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With the imminent release of the 6” Ghostbusters classics line from Mattel, I thought that many fans may be interested in getting their Ghostbusters collections off to a head start by looking at the NECA Ghostbusters series 1 line that was released back in 2004.
This particular line only saw 1 wave of figures released before it was canceled. And unfortunately, not all character likenesses were approved during that time, meaning that movie accurate action figures of the actual Ghostbusters themselves were never made.
What we did get though, was an interesting selection of what many would consider to be the most memorable Ghost characters from the first film.
Looking at the Slimer figure that was released, it is easy to see that sculpting quality has been very high on the list of Necas priorities with this particular line. The “Green Ghost” appears to have numerous folds and creases sculpted into his surface and even has small warts in the area where his buttocks would be, if he had any. This all looks fantastic especially the folds and creases around his mouth which help to emphasize and extenuate his facial expression to give the character, his character.
The sculpting detail is further enhanced by the fact that a shade of darker green paint has been applied to the creases, which gives the effect of them seeming deeper. The added effect of this is that it gives the figure a very tangible sense of texture which was lacking in the original 1080s Kenner Parker “Green Ghost” release from the Real Ghostbusters line.
While on the subject of the vintage figure, Slimer also shares much of the same articulation as the vintage figure, although his has been up dated with a few more points to reflect current standards in action figure articulation. This in itself is quite remarkable given that it is essentially just a floating “Spud” with arms.
The NECA Slimer has a total of 7 points of articulation [as apposed to the 80’s Slimer toys 3 points of articulation]. They include a Cut Neck, Ball and hinged elbows, and cut wrists. And to be perfectly honest, this is everything that this character needs.
One small issue that some may encounter is the fact that the characters hands cannot actually reach his mouth. Personally I see this as a fair compromise, since the only way for that to be possible would have been to either make the characters arms longer, which would probably seem disproportionate in the context of this particular figure, or to radically alter the sculpt completely. So to be honest, I think that it is a far compromise, since the sculpt itself is so strong, and personally am very happy as it is.
In terms of overall quality, the figure is quite sturdy and well constructed. Given the size and nature of the character, it’s easy to see that he would be very robust; however, I have encountered some sensitive areas. For example, the pin joint at the wrist is quite fragile, and in my particular figure, the left hand seems to come out of the socket far too frequently when attempting to place some of the food accessories in his hand. I do see this as a slight quality problem, since this is not a figure with interchangeable hands, and therefore, I do not feel the hands should be falling out with such relative ease and frequency.
Slimer also comes with a variety of accessories which really complement the character. First of all he comes with a Green slime trail flight stand. And I must say that it is one of the best flight stands that I have seen, due to the fact that it looks as if it is an actual part of the character and also helps to create the illusion that he is floating in the air. It also has some nice sculpting detail and is made out of translucent green plastic which helps re-enforce the illusion.
Slimer's other accessories are a loaf of bread, bottle of wine, dinner plate and a roast chicken. Again, no expense has been spared here with the sculpting of these accessory items. The roast chicken even has removable legs, such a nice detail which again, shows the amount of care and attention that has been given to the character.
Overall, I would have to say that this really is an excellent figure. If you are a fan of the Ghostbusters and plan on building up a collection with the new figures from Mattel, you will probably want to track this version of Slimmer down. At the time of writing they can still be found on eBay, for a relatively good price. With the excellent sculpting job, convincing flight stand and wide range of food accessories, this would be a great addition to any Ghostbusters collection.
Dean
Staff Reviewer
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