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Captain Toy/Michael's Review of the Week

Review of Peter Venkman
Ghostbusters sixth scale action figure

Blitzway
Date Published: 2017-12-11
Written By: Michael Crawford
Overall Average Rating: 3.5 out of 4

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Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Introduction

Who you gonna call? This deeply philosophical question is emblazoned across the top of a huge white box. Inside, all four classic paranormal investigators - the Ghostbusters.

Blitzway showed these guys off at SDCC in 2016. The display was huge, intricate, and amazing. It was easily the highlight of the show for sixth scale collectors and Ghostbuster fans. They just started shipping in time for some lucky nerds to have a very Merry Christmas.

Blitzway sold them in several sets. You could buy each one individually for around $225 a character. Or you could get a set of the three 'doctors'. Or you could do what I did, and go big, buying all four in a single shot for around $850.

This four pack actually included some extras too - a lighted police barricade, a 'no ghost' sign, and a sixth scale Slimer! I may cover this extra pack as its own review, since I'm covering the four figures individually.

Let's start this series off with a look at Peter Venkman, the erstwhile leader of the gang.

Click on the image below for a Life Size version
Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Packaging - ****
The basic idea is simple enough - there's a window box covered by a slip. The graphics are decent, and it's sturdy and well made. It's all collector friendly too, with multiple layers of plastic trays holding the figure and accessories safe.

All that is nice, but not exceptional. What sets the boxes apart is the label on the front that has their name. That's a full scale embroidered cloth patch, perfect for your Ghostbusters costume! It's held on with Velcro - peel it off and pop it on your own suit!

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Sculpting - ***1/2
Once a product starts shipping, I try to avoid outside discussion of any figure I'm going to review before I review it. I feel hearing other complaints or praise can create unintentionally bias.

But avoiding the Facebook posts on these guys is pretty much impossible. I did the best I could, but it was clear that folks felt the production portraits fell short of the prototypes, and the Venkman was the worst of the bunch. Hence, I figured I'd start with him.

There are some paint issues - more on that in the next section. Separating paint issues from actual sculpt issues can be difficult, I know, but the sculpt on Peter is much better than some will lead you to believe.

The hair style and detail work is great, and helps set him apart.  The nose, lips, and overall shape of the face is great as well - those tiny lips help make the character. The eyes are closely set, and there's even some of the unique texture to his skin. Check out the way it dimples and sags on the right side, a very Murray thing.

I do think he's a little older looking here than he was in the original film.  It seems like they added about ten years, with a heavier jawline and thicker face. He also looks better from some angles than others, but there's no doubt it's Bill Murray. It's also worth noting that going with a solid one piece head/neck combo was a good move, adding some more realism to the flow around the jaw.

Another issue might be the expression. Murray tends to be extremely expressive, a look that is difficult to capture. They went with a slightly quizzical, slightly concerned expression, which was safe...but perhaps not the most recognizable.

The hands are properly scaled, and there's a nice assortment that work pretty well with the accessories (one notable exception I'll mention in the Accessories section). The sculpts are creepy real too - look at those fingernails!

He stands about 12 1/4" tall, but since I haven't opened the others up yet, I can't say whether there's the right amount of slight variation between the four.

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Paint - ***
Prototype paint work and production paint work rarely match. There's the matter of cost of course, but also of care and quality. It's hard for any company to make that match, and all the harder for smaller firms like Blitzway.

The paint does let the sculpt down a bit. The work on the hair is good, and I like the subtle transition at the hair line. The eyes are a bit red from bleed, but they are even, clear, and bright. The eyebrows and lips are also quite realistic.

It's really the skin tone that lacks. It's a bit too even, a bit too washed out. It doesn't rival the best skin tone work we see from the likes of Hot Toys, and Blitzway has a way to go in this area still.

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying body has all the sixth scale articulation you expect, with little hindrance from the overall costume.

As I mentioned, the head and neck are one piece, but you can get some good lean and tilt action out of the lower ball joint in the torso.  The shoulders, elbows and wrists give you some great arm poses, including natural two handed holds on the wand.

The torso twists and leans too, a big plus for getting more realistic, flowing, natural stances, particularly action stances. The hips and knees were a little loose, but he was able to hold the huge proton beam aloft without any trouble.

The ankles are the only other area with some restrictions from the boots. I couldn't get the feet flat on the ground in deep stances, but short to medium looked okay.

Let's go back to the wrists for a minute - the hands swapped easily, but stayed in place when posing.

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Accessories - ****
All four figures come with a bunch of extras, but if you want all the basics, you really have to get the whole set.

There's hands of course, including the relaxed grip gloved hands he comes wearing.  In the gloved style, he also has a set to hold the wand (perfectly angled for various poses), and another right to hold the walkie-talkie. He has several hands that are bare as well: a right to hold the radio; a pointing right; and a pair of wider grip hands that can technically work with the cigarette as well. There's no extra posts though, a bit of a bummer.

He has a set of soft, folded gloves, sculpted to fit over his belt. These are handy for posing him with the bare hands.

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

Pete comes with some soft goods too. There's a very large GHOSTBUSTERS sticker which will look great above them on the shelf. There's another small 'no ghost' sticker, and there are three magazine covers and three newspaper front pages, all relating to the team (and seen in the film).

He has his radio in a holster on his belt, and also attached to the belt (but removable) is the very complex 'gizmo' bag with the daughterboard. The sculpt and paint work on this thing is great, and they use metal hooks to hold it on the belt.

There's a couple tiny items that you might not notice at first. There's a set of two cigarettes in a small plastic bag. One is brand new, one is slightly burned down.  These can go in one of the right hands...sorta. It's not the best hand pose in the world for it, but it works.

He's also wearing a watch on his left arm. You won't notice it at first because it's hidden under the black gloved hand he comes wearing, but when you swap hands, you'll see it. It can fall off too, so be sure to remember it's there when swapping hands.

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

Of course, there's only one accessory you really care about - his proton pack. The thing is amaze-balls, with great detailing and construction. There's real wires and tubes and lights...it's a work of art. It fits on his back thanks to the two shoulder straps and a small strap that fits around his waist.

Some of those 'tubes', like the the one connecting the wand to the pack, are really metal springs, sort of like Slinky's. This makes them much sturdier and stronger than normal, and less likely to get damaged.

Keeping the wand attached to the side of the pack is tricky, because the strong 'tube' wants to pop it free. But get it in just the right pose, and it will stay in place.

My only complaint with the pack is the shoulder straps. Getting them to fit properly can be frustrating, and I was never really completely happy with the final result.

Attach the wild, colorful proton beam to the end of the wand, and he'll look perfect blasting ghosts. The beam is huge, but the tight attachment on the very tip of the wand works great, and the joints can manage the extra weight in most poses.

Finally, there's his stand. This is a unique creation to Blitzway that they call their MMS or multi-movement stand. The base itself is pretty basic, with the Ghostbusters logo on a plastic piece. There are two metal rods that go through this base and into an articulated plastic connector. These two rods can slide side to side or lean on the base in various ways, and there are two supports that can be attached to the connector - a waist support or a crotch support. It's quite customizable, and adds something unique over the usual display stand.

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Light Feature - ***1/2
The light feature is pretty straight forward to use. You do have to supply two CR2032 batteries however, which cost about $12 around here.

The pack frame pops off the pack itself, and underneath is the battery compartment. Unscrew it, pop in the two batteries (plus side up), screw the cover back on, and pop the frame and pack back together. Once the batteries are in place, pressing a small button on the bottom of the pack illuminates the blue lights on the left, the red/orange lights on the bottom, and the red tip of the wand.

Getting a photo to show the movement is tough, but the blue lights move from bottom to top and back down again. The lower lights move in a circle, while the wand tip simply remains lit.

The feature is easy to use, making it more likely you'll show it off to your friends. However, the pack and frame are held together with plastic tabs that snap in and out, and I have a fear that eventually these will wear out or snap.

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Outfit - ***1/2
The outfit is basic, but well done with high quality materials and excellent construction.

He's wearing a black t-shirt underneath his tan flight suit. The suit has lots of pockets and zippers, all in scale, and the patches look great.  There are removable elbows pads, and the military style pistol belt has the radio holster, 'gizmo' bag and daughterboard, and a couple real metal key fobs hanging from it.

The boot sculpt looks good, although the harder material does restrict the ankles a bit.

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Fun Factor - ***1/2
This guy is a ton of fun to pose and re-pose. On his own he's great - once you add the rest of the team, he'll be amazing. The display possibilities are endless, and we need a few generic 'ghost' figures in sixth scale to go with them. Any ideas?

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Value - ***
I'm giving this guy a better than average value score, which might be hard to believe. But you're getting a classic license, with a ton of great accessories, a well done light up feature, and the potential to create one of the greatest screen teams of all time...all for the average market price.  That's a solid value in my book!

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Things to Watch Out For -
Not much.  Some of the smaller sculpted parts can break if you squeeze the wrong way, so take some care when handling him. But the overall construction is very solid, and they've done everything they can to make this figure less fragile. And don't forget about the watch!

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Overall - ***1/2
I've been looking forward to this set for a long time...and the wait has been worth it. While I do wish the paint operations were closer in quality to what we saw with the prototype, I think the sculpt is very good - and everything else is just about perfect. I won't open the other three until I review them, giving me the chance to anticipate each one...I can't wait!

In fact, I'm liking these so much, that I don't think I can avoid pre-ordering the Ecto-1. The price tag is huge, running around $1400 - $1500 at most retailers, so I may have to start selling some blood. How can you have the team without the ride?

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

Ghostbusters Venkman sixth scale action figure by Blitzway

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Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- have pre-orders for Venkman back up at the site for $230!

- set their pre-order price at $900 for the set of four and $215 - $230 each, depending on the characters, but they appear all sold out.

- originally had the full set of four at $1100, with the singles going for $275, but they are long sold out on pre-order.

- Entertainment Earth had the set for $896, and the singles for around $220, but like everyone else, they appear sold out.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other recent Ghostbusters merchandise includes the smaller 7" scale series from Diamond Select, including Terror Dog, Library Ghost, and Taxi Ghost; Walter Peck, Gozer, and a Slimed Peter; Quittin' Time Ray, Slimer, and Janine; Ray, Louis, and Winston and Dana, Egon, and Peter.

Recently, Playmobil released their Ghostbusters sets, and I reviewed the Ecto-1.

If you're looking for sixth scale Busters at a cheaper price, check out the Mattel 12" Zeddemore, and the 12" Ray and Venkman. In the six inch scale, Mattel also released the SDCC exclusive Egon, Ray, Venkman, and Winston. Mattel's classic line was also re-released recently, and they did a wave based on the new film with Rowan and Jillian and Patty, Abby, and Erin.

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

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.

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