Review of PKE Meter - Ghostbusters Prop Replica

Introduction

While Mattel has been making and selling some great action figures through their online store at Matty Collector for some time now, December marked the first time they ventured into the realm of full scale prop replicas. As part of the Ghostbusters license, they've released a PKE Meter, complete with moving arms, blinking lights and beeping noises.

This was first available on December 15th for $60 at the website, and sold out pretty quickly. You'll have to do some hunting to find one now, but there's been an awful lot of them showing up on ebay.

Packaging - ****
Once in awhile, you get some really, really cool packaging. This is definitely one of those times.

Mattel went out of their way with the ingenuity and imagination with this cardboard crate, complete with humorous warnings and graphics. The PKE Meter fits snugly in the interior tray, and the box itself is extremely sturdy. Great example of packaging that really stands out!

Sculpting - ***1/2
While this might be plastic, it certainly looks like the movie counterpart. They've even included some black tape to cover the four screw holes on the back to make it more movie accurate in appearance.

It fits nicely in your hand, and the sculpted pieces all move smoothly. The extending arms have the same approximate shape as the original, and while the prop is fairly big, it's also lightweight and easy to carry all day at the convention.

It does seem slightly small to me though, based on photos like this. On the flip side, the screen seems to take up quite a bit of the front, but it's a minor nit as well. Finding shots that show off the original are tough, but this one isn't too bad.

Paint - ***1/2
The prop has a weathered appearance, with the edges worn with age and use. This effect works pretty well, although it isn't quite as good as what we saw with the prototype at San Diego Comic Con.

Sound Feature - ****
As soon as you turn on the meter with a small switch on the bottom of the handle, it starts beeping. There is a small wheel on the back, right about where your forefinger will rest while holding it. Turning the wheel in one direction slows the beeps down - turn it the other way speeds them up. This means you can make it appear as though the PKE reading is getting stronger or weaker as you move, without being obvious as to what is causing the increased beeping (and faster flashing).

The sound is nice and loud too, and you can silence it buy pushing two of the buttons together, and holding them for three seconds.

Light Feature - ****
Obviously, the light and sound features require batteries, and they are included and already installed.

The lights blink along either arm in time with the beeping - the faster the beeping, the faster the lights, and the pattern can vary. Push two of the silver buttons simultaneously and the pattern switches between Ghostbusters 1 and Ghostbusters 2.

Pushing either of the right silver buttons moves the arms out half way. Pushing either of the left buttons moves the arms out the full way. Push any of the buttons a second time, and the arms retract all the way into the sides of the meter.

There's also a sliding button just below the three LED lights. Push the black slide to one side or the other, and you can alter the blinking pattern of the LED on the screen, or shut it off entirely.

With all those options, you can find plenty of ways to have fun with this replica. Mattel has gone out of their way to provide as many options as possible, and to keep the overall meter as accurate as possible. They went so far that they couldn't sell this in many European countries, due to some pretty goofy regulations. Rather than make an inaccurate prop they could sell everywhere, the went for an accurate prop that could only be sold in part of the world. I gotta say I'm impressed with their decision.

Fun Factor - ****
Kids will have a blast with this, and it would be perfect for any sort of cosplay. It's sturdy and can hold up to normal use. And if you should happen to run into a PKE surge of dangerous proportions, you'll be prepared.

Value - **
I buy quite a few prop replicas, and at $60, this one is pushing it a bit. The light and sound feature are great, and I'm happy with the accuracy, but I suspect most people will find it tough to spend that much - or even more, now that ebay is about your only choice - for a plastic prop replica.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - ***1/2
If a Ghostbusters fan could have one prop replica from the movies, it would be a proton pack - a no brainer. But let's face it, that would cost you hundreds of dollars and take up way more room than you've got to spare.

Second best? A PKE Meter of course! And this one matches the film extremely well, with a terrific light and sound feature.

This is a great first entry from Mattel in the prop replica category, and bodes well for what we might get in the Back to the Future series or other upcoming lines.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ****
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Sound Feature - ****
Light Up Feature - ****
Fun Factor - ****
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Of course, this was a Matty Collector exclusive, and sold out awhile back. Your best bet is probably ebay where there are quite a few up for sale these days.

Related Links -
Other Ghostbuster reviews include:

- The last new character figure they released was the 12" Zeddemore.

- also in the 12" series was Ray and Venkman. In the six inch scale, they have also released the SDCC exclusive Egon, Ray, Venkman, and Winston.

- I've also covered the NECA releases in the past, including Gozer, Slimer, Vinz and Zuul, as well as their large Staypuft Marshmallow Man.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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