Review of Winston Zeddemore - Ghostbusters
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

The six inch Ghostbusters series from Mattel did it first, but they didn't do it as well - they reached the complete set of four characters, but for us old school sixth scale collectors, bigger is always better. Now with the release of Winston Zeddemore, the 12" series is complete (sort of) as well.

I say "sort of" because I'd love to see Rick Moranis in the outfit, giving us the fifth member to don the duds. Still, it's not like this is the Lord of the Rings license and they aren't giving us Gimli. THAT would be a capital crime - if we never get Louis, that's only a minor misdemeanor.

While the Ghostbusters line seems to do alright for Matty (they even offered a subscription plan for 2011), they don't sell out with the rapidity of Masters of the Universe Classics. In fact, while Winston went on sale last Monday, you can still pick him up over at Matty Collector for his original $60 price tag. I don't expect that to last much longer though, so if you're picking up the series I'd act now.

There hasn't been any word on additional 12" figures, but we know that the 6" line will get a little more love, and they have been hyping the retro style (aka Mego) cartoon based figures as well. Many of the 2011 announcements haven't been made yet, so there's still a chance we could see some more sixth scale love.

BTW, you won't see Egon in the group photos. It's not because I don't have him...it's because I can't find him. He's here someplace...

Packaging - ***
The large scale box that these come in has some nifty graphics, and I like the 'locker' box that can hold the accessories, but the major issue remains that these are not collector friendly (able to open them without damage) even though this is clearly a collector's line.

However, I've upped the score this time around, since Mattel decided to let us in on a special feature of the boxes. The four packages actually create a mural when set next to each other and viewed from the side, bookshelf style. Sadly, Mattel didn't bother to mention this when the sold the first figure, and I tossed the packaging. Here's a Matty Collector photo to show you what I'm missing.

Sculpting - ***
I had a suspicion early on that the head sculpt on Winston would end up the best likeness, and I think that's turned out to be true. It's not as major of a difference as I'd predicted though, because some place between the original prototype and the final product, things got a bit cartoony.

This is a reasonable Ernie Hudson likeness, although the expression (with raised eyebrows) reminds me a bit of Billy Dee Williams. Like Venkman, I think the package may have squished the soft head a tad, making it longer than it should be. I'm going to use a little hot water to see if I can't round it out a bit more, but it's not the major issue here that we saw previously.

Just how much you like the portrait is going to depend on how much you like the stylized look of the entire series. While a more realistic portrayal would have been my cup of tea, I wouldn't want them to have altered this character only - they need to all have the same artistic feel.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is relatively clean, if slightly basic. The hair line is good, and the eyebrows and mustache show only a smidge of bleed. The eyes are clean and straight, with a slight gloss. The skin tone is consistent and matches well between the body, hands and face.

The best paint work is on the various accessories, especially the proton pack. The small labels are actually legible, and with a magnifying glass you can read the included paper. There's a little slop here and there on the items on the belt, but overall the work is solid, especially considering the price point.

Articulation - ***
Underneath the outfit is the same body as we saw with the previous three releases, although this time it's cast in the darker skin tone.

This body isn't quite as articulated as something like a Hot Toys TrueType, but it's a sight better than the old Buck body that Sideshow used to use and several lower end manufacturers still use.

Like Pete, the ball jointed neck works quite well, allowing for plenty of tilt and twirl.

I didn't strip him down, but all the expected joints appear to be there - ball jointed shoulders, double pin elbows and knees, cut waist, an ab-crunch, ball hips, probably pin ankles. The gloved hands can only turn, but the regular hands are pin and post, so they have a greater pose potential.

All the joints are solid and stiff, which means he'll maintain pretty much any pose you put him in.

Accessories - ***1/2
With each release, Mattel provides some old and some new when it comes to accessories.

On the old front, there's the proton pack with attached wand. It kicks as much butt this time as it did the last three times, and it's easily the highlight of the 12" series. Tons of small details, wires, knobs and doodads make it a visual treat, and the wand can even attach tightly to the upper right edge. Top that all off with the light up feature I'll mention further below, and you have an exceptionally cool accessory.

Winston also has the walkie talkie, an extra set of ungloved hands (sculpted in a gripping pose), and the ecto trap with working lid. Press a button on the back and the top springs open! While we've seen all this before, it's still nice to get a good assortment of extras with every figure.

Zeddemore's new additions include the blue prints to the building, as well as a hunk of the newspaper with the Ghostbusters employment ad.

I assumed this ad would be paper, but it's not. The folded newspaper, along with a manila folder, is sculpted and cast in plastic all as one piece. It makes it much easier for him to hold, and less likely to end up ruined over time.

The blueprints are paper, however, rolled up into two tubes. They are properly scaled and look screen accurate to me. I'm going to use some weights (and perhaps an iron on VERY low heat) to get them flat, so that I can use them in the display with the boys.

Light Feature - ***
As we saw with the previous three releases, pressing a hidden button on the bottom of the pack lights up the four small LED's. These light in a circular pattern, and continue to flash for a minute or so, shutting themselves off. There's no off switch that you can control.

Outfit - ***
I've been saying this alot, but the outfit is also a match for the previous releases, with a couple minor exceptions.

The jumpsuit itself is excellent, with quality material and stitching as well as great tailoring. Obviously, his name tag says "Zeddemore", but otherwise the suit is the same.

He came with his pant legs tucked in the boots, and I left them that way since it's a nice departure from the short pant legs out of the boots on Ray and the longer exposed pant legs on Venkman.

The boot sculpt is nice, but again, it's a reuse of the previous releases. The same is true for the belt and various attachments, including a nice holster for the walkie-talkie.

The elbow pads are still the goofy fuzzy, Velcro wraps, which is the biggest negative overall. Hey, at least he has two!  My poor Venkman came with only one.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
After watching Ghostbusters, my kids were hooked. Any kids would be - that's what makes it such a classic franchise. The Ghostbusters also work perfectly with action figure role play, since they can battle ANY monster or beast in a similar scale, providing hours of conflict based fun.

Value - **1/2
There aren't too many sixth scale figures these days going for less than $80. The few that are generally suck like an Electrolux. I'm not thrilled to my core to be paying this much, but considering the quality of the outfit and the proton pack, it seems like a reasonable price.

Things to Watch Out For -
I didn't have any issues, but I will warn you that the back half of the proton pack does pop off of the rack and straps. I mention it because if it should fall off accidentally over a solid floor, you could have some broken bits, and it's never pleasant when a grown man cries like a little girl.

I'd also take a little care when placing the much softer wand in the very hard plastic glove hands. Once in place, they'll definitely hold it, but you could tear or scratch the wand if you don't exercise a little caution.

Overall - ***
There's some very positive things about the first complete sixth scale set of Ghostbusters figures ever mass produced. On the top of that list is the exceptionally well done proton pack and wand, but the assortment of additional accessories and most of the outfit pieces are top notch as well.

The underlying body is adequate, but I suspect most folks will be looking at other options. The head sculpts are recognizable, but all have that slightly cartoonish caricaturized look to them, which may not appeal to everyone.

In the end, these aren't instant "wow" inducing figures, but they are all solid B work, for a price that's about right. It might not be Hot Toys, but at $60 a pop you shouldn't expect them to be. My favorite of the four ended up being Venkman, but I have to say that Winston is a close second.

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

Where to Buy 
Matty Collector is the place to pick this guy up, where he's still available for $60. Or you can search ebay for that elusive deal!

Related Links -
This is the fourth in the 12" Ghostbusters, and I reviewed both Ray and Venkman. In the six inch scale, they have also released the SDCC exclusive Egon, Ray, Venkman, and Winston.

I've also covered the NECA releases in the past, including Gozer, Slimer, Vinz and Zuul, as well as their large Staypuft Marshmallow Man.

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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