Customer Reviews:
 Indiana Jones and the slightly big hat June 2, 2008
This Indiana Jones action figure is based on his likeness from the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and his availability coincided with the release of the movie.
I have commented on the action figure according to the following categories:
Likeness: Of all the Indiana Jones figures Hasbro has issued up until the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, this figure has the best likeness of Harrison Ford. The sculpt is well made, and the head is in proportion with the body. The stubble may have been a little overemphasised (especially with a lightly darker shade of paint), and he does not appear to be as old as he is in the movie. He does have a slightly lighter shade of brown as hair colour, though, so he doesn't appear young either, but this Indiana Jones action figure definitely does not look as old as his namesake in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
However, as action figures go, this figure is still quite well made, and costume detail is quite good, with some brilliant detailing on the belt buckle and clothing (which features realistic creasing). The satchel is a separate piece and is glued on pretty well.
The only problem I have found with the overall likeness issue is that the removable hat is very big, and when he is weraing it, it does feel as if either his head has shrunk or he may have picked up a hat for someone with a bigger head. It doesn't look too bad, but it is definitely noticeable. If you have this figure on display the first thing an observer will noice is how big his hat is. In fact, another Indiana Jones action figure, issued by Hasbro at around the same time as this one for the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark had a hat that was permanently fixed on his head. However, in order to do that, the head of the character was made narrower from the top so the hat fit over the narrowed part and as a consequence it looked in proportion. As the manufacturers wanted this action figure to be able to remove his hat, it it ended up being a little bigger, but it is good he could take it off because in the movie he removed it at least once when he was in this costume. The hat does fit securely though and should not cause any problems during play.
Accessories: The accessories included is a surprise relic in the cardboard cargo box, a pistol, a plastic whip (uncoiled), and a spare hand (since his original (removable) left hand permanently holds the crystal skull). The holster for the gun is closed and his pistol cannot be enclosed in it, and the plastic whip, although detailed, is a little rigid. A coiled whip would have been good to place on his belt, or better still a thread-based whip would have been even better because it would look more authentic. Some past Indiana Jones action figures had a thread based whip, although they sacrificed some of the textural detail present on this. Indiana Jones' grip is fairly poor in both hands and his whip cannot be steadily grasped which may cause problems during play. The grip on the pistol is slightly better, so during play it would be a good idea to keep an eye on the accessories to prevent losing them.
Articulation: This Indiana Jones figure has many points of articulation and is very posable and ready for action. If and when playsets and vehicles are available, this action figure would be able to make good use of them during play since his he is so articulated. Some children and collectors do not like action figures that do not have knee joints, so they may be happy to hear that this action figure does.
Scale: Indiana Jones looks in proportion to almost every other character released as part of the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull action figure range, but he was certainly a little taller than Mutt Williams in real life, and without his hat he appears almost the same height as Mutt. This would only bother vey pedantic collectors. For children this should not be an issue.
Durabilitiy: It's not the years honey, it's the mileage, and this Indiana Jones figure is quite well put together and will not break easily. Due to his small size, even falls and whacking him against the wall will not result in heavy impact. I have thrown him out of the window (from the second floor at home) a few times (do NOT try that at home folks - seriously), and he came back without a scratch. Generally figure with more points of articulation are less rigid and can sustain more impact as their limbs move and any one part does not get unduly strained. Avoid crushing him though because that is one thing he won't be able to tolerate, at least not heavy crushing. He is quite sturdy, so he may be able to withstand a few stomps, but not repeated heavy impact (In the film, the villains' car went directly over his vehicle, and some children may go a littel far when recreating that scene). I threw him in the water, and I am afraid he cannot float, but as he does not have any mechanism and does not feature electronics, he is quite well suited for water-based play. Do not use very hot water as it can fade some of the paint.
His head is removable and maybe the head of another Indiana Jones action figure can be attached, but if this is attempted ensure it is secure during play otherwise you may lose the heads!!
Safety: An important thing to note is that his head is removable, so parents considering purchasing this for a child (I think it is not suitable for children under three years but prior to purchase please make sure, as I am not certain about this point), please check the prescribed age on the box. Some of the included accessories could also be swallowed.
Overall: This is definitely one of the best Indiana Jones action figures available, with a good likeness, great articulation and some well-made accessories. Although he does not look as old as Harrison Ford did in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, he sure doesn't look young. His hat could have been smaller but it is a minor issue. Collectors would love to display this toy of a character with an unmistakeable image, and children will love to play with this toy which is very durable and well built. Overall a worthy addition in your toy collection, and one you may like to take with you for adventuroes possibilities everywhere. Surely Indiana Jones will fit very well into all this!!
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