Shrek Outhouse Playset

McFarlane has broken new ground for themselves, producing their first line aimed specifically at kids first, collectors a distant second.  Along with the 6" set of action figures, large plush figure, small beanies, 3" PVC's, and 9" talking figures, we have a set of three playsets.

I think that the old Mcfarlane Monsters playsets were some of the best product the company has ever produced.  These playsets are reminiscent of those sets, and if you liked them, run, don't walk, to your local Wal-mart or Meijers and grab these.  There are three playsets - the Outhouse (reviewed here), the home, and the swamp bath.  The home has a few more accessories and is a little larger than the other two, so expect it's retail price to be a couple bucks more.

Packaging - ***
Servicable enough.  You can see the playset and accessories well, and it's very sturdy.

I am always amazed at how stinky Mcfarlane toys are - crack these open and expect a quick high off the fumes.

Also, it looks like they are keeping the twisty tie makers in business all on there own.  Have some wire snips handy.

Accessories - ***
The house and bath sets have a ton of accessories, but the outhouse doesn't.  that's probably because of the detail that is in the playset itself.  

There is a neat little book though that fits in Shrek's left hand.  A little reading material is required of course.  A couple more accessories would have been appreciated.

Sculpt - ****
The sculpting on the 6" figures is nice - here it's really amazing.  For such a small scale, they've done an excellent job capturing the character. 

And the sculpting on the playset is incredible - the details on the wood, the plants and lizards, the rocks and grass...I was blown away.

Playset Quality - ****
The playset itself is great.  The door swings open and closed, has great little working handles on both sides, the toilet paper roll spins, and there are two lids to the seat, just like real life.

Articulation - ***1/2
A great score for Mcfarlane Toys on articulation!  There are nine points on this small figure - neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists and thighs.  He stands great on his own, and this is just the right amount of articulation for a figure this size.

Value - ***
As usual, how good a value this is will depend on where you buy it.  At Wal-marts I paid twelve bucks, which is slightly higher than the old Monsters playsets.  I wouldn't want to pay much more than that, but it's a decent value at that price.

Expect to pay a little more for the home playset - it comes in a bigger box and has a TON of accessories.

Overall - ***1/2
I'm very pleased with the Shrek line overall, and in particular these playsets.  I loved the old Monsters sets, and these are extremely similar.  I expect I'll end up picking up the other two soon - I grabbed the outhouse first simply because the whole idea was just so unique and cool.  I'm going to have this out at work, and I'm sure it will generate plenty of discussion.

Where to Buy:
Meijers is getting in a lot of the Shrek merchandise, and Toys R Us is also getting it in slowly.  I've only seen the playsets at Wal-marts around here so far.

I wouldn't resort to on-line if I were you - you'll find these everywhere soon enough.