Yeah, YEAH, but your toy designers were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should. Well, Mattel, you most DEFINTELY should, and by Goldblum, I am very glad you did.
Okay, I might, *MIGHT* have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with Jeff Goldblum. I love the dude, from his cinematic turns in some of my favorite movies, to his larger than life, but somehow, real life persona. The dude really knows how to get the most of the time he has been afforded on this planet. So, as an action figure collector, 2019 has been pretty damned good for me from a Goldblum perspective. Sure, I am still waiting on my Alistair Hennessey figure, but in this year alone, I have gotten Pops!, a couple of Marvel Legends Grandmasters, and now Dr. Ian Malcolm figures in TWO scales. Yep, just when I was set to have to settle for a 1:18 figure in my collection (not my preferred scale, and I already have a vintage 1:18 Malcolm), Mattel has come through with the release of their new Amber Collection chaotitician, and I am pretty damned pleased.
It seems like it was a long time ago (because it was) when Mattel originally announced this Amber Collection line a possibility back at SDCC 2018. Well, fast-forward to right now, and Ian, along with the raptor figure, are hitting now, and to mostly great reception. I have not found the raptor yet, and I am likely in for a couple, but I simply could not let a pre-order for Dr. Malcolm be available and not take advantage. GameStop got mine to me in pretty quick order last week, so since I already had reviews set for then, I have had a few days to live with this figure and get familiar with all of the little details and intricacies. As this is a first figure in a (hopefully) new line, I am not only interested in seeing how this one fares, but also what the outlook for future releases might be in terms of quality and execution.
The good news is that, having this one, I already want more. I am pretty much an original Jurassic Park fan, and I have not moved much beyond it. I HATED the second movie and I have admittedly not seen another once since (including the new ones, I know, I know), but I am a fan of the fun of the original, so I would love a chance to get Drs. Grant and Stattler as well. I remember the original Malcolm prototype looking fantastic, if not a bit buff, at SDCC 2018, and then being slightly disappointed with some of the updates made by this year’s Comic Con. Overall, though, while some issues do linger, I think this is a good release for the character, and even the niggles I had at SDCC are not as striking in the final release.
Most of what was originally shown for this figure came through in production, and the translation from prototype to plastic is good overall. If I had any nitpicks with the actual prototype shown last year, it was that the good Dr. Malcolm was a bit too buff for Jeff Goldblum’s lithe build. That has been corrected here and the figure stands with an appropriate lankiness, so I consider that an improvement. On that that did not improve though, is the build and articulation of the elbows, because unless you are looking at the figure straight on, they look pretty odd. The prototype had double elbows (IIRC), and this has been moved to the single hinge and swivel, which is fine, but the elbow area itself has gotten a bit pinched and the forearm is very rounded at the joint, so it looks odd from the sides. It is not a “break it” deal, but it does not look nearly as good as it was originally designed.
I was initially concerned about how the likeness would pull through production as well, but I am happy to report that, this figure is pretty damned Goldblum-y. The head sculpt is solid and looks like it has retained the majority of the detail from the prototype, so I am quite happy with the look. It is funny, it really does look like a younger Goldblum, especially when you put him next to the Marvel Legends Grandmaster figure. We get to watch our dear Chaotitician grow up in plastic, right before our eyes. Speaking of, you can *kinda* see his eyes from behind those stylish glasses, and that both cool and disappointing. It is cool because the eyes are really well done, especially for not being (as far as I can tell) a product of the printing/Photo Real Tech/True FX process – it really does look like Goldblum. The bummer is that the glasses are NOT removable, and I wish they were. I know, Dr. Malcolm needs to be constantly cool, so he has that covered, but I would like to see the full likeness on display without having to modify the figure.
The figure includes some accessories as well that are both appropriate and fun, even though I didn’t get the one I REALLY wanted. The flair used to distract the T-Rex during the ill-fated tour is here, but so is the glass Malcolm uses to demonstrate Chaos Theory (and subsequently tip everyone off that something BIG is coming) and an extra hand, too. The glass is a fun inclusion, but as impractical as it might have been, I would have traded all of these for a swappable torso for an injured/sexy Goldblum, but maybe a variant is planned down the road. The “amber” base is also included, and while I appreciate it, and it is appropriate for the “Amber Collection,” it is hard not to see that Ian has dowsed his drawers at the site of the T-Rex (instead of heroically leading her away) and is left to stand in the puddle.
I am really glad to have this figure, and it turned out better than I expected, so that is most certainly a win. This is my preferred scale, so getting the rest of the core cast from the first movie will be VERY important to me, and I hope this line continues to be successful. I am going to go back and get a raptor or two, and just last week at NY Comic-Con a silhouetted tease of the dilophosaurus and one of my other favorite characters from the movie – NEWMAN, I mean, Nedry! Woo-hoo! As it stands, you need to go to GameStop to get your Dr. Malcolm, so start scoping out your local stores, or go the WEBSITE to lock down him down. And, well, there it is.
