SIDESHOW TERMINATOR 2 COMBAT EXCLUSIVE 1:1 ENDOSKELETON BUST

Few images of the robot, perhaps none, better showcase technology as monster than the Terminator T-800 series Endoskeleton. Fascinating mythic tie-ins include the connection to the Frankenstein myth, the Jewish Golem legend, even robots as extensions of self or the other. This is rich rich stuff and of interest to a wide variety of people interested in pop culture iconography. Stripped of almost all his human accoutrements- except a nasty pair of all too human looking dentures, the Endo is impossible not to marvel at and yet fear as something more than the sum of his parts. He is what we fear technology will become, a better us, an artificial self-interest lost to human concerns.

Of course the design of the T-800 Endoskeleton is just one reason we respond the way we do. Our memories of it go beyond object in situ in the intro to T2 or on a collection shelf being rooted as they are in the wizardry of the single greatest physical effects company in film history Stan Winston Studios. For those who caught the T-800 in its initial theatrical run the Endo is also deeply connected to our absolute amazement at a then new effects technology called CGI Suddenly, for the first time there were almost no limitations on robotic movement or menace. Screen robots never had it so good. There have been great ones. Robby The Robot from Forbidden Planet, B-9 from Lost in Space. But mostly it should be pointed out that screen robots (at least the non-animated variety) had been pretty clunky in how they got around much less how they went into battle. One can easily imagine getting away from a Dalek or Hector from Saturn 3. Not so with the Endo. Basically unless you were a main character you were going to die as the result of an encounter with what can only be decribed as the robot synonymous with the whole concept of rebellious robotic badassery.

This makes it all the more ironic that those seeking to reproduce the Endo so faithfully would find themselves at its complete lack of mercy. In their mission to bring the Endo to life for collectors Sideshow originally envisioned two separate versions of this bust. But what was to be a Standard Edition done in gleaming pristine chrome appearance had to be abandoned after production problems made the piece impossible to produce in the quantity and schedule as needed. Sideshow was however able to get the combat version out the door, albeit a few at a time and at a considerably slower rate tha they first imagined. I feel very lucky to have gotten one of these at all.

This is one awesome piece of representational art. There’s almost nothing I don’t like about it. It has the heft and cold to the touch feel of a piece of machinery. The grimy combat version appearance is somehow preferable to me to the shining chrome. The base the head sits on is perfectly suited to the piece and looks like it might actually be part of the robot itself. It stands approximately thirteen inches tall which doesn’t sound like a lot but trust me it will draw major attention anywhere you put it. Especially when you turn on the glowing red eyes using the toggle switch located at the back of the base. The eyes are even overlayed with a grid pattern. When turned off they dim slowly just like in the movie. The only thing I’d criticize at all, and this would be very minor, is that for the price it would have been nice to have individual teeth mounted and clearly separate from one another, rather than whole sculpted upper and lower resin dentures. Another nifty feature that always makes guests or audiences smile is the removable head-plug and brain chip. Needless to say this is one of the most recognizable sci-fi fantasy icons of the 20th century and if I could afford the life-size full body version I’d get one in a heart beat. Until then I’m very, very happy to have this bust on my shelf

I’ve read on chat boards that it is possible to take the combat finish off the piece to “restore it” to an original gleaming finish. After some consideration I opted not to for several reasons. One, this piece is marked on the bottom as a combat edition- thus other than simple bloody mindedness I couldn’t see bothering with what is essentially perfection. Two I cant imagine such action would be anything less than immensely time consuming. And most importantly there are simply no guarantees about the finish. If you screw it up you’d better have some mondo skills to bring to the repairs or you are going to be out a lot of value.