Review of Dobby
Harry Potter sixth scale action figure

Introduction

How often do we get 20 figures in sixth scale from one company for one license? Yep, not very. But that's the landmark we've hit with the Harry Potter series from Star Ace with their release of Dobby the House Elf.

He might not be as fancy and complex as some of the other releases, but he's a crucial character, and plays a very important role in Harry's story. And thanks to his unique look, he makes for a great collectible - just check out the Gentle Giant bust from a few years back.

This is a bit of an early review. While this is a production figure, he won't start shipping widely for a little while. He runs around $90 at most retailers.

Packaging - ***
While this is a sixth scale figure, the box is very tiny - remember, he's only 6" tall in this scale. But the graphics and design matches up nicely with the rest of the line, and it's all very collector friendly.

Sculpting - ***1/2
If you've forgotten what poor Dobby looks like, yep, this is him. They've given him a worried, concerned expression, and matched the ear position to the emotion. He's definitely sad, but it's not so over the top that it won't work for most poses - he was rarely a happy elf. The proportions are all quite good, from the ears to the nose to the shape of the head, and even the body is well designed. The long, lanky arms are just about right, and the 6" height maintains scale with the rest of the series.

I have two nits, one bigger than the other. The bigger one revolves around the ears. He could use a little more detail, a little more texture, on the inside of the ears. This is a pretty minor nit, particularly considering the size (you won't notice it as an issue until I mention it), but considering the nice work on the wrinkles and skin texture every where else, I thought the inside of the ears was a bit lacking.

The second issue is the bigger one...but I have a feeling it's more a matter of my poor memory than an issue for Star Ace. Dobby has a Van Dyke. There's a small triangle of what I assume is suppose to be sculpted hair on his chin. I went back and perused a lot of movie stills, and no where did I find one where he had this hairy chin. I even looked at Deathly Hollows, which is not the advertised film this is supposedly based on, but which does have ties to it (more on that in the Accessories section). But nope, couldn't find any stills or video that showed this small tuft.

Now, he always had sort of a weird chin, and it's possible that something went awry in the mold making process. But to be honest, it's more likely that I'm missing something obvious, and a reader will quickly point out to me why he has the chin hair.

Paint - ***1/2
The wrinkled skin has a nice consistent color from head to toe, including the areas of the body covered by the torn pillow case. By the way, you don't want to look under the pillow case - I did, and I'm scarred for life.

There's a wash over most of the texture that gives it depth, bringing out the tiniest details. The work on the eyes is clean, but the attempt at creating the subtle variation in the iris looks worse in macro photos than in person. In hand, it looks quite realistic, and while I wish they had gone with a more glassy eye, the end result with the painted alternative works well.

Articulation - **1/2
Ah, here's a sticky wicket. To create a better look, there's less articulation.

The ball jointed neck works pretty well, and the joint is hidden up under the jawline. The rotating hinge shoulders are covered - usually - by the cloth outfit. Likewise with the ball hips. The movement in these joints is good, but that's all the joints there are, with no elbow, wrist, knee or ankle articulation to help with poses.

They included a second left arm in a different pose to help alleviate some of the issue, but you'll still find yourself wishing for at least a little more arm articulation.

Accessories - ***1/2
Dobby comes with a number of critical extras, all pretty specific to his character.

As I mentioned, there's a second left arm, and the hand is posed to hold the included 'magic energy' spark. It's a little tricky to get this translucent plastic piece to sit reliably between the fingers, but it is possible. The instructions advise using a hair dryer to warm up the shoulder before removing either arm, and I'd agree. The ball on both is a tight fit, and a little heat goes a long way to reducing any risk of damage to the joint.

Dobby also has Tom Riddle's diary, with a basilisk tooth that can be stabbed through the cover. The sculpts and paints are good, and it's a nice addition even for displaying with Harry.

Another very specific extra is a gray sock. If you know Dobby, you know how important it was to him when Harry presented him with the dirty sock, and now you can recreate that moment of emancipation on your shelf.

His final extra is a bit of a rude one. How would you feel being packed with the instrument of your demise? That's the case here, with Bellatrix' knife as his final extra. Again, a nice sculpt, with some basic paint work.

Outfit - ***
Dobby doesn't wear much as a House Elf, and even once he has his freedom, he sticks to his spartan ways. They've included his cloth, torn pillow case outfit, with a tie over the left shoulder. It's fairly screen accurate, and while the fit isn't great, that's exactly the way it should be. He was forever pulling up the shoulders and trying to keep it on, so the tailoring here is a good on screen match.

There's also enough dirt and wear to make it look realistic without going crazy or over the top.

Fun Factor - ***
The lack of articulation is offset by the nice accessories, and the overall display potential with other releases from Star Ace. It's nice to see a non-human Potter character get this sort of treatment, particularly in sixth scale.

Value - **1/2
At $90, he's far below the cost of any of the other sixth scale figures in the line, including the basic versions of the kids. But that makes sense - there's not much to the costume, and the figure is quite small. At $15 or so more than a Mezco One:12 Collective figure, he seems a touch expensive, but you have to remember that those figures all use the same base body, while this guy is an all new sculpt, head to toe. Adding in the nice variety of extras also helps keep the price closer to average.

Things to Watch Out For -
I'd take their advice and heat up the shoulder on the torso (avoid the shoulder of the arm as much as possible, since you could weaken the joint and peg too, making it easier to tear as you pull it off), when swapping arms. Other than that, you should be good to go.

Overall - ***1/2
I'm hoping we break two dozen figures in this line before they are done, and I think that's quite possible, but it's clear that the pace of releases is slowing way down.

The biggest issue this particular release has is the lack of articulation, but considering the character design and his bare arms and legs, I suspect most fans will be fine with the decision to prioritize looks over posability. I know I'm good with it, and I'm quite pleased that we're getting something other than another Harry variation.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - **1/2
Accessories - ***1/2
Outfit - ***
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is a little higher at $93, but includes free shipping.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other Star Ace Harry Potter sixth scale figures include Dumbledore (Gambon), Teen Harry,  young Draco Malfoy, the Draco/Harry two pack in their Quidditch gear, the casual dress Hermione, the Casual Ron and Harry, Dumbledore (Harris), Hagrid, Snape, Tri-Wizard Harry, the young Hermione, young Harry and Ron, Voldemort, Sirius Black, Mad Eye Moody, and Sirius in his Prison Garb.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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