didn't seem to be up to the high quality of the likenesses found in previous Movie Maniacs, like Freddy or Norman Bates. But McFarlane Toys designer Steve Hamady assured us that it was only a prototype, that the figure would look better when it came out.

So we waited. And waited. It was almost painful, knowing that the Ash figure was coming, but we would have to wait. Then, while vacationing in England, I heard from my mother that someone in the UK was selling the Ash figure on eBay. Running to the local comics store in London the next day (thank you, Forbidden Planet) I promptly discovered Ash and the rest of the Movie Maniacs 3 line, in all their glory. I picked up two and immediately sent them home, getting my Ash two weeks before he arrived in America.

But how good, you ask, is the figure? That's what you're dying to know, isn't it?

Well, the answer depends on how demanding you are. As a longtime action figure collector who has watched the entire industry, as well as McFarlane Toys in particular, mature over the last few years, I have to say that I'm both delighted and disappointed. Delighted because I remember the old days when figures looked nothing like their movie counterparts (original Star Wars or Terminator 2, anyone?); disappointed because, frankly, I know McFarlane can do better.

Okay, first, the likeness. It is, in my opinion, improved from the prototype photos. Looking at it, you can definitely recognize it as Bruce Campbell; and of course, it's far better than most any other company would do (look at Toy Biz's X-Men movie figures for a good comparison). However, it doesn't quite look right. It's mostly in the eyes; they're too beady, and the eyebrows are too sharp. But I feel like a spoiled brat if I complain about it too much; it's still a very good likeness, considering what else is out there.

The articulation: The pose of the figure is essentially that attack pose Ash goes into just after he gets his chainsaw from the Wise Man in the pit, but before he disembowels the first pit monster. You really can't put him into any other positions that look good. If you twist his head to face forward, it becomes very tilted, like he's cocking his head big-time. His right arm is frozen in that raised and bent position. The points of articulation include up-and-down at both shoulders, twisting at both wrists and ankles, and at his neck and waist. That's it.

The accessories, however, are pretty nice. He can't hold the shotgun in his left hand all alone, but a little sticky-tack and it looks fine. The shotgun does fit into his back holster, though it sticks up a bit higher than it does in the film. There's also a little piece of thread in the holster, which I thought was a bit odd, and perhaps unnecessary. The Necronomicon and the mechanical hand are excellent, though Ash looks rather silly holding his mechanical hand out in that attack pose. The Necronomicon is amazingly well-sculpted. Oh, if you have McFarlane's Sleepy Hollow Ichabod Crane figure, you can fit Ash's mechanical hand and chainsaw into Ichabod's removable hand slot. It's amusing ;)

Perhaps this review seems a bit overly critical; that's just the honest, diehard action figure collector in me. In truth, he's an excellent figure, and he's much better out of the package than in it. To tell the truth, now that I have my Ash figure, I may retire from toy collecting - he is the coup de grace of my collection. Any true Evil Dead fan can't pass this figure up; the sculpting on the clothing, and everything else, is simply stunning. Go - find him! You won't regret it.

-Jason Clarke