2000s | Vintage Action Figures

Happy Halloween! NECA Cult Classics Eric Draven from The Crow

With Halloween very nearly upon us I thought this would be an excellent moment to showcase this recent flea market find. Admittedly it will be quite a few years before this 2005 NECA figure celebrating The Crow movie character Eric Draven can properly be described as “vintage”, but he is such a stunning figure I couldn’t resist adding him to my collection.

The tragic and untimely death of Brandon Lee in an on-set firearms accident during filming of the final scenes of the 1994-released movie has undoubtedly added to the “cult” status of The Crow, but watched with a purely objective eye twenty years on, the film really has stood the test of time and Lee’s central performance is particularly deserving of critical praise. This 7 inch action figure beautifully captures Lee’s likeness and mesmerising expression and is a wonderful piece of memorabilia.

The Undertaker aka Big Evil by JAKKS Pacific

The collection of wrestling action figures is a thriving sub-genre of the hobby, and whilst these figures have never been the focus of my own collection, I’ve always admired them from afar. Never one to resist a well-made figure in a bargain bin, this 7-inch WWE JAKKS Pacific figure caught my eye some time ago, but I confess lay forgotten until I happened upon a spoof news story recently – Ben Affleck to portray The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 – which after I’d finished chuckling, reminded me to dig out this rather good Undertaker action figure.

Holographic Cobra Commander

Ever since picking up a translucent vintage TRON Warrior action figure earlier this year I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for more figures from the series whenever I rummage through bargain bins of loose figures at flea markets. When I spotted this 3 ¾ inch fella cast in blue translucent plastic, for a joyous split second I thought I’d found a TRON Flynn figure, only to quickly realise my mistake once I held the figure in my hands. No matter – it was clear that what I’d found instead was a cool figure from the legendary Hasbro G. I. Joe: A Real American Hero line. But who was he? The hooded face and details on his torso made the Cobra Commander a likely candidate, but which version?

Legendary Source, Mystic Force! Blue Power Ranger with sound effects by Bandai

TV shows from the Power Rangers franchise are popular the world over. Certainly, they often seem to turn up on thrift stalls or markets here in Rome, Italy where I live. I don’t buy many figures issued this side of the millennium, although if I find a figure with a particularly interesting feature I’ll occasionally break my own rule. After all, today’s figures are tomorrow’s vintage! And this Mystic Force action figure grabbed my attention even before I’d set eyes on it. Rummaging in the bottom of a bargain bin I heard the special – and extremely LOUD – sound effects gimmick long before I managed to find it.

Roz from Monsters, Inc. by McDonald’s

This summer sees the return to the big screen of some of the characters from the hugely popular 2001 Pixar animated movie Monsters, Inc. in a 3D prequel Monsters University. Monsters, Inc. received the 3D treatment itself last year and that version will finally be hitting screens in Italy where I live next month, so I thought it might be fun to take a look at a collectible figure from the time of the first film’s original release – the gravel voiced Monsters, Inc. secretary, and undercover boss of the Child Detective Agency, Roz.

When Steve Jobs died in 2011 he was almost exclusively eulogised for his innovations in technology, but PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – remembered Jobs as a very public vegetarian who had played a significant a role in ending Disney and Pixar’s commercialisation of its movies through Happy Meal toys and gimmicks sold at fast food giant McDonald’s. When Monsters, Inc. was released, however, Pixar and Disney were still super-sizing kids all over the world, aided and abetted by toys like this 4 ½ inch Roz, which I believe is a European only release, dated 2002 in line with the movie’s release this side of the Atlantic.

Oodles of fun with the Ood from Doctor Who!

With Doctor Who Season 7 Part 2 now well under way on BBC television with Matt Smith’s eleventh incarnation of the Doctor officially joined by new sidekick Clara Oswald portrayed by Jenna-Louise Coleman, and news buzzing throughout the Internet of the return of David Tennant and Billie Piper in a super-duper fiftieth anniversary special to air at the end of 2013, I thought it might be fun to take a closer look at a Doctor Who action figure.

Last summer I visited the hugely enjoyable interactive Cardiff Bay Doctor Who Experience – a must-visit exhibition for any Whovian – and got to see the original costumes, props and aliens from the show up close.

Leonardo – The Extreme Scooter Shreddin’ Turtle!

With the resounding success of the 2012 Olympics Games and the record-breaking attendance figures for the thrilling Paralympic Games which are currently taking place in London I thought a vintage sporting action figure was in order.

Working on the premise that when it comes to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles MORE is quite definitely more, here is another figure in the accessory-packed Extreme Sports line from 2003. These 5 inch Playmates figures saw everybody’s favourite reptiles decked out in all manner of protective headgear, elbow and knee pads, and ready to show-off their BMX riding (Don), in-line skating (Raph), skateboard surfing (Mike), and in case of Leo here, scooter riding.

David Tennant as Doctor Who’s Tenth Doctor

Hot on the heels of Captain Jack Harkness last week, I thought I’d follow that post with a look at another great Character Options action figure from their 5 inch Doctor Who line – none other than the Doctor himself, as played by David Tennant in the tenth incarnation of the BBC TV show’s protagonist. A hugely popular Doctor, Tennant stayed with Doctor Who for three series, as well as appearing in eight specials, before finally handing over the sonic screwdriver to the Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith in 2010.