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With one exception - this
exclusive
version of the Raiders bust. While the regular version has a simple
outstretched left arm and hand, the exclusive version has the arm bent,
with the hand holding the Fertility Idol. This exclusive was produced
for GenCon in Australia this last July, and only 1000 of them were
produced. The good news is you can still get this exclusive from the
Gentle Giant website. The bad news is you can still get this exclusive
from the Gentle Giant website.
Packaging - **1/2
On the plus side, you get the very cool baseball card style Certificate
of Authenticity. Yes, you normally get that with any regular release,
but most of the Star Wars exclusive busts did not come with any sort of
COA, so it's nice to see it included here.
On
the negative side, there's no window to allow you to see the bust.
Sure, most folks will be buying this particular one online, but for
those lucky enough to get the others in a store (or at a convention),
it would be nice to see the paint ops on the one you're buying BEFORE
you spend the green.
Sculpting - **1/2
This was a weird category for me. Why? Because there is Harrison Ford
as Indiana Jones in there - no doubt about it.The shape of the face,
the jawline, the scar, the nose, the set of the eyes - it's him.
But
it's slipped over the line of realistic into slightly caricaturish.
Certain aspects are slightly exaggerated, probably in an attempt to
make it clearly Indy, and yet it also makes it a bit cartoony.
He
also has one of the weirdest expressions I've seen in awhile. It looks
like they were going for focused concern, and ended up with bewildered
confusion. It's almost as if George asked him to do a fifth Indiana
Jones movie.
Finally, he also seems to suffer
a bit from the kind
of deformation I recently mentioned on the Stuntman Mike figure. The
head is a bit squished, and while some of this twisting is actually
accurate (Ford does have a crooked nose and face), there's too much
here.
The body sculpt and proportions
are solid, although the
coat and hat suffer from the same lack of texture that most Gentle
Giant mini-busts suffer from.
Even with all these problems,
you
might have been able to convince me to go a half star higher, if not
for the left hand of this exclusive version. In the regular version,
this hand is simply posed out to the side, but here it's gripping the
Fertility Idol. Or at least it's supposed to be. Instead, the Idol is
floating on the palm, defying gravity, with the fingers and thumb not
even wrapped around it. In fact, there's a fairly substantial gap
between the fingers and the Idol, which looks pretty silly. Yes, I'm
sure they couldn't come up with a way that they could put the idol in
the hand properly, especially when this is "just" and exclusive, but I
expect better out of Gentle Giant mini-busts.
Paint - **
Great paint could have easily improved this
bust, bringing out the better qualities while hiding the flaws.
Instead, the paint is a bigger issue than the sculpt.
There's too
much slop for a bust in today's specialty market. The lips are uneven,
the edges between the shirt and the jacket are sloppy, the edge between
the strap and the shirt are uneven, skin tone from the wrist is down on
the sleeve of the jacket, the white of the shirt is up on the
neck...and don't even get me started on the speckling used for his
unshaven look.
On the plus side, the golden
color of the Idol is
even and well done, and I like the weathering effect of the jacket. but
overall, this isn't the kind of paint job you expect in this market.
Design - ***
The the final execution might leave something to be desired, the basic
design was good.
I
like the dynamic aspect of the pose, and actually think it could have
been even more dynamic. The upper body looks a little too much like
he's just standing there raising the whip - with a bit more bend and
twist to the torso and slightly more energetic arms, I think it would
have looked even better.
They handled the whip well,
making it in
two pieces. These attach to the whip handle (which is part of the right
hand sculpt) by way of two thin metal rods. This works well, and even
gives you some 'articulation' in the sense that the whip can be turned
at these two spots to give it a little personalization on your shelf.
The
rocky base looks decent, but that green paint is a bit too much like
green paint rather than the moss I assume it's attempting to be.
Value -
**1/2
While the particular bust has his issues, I have to say that Gentle
Giant has kept their bust prices within a reasonable average,
especially considering the overall rising costs in many other areas.
Most GG busts can still be had for around $45 or so (this is an
exclusive, so it will run closer to $55), but I don't expect that to
last.
Things To Watch Out For
-
Take your time assembling the whip. Remember, those long metal posts
can make mince meat out of the softer resin whip, so use slow twisting
movements to insert them.
Overall - **1/2
I'm not surprised that pre-orders for these busts haven't been better.
Neither the regular version of this one or the Temple of Doom version
are particularly awe inspiring.
If
this were five years ago, Indy fans would be all over these like hair
on a bear. But right now, the Indy collectibles tank is topped off, and
fans are being very picky about what they spend their limited funds on.
With all the current choices begging for their hard earned dollars,
finding a market for these busts is going to be all the more difficult.
Mediocre isn't going to cut it.
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - **1/2
Paint - **1/2
Design - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - **1/2
Where to Buy -
This was the exclusive version, but you can pick up the regular (sans
idol) at a few of my sponsors:
- this exclusive
version can still be had at the Gentle Giant website for $55.
- Things from Another World
has an excellent price on both the regular bust and the upcoming Temple
of Doom bust at just $44 each!
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