Colonel Henry Walton Jones, Jr., Ph.D. aka Indiana Jones was created by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg in homage to the action heroes of 1930's film serials.
The character first appeared in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, to be followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles from 1992 to 1996, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008.
Jones is famously played by Harrison Ford.
A super iconic figure but I had passed on so many Indiana Jones 12" figure offerings from Sideshow and Medicom, mainly because I did not like the sculpting.
When Hot Toys finally came up with their version which was even a DX version, I knew this would be the one to get.
When the figure was released in Hong Kong, the unhappiness over the head sculpt raged throughout the internet that it was not up to expectation and looked really off.
That put doubts in my mind to get this figure but I have already pre-ordered.
When the time came to collect the figure, I decided to go ahead because I did not want to cancel my pre-order with the nice people at Falcon's Hanger and I decided to continue to put my trust with Hot Toys who, up to this point has not really disappointed me.
So was it really that bad? Read on...
Hot Toys packaging is first class and this is definitely no exception.
The box is huge with Indy's hat and whip as the main focal pointsof the packaging.
The box is designed to look old and distressed, like you are about to open a treasure.
Great packaging
When you open the box, you will see an"old map" of the discovery of the Ark of the Covenant by Dr Henry Jones PH.D. How cool is that!
1st Layer
On the left side of the flap you have the silhouette graphic of Indy and the plot of the movie.
A visual feast but that is only the first layer.
After removing the first layer, you see the figure and its accessories which you shelled out so much $$ for!!!
Everything fits snugly.
2nd Layer
Wait! There is still a 3rd layer!
What awaits you in the 3rd layer is the pedestal for the fertility idol and his white robe and staff of Rah.
Lastly under the 3rd layer, there is Indy's base / stand and the cardboard backdrops.
This is what I call multi-layers of pure goodness!
3rd Layer
Now to the heat of the debate - the head sculpt.
Seriously it is not as bad as what is being said on the internet.
It is Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.
He even have his trademark smug and scar on his chin.
But yes I do agree it is slightly off.
Maybe because of the PERS eye system which makes his eyes a bit too deep set.
I am not sure but he does resemble David Beckham from certain angles... :)
With the PERS eye system, you are able to make Indy gaze to the left, right or middle.
Just like the other Hot Toys figures with PERS, the control is at the back of the head after removing the back of the hair piece.
Look to the left...
now look to the right.
The higher price tag for a DX figure mean you are getting something more than your ordinary Hot Toys offering.
Beside the PERS eye system, you get loads of accessories and I mean LOADS!
The figure comes with
1) 5 pairs of hands,
2) hat
3) whip
4) 2 guns
5) holster
6) shoulder bag
7) notebook
8) stand
An interesting point to note is that the holster for the gun and the loop for the whip have magnetic closers. Thank God for that as I hate those little buttons that usually comes with such tinier accessories!
Not only do you get items and accessories to create dioramas for the starting of the movie where Indy was trying to steal the Fertility Idol, but also for the scene where he goes down to the map room in the desert.
Fertility Idol scene
1)Sand Bag
2)Fertility Idol
3)Idol Base
4)Base
5)Jungle backdrop
Map Room scene
1)Staff of Rah
2)Head piece
3)Temple outfit
4)Base
5)Map room backdrop
Indy's outfit in the map room
What is cool about the backdrops and base is that they are interchangable. If you want the map room scene, flip the backdrop around and you get the map room.
Take out the base's carboard and flip it around and you get the desert floor.
Seriously how cool and smart is that.
Ok here is the problem. The backdrop is tall. I am not sure how many collectors have display cabinets that have so much distance between the shelves!
Basically you need a lot of display space both horizontally and vertically.
For me, the base and backdrop go into storage. I love to display them but I don't have so much room.
So is this the best 12" Indy figure around?
The head sculpt may not be Hot Toys' best effort but it is still good.
And the accessories...what can I say...1st class!
For that I give it a resounding YES!
