Action Figure Review: Dr. Loomis from John Carpenter's Halloween by Plastic Meatball

 

   I reviewed Annie Brackett from series 2 of Plastic Meatball's retro styled John Carpenter's Halloween collection last week and today I'm checking out the man who is hunting Michael Myers: Dr. Samuel Loomis. Dr. Loomis has had a few action figures made in his likeness before (NECA has released him in their various lines) but he's a vital character to the film and he's an absolute necessity if you're going to have a series of action figures based on the original 1978 film. Ready to track down the evil, soulless Michael Myers? Then Dr. Loomis is your man! Let's check him out after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 3 7/8ths

Articulation: Swivel hips, swivel shoulders, and a swivel neck.

Accessories: Revolver.

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars

Little Known Fact: In a scene cut from the film, Dr. Loomis travels to Canada and accidently confronts a teenage Mike Myers (instead of Michael Myers).

The Packaging:

* It's pretty common for retro action styled figures to have great card art and packaging and Plastic Meatball's Halloween line has some of the best. I love the art of the character and the orange and black color scheme. If you buy these to keep them mint on the cards, I wouldn't blame you in the least. Check out the little promotional image on the front for a free pumpkin stencil kit!

*  The back of the card is incredibly well designed and really feels like something from a vintage toy. You've got an image of the figure, an image of the character with a brief bio, cross sell art, and a "mail away" form for a Jack-O-Lite Pumpkin Stencils. Sadly, the offer is expired (December 31st, 1979 was the last day for the promotion), but you can still save up those Kill Points (the proof of purchase). Maybe there will be a mail away "Myers House Bush Playset" for Loomis to sneak around in?

The Positives:

* As an action figure, Dr. Loomis is fairly simple. I mean, despite being played by iconic acting machine Donald Pleasance, he is just a psychiatrist in a brown suit. The suit is rather nicely sculpted, though, and the figure does take into account Loomis' stocky build. There's some really nice wrinkled detailing on the figure and the paintwork is pretty neat and clean. 

* "My name is Pleasance and I am Funky."

This isn't a bad likeness of Donald Pleasance, especially considering that this is a retro styled 1/18th scale figure. The hair is definitely more grey than Loomis' looked in the original film, but the portrait is still very recognizable. 

* There are quite a few wrinkles and folds on the back of Dr. Loomis' suit, too. Plastic Meatball's retro styled figures have a bit more sculpted detail and aren't as flat looking at most other figures based on the vintage Kenner Star Wars style.

* I really like Loomis' cloth trench coat. It definitely makes Sam a much more exciting figure and adds to the look. The stitching is quite nice; it really reminds me of the trench coat from the vintage Han Solo on Endor figure. You'll have to futz with it a bit to get it to set perfectly but it looks great once you get it. 

* Dr. Loomis has the standard five points of articulation you'd expect and feels like a decent, sturdy figure. The plastic quality feels quite solid here. As good and maybe even a bit better than most ReAction figures. Maybe a bit denser. 

* Dr. Loomis comes packing his Smith & Wesson Model 15 Combat Masterpiece. This is the revolver he uses to shoot Michael Myers six times and it's a crucial accessory for Loomis. It's also a rather nice sculpt that looks like the weapon uses Loomis uses in the film. It even has a paint application for the handle. 

The Negatives:

* It's too bad that Loomis really can't hold the pistol well. You'll have to use some sort of tack to keep it in place or really have him hold the revolver weird for it to work. That's a real bummer. 

     This is a pretty well done figure of Dr. Loomis and my only complaint is just that he can't hold his revolver well. If you get that figured out with some tack or something, though, you'll be quite pleased. Plastic Meatball did a nice job of capturing Dr. Loomis in the style of the 1/18th scaled action figures of the day, delivering some really good accessories (the coat and revolver are both quite nice) and a rather good likeness of Donald Pleasance. This is a Good and a 1/2 figure and definitely one of the best figures in Plastic Meatball's Halloween toyline. 




This is the first figure of Dr. Samuel "Sam" Loomis I've reviewed. For more reviews from John Carpenter's Halloween by Plastic Meatball check out the following:
Annie Brackett