Captain Action has been around for a long time. He was first available in 1966, shortly after Hasbro debuted the first G.I. Joe, then he was then revisited by Playing Mantis in 1998, and now Round 2 and Captain Action Enterprises have revived him again. Today I am going to be taking a look at one of the new Captain Action 12 inch figures, as well as Dr. Evil and Captain Action’s Wolverine costume set.
Before I start, I would like to say that I have never picked up a Captain Action action figure before (though, it’s been tempting after all of those Toys “R” Us visits). For you to truly appreciate these figures you also need a little bit more background on Captain Action.
Captain Action is what can be considered the master of disguise. That’s actually the idea behind all of the costume sets that are available on the market. Captain Action becomes the Wolverine by just changing his costume and putting on the mask (BTW, Captain Action wears onesies). It is a slight drawback that you don’t get a figure with the costume sets. If you wanted to display Captain Action in each of his costumes you would either need to buy more blank bodies or more Captain Action figures. Though, the whole concept makes sense if you just look at the big picture.
The figures themselves are rather inexpensive and they should also be viewed as such. You can’t expect a Hot Toys quality figure if it only costs around $20-$30 for a complete figure. With that being said, for only $20 I definitely have found the value.
The Review
All three of the products (the Captain Action figure, Dr. Evil figure, and the Wolverine Costume Set) all come packaged in similar window box packaging. The front features the applicable product name, while the back offers a brief but informative biography for each figure.
Both the Captain Action and Dr. Evil 12 inch action figures are fully articulated. They are able to do nearly everything that a standard 12-inch figure body can do, which is something that I was surprised by at this price point.
All three of the costumes are tailored very good. The only thing that I was hoping for more of was accessories. The Captain Action figure only comes with his hat, belt and gun. Dr. Evil comes with a human mask (remember the costume concept), some bling, and a gun. Finally the Wolverine costume comes with everything that you need to make a complete Wolverine 1/6th scale figure (gloves, boots, belt, the costume and a Wolverine mask). Each of the Captain Action products that I received are considered the basic versions, if I really wanted to get more accessories I would only need to spend a few dollars (I think $5) more to get my hands on the deluxe versions of each of these figures.
I really like the idea of offering deluxe versions of their standard figures. If you want more accessories, they are there for you, but if you don’t really care for accessories – why not save a few bucks in the process?
Another thing that I just thought was amazing was the fact that the Wolverine costume is part of a Captain Action ‘Build-A-Costume” promotion. With this promotion, you need to buy the 6 different superhero costumes offered to get the pieces for the Hawkeye costume. The Wolverine comes with Hawkeye’s mask.
The only real issue that I had with these figures were the paint. For the most part, the paint is spot on, but there are a few areas where the paint is just slightly out of place. I didn’t buy these in the stores, but you could easily get figures with perfect paint by just selecting them yourself in the store. The Captain Action figure that I got has perfect paint.
Overall
Overall, I’m glad that I got these figures. I have been eyeballing them forever in TRU and now that I finally have them in hand I’m considering purchasing more. If you collect sixth scale figures you likely already know that $20-$30 for a single figure is an absolute bargain. At the price point they are at, the quality is surprisingly there too.
These figures are all marked for ages 14+, but I personally think that young kids would love these. I know that I would have if I would have known about them when I was smaller.
Where to buy?
If you are interested in buying any of the Captain Action figures, costumes or other products you can check out some of the following retailers. Of course, you can always mozy on over to eBay and check around for Captain Action figures.
Amazon: Round 2 Captain Codename Action Figure
Amazon: Captain Action Dr. Evil Deluxe Figure
Amazon: Round 2 Captain Action: Wolverine Costume Set
Big Bad Toy Store: Captain Action Figures
This figure was provided for review by the manufacturer. All text and opinions are that of the reviewer.
[…] using the cutting edge technology, high-end bodies that reflect the character, beyond that of the standard toy level that is currently available on the market. Action Elite is essentially a high-end Captain Action line that was meant specifically for adult […]