Action Figure Review: Indiana Jones with Adventure Backpack from Indiana Jones: Worlds of Adventure by Hasbro

 

   Raiders of the Lost Ark is probably my favorite movie (it's tied with Ghostbusters) and as a kid I loved all things Indiana Jones that I could my hands on. I had the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles trading cards and books, a book and record set of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and eventually the SNES video game. Unfortunately, I was too young to have picked up any of Kenner's Indiana Jones action figures (though I somehow had a Toht, who I still have) so various G.I. Joe figures had to made do. In 2008, when Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released I avidly collected the 1/18th scaled line which sadly didn't last as long as I hoped. I'm very excited for the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and while a new movie means new toys from Hasbro, I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed in their offerings as it all feels very half hearted, like toys they have to release to fulfill some kind of contractual obligation with Disney and Lucasfilm. I'd love some modern 1/18th scaled figures to supplement the 2008 line but those aren't in the cards; just some Retro Series figures (which I might actually pick up). Instead, we've got the 6 inch Adventure Series and the 2.5 inch Worlds of Adventure line. I don't currently plan on picking up any of the Adventure Series figures until Hasbro shows Mola Ram and Irina Spalko (unless I find them on clearance), so it might be awhile before I end up reviewing any of them. I did stumble upon this figure at my local bin store a few weeks back and, for $5 bucks, I decided to grab him. These are pretty similar to the Star Wars: Mission Fleet figures which remind me a lot of Mattel/ Fisher Price's Imaginext toys, and are definitely intended for kids. Today I'm checking out Indiana Jones with Adventure Backpack, a version of Indy without his jacket but with plenty of accessories. Let's check him out after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 2.6 inches

Articulation: Balljointed hips, swivel/hinge shoulders, forearms swivels, and a balljointed head. 

Accessories: 2 piece boulder, backpack, idol, spider, snake, whip, machete, and torch. 

Non-Scalper Price: $10-$17 dollars

The Positives:

* The Worlds of Adventure set currently only has five figures in it: Three versions of Dr. Jones, Helena Shaw, and Doctor Jürgen Voller. All three versions of Indy are different and this one features him without his jacket, similar to how he appears in Cairo in Raiders. This is a small figure, under 3 inches, but it's not a bad looking little toy. Even without the jacket it's still very clearly Indiana Jones and the details like the holster on his right hip and the undone buttons at the top of his shirt make for a pretty impressive toy. He's a bit stylized, almost animated looking, but I like it. 

* The headsculpt isn't a perfect Harrison Ford likeness or anything but Indy still has a sly smirk and his classic fedora. The fedora does give a lot of shadow to his face, which is probably far more dramatic looking than Hasbro planned for. I really like it. I'm not sure if this line will be a hit with the kiddos or not but Hasbro has been trying for years to make an animated looking Star Wars line work and they've done the same thing here. 

* At a little over 2 1/2 inches Indy doesn't have a crazy amount of articulation, but he has enough to have fun with. He's a sturdy little figure with a decent range of motion, allowing him to interact with his accessories. While his legs mostly function as swivel joints, they are actually balljoints and there's a bit of movement there. They move separately, too, unlike the legs of Imaginext and Playmobil figures.

* This version of Indy comes with a bunch of accessories, so first we'll check out his bullwhip. I believe each of the Worlds of Adventure Indiana Jones figures comes with a different whip and this one is designed to look like he's using it to swing across a pit (there's a little hook on the end) or perhaps even pull a weapon out of an enemies hand. The curve in the middle could also be to wrap around the waist of another figure.

* Next up is a machete. Indy used one in Temple of Doom, so you could always pretend this is Indy from that film. It's a neat little accessory with a silver blade and a paint app on the handle. The accessory quality is really nice in this set. While they're certainly a bit "toyish" they still have nice sculpts and solid paint applications. 

* How are you going to see in a dark tomb or burial chamber without a torch? The torch looks cool and is useful for fending off snakes, burning away foliage, or just finding your way around in the catacombs below Venice. 

*  It looks like a few of the other figures  come with artifacts, too, and this version of Indy comes with the idol of Pachamama, the Chachapoyan goddess of fertility. It's a solid sculpt (though the little smiley face guy between her legs is missing) and it has a great golden color to it.  

* Since this is Indiana Jones with Adventure Bacpkack, you'd better believe that he comes with a backpack. A backpack of adventure. It's a large backpack, definitely feeling like something from a 1990s Kenner toyline, but it's also quite cool. There's a storage rack on the bottom which ensures Indiana Jones can stand up while wearing it, so it's not frustrating for the kiddos. There are also lots of pouches, straps, and even a bedroll in case Indy decides to stay overnight. 

* The backpack has two opening compartments. The top compartment opens up to reveal some various archaeological tools like a spade, a brush, a chisel, a magnifying glass, and a small journal. I'm actually really tickled by that detail. It's just a fun extra and if I had owned this figure as a kid I would have been really impressed. The bottom compartment opens up to store the idol of Pachamama. It fits inside well and helps to keep the valuable accessory out of Belloq's hands. 

* The other three accessories clip onto the backpack easily. It's kind of weird, yeah, but the whip clips onto the left side, the torch on the right side, and the machete slides into a slit on the back. Remembering that this is a toy targeted at the kids, I think this backpack is remarkably well executed. 

* Not only does Indy get five accessories of his own but he also comes with some enemies. First up is a spider. Considering how small the Indiana Jones figure is, this is a massive spider. Yikes!

* There's also a King Cobra! He's also large and really well sculpted. He'd probably fit in well with the 2008 1/18th scaled line if you wanted him too. He has enough paint applications to look quite nice and suitable for a slightly more detailed line. 

* Last up is a boulder. Yup. Is this "the" boulder from Raiders of the Lost Ark? Maybe. It's a bit smaller but it's still a pretty serious threat to our favorite grave robber archaeologist. It comes in two halves and you just pop it together. You can even pop the little critters inside if you want to store them. 

The Negatives:

* My only complaint with the set is that the glue holding the top and bottom half of the coiled King Cobra together came apart. There's a tab and a slit, so a little super glue of my own ought to fix it, but it's still worth mentioning.

  While I paid $5 bucks for this, the regular retail price for the set figure seems to be between $10 and isn't bad at all. Honestly, if you get this for $10, especially for a kid who loves Indiana Jones, you're getting a really impressive deal. At the regular price you're still getting a decently articulated kids action figure with lots of accessories and some adversaries for under $20 bucks. That's not too bad. This is definitely the smallest set but the creative backpack that can store Indy's wealth of gear is really pretty neat. I'm not sure we'll see anything else from this line as it feels like most of Hasbro's efforts are pretty half-hearted, but this one is a Great and a 1/2 set for the younger fans. 


Looking for more of Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr., better known as Indiana Jones? Then check out my reviews of Indiana Jones with Ark and the two Indys from the SDCC "Lost Wave" set: Indiana Jones and Indiana Jones in German Uniform, all from Hasbro's 2008 Indiana Jones toyline.