The 12 Days of Christmas: Indiana Jones with Ark from Indiana Jones by Hasbro

   For today's installment of the 12 Days of Christmas, which this year is comprised of a review each day from one of my 12 favorite toy lines of all time, I'm checking out the deluxe Indiana Jones with Ark from Hasbro's 2008 Indiana Jones toyline. Raiders of the Lost Ark is tied with Ghostbusters as my favorite film of all time and I've always been a huge Indiana Jones fan for nearly as far back as I can remember. Heck, for years I used my General Hawk v2 action figure as Indiana Jones as the only figure I ever owned as a kid from Kenner's The Adventures of Indiana Jones line was Toht. In 2008, in conjunction with the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Hasbro released a new series of 1/18th scaled action figures that covered all of the films in the series. In addition to the standard figures, Hasbro also released a number of deluxe two packs. Today I'm checking out the set of Indiana Jones in the robes he wears while looking for the ark and entering the map room in the ruins of Tanis. It's a pretty cool set although, to be honest, Indy wears this outfit while looking for the ark but he discards the robe before finding the robe. Still, it's a great set so let's check it out after the break...

 The Facts:

Height: 4 inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, swivel/hinge knees, swivel hips, swivel waist, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, and a balljointed head.

Accessories: Robe, coiled whip, revolver, satchel, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Mercy Seat.

Non-Scalper Price: $10 dollars

Original Year of Release: 2008

 The Positives:



* Underneath the robes (which are removable, obviously) this is a standard Indiana Jones figure. Actually it's the same body as the KOTCS Indiana Jones with RPG, but it works here, too. The sculpting on the main body and pants it quite strong with lots of detail on the shirt. Heck, there even seem to be some sweat stains there, too. Legit.

* Here's a shot of Indy with his removable robe. It's pretty nice, especially considering that's it's from a little over a decade ago, so it was definitely on par with what Hasbro was doing with Star Wars at the time. The robe is easily removable, flows nicely, and is quite well fabricated.

 * If you collected Star Wars figures in the mid-late 2000s, you know what to expect here articulation wise: Lots of swivel hinge joints while still only having swivel hips. While the swivel hips seem a bit antiquated now, the figures are still quite functional, display well, and they look nice. I think they're fun, sturdy toys, and I wish Hasbro had released more figures than they did.

 * Indiana Jones's Mark VII gas mask bag is really nicely rendered here. It's a really nice sculpt, is easily removable, and the paintwork is pretty impressive.

* Underneath his robes Indy is rocking a belt with a non-functioning holster and a working loop for his coiled whip. The belt is a separately molded piece that isn't removable but it does "float" over the waist and stays in place nicely.

* In the Indiana Jones line Hasbro gave Indy both regular whips and coiled whips. This is the coiled version and it's quite nice. The sculpt is good, there is actually a paint hit to differentiate the handle from the whip itself, and it fits well in the loop on Indy's belt.

* Indy's revolver is a beautiful sculpt with paint hits as well. This is a slick looking piece, ain't it?

* While some of the two packs offered up a second figure, a vehicle, or a playset, this set includes the Ark of the Covenant. One of the coolest things about this line is that it included all of the MacGuffins from the series, and none is more significant than the Ark of the Covenant. This is an amazing piece and easily one of the coolest accessories Hasbro has ever released in any line. It's really quite gorgeous, isn't it?

 * The Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant is really well made and features some beautiful sculpting on the cherubim on it.

* The images on the side are beautiful, too. Seriously, this is a really nice piece that is one of the coolest accessories from any toyline ever.

* The Mercy Seat/ covering of the Ark is removable, so you can reenact the climax of the film.

* Inside is... just stand. I like this. It's cool, subtle, and captures the mysteriousness of the artifact.

 The Negatives:

* If there is a weakness in the Indiana Jones line, it is definitely the likenesses. They're, overall, just not great. I mean, this might be Indiana Jones, but it only vaguely looks like Harrison Ford. It's not awful, but it's not accurate. Of course, Harrison Ford has a tough likeness to capture.

* So... why does this Indy not come with the staff of Ra? I mean, that's the number one accessory he used during this scene. Kenner included one with this figure in the vintage The Adventures of Indiana Jones line but Hasbro seemed to miss this detail. That's disappointing, huh?

  You know what? Despite the questionable likeness and the missing staff of Ra, this is still an Epic set. Not only is Indy a solid figure but the Ark of the Covenant is one of the coolest accessories of all time. I love it! Hasbro's Indiana Jones is one of my favorite toylines of all time and I wish it had gone on for a bit longer. There are still figures I'd love to see and I have hopes that maybe, maybe, we'll see something more if the fifth Indiana Jones film does come out. Until then, I'm without lots of figures I want. There were quite a few rumored items but that's all they were; rumors. Still, this is the best Indiana Jones line ever, and thus it's one of my favorite toylines ever.


I've reviewed a couple of other Indiana Jones figures, both from the 30th Anniversary "Lost Wave" set: Indiana Jones and Indiana Jones in German Uniform.

For more figures from Indiana Jones by Hasbro, check out the following:

30th Anniversary Set (SDCC 2011 Exclusive)