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Captain Toy/Michael's Review of the Week

Review of Stranger Things Action Figures

Funko
Date Published: 2017-09-08
Written By: Michael Crawford
Overall Average Rating: 3 out of 4

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Stranger Things action figures from Funko

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Introduction

Netflix continues to surprise with their original shows, but none has taken the world by surprise quite like Stranger Things. It dropped with minimal fanfare and buzz, but has become one of their biggest hits. It's not a particularly original show, but the creators took themes, designs, and concepts from just about every 1980's movie and tv show, threw them into a magic pop culture blender, and out came the hit of the summer.

Funko has produced Pop vinyl figures based on the show of course, but there hasn't been a ton of other goodies yet. They have just started shipping a set of six 4" scale action figures, packed in two sets of three, to retailers. One set includes Eleven, Mike, and Lucas, while the other pack has Will, Dustin, and an attacking Demogorgon.

Fun.com sent these along, where you can pick up the individual sets for $20 each.

Click on the image below for a Life Size version
Stranger Things Mike action figure from Funko

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Packaging - ***
Each set of three comes in a small box on a hanger card. The interior art looks like the 'upside down', while the exterior art mimics some key features on the show. It's relatively collector friendly - there's some tape holding in the smaller accessories, but no twisties or rubber bands - and the large window shows off the figures on the peg.

Stranger Things action figures from Funko

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Sculpting - ***
Remember Funko's 4" scale ReAction figures? Yea, these aren't those. They dropped the branding with their smaller action figure lines, added articulation, and moved away from the 80's style sculpting and paint work. I first saw the results of the changes with the 1966 Batman tv show series, and I ended up buying the entire first wave because of it.

The portraits here are somewhat generic, but considering the scale that's to be expected. The hair and clothing styles help set the characters apart, and you can seet the general likeness with several.

The hands are sculpted into various grips that work with some of the accessories or some specific poses. A surprise was the backpacks, which are all unique in some way. They've also sculpted details that could have simply been painted, like the knee high socks on Eleven. They've included textures on some of the clothing, and there's more small detail work than I anticipated.

The creepy Demogorgon looks terrific, and will be a fan favorite. But you shouldn't overlook the tiny detail work on the various clothing on each of the figures.

By the way, when I say these are a 4" scale, the kids are actually just about 3 3/4" tall.

Stranger Things WIll action figure from Funko

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Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is clean, considering the scale, but there's still some blips and blops here and there. All of these nits are minor - there's a mark below Eleven's nose, there's some bandana color down on Lucas' forehead, Dustin's eyes are a little wonky - but overall the quality is consistent. And maybe that mark under Eleven's nose is on purpose...

They used a couple stickers too, like the one on the Eggo package. They're straight and even, and surprisingly clear considering the tiny size.

The Demogorgon has the least number of applications, but the use of a wash brings out the finer skin texture and detailing.

Stranger Things Eleven action figure from Funko

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Articulation - ***
One of the areas where the new figures up the ante is around articulation. The old ReAction branded line had a cut neck, cut shoulders, and cut hips. That's been improved quite a bit.

The neck is a ball joint that allows some decent tilt and lean. The shoulders are rotating hinge joints, and there are pin elbows and pin knees. The hips are still T style cut joints, including the Demogorgon.

The Demogorgon also has a pin wrist and pin ankle joint, which allows for some good posing potential. I do wish there was some sort of in/out turn in the arms and legs, but it's a minor nit.

I'd say that's true with all the figures in fact. Without any ability to turn the elbows, knees, or hips, things are a bit more restricted, but I can live.

Eleven adds one additional joint - she has cut wrists. All the figures stand fine on their own, and the joints on all the kids are tight and solid. The joints on the Demogorgon, especially at the ankles, are a bit loose and sloppy, but I was still able to get him to maintain decent stances.

Stranger Things Demogorgon action figure from Funko

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Accessories - ***
They've included a handful of show/character specific extras, all properly scaled.

Eleven gets a box of Eggos, plus one single Eggo. Mike has a walkie talkie, while Lucas has both his Wrist Rocket and a pair of binoculars. The slingshot actually fits over the wrist and in the hand properly, although the sculpted extended band looks a little weird. Dustin finishes things off with a small can, which he can hold in his specifically sculpted hand.

The backpacks are all unique and removable, making them accessories as well. I swapped the accessories around a bit with the different figures when I was shooting to show that while the hands on some are specifically designed for certain extras, most can be held by just about anybody.

Stranger Things Lucas action figure from Funko

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Fun Factor - ***
The added articulation (and nifty accessories) improves the playability with these as well. Kids that enjoyed the show - and I'm sure there are some - can recreate key scenes and make up their own, and the figures can certainly stand up to normal play.  Adult fans can pose and display them, although I'm betting many of them want something in a larger scale as well.

Stranger Things Dustin action figure from Funko

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Value - ***
You're getting three 4" scale figures for $20, or less than $7 each. With most 4" figures running around $10 each now, this is a solid value, slightly above average.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. All the figures were sturdy and well made, with no fear of breakage or damage.

Overall - ***
While these aren't the sort of extremely realistic collectibles that some folks are drawn to, the style and design fits with the 80's theme of the show extremely well. The likenesses could be better, but considering the scale and the price point, it's hard to complain. Better yet, the amount of detail, both in the sculpting and the paint, is quite impressive, and renews my hope for this style figure from Funko going forward.

With these six, you get pretty much everyone you MUST have from the first season. Oh sure, a Barb, or Joyce, or Jim, or Jonathan would be great, but these six create the critical set.  With the second season dropping soon, I expect some new key characters to appear, perfect for a second and third series of figures.

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

Stranger Things action figures from Funko

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Where to Buy 
Fun.com was kind enough to send these along for the review, and they have each set individually for $20 each.

Related Links -
It's probably not surprising, but this is my first Stranger Things collectibles review. With only one season under their belts, there's not much out there yet, but the second season drops next month.

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

Discussion:
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Stranger Things action figures from Funko

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This product was provided for the review by the manufacturer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.

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