A few days ago we reviewed the acklay, one of the three beasts from the Geonosis execution arena.  Here is the second, known as the Nexu.  As mentioned in the Acklay review, that beast seemed to be the most “imaginative” creature of the three, as the other two seem to be basically “space” versions of familiar Earth animals.  In this case, the Nexu is pretty similar to a large predatory cat, such as a tiger, or perhaps a panther or cougar.  You get the drift.  This creature, while the smallest of the three, seemed to be the most unpredictable and ferocious, as right out of the gate, it attacked and mauled one of its Geonosian handlers.  Good stuff.

The Nexu was guided towards Padmé, as she was chained to one of the pillars.  Fortunately for her, she seemed to be on top of things, and managed to climb the column to relative safety.  Unfortunately for her, the Nexu was capable of using its large claws to also climb the column.  It took a mighty swipe at Padmé, and in the process, invented the “wardrobe malfunction.”  Padmé got a bit of revenge when she donkey-kicked Nexu right in the belly.  Take that, cat!

The figure is a great sculpt that captures the on-screen creature almost perfectly.  The “spines” on the Nexu’s back are soft, giving it a bit of dimension.  The forked tail is a rubbery material that is posable, which is a nice touch.  The limbs are articulated with swivels at the hips and shoulders, but unfortunately have nothing further to offer for posability.  You can coax a few looks out of it, which is enough for display, but I’d prefer a few more options.  The jaws open and close, while the tongue acts as a button to activate some of the on-board roaring sounds.  Additional growls and snarls can be heard by pushing the small button on the side of the figure.  It’s a well executed action feature, as the button is tiny and unobtrusive.  There is a battery compartment in the belly, should you wish to refill.  I probably should do that myself, as the batteries have definitely seen better days.

While a bit lacking in the articulation department, this is still a cool release by Hasbro, with well-executed electronics.  It’s an outstanding addition to your Geonosis displays. I’ll give it a 6.