Review : The Third Doctor Collector Figure Set
Doctor Who 5.5" Range (Character Options)
Wave/Series : B&M Exclusive
Released : July 2016`
Price : £14.99
Before we say anything else about this new 3-pack of Doctor Who 5" figures we have to comment on how unbelievable this piece is in terms of value for money. Toys R Us for example are selling one figure presently for £14.99 and a lot of these are re-releases or repaints of figures from up to 10 years ago. This set, exclusive to B&M in the UK, contains 3 figures for the same £14.99 price tag. That's a fiver a figure. What a brilliant price and an excellent opportunity for the next younger generation of Who fans to get a taste of the 5" range.
The set arrives in a window box, and this packaging is a match to the current packaging being used on the 5 inch Who figures across other retailers like Toys R Us and Forbidden Planet. That means you can pick this one up and it will fit in perfectly with other boxed figures. The front of the box is a pink/purple hue of a vortex or a nebula in space that then darkens up towards the top of the box into a starscape.The window is cut out to display the figures in their entirety and they are set against a blue clockwork background. The Dr Who logo sits in bold white to the bottom left, and the character names in a blue diamond to the bottom right. The centre blue panel confirms the name of the box set as The Third Doctor Collector Figure Set.
The window wraps round the top of the box, and here the Who logo and box set name is repeated, along with a Character Option website flash in pink with white text. The two sides hold the Who logo again at the top and the box set name and character names at the bottom. In between these are two images of the figures themselves. The Doctor appears on both spines, where as Jo Grant is on the left one with him and the right shows The Master.
The back of the box is a little disappointing as it again uses the white Who logo the two blue panels confirming the contents and set name - and then just three large images of the figures. There is no blurb or background - nor is there even an indication of from which story each figure is taken.
The Master
The Master is essentially a direct re-release of the Delgado figure released in the Axon 2-pack and later with the Computer Bank TARDIS. The figure is not episode specific as such as Delagado wore the same outfit in most stories. He does not come with the Tissue Compression Eliminator or indeed any accessories.
The sculpt is one of the best that CO have released at this scale, capturing Delgado really well with his striking features and that iconic beard. The skin tone is maybe a touch darker this time round and is quite flat but that doesn't matter too much with such a defined face. The beard and hair are painted reasonably neatly, with the grey highlights in the beard. The eyes, although really well painted, are not particularly well positioned on my version and it looks like he is facing ahead but looking out to the side.
The outfit is quite plain, and coloured flat black throughout. Character often use outer rubber coats and jackets on their Torso's so these can look a little soft and that is the case here, with defining items like pockets and seams coming across as a bit blurred and lacking definition. The sleeves of the Master have a white accent on them as they poke out of the cuff of the jacket. These are crisp in colour, but quite messy on one side with the line being all over the place.
The Third Doctor
I've lost count of how many 3rd Doctor's we have now had. He arguably now has the most variations of costume in the range, but this simply matches Jon Pertwee's stint on the show with his flamboyant outfits changing with each story. The Doctor does not come with any accessories, not even a Sonic Screwdriver.
We've had the same Pertwee sculpt for nearly 10 years now, and it still holds up and is a pretty good likeness to Jon, and like Delgado it captures his defined features really well. The face is painted a single skin tone and he could maybe do with a touch of colour in the lips. The eyes are done well and are crisp and blue, and this time straight. The hair has a more blonde colouring than previous Pertwee's which does better represent his earlier appearance.
The outfit is the identical sculpt to that used in the Green Death release, and later in the Planet of the Daleks 2-pack. This time the coat is painted a deep blue, and is replicating the outfit used in the Invasion of the Dinosaurs. The shirt underneath is a cyan colour, and the bow tie a purple. Like The Master, the coat is a rubber over piece but this holds its definition with clear buttons and pockets as well as the flared collar. This time it is the shirt, which is sculpted, that looks soft and undefined. The ruffles on the shirt are not crisp and it looks as though too much thick paint has been applied. The shirt sleeves also poke out of the collars of the coat and these are painted much neater than The Master.
Jo Grant
Jo Grant uses the existing Jo Grant sculpt that came in the Three Doctors set, but with a full repaint to match the mini-dress she wore in The Time Monster. Like the two figures before her, the head sculpt is really good - and looks even better this time round with a crisper paint job. She does have a defined lip colour as well as neat and piercing eyes with eyelined eyes and eye lashes. Her hair piece is also much improved in terms of paint with a deeper wash over the blond to bring out the detail.
The outfit is made up of a rubber piece that goes from a high collar down to a skirt hem around mid-thigh. This is cast in a brown rubber, with 1970's geometric pattern's over painted on the chest and the hem and cuffs in green and orange - all of this is extremely neatly done. The arms, which are sculpted plastic, match the dress perfectly. The hands are sculpted with the numerous rings that Jo Grant wore on the show, and each one of these is also well sculpted and picked out in a silver paint.
I can't quite decide if the legs are meant to be heavily tanned, or are wearing some stockings or tights. Either way they are a different colour to the skin tone on the face or hands so I am going to assume they are stockings/leggings. There is then a pair of knee high boots which are a pretty nasty yellow colour and that end in some wicked 1970's heels.
Articulation
Articulation remains basic on these figures, but to be fair it's nothing different to what we have had before and is still better than some of the 5POA offerings on the market at present. The head is a peg so all heads rotate only with Jo's head more restricted by her hair piece.
The shoulders are also on a peg, not a ball joint so these do not move outward from the body, but do rotate a full 360 degrees to the side of it. There is a bicep swivel on each figure which allows the lower arm to rotate. This aids articulation, but spoils the looks as the arm just looks odd when the swivel is employed. The elbows are a single joint, bending 90 degrees, and the hands are all on plugged pegs so they will rotate also - sometimes with a bit of encouragement as the paint often sticks them in place.
The only waist joint that moves is on the Doctor, and this allows his legs to move either side vs his torso with the joint itself hidden under the coat tails of his blue jacket. The legs are a T-joint so the leg can be bent to sit the figure down or splayed out to the side to give a wider stance. The knees are a single joint and there is no ankle or foot joint. This leaves all three figures with no real option other than a neutral standing pose - but they do this really well and are all quite solid and stable, even Jo Grant in her 1970's heels.
Summary
Out of the three sets B&M have released, this will be the most sought after as it brings us two new character variations and a Delgado Master which many may have missed first time round.
As I started, you can't knock this set for value for money. And in fact it goes above and beyond what I had perhaps expected at the £15 price. Each figure feels crisper and with a cleaner paint job in the main, particularly the heads (even with the Master's wandering gaze).
Comparing this set to it's peers and taking into account the price and finish of each figure I have no choice but to score this a 5 out of 5. Go buy one!
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