The Raiders of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones figure is the first of what is likely to be many Indy figures in the 6-inch Adventure Series. He is part of the launch wave for Hasbro’s newest collector line, and like the other four figures in the wave Indy is packed with part of the Ark of the Covenant ‘Build-an-Artifact’.
The packaging for the Adventure Series is a squared-off box in the same dimensions as the Star Wars Black Series but without the cut-off corner slant. It uses a sandy base colour and then overlays this with the map graphics we see during the Indy movies as well as a generic Indiana Jones logo rather than anything movie specific. As a closed box release, the figure is depicted on the front, with artwork on the right-hand side and a checklist of other figures (and the build-an-artifact) on the left. The rear of the box confirms the content of the box but does not follow suit with other lines and forgoes any background text or info.
Inside, a cardboard sleeve is used to hold the figures and accessories that are themselves in a waxed paper bag also printed with the Indiana Jones world map design.
Raiders Indy is of course a brand new sculpt, but will certainly be going on to donate parts to future Indiana Jones figures. The look is very much as seen at the start of the movie and includes a beige shirt over which the worn leather jacket is added as a rubberised sleeve. Indy is then wearing khaki trousers and brown shoes with further rubberised parts added for his knapsack and belt with holster. These are all cast in their base colour, but there is a good level of weathering applied to the jacket including worn edges on the folds and patches on the reverse. Similar, but less obvious, wear is applied to the trousers and the outfit is finished off with small details of paint application around the belt - specifically the buckles.
The head sculpt is a good likeness to the 1980’s Harrison Ford, and in this instance comes complete with stubble beard. This beard and the facial details are added using photo-real technology and do look a bit messy in places with the stubble perhaps looking more like mud from certain angles. The face also suffers from a waxy finish which is a bit shiny - while you could argue this off as sweat, it does detract slightly from the overall finish. The iconic Fedora hat is an individual piece but is glued in place on Raiders Indy and is not removable. It is also created using a softer rubberized plastic giving plenty of play in the rim. Decor here follows suit with the rest of the outfit and uses a lighter brown to add wear and tear to the hat around the rim and the edges.
Most of the other figures in Wave 1 all come with one or two accessories but as the signature release, Indy features quite a few more including the first sets of alternative hands in the line. These swap out by way of the hand slipping onto a socket in the wrist, not the usual hand with a peg that slots into the wrist. Despite being a little bit unfamiliar to Hasbro collectors it works perfectly well and the obvious benefit is the lack of any joints visible on the hands. As well as a pair of clenched fists for an Indy fistfight, the other hands are designed to do various jobs in line with the included accessories. The wider grip left hand can hold the included Chachapoyan Fertility Idol which is cast in a gold(ish) plastic. The details on this Idol are crisp enough considering the scale, but the finish is just not shiny enough.
Indy comes with a revolver, cast in black with limited detailing. It fits again in a specially provided hand (right). The gun is too small scale-wise, but Indy does hold it securely enough. When not in use it goes in the holster on his belt where it should be secured by way of a strap and cover piece that fold together. These do not work all that well and it is very hard work to get the strap to plug into the cover piece, and even when you execute the move the thing pops out again too easily.
And because this is Indiana Jones we of course get his whip - in fact, we get two. The first is the unfurled whip shown in the promo images as whipping out quite some way. What you actually get in the pack is a more coiled piece as you can see from our images. While this works for me in terms of not using up a lot of shelf space - it is not quite what we expected, but would stretch out with some heat treatment and a bit of care and attention. This fits again in the grip hands provided. If you don't use Indy with a whip in hand, the second wrapped version is provided for him to hold - or to hang on his belt. To achieve this the Hasbro team went with another strap and plug system which works even worse than the one on the holster. It will certainly not hold the whip all that securely and again does not hold in place even if you do ever manage to line it up. Why didn't the team follow suit with the Star Wars line and use hooks or a plug on the whip itself into a socket on the belt? Hopefully, this will be fixed for upcoming figures.
Indy is articulated across 18 points of articulation with the addition of butterfly joints to the shoulders neatly hidden under the jacket. While the other figures had a dual articulation on the neck (top and bottom) the neck on Indy is fixed at the base so the head only moves on the top of the neck. All the other joints do what they are designed to do while also working with the sculpt of the figure so not to spoil any aesthetics. While Indy is not quite as articulate as a Marvel Legends or some of the more pricy collector figures out there - there is enough movement in the figure and with the included accessories for a number of dynamic poses.
As the launch Indiana Jones figure, the Raiders Indy ticks plenty of boxes but is far from perfect. The accessories are welcomed and well thought out giving you a number of options for display, it is just a pity the gun is undersized, the holster doesn't work as intended, and the strap to hold the whip - while more in keeping with the costume than a hook or socket - doesn't work at all well. You will not be short on Indiana Jones figures in this line - at the time of writing there are already 9 in the release schedule for 2023 and a 10th in development - with this exact figure from Raiders getting some tweaks in the upcoming Temple Escape set. If you want to complete the Lost Ark piece, then buying this figure is unavoidable, otherwise you may want to let the line mature a little and pick up some of the future Indy releases.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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