Series: Movie Maniacs 4

Craftsmanship: 8.1 out of 10

- Limiting sculpt

- Excellent detail

- Two swords is cool

- Tippy

Playability: 5.0 out of 10

- Sculpt and articulation is very limiting

- Holster for one of the swords

- Too gruesome for kids

- Compatible with Ash from MM3

Why is it that bad guys (especially those from McFarlane) tend to have really bad under bites? Think of any Malebolgia or Violator figure. Evil Ash, true to his movie likeness, continues the trend.

The Movie Maniacs lines have always suffered from being statuesque. They look great but to get that look other aspects, such as articulation, must be sacrificed. Evil Ash is no different. He looks great and is loaded with detail but if you want articulation you’re better off flexing your fingers – there’s no better example of articulation! (Unless you have no fingers, then I’m sorry if I may have offended.) He’s got seam joints at the ankles, waist, neck, wrists, and shoulders. His feet must be put in exactly the right position if you want him to stay standing. Even then, he’s tippy. It’s hard to make him look like a "new" figure by putting him in a different pose. His shoulder armor blocks any significant movement of his arms – same for the head. When he’s holding both his swords, moving his wrists offers the best chance for a new pose. If he had ball-jointed shoulders and hinged elbows there would have been many other poses available.

All the articulation sacrificed does make Evil Ash more detailed. There are small details such as his wristwatch, exposed hand bones, and real metal chain that add touches of authenticity. True to form, he’s looking to his left just as practically every Movie Maniac figure does. (What would be so wrong about looking the other way?) Evil Ash is perfect to display with Ash (MM3) since they are proportional. You can attain a kind of dueling diorama. Display on his own, with included movie poster backdrop, is good too. (The mini-poster backdrops have been altered slightly from previous incarnations, but they still fit in well.)

Playability suffers from the subject matter and anemic articulation. Not many kids are going to be drawn to a toy that features a whacked-out guy with a skull helmet – no matter that he can wield two swords. Collectors and fans of the Evil Dead movies will grab this figure and be very pleased with it, but chances are they aren’t going to play with it, let alone open it. However, if you are going to play with Evil Ash, there’s not much fun to be had. (A spring-loaded waist for slashing action would have been good.) I like the belt holster for one of his swords – it’s a good way to avoid losing at least one of the swords. The other can be jammed in his belt but lacks the snugness the holster offers. One of the swords has the infamous knob that must be taken off to put the sword in his hand then reattached so it stays there. The knob is incredible easy to lose. I’d recommend a strong glue but that means you’d be stuck with him holding the sword forever. Just pay attention when you’re playing with him.

Evil Ash is definitely a fan item, but it won’t disappoint.

Reviewed by Omni