Review of Dementor - Harry Potter
Real Masters Action Figure

Introduction

This is my third Harry Potter review in the last couple weeks - that hasn't happened in quite some time. It's nice to see more collectibles hitting, and I'm hoping it's a trend that continues.

Last week I looked at the new Star Ace 1/8 scale Real Masters Voldemort, a figure I was quite pleased with. I received him as part of a two pack with tonight's review - the Dementor.

You can pick this guy up one of three ways from various retailers - as part of the two pack with Voldemort, for around $200; as part of a two pack with Harry, also around $200; or on his own for about $110.

Packaging - ***
Nice graphics and a collector friendly style create a solid package. The interior plastic trays keep things safe, and they included some very basic instructions.

Sculpting - ***
The actual look of the skeletal face underneath the robes is a bit of an interpretation. I don't recall ever getting a great look on screen, as the face is usually shrouded and largely hidden. But we do know it's skeletal, and Star Ace went with a bone/sinewy muscle combo that looks like a body long decaded, but not yet quite completely devoid of flesh.

There are no legs, in case you're wondering. The sculpted bits are the arms, head, and neck/torso. The bendable metal stand post, similar to the others we've seen with this sort of display stand, fits in a hold inside the rib cage.

While it's largely covered, the torso is fully sculpted with jutting ribs and shriveled arms. The long bony fingers are not poseable - they are on the sixth scale version currently up for pre-order - but the selected grasping poses look good.

The face itself is heavily textured, with what looks like dry, mummified skin pulled tight over the bone. The open mouth is designed to work with the 'kiss' effects, but also works fine as a stand alone expression.

These guys are 1/8 scale, and as he floats over the stand, his head tops out at about 10 inches tall.

Paint - ***
The paint work is consistent over the sculpted pieces, with a grayish base covered with various washes and highlights. It brings out the texture in the skin, and the details are nicely highlighted. There's even a few raggedy teeth left in the mouth, with a properly disgusting paint application. There's nothing about the paint work that's astounding, but it serves the purpose.

Articulation - **1/2
I'm not loving the articulation, particularly considering how good the recent Voldemort was in this category.

The ball jointed neck is more restricted than I expected, thanks to a fairly short post inside the neck. There's some tilt and lean, but you can't create horizontal flying poses.

The shoulders are simple cuts, and there's no other joints in the arms.  That's a big negative, since moving the arms out away from the sides of the body should be a basic function.

That's it for the body itself. However, there are three stiff wires in the lower cloth 'dress', and more wires in the edges of the outer cloak. While there are no wires in the hood itself, the wires in the cloak allow you to pose the hood around the face or back on the head.

The other big point of articulation and posing is the display stand rod itself. As I mentioned, it attaches to the body underneath the rib cage, and it can bend in just about any way you'd like. It's made of metal as well, and very sturdy. The figure itself is quite light weight, allowing for extreme poses on the smaller base.

Accessories - **1/2
He's pretty limited here. There's the display base of course, but you might not consider that an accessory since it's necessary to keep the poor guy floating. His only other extras are two translucent 'kiss' effects. These can be inserted in his mouth, and appear as though he is sucking the hope and joy from a victim. They each have a unique sculpt, but the attachment at the mouth is a little wonky. Take some care, since the effects are thin and could snap under too much pressure.

The sixth scale release has a different base on the stand, more of a diorama look with cobblestones. I think that would have been a big plus here, and the standard Harry Potter logo takes away from some of the realism.

Outfit - ***1/2
The outfits is made up of two pieces: an inner robe, with several wires fanning out from the mid-section, and an outer robe that includes the hood.

These are made from a very thin material, with lots of nice wear and tear, and some dirt and grime thrown in for good measure. While the costume is relatively simplistic, the quality is solid, and they hang off the minimal body nicely.

Fun Factor - ***
Add in a Harry figure, and you've got a pretty cool display.  The Dementor's kiss effects work fairly well, and while I don't love needing to use the display stand, it really is the only way they could pull off a character like this.

Value - *1/2
Ah, here's the rub. This guy is selling for more than $100 on his own, although he is going for a more reasonable price of $90 as part of either of the two packs. While I think the price tag on a more complex figure like Voldemort is within the general ball park, this guy doesn't sport enough in terms of sculpt, paint, outfit, and accessories to justify the same cost. Get him in a two pack, and you can add a half star to this category.

Things to Watch Out For -
Take some care when inserting the thin effects in the mouth - too much pressure could snap them.

Overall - **1/2
This isn't a complex figure, and the sixth scale version adds a few things to make the higher $200 price point slightly more palatable, like bendy fingers and a light up mouth/eyes. The sculpt and paint work are in line with the rest of the 1/8 Real Masters series, the simple costume is well made, and you should be able to get some good poses out of him. If price isn't an issue for you, I'd add another half star overall.

But for many price is an issue, and it's tough to justify $100+ for something this basic.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Check out the 1/8 Voldemort I reviewed last week, and if you're really into Dementor's, check out the Gentle Giant bust from quite awhile back.

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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