Continuing Stantz Sunday (or is it Ray Day?), we have a look at the very first 1:6 scale Mattel Movie Masters figure, Ray Stantz. I must admit, this is probably the most ambitious collector figure the Boys Action Play group has ever attempted. This is their first foray into the 12 inch scale and it offers up a lot of new opportunities as well as a lot of new challenges. Mattel is certainly in the running for the current kings of 6 inch, but what about this new endeavor? A lot of people have been waiting a long time to get Ghost Busters figures in this scale, the size can afford so many details in the equipment that everything must be right in place. Let’s see how this inaugural figure fares with lots of pictures, and a few words too.
As you can see from the gallery, there are a lot of pictures for you to look through, and let’s face it, that is why you are really here, right? I do want to hit on a few things about each aspect of the figure.
First off, the packaging. It is very large and really shows off the figure quite well with the clear plastic shell. It does ship inside a large white mailer box so it is protected, and it has some serious heft and bulk to it. On of the cool surprises is that where it says “Stantz” down the side, well that is actually a little cardboard locker that holds all of Ray’s accessories. I think that is a really cool touch, but then again, Mattel’s collector lines have never been hurting for cool packaging.
The figure itself is an all new body developed by Mattel for their large scale figures. It does provide a lot of movement for Ray and I am able to put him into just about any natural and relevant pose. The build is also appropriate which is good since I imagine that they will be using this figure for all four of the regular Ghost Busters. Unfortunately, I do not own any Side Show or Hot Toys 1:6 figures so I cannot compare the bodies point for point but, as I said, you can get great movement from all of the joints and the figure is balanced well so he stands up with little effort.
The sculpts for this line are being done in house by Mattel (e.g. NOT by the Four Horsemen) and I have seen mixed reactions to the Aykroyd likeness in the head sculpt of this figure. As mentioned in my previous six-inch Ray review, Dan must be a hard guy to capture as the upcoming 1:6 Egon seems to have a stronger likeness to Harold Ramis. That isn’t to say that this head sculpt doesn’t measure up, it actually looks more like Ray than I originally thought it would, but it is still a little soft. I think the thing that throws a lot of people off is the hair sculpt, it is in an odd shape and makes his head seem a little tall. As you can see from the pictures, he looks much more like Aykroyd with the Ecto-Goggles on his forehead, I think that is because it covers up the hair.
The paint on the head is quite good though and it he has some subtle shading in his face and hair and his eyes have no sloppy lines or color bleed. Clean paint is essential at this scale as it is very unforgiving. Fortunately Mattel got it right from a paint perspective.
The cloth outfit is very nice though and I am often amazed at some of the sewing and details that can be achieved at this scale. Everything seems movie-accurate to me from the pockets and zippers to the name badge and elbow pads. It also fits him well, it is a little baggy, like in the movie, but fits so that you can tell this is an actual form to it and not just a big blob of cloth. The cuffs on his sleeves bring them down snug enough to fit into the molded plastic gloves and his pants tuck right into his boots. The green tube that attaches to his pant leg (what the heck is that thing for anyway?) at the front and the tube runs to the back and tucks in behind the pack. I think that overall the suit looks and feels high quality, the details are there and it is tailored well.
Ray also comes with a ton of accessories from a simple switch of hands to the amazing light-up Proton pack. All of them are very detailed and feel very movie-accurate. His belt is made of plastic and has all of the attachments included and the walkie-talkie holder can clip right on. The Ecto-Goggles are also included and fit snugly on Ray’s head in both the on and up position. They have a great sculpt but perhaps not quite as much paint detailing as the trap and Proton Pack. I do really like them though and I will be keeping them on my Ray permanently in the up position, I just wish I had a little cigarette to dangle from his lip like he had the first time he spots Slimer at the Sedgewick.
The two really important accessories though are the trap and the Proton Pack. They are biggies from an expectation standpoint as well as an execution angle and I will tell you this, Mattel went all out on these two items. Yowzers, they are cool and slavishly accurate to the movies.
Seriously, the trap does everything short of actually trapping a ghost. All of the little details are there – the opening doors (they spring open by pushing the red button on the top), the moving petal and even the warning labels throughout. The paint is very cool as it there is a lot of distressing to it; I think that is something that I really like about the Ghost Busters – like Star Wars, everything is a little dingy and beat up, nothing is shiny, new or unused. Mattel noticed this as well and they gave it scuffs and dings where appropriate. One thing I wish though is that cord to the pack was a little longer, I have a feeling if you look directly into the trap at this distance it would surely take your soul. Overall though I cannot complain and it is very cool to have a real working ghost trap.
I think that the Proton Packs are going to be what ultimately makes or breaks the overall success of this line and if that is true Matty will have a hit on his hands. Simply put, the Proton Pack is stunning and nothing was spared in realizing it. I think this accessory is something that people have been clamoring for for a long time. You can say what you like about the actual figure, but the pack should be a universal hit. It simply has it all – accurate detailing, great paints, real cords, printed warning labels with actual words you can read, functioning and adjustable straps, moving parts and to top it all off, it lights up too!
I know that there are a lot of extremely discerning Ghost Busters fans out there that will be looking this pack over for it’s accuracy, so they might be able to see some things that I can’t but I am very much impressed and I have been a Busters fan for as long as I can remember. Again, I love how they distressed the look of it with silver paint and all of the parts seem to be matched up with correct colors. One of the most memorable parts of the packs to me is the multi-colored cords that go around the back and here Mattel used actual cords – insane!
The light-up effect is also very nice and it activate by pushing a button on the bottom. From their the light circle around the four bulbs near the bottom for about 30 seconds before shutting off. The batteries are replaceable so you can have a light up Proton Pack that keeps on giving. I also really like all of the working straps that come together in the front to actually snap together to hold the pack on. All you have to do is unsnap it and the pack comes right off.
The “gun” portion of the pack is also very nicely executed and all of the wires and parts are there, the handle is even slightly curved (and made of a semi-soft plastic) so that it can be gripped naturally. The little clear piece at the end of the barrel even moves in and out slightly, something that Mattel must have picked up in their research as I had no idea it did this. You can also attach the gun to the back pack snugly for those times that Ray must wheel out the trap.
The Proton Pack is far and away the big highlight of this figure and I think it is so cool I almost want to display Ray with the pack facing out, it is a shame to have it facing the wall. Hmm… quite a conundrum.
I know a lot of people have been waiting to see if the $60.00 price tag would be justified for this figure. In my honest opinion, I would say yes it is, especially considering the average price of most 1:6 figures creeping up to around the $100.00 mark. The Proton Pack alone justifies a lot of the price and with the accessories and detailing you get I think it certainly makes it worth it and that is coming from a guy that is not really into 1:6. I plan on picking up the four other Busters now that I have this one, something that I was on the fence about before, but this figure actually convinced me to jump in.
So there you have it. For Mattel’s first 12-inch Movie Master, I think that they were pretty successful overall. Like I said, if there is a slightly soft spot here it is in the likeness to Aykroyd, but everything else is pretty aces. I am looking forward to Egon in December as I think, like the the 6-inch figures, the likeness to Ramis is much stronger.
This Ray will be available with the other Ray on the 15th of this month so be sure to be on Matty Collector at the regular time of noon Eastern if you want to get your hands on this figure. Since it is the first of it’s kind to go on-sale there is no telling how long he will last, but with the fantastic Proton Pack I would imagine it won’t be long. Thanks for reading!
*Also, thanks again to Toy Guru for sending this behemoth along for review. I had a lot of fun taking the pictures and sharing.
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