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Packaging - ****
Now this is what I'm talking
about, packaging worthwhile! Viewers whom have read my previous
complaints on figure packaging know how I rag on the cards because
there is no info and no real picture whatsoever of the character, just
pictures of the included figure. Who needs to see a picture of the
included figure when what we
really need to see is a REAL photo of what the included figure
represents
but Mattel has went the other way, the way a figure company should go
and they have done a similar but fine job on the Ghostbuster packaging
like their great MOTUC series card backs plus this style is very
attractive and protective.
The
bubble is shaped to match the look of 55
Central Park West and inside the bubble is of course Egon &
Slimer but also a paper cutout of the figure's name with the two Terror
Dogs on a platform. On the upper section of the bubble is the iconic
Ghostbuster logo which should be and is an obvious choice for the
bubble. With the bubble removed there is a picture of the Stay Puft
Marshmallow Man reaching down showing his aggression after being
blasted with a proton stream and above him is a interdimentional
lightning bolt hitting the apartment building. I am quite impressed
with all of these pictures of Mr. Stay Puft, the Ghostbuster logo and
especially the Terror Dogs and don't recall ever seeing these
particular pictures befor. I'm really digg'in it the most when I
see photos this exclusively! They are easily removable if you wish to
keep them and/or tape them on the card or anywhere else. The back of
the card is especially exciting with a "Personal File" on Egon
consisting of name, quotes and more about the character plus a "real"
authentic picture of the actual character in the film and no picture of
the figure. I love it when a company does this so you can compare the
figure and its real counterpart and see how well or how bad they
did.The photo is a decent choice for comparison of real person vs.
figure head sculpt. The photo is decent because of the angle it was
shot and plus if you are a big Ghostbuster fan you'll know what scene
it is from which is a good one indeed!
I also love it when there is
info about the character and while everything about Egon is not touched
upon, there is enough information to know Egon. I have always felt that
all of this is a very important aspect of the subject of the packaging.
Like the front of the card, the back of the card also sports a decent
amount of graphics with the Ghostbusters logo & slogan "Who You
Gonna Call?" but also a treat of Dr. Venkman's rat's nest desk with a
note that says Remember To Clean Desk! which you can clearly see hasn't
been cleaned yet (probably in weeks if not months) with Chinese food
such as a container and a fortune cookie, and a marshmallow among other
things.
Also on the bottom part on the
back of the card is a section
that shows a 12" Ray Stantz figure coming in September (which by the
way has been pushed to the next month in October) and next to Ray's 1/6
scale figure is Matty and the MattyCollector.com logo. Of course
copyright information and Mattel info is on the back of the card as
well as the Mattel logo & information on the Insert and I was
surprised to find two little slips of advertisements in the bubble, one
was a two sided Ghostbusters flyer, on one side was Ghostbusters on
Blu-Ray DVD and on the other side is the Ghostbusters video game on
many formats with really good artwork of the four Ghostbusters. The
other flyer was about MattyCollecter.com showing that they sell
Ghostbusters, MOTUC, DCUC and JLU and that they sell exclusive items
but there was no indication that they sell Disney's - PIXAR'S Cars
and/or the Dark Knight items. That just about covers it, the only thing
that would be a nice addition on the card back is a larger section of
upcoming Ghostbusters figures in six & twelve inch format like
they do with the card backs of the MOTUC so it would be helpful for the
person to know easly without a possible hassle on the PC plus on the
back of the card it can possibly make you anticipate the figures even
more. This is most definitely packaging that I like and I wish more
figures from other companies were as graphically neat, colored and
detailed as this packaging is!
Sculpting - ****
Truly the most intriguing subject of Egon is undoubltably the
sculpting.
Sculpted gracefully by the
renowned Four Horsemen, Egon looks like he was taken out of the film,
frozen and shrunk down to six inches, that's how real he looks! The
head sculpt is extremely uncanny as it possesses the thick and raised
hair
style with non-dumbo ears and creases abound on his face including the
dented mouth.
He has the large nose, thin
sculpted eyebrows, and small chin,
and the eye proportion makes it clear that this is Egon
because it IS his eyes! He has sculpted glasses which is a separate
piece that isn't removable. The frames seem a bit thicker than they
should be but if they were a thinner plastic then they would be very
easy to break off but the lenses are clear, not blurred so you can see
his eyes and the frames are not completely on his face where you could
see underneath and above his glasses as if they were indeed real eye
glasses! The Ghostbuster uniform which is a jumpsuit variation is
sculpted very nicely with examples such as the uniform crinkled up from
shoulders to upper shins, sculpted pockets throughout and the long
front zipper being sculpted with a cool effect of it not being zipped
up all the way allowing the collar to fold and revealing the black
undershirt and also a sculpted name plate that's painted saying
Spengler which is a true treat.
I have always been fond of the
work
boots that the guys wore and the Four Horsemen nailed this just like
the jumpsuit! Egon's
elbow pads also look very good but the thing that really steals
the show here is his utility belt! Its of a stretchy look with metal
appearing clamps with many gadgets on it but the thing that impresses
me is the gloves that are hanging down from his belt. Egon wore these
black glossy gloves and they appear a bit creased and floppy as real
gloves of this kind actually are.
As for his proton pack, I
studied
this object personally and compared it to the real particle accelerator
and everything is in order with all of the wiring, structures, knobs
and straps and is in scale with Egon. The Neutrona Wand with Egon as
well as the strapped equipment is also in scale with a long
wire or
cord connected into the Particle Thrower. The Proton Gun itself is
carefully sculpted with hand grips on the hilt and near the barrel
and has wiring on the nozzle.
Let's not forget about that ugly
little spud Slimer because I don't consider him as an accessory but as
another character! Slimer's slightly rounded body is sculpted
excellently with deep creases, crevices and wrinkles all over that form
that is called a body. His arms are small and short with little five
fingered hands. His face is excellent having big cheeks, a little nose,
rectanglish shaped head and a big mouth with large human-like teeth
that seem absolutely perfect! I have included a comparison shot of
Mattel's Slimer compared to NECA's as well as Ertl's and to be honest,
as great looking as NECA's version is I think Mattel's is more
realistic and film accurate than the previous one by NECA. The stand
that Slimer has is decently sculpted but its an average design and it
does do its job well. So there you have it, Egon and his Proton pack
are great sculpts as is Slimer and as always I'm impressed by the
Four Horsemen. It seems they never fail me at sculpting and that's
why they are arguably my favorite and give big competition to NECA,
McFarlane, Sideshow, Hot Toys and Hasbro.
Paint - ***1/2
The paint application on Egon is decent but not perfect. Egon's glasses
vary especially where the black doesn't always meet the frames or a
bit of skin color shows up on them. On his face are tiny black spots
here and there. His eyes are colored a medium brown which works just
fine.
The glasses paint apps are quite
important but depending on how much and how big the spots are
they may not be as critical. If they're tiny you can't notice
them
from a
distance. His eyebrows are painted good but there is some skin that can
be seen like in lines and whether the Horsemen did this purposely for a
realism effect or it's a minor paint issue I can't say for
sure,
but it does work whatever the reason might be. His hair seems to cover
a bit of the top of his ears and again I'm not sure if this was on
purpose or not. His jumpsuit doesn't posses a whole gob of
paint because only his Ghostbuster logo on his right arm and name on
his chest are the detailed paint apps, but they are painted
quite
well. There is some painted slime in sections of his outfit which is
a cool idea with good effect. His elbow pads are painted in three
tones, the outer front is dark green, the inner section is medium teal
and the outer back is a dark greenish-gray color and I really like
these colors that they have chosen to be used for his elbow
pads.
Various gadgets on his belt are
painted too. His proton pack is very detailed with the wires &
sticker areas. His boots
however do not have much of any painting that I noticed except
a
little dirt effect.
Now for the green ghost
Slimmer, he doesn't have a
ton of paint but what is painted on him is decent. His eyes are great
as the outer parts are clean white, and his inner part such as the
pupils
are red & black which is also good. His sculpted eye lid
& bag areas are lined with black paint but his mouth is really
good with huge white teeth, red and pinkish gums, a big pink tongue and
red
roof & throat region. Since Slimer is a translucent there isn't
much to paint, but he just looks marvelous! Overall, the
painting on both figures is great and they get three and a half stars
for it!
Articulation
- ****
Like Mattel's MOTUC figures,
Egon has great articulation and while he doesn't have every joint there
is to have, he does has a lot and they work effectively. Hhere is his
breakdown on his articulation points:
1x Ball Jointed Neck (acts as two joints with a cut)
2x Ball Jointed - Hinged Shoulders (acts as two joints on each shoulder
which is also cut)
2x Ball Jointed - Cut Hinged Elbows (again, acts as two joints on each
elbow which is also cut)
2x Ball Jointed - Cut Hinged Wrists (yet again, acts as two joints on
each wrist which is also cut)
1x Cut Waist
2x Cut & Hinged Hips
2x Cut Thighs
2x Hinged Knees
2x Cut Shins/Boots
2x Hinged Ankles (with 2x Rocker Joints for side to side movement)
Slimmer is also articulated with some joints as well at:
2x Ball Jointed - Hinged Shoulders (acts as two joints which is also
cut)
2x Hinged Elbows
2x Cut Wrists
Ego is quite
impressive with officially 18 points of articulation but I count 27
points all together which is greatly fantabulous for a figure. Even
the little green menace that is Slimer moves good at officially 6
points, but again I counted 8 joints! I just love the modern
articulation in today's action figures and I'm so glad that Egon
& even Slimer has been treated with these joints and knock on
wood, I didn't have any problems with any of these joints. The only
thing
is that Egon's right rocker joint in his foot doesn't rock as much as
it should but this I consider to be a normal issue and the joints are
tight but not too tight. Overall I'm very pleased with the selection of
joints and quality of them to boot!
Accessories
- ***
For me this was the most disappointing aspect of the purchase of Egon
because he doesn't include much at all like I was hoping! He comes with
his non-removable Proton Pack wired with the Particle Thrower but where
is his PKE meter or Giga meter? These are two important devises seen in
the films and would be an important accessory for the figure as well.
While I have accepted Egon doesn't have these, I am still in a mild
uproar over it. Egon stands on his own
fine but I wouldn't mind a stand for him and that's why I example him
with the DC Universe stand in one of the pictures. Of course he comes
with Slimer, the green ghost and most might think of him as an
accessory but I don't and since I do not Slimer includes a clear
one-piece stand that plugs into a hole underneath the little slimeball.
Slimer's stand is nearly the same sculpt as the one included with MOTUC
Tri-Klops' Doomseeker spybot which is an okay reuse. So even though
this category isn't as pleasing as it should be at least Egon's got his
Proton Pack & Neutrona Wand and Slimer's got a stand to hover
and float because Slimer just can't stand on his own and that is why
this section gets three stars.
Special
Feature - ****
Well, Egon is an action figure but with no action feature! To me his
feature is his taking his Proton Gun and posing him handling with one
or both hands in whatever pose!
Accuracy
- Compared to the character movie versions: ****
He is quite close to his real counterpart in the Ghostbusters film
series, in this scale, this is as close as you can get, not just with
his head sculpt & outfit but also his Proton Pack. Slimer is
also very close in too especially his old wrinkled body. If some other
sculptors would have sculpted these guys I don't think that they would
have done them better and to be quite honest I don't think anyone else
would have been able to get as close to film accuracy as the Four
Horsemen did!
Scale
Comparison - Egon & Slimer **** - Compared to other Mattel
lines - *** - Compared to NECA's Ghostbusters - Varies
Egon & Slimer are very much in scale with each other and Slimer
is a
small guy as he should be. Egon's Proton Pack & gun are in fine
scale with him. Now, I have included a picture of Egon & Slimer
compared to NECA's Ghostbuster figures for comparison and the Terror
Dogs are a good size with Egon. Gozer on the other hand isn't. The
Gozerian looks like a giant compared to Egon and its the same old story
with Mr. Stay Puft as he has never been in scale with any of his
counterparts. Slimer is way smaller than NECA's version but a bit
larger than Ertl's version.
I have also included a picture of Egon with Ertl's 1/20 scale Ecto-1.
The Ectomobile is to small to be in scale but from distant looks fine.
I have also included two pictures of Egon
compared to three of Mattel's previous figures, DC's Super Heroes
Doomsday, MOTUC's He-Ro and He-Man for the people whom want to know the
size comparison with them. Doomsday is tall but seems smaller than he
should next to Egon and both MOTUC figures appear as golithian men
compared to Egon which are clearly not in scale at all with each other
even though both are said to be in six inch scale. There
you go on the scale department!
Quality
- ****
One of the most important aspects for a figure to
be great is the quality and Egon & Slimer are very, very
durable! They are made out of a softer type of plastic and their joints
are constructed well without having to use force or any other method of
moving the figures. Egon's Proton Gun and wire are a bit on the flimsy
side but its way better than having a hard plastic gun that could
break.
I love it when a figure isn't fragile and is made well. Mattel has made
many figures of good quality over the years and like the well made
MOTUC, I'm very pleased of how Egon Spengler &
Slimer turned out!
Fun
Factor - ****
Just by knowing a movie version of Egon exists is fun but having him in
person and just displaying him on the shelf, looking at him whatever
pose he's in is just such an unspeakably good time! I have
been waiting
many years for a film version of him and when you wait a long time and
anticipate such a thing as this then he becomes a part of your dream
figures so he becomes quite a treat indeed. Since he's articulated very
well he becomes more interactive and more interesting on the shelf and
Slimer can be fun since he moves a bit and having both of them together
is great and I'm sure with future releases of the other Ghostbusters as
well as other characters these guys will become even more than a
blast!
Value - ****
At $20 Egon & Slimer are a good deal and with $8.70 shipping
which totals at $28.70 its still OK in my opinion because you are
getting two figures with excellent quality and in great packaging.
Let's face it, Egon is a special market figure that otherwise wouldn't
be available and even regular released figures in smaller scales are
well over $10 right now so I think its quite a bargain but if you head
on to eBay and pay like ten dollars more then its three stars. Any
higher price the lower the score falls. I very happy that Egon is
finally here and with this price tag.
Things to Watch Out For -
Really not a thing. Egon & Slimer are made very well which
makes the both of them very sturdy. Even though they are tough figures
and their joints are tight this doesn't mean that they're
indestructible
and you should never force the joints and/or accessories. If you have
children and they know who the Ghostbusters are and want to see Egon
and Slimer, make sure they know how to take care of things first
because these figures are special market items and in the future these
will probably be like gold. Other than these notable marks, that's all!
Overall
- ***1/2
Egon is great but I hate to give him three and a half stars, I really,
painfully do but the reason is because he didn't included his Giga
meter or a PKE meter and to me that kinda hurt his overall rating.
Sure, he comes with Slimer which is not an accessory at all but indeed
another character but he needed more than his Proton Pack &
Particle Thrower Gun. I'm very impressed with the packaging,
movements and of course sculpting but come on, he wasn't treated as
well in the accessories as Mattel's MOTUC figures are. They get many
additional items including bonuses such as alternate heads and 200x
accessories!
That's the only thing that I'm not pleased about and that I feel Mattel
needs to work on more is additional accessories and come October it
appears the six inch Ray Stantz is the same story which before I was
sure hoping that the sixers includes his Ecto-Goggles and but for the
twelve incher, because of the scale, they should include way more and
thankfully it appears that they do. So, don't let this get you down
just because of my little ranting of the absent devices because
otherwise Egon & Slimer are great figures and look just fine on
the shelf together and believe me, they ARE worth the price, I'm just
being picky over something that I was hoping for because of the
memories that I have seeing Egon & Ray with those electronic
devices. I'm very thankful that movie version Egon has finally been
immortalized as an action figure and while Slimer looks great too, he
was made by NECA previously so he was just a remake of sorts but still
great nonetheless.
Despite my rants, Mattel & the Horsemen have made the dream
come
true and they accomplished it successfully!
Scoring
Recap:
Packaging - ****
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ****
Accessories - ***
Special Features - ****
Scale
Comparison - Egon & Slimer **** - Compared to other Mattel
lines
-*** - Compared to NECA's Ghostbusters - Varies Accuracy - Compared to
the character movie versions: ****
Quality - ***
Fun Factor - ****
Value - ****
Overall - ***1/2
Where
to Buy -
MattyCollector.com
was the place but Egon & Slimer have been since unavailable.
Check
on eBay
for cheap prices while you can!
SPECIAL
NOTE ON FUTURE GHOSTBUSTERS, MATTYCOLLECTOR.COM & MY THOUGHTS:
Remember
on MattyCollector.com every month there will be a new Ghostbuster
figure that is scheduled for the rest of 2009 and as well 2010, every
other month a six inch figure will be released and a twelve inch figure
will be available to coincide with it. On October 15th, 2009 though as
I speak to make up for the September delay a six inch version of Ray
Stantz with the Ghostbuster Ghost logo & as well as a twelve
inch
addition of Ray Stantz will be both on sale, the six inch at $20
&
the twelve inch at $60. Both versions of Ray look very good
especially the 1/6. A decent looking six inch Winston Zeddmore with
ghost trap and twelve inch version of Egon Spengler are scheduled on
December
15th. The 12" Egon looks very, very interesting and both 1/6 of Egon
& Ray feature extra accessories as well as light-up Proton
Packs!
The lineup for the future looks promising and I'm anticipating the
entire line especially an extraordinary looking Dr. Peter Venkman in 6
& 12 inch versions and an unbelievable Walter Peck next year.
So
make sure that you mark your calendars and to keep your eyes on
MattyCollector.com often for updates because most likely new MOTUC and
other items you maybe wanting will be available on the same day and its
not always guaranteed that they will last on the page for long. October
will be a big figure month on Matty Collector because Ray will be
available in two different scales as well as MOTUC's Teela, a great
looking figure and the first female of the MOTUCs and a retooled but
terrific 200x version of Zodac. The 1/6 scale Egon was originally going
to be available in November coinciding with a tremendous MOTUC
Scareglow and a reissue of He-Man but the 1/6 Egon and 6" Winston will
be available the same time when an extremely vintage looking King
Randor, the great looking Green Goddess and the reissue of Skeletor are
released! For more updates on the releases of Ghostbuster figures head
here and for MOTUC updates go
here)!
So
in a nutshell, there's some info to help you out. Now all four of the
Ghostbusters are scheduled in six and twelve inch scale but Walter Peck
is so far only scheduled as a six incher. These haven't been scheduled
yet but I'd really like to have six inch figures of other characters
that are a must such as Dana Barrett, Louis Tully, Janine melnitz,
Mayor Lenny and other characters I wouldn't mind would be Oscar, the
Librarian, Dr. Janosz Poha, Jack Hardemeyer, Prosecuting Attorney
"Kitten" and Judge Stephen Wexler. As for the ghosts I'd absolutely
love a Prince Vigo the Carpathian in figure & painting form and
I
wouldn't mind Mattel's own Gozer, Terror Dogs and a Mr. Stay Puft too
(in small and large scale) and I'd really dig the Library Ghost in old
woman & monster ghost forms and of course the Taxi Ghost and
how's
this, a concept figure of Ivo Shandor, now I'd truly would love that!
Oh, I wouldn't mind it at all if these guys were also made in 1/6 scale
too. Well, viewers, there's a little somethin' for ya guys to think
about!
Related
Links -
Michael previously reviewed Egon
Spengler & Slimer here and NECA's
Ghostbuster villains here
and NECA's Stay Puft Marshmallow Man here!
Speaking of MOTUC, here is my guest review of Faker.
About
myself -
I
have been an action figure collector all my life but also into many
other things. I currently collect Masters of the Universe Classics
& Ghostbusters Figures, Various Sideshow figures of Star Wars,
G.I.
Joe & Dinosauria and others. Various Hot Toys figures like
Aliens
& Predators and Terminators and others. I also collect Various
NECA
figures and any other figure that comes to my liking and I'm also a
kitbasher making OOAKs in 1/6 scale. I also collect Godzilla, Gamera
and King Kong stuff as well as comics and movie books. I'm a big fan of
Action, Sci-fi, Horror, Monster films & Comedies. I love Movie
Scores & Soundtracks, Classical Music, Rock and Heavy metal,
Oldies
and classic 90's R&B. I also love Baseball, Boxing, classic
Wrestling, Classic and Modern Video Games. I absolutely adore Dinosaurs
as well as other Prehistoric and Modern Animals. I have a passion for
Cryptozoology, mythical Creatures and mythology, Alienology &
Ufology, the Bermuda Triangle, Space, Planets and the Universe, Strange
Phenomena, Ghosts etc. And I love Weather! If you have any questions
for me give me a holler at Capri1981@aol.com.
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