The mute and put-upon hero of Portal 2 is Chell, who much like Samus Aran has to compete in a world with bizarre technology and incredible odds against her while the player really doesn't need to ever get a good look at who's controlling the action. The game series, for the uninitiated, allows the player to shoot "portals" at the wall so you can basically walk into a hole in the wall and come out in another location. Since the game was written with a sense of humor, it can be favorably compared to the hypothetical offspring of Wile E. Coyote cartoons, Monty Python, and the guy who shouts "Science!" in that Thomas Dolby video. You know the one. If the meme-tastic nature of the game hasn't got you down, odds are you want this, and it's since it's a good figure you'll probably be glad you bought it.
As the first, only, and therefore best action figure from the game series so far it's a must-buy. Sure, P-Body and Atlas are on the way, but Chell is the one you want. Decked out in a tank top with her jacket tied around her waist, the figure manages to replicate the costume from the second game quite nicely, including the bizarre high-heeled boots which prevent her legs from breaking if she falls from a great height. Science thinks of everything. The paint job is above par, and the articulation is quite good. I'm counting 13 points plus a bonus joint for her ponytail on the back of her head. Each hip has a fantastic range of movement, so the legs can swing out or rotate. You can get her to assume a variety of poses, but it's worth noting getting her to balance with her unique footwear may take some patience if you're unwilling to accept help from the handy display stand.
At about 6 1/2-inches tall, the level of detail is probably on par with any other figure you might have bought in this scale these days. They don't skimp on the sculpting or paint, and the accessory - a portal gun - has a light-up blue element with (and this is very important) a replaceable battery. The gizmo plugs into her right wrist fairly nicely, and you can balance it on her other hand for display purposes. I was unable to replicate the running pose seen of the character in some of the key art, but that's OK as I usually don't pose my figures like that anyway (and Mrs. 16bit took it to work for her desk.)
The paint colors are largely a good match with the figure capturing a pretty good amount of the personality from the game, which is tough given the character is very nearly personality-free. As your proxy in the game world, you can project a lot on to her and the figure doesn't give you "anger" or "determination" in her face. She's just there, ready to run through whatever maze GLaDOS has in store for her. For fans of the series, you probably already have made a purchase. If you're on the fence, if the price is right, you should get one. It's better than buying a statue, and the light-up accessory really does make the slightly higher-than-normal price for a NECA figure worthwhile. What a difference eighty cents worth of wires and LEDs makes!
--Adam Pawlus
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