Review of Dr. Evil - Captain Action figure

Introduction

I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a child of the 60's. Yes, that makes me nothing short of old, but I'm cool with that.

I'm also not afraid to admit that the classic Captain Action figures were some of my favorite playthings. Round 2 has been tapping into the nostalgia of the old series with their new releases the last couple years.

But while they've done the Captain himself and several cool outfits (mixing DC and Marvel licenses for the first time in decades), they had to give us his ultimate enemy - Dr. Evil! And yes, this Dr. Evil was created long before the Austin Powers character.

Dr. Evil has a burned, disfigured face, and he covered up his ugly exterior with a bearded mask. Like many Doctors in the world of comics, he used his advanced degree to develop new ways to destroy the world. You'd think major universities would do a better job of screening for their doctoral programs.

Round 2 has given us their take on the character, and it's slightly different than the original. You can find him online, or at your local Toys R Us for around $35. There's also a non-deluxe version that doesn't include the repro box, but you'll only save about 5 bucks.

Packaging - ***1/2
There are technically two boxes here, at least with the deluxe version. There's the obvious package that the figure and all the accessories come in, which is quite collector friendly. There's a couple unique clear plastic ties but they're replaceable, and the rest of the box does not have to be damaged to remove the figure.

There's also a reproduction box included, and this is an excellent addition. You can see on the lid what the original figure looked like, and the graphics and colors are great. The bottom of the box is pretty weak and thin, but at least the lid is well made.

Sculpting - ***1/2
This is not your daddy's Dr. Evil. Or in my case, it's not my Dr. Evil - the head sculpt retains the general concept of the blue-green skin and exposed brain, but takes it in its own direction.

The head is elongated, with the exposed brain dipping down the front of the face. The brain is actually removable - how cool is that! - and there are two others that can be popped into place.

The expression is one of general venom. I love the curled lips and furrowed brow, and the brain has some nice detail.

The elongated head also works well with the mask, which is rounded and full. I removed the brain to allow the mask to fit better as well.

The hands are sculpted to work with the accessories, and while there's only the one set, they work well.

I like this head sculpt quite a bit more than the original. That's probably some sort of blasphemy, but while I still love my original (whom you can see photos of in my review of the smaller version here), there's no doubt that he had a bit of a spaced out, stoned look that wasn't nearly as creepy as the new version. If you're after something that's more of a pure reproduction, you'll be less enthused.

Paint - ***
The paint work varies in quality depending on the area.

The face, especially the eyes, is extremely well done. The eyes are bloodshot and determined, with a straight, even gaze.

On the flip side, none of the three brains is particularly well done. The normal brain lacks enough wash to fill in all the details, while the green version looks like vegetable hair. The Tron version lacks clean lines as well. All of the brains were a bit disappointing in this category.

The mask has nice work on the hair, and the skin tone is consistent. It looks like a mask - which is exactly what it should look like.

Articulation - ***1/2
Just because something is nostalgic doesn't mean it should have the same failings as the original. It can be tough to improve on an action figure though, without taking away the very essence that makes it nostalgic.

With a figure like Captain Action, one of the best areas where improvement can occur and not hurt the classic style is the articulation. The original body was far superior to the G.I. Joe body at the time, but it was still light years behind modern sixth scale base bodies. However, it's completely hidden in the normal Captain Action outfit, so improvements wouldn't be visually obvious.

This new body is a huge improvement over the original, with a much more fluid design. You can get some nice poses out of him, and the joints are solid and tight. The boots restrict the ankles, but the rest of the costume doesn't block the mobility or posing at all.

Accessories - ***1/2
I've already mentioned the extra reproduction box that comes with this deluxe version.

There's also the two extra brains - one has a Tron-like helmet appearance, while the other reminds me of some sort of leafy vegetable. All three pop in and out cleanly, and stay in place with normal handling.

Like the original, there's both a laser gun and a medallion. These are very much like the originals, although there's some very minor changes to keep them from being mistaken for classics. I love the real metal chain on the medallion, and the paint work is great on both accessories.

The original had a bearded mask, as does this one. This mask looks much better over the Dr. Evil head than some of the Captain Action masks, with a better fit. I love how the mouth is sculpted to have the same snarling expression as the actual head.

To go along with this mask is a skin colored chest and neck piece. This piece has a slit in back and covers the front of the exposed body. This is something the original did not include, and it's a great add.

Finally, he comes with a hypnotic eyeball, designed to control his enemies. The funky eyeball sits on a swirling stalk that can be attached to a computer base or kept separate. The computer has a ton of sculpt and paint detail, both front and back, and overall this is a terrific accessory. There's even a visor to cover the eye and avoid it's dangerous gaze!

There's an eyeball blue print too, full sized and rolled up. They taped it closed, but this was a mistake - removing the tape will tear the print.

Outfit - **
My only real disappointment here is the outfit. While I love the accessories, the clothing comes up pretty short.

The jacket, pants and boots are what I'm considering 'outfit' for the purposes of this section.

The original sported a Nehru style shirt and matching pants, along with some funky sandals. His style of clothing was all hippy, the perfect nemesis for the more traditional Captain Action, at least at the time.

This version also has Nehru style outfit, but this time it's not a shirt but a jacket. The front closes with a Velcro strip, and this strip isn't particularly well applied. On mine, the front tends to fold over, exposing the yellow lining, because the Velcro is applied too far inside.

The yellow lining looks good, but doesn't over the entire interior of the jacket. The tailoring is a bit wonky as well, with the sleeves coming up very short, and the fit across the shoulders almost too tight.

The large collar can be put up - which looks great for the unmasked Evil - or folded down. When the mask was on, I thought the folded collar looked best.

I'm not digging the bright silver color, either. It looks more like space suit material than flower power clothing, but some people may prefer the look. I have to admit that the original outfit did look an awful lot like pajamas, but there was something just right about that.

Then there's the boots. As I said, the original had sandals, which looked great and got lost almost immediately. This time they went with large, rubbery boots, painted with a sandal design. I really don't like them, and I suspect I'll just dump them and go with bare feet for the display. The boots don't match with the suit in style, and seem completely out of place.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
The original was great fun, and this one improves in several areas, including articulation. Also, while the overall design screams 1960's, the demonic head sculpt and disguise mask still give him a cool factor that even modern kids would appreciate.

Value - **
Prices are hurting everyone right now, and convincing a parent - or a collector - to drop $35 - $40 on a toy can be pretty tricky. most of the cost here is in the accessories and head sculpt, since this is the same (although in a different color) body that the Captain himself sports. It's not wildly expensive, but at $30 would have grabbed that extra half star and an average value score.

If you're picking this up for a kid to play with, I'd stick with the normal version. The deluxe set, with the repro box, is really designed for the collector. The regular version is $30, and even without the repro box would get an average score here.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***
If you're looking for a true reproduction of the 1960's Dr. Evil, you'll need to look elsewhere. This is definitely NOT it. This is a re-imagining of the character, and in many ways an improvement.

I really like the new head sculpt, and the swapping brains is a terrific idea. The underlying body is better articulated, and the included accessories are a big upgrade.

But the outfit was a downer, both in fit and design. Had that one area been improved, the good Doctor would have pulled another half star.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***
Articulation - ***12
Accessories - ***1/2
Outfit - **
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **
Overall - ***

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I covered the base figure and a couple of the outfits last year. Cast-A-Way toys also did some smaller scale versions of the Captain and Dr. Evil.

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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