I collected the Mattycollector Ghostbusters line and liked it, so I wasn’t sure I needed another six inch scale line of these characters, but the siren song of new six inch scaled, super articulated plastic is sometimes irresistible to me. Besides, I never got a Gozer or Terror Dog from that line, so I kinda needed the BAF anyway. Let’s take a look at Plasma Series Ray and Gozer!
The packaging is pretty nice in a Star Wars Black Series kind of way with a big window in front that clearly shows off what you get. I especially like the more abstract pics of the ‘busters on the left hand side of the box. It’s interesting to me that they used what looks like the 3D renders of the figure sculptures as character art on the back of the box. I don’t think I’ve seen that before.
Ray comes with his removeable proton pack, ecto-goggles, and a Terror Dog arm while Gozer comes with the Terror Dog head and lightning blast hands. In general, I approve of the accessory choices, though I wish Ray came with a proton stream for his pack (I think all the ‘busters should have included them) and maybe a yelling portrait for Gozer (THEN DIE!).
Each lightning hand swaps out easily with the regular hand. The lightning is attached to the swappable hand and is all one piece of translucent purple plastic with the hands painted a Gozerian flesh tone. The effect is very similar to the recent Palpatine from the Star Wars Black series and works pretty well, though they are a little heavy and it was tricky getting her to balance with her lightning hands outstretched.
The Vinz Clortho terror dog head attaches to the neck at a barbell ball joint and has nice range of motion. The mouth also hinges open which is a nice touch. The arm that came with Ray is a little bit stiffer with a swivel/hinge attachment at the shoulder, elbow, and ankle. The back legs swivel where they attach to the body and has no knee articulation, so while I really like the detailed sculpting, the overall figure is a little stiff.
The Ecto-Goggles can be worn on Ray’s forehead or over his eyes or can hang from a handy hook on his belt. The trap that came with Venkman can also hang from that hook, but it falls off easily and I don’t think it was designed for this purpose. They left off the top strap of the goggles, which is probably a good idea since in the film that strap sort of disappears into Ray’s hair and you can’t really do that with a plastic toy unless you sculpted a dedicated goggle-wearing head.
The pack is removeable, but it gave me a couple scares. First, the neutrino wand cord can pop out of the spot where it connects to the pack. I didn’t know this at first, so I thought I broke the thing! Fortunately it popped right back in. The strap didn’t want to close at first either when I tried to attach it around his belly, but worked fine once I figured out that it should go under his stomach. The detail on the pack looks good and I think I like the scale better here than with the Mattycollector stuff. I also like how the wand feels like a sturdier plastic, though that comes with the trade off of a stiffer cord attached to the pack.
The likeness on this figure is not quite there. I see where they were going, but I don’t think they nailed it, though I like him more from some angles. Honestly, I don’t think any company has ever nailed a Ray likeness, so I don’t hold it against them too much. The body has excellent proportions and wrinkly cloth detail. Ultimately he trumps my Mattycollector Ray, so I’m taking that as a win.
I like the sculpting on Gozer quite a bit too, especially the likeness and her infamous flat-top.
The web-like texture is nice, though I wish the bumpy-pearl-like things on her body stood out a bit more, and the proportions are good.
Paint is a little sparse on these figures, but I do really like the face-printing technique on both of the portraits, especially Gozer’s glowing eyes. For Gozer, I think she would have benefited from more pearl paint on the bubbly parts of her costume. Ray’s uniform feels a little light and the plastic shinier than I would like and there are a couple of details that could use a hit on the pack, but overall it’s solid. I do wish his elbow pads were gray rather than gloss black.
They both have pretty good articulation with:
- Swivel/hinge shoulders, wrists, hips, and ankles
- Butterfly hinged pecs
- Bicep and thigh swivels
- Double hinged knees and elbows
- Ball and socket head and waist
Most of the articulation moves really well, though the swivel at the bicep is a little awkward looking as a straight cut. The barbell in the neck allows for decent up/down movement and excellent tilt. I wish there was a ball joint where the neck attaches to the body since that seems to be a separate piece.
Gozer’s articulation scheme reminds me a bit of the Power Rangers figures with:
- Swivel/hinge shoulders, neck, elbows, hips, wrists and ankles
- Ball and socket head and mid-torso
- Lower torso hinge
- Double knees
- Thigh swivels
It also mostly moves well, except the ankles swivel is pegged straight down into the foot rather than at an angle, so it doesn’t have the rocker effect and she’s not as stable for posing. It reminds me of the worst high-heeled figures in the Marvel Legends line. It’s also worth noting that the wrists of the lightning hands don’t hinge, they only swivel.
Overall I’m pretty pleased with these figures. I’m glad to finally have a Gozer and a Terror Dog. The removeable pack, increased articulation, and better likeness makes this Ray figure an improvement on my Matty Ray in almost every way and I love the way the guys all look together. The nice thing about these figures being a true six inch scale is all the Matty ghosts and accessories are useable here too.
