Wrapping Up 2023: Henry Jones, Sr. from Indiana Jones: Adventure Series by Hasbro

 

   Like the Grail Knight, Henry Jones, Sr. was another figure that I decided I was going to go ahead and pick up at regular retail price. I figures if there was a figure from the third series of figures that was tough to get, it would be him. Plus, he just turned out incredibly well. Hasbro did a great job on Dr. Jones, Sr. and he would always have been one of my most wanted figures from an Indiana Jones toyline. This line has been a weird one as most of the figures have been excellent, but the line as a whole feels haphazard and disjointed. Henry Walton Jones, Sr. is both a man in a suit and a man in a hat, so he fits the general aesthetic of this line pretty well. Indy and Henry will look great together, but it does make me just a bit more disappointed that we didn't get Mutt to have a trio of Jones men. Ready to check out Indiana Jones' dad? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 1/8ths inches

Articulation: Double swivel/hinge ankles, swivel/ hinge knees, swivel thighs, balljointed hips, balljointed waist, swivel/hinge shoulders w/ lateral "butterfly" hinges, swivel/hinge elbows, balljointed wrists, balljointed neck, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: Suitcase, umbrella, hat, glasses, Grail diary, 2 false grails, relief, and brazier.  

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

Comparison:

* Indy and his dad aren't that different in height; I just left the stand I was using on Professor Indiana Jones (right) on for the picture. Henry Jones, Sr. (left) uses the same body as Prof. Indy but with a different bow-tie piece and a new head. It's remarkably accurate, though, and it makes me wonder if it was originally designed for Henry Jones, Sr. 

The Positives:

* Much has been said about this line being kind of a boring action figure prospect for kids outside of Indy himself, but this year it seems like Hasbro made it pretty clear that they weren't catering to kids with the majority of their action figure lines. Major film releases like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3, and The Marvels had few, if any kid targeted products. That being said, this is an action figure of an almost 60 year old Sean Connery dressed as a professor, but wow, it delivers. I mean, it just nails the look of Henry Jones, Sr. The suit sculpt is nice and while it doesn't have a tweed pattern, it feels just fine. The color is great (the film versions seems to vary from shot to shot, but this seems like an idealized take) and the little bits like the rumpled bowtie are nicely done. The pocket watch strap would have been a nice touch, but it's actually missing in some shots and stills, so it's not the end of the world. 

* I think this is a very, very strong Sean Connery headsculpt. To me, when you can look at a character's headsculpt and hear them talking in your head, that's a good sign. This guy is absolutely saying: "She talks in her sleep." 

 "You're the man now, dog." 

"Welcome to the Rock."

"Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and $#%& the prom queen."

"May God grant us the wisdom to discover right, the will to choose it, and the strength to make it endure."

"I merely chewed in self-defense, but I never swallowed."

* Removable glasses don't always work on 1/12th scale figures but I think Henry's are pretty good. They look right (his glasses were a bit large in the film) and they fit on well. Put them on and you've got Professor Henry Jones, Sr. Take them off and you can pop his head on a G.I. Joe: Classified Series body and make agent John Mason. Or a spare Indy body and make Alan Quartermain. Or the Club Obi Wan Indy body for an older James Bond. 

* Henry's hat fits really well, and the figure looks excellent with it on his head or without it. That's the hallmark of a great piece of headgear. The tweed trilby is very recognizable.

* For a 1/12th scaled figure with a vest (a separate, but non-removable piece) and a jacket (you can remove it, but what's the point?), the figure looks great with fantastic proportions. He doesn't look overly bulky or anything, which is definitely a plus and a sign of some solid design and engineering. 

* The articulation scheme is very familiar here; it's pretty much what most recent non-armored Star Wars: The Black Series figures have. Henry Jones is a man of action when he needs to be, so he's always ready to scare some seagulls into the engines of Nazi planes or bash some fascists over the head with a (fake) Ming vase. If you're at all familiar with any of Hasbro's modern figures, you'll kind of know what to expect here. Man, that vase would have been a fun accessory, wouldn't it?

* Dr. Jones comes with a few very neat accessories, the first of which is his Grail diary. It's a small piece but the paintwork makes it stand out. It's different from the other diaries and journals in the line and it's a fantastic accessory for either of the Jones boys. 

* Henry is almost always carrying his suitcase, so it's an important piece for him to have. It's just a solid sculpted piece that doesn't open but it does have a fairly well done distressed paintjob to it, effectively capturing the look of worn leather. I wonder what all he keeps in there? Surely a few books, right? 

* Dr. Jones, Sr. also keeps his trusty umbrella by him at all times, so that's included as well. It doesn't open but it does have a pretty good sculpt and some paint applications, so it's not just a single piece of plastic. Those little paint applications really help to make an accessory stand out.

* There are two small pegs on the top of the suitcase and two small holes on the umbrella, allowing you to store them together and carry them like how Henry, Sr. carries them in The Last Crusade. 

* I still plan on reviewing the Grail Table before the end of the month as it was honestly one of my biggest incentives for picking up a few of the figures in this series (on sale and clearance at the end of 2023), but even on their own the extras included with Henry Jones, Sr. are pretty cool. You get two additional false grails, one of the silver reliefs, and one of the braziers sitting on the grail table. Even if you don't build the table, the false grails and the braziers are pretty nice accessories that could be useful in your collection. 

The Negatives:

* Like with the couple other figures that use this body, the front of Professor Jones, Sr.'s suit looks great but the place where the shoulders and the jacket meet looks a bit off. The "sleeve opening" just seems too big and doesn't lay quite right on the figure.

  Henry Jones, Sr. is one of the best figures in the Adventure Series and I'd put him up there with Toht, the Grail Knight, and probably the Last Crusade Indy as one of the best figures in the line. For being an action figure of the professor "the students hope they don't get," this is definitely a figure I think most Indiana Jones collectors will want to pick up. He's just exceedingly well done with great accessories. Being able to swap up his looks with the removable hat and glasses is a nice touch. He's an Epic figure and one of the few "can't miss" figures in the line. 




 This is the first figure of Henry Jones, Sr. that I've reviewed on the site. For more Indiana Jones: Adventure Series reviews check out the following:

Grail Knight
Indiana Jones (Cairo)
Indiana Jones (Club Obi Wan)
Indiana Jones (Map Room)

Indiana Jones (Professor)

Indiana Jones (Temple Escape)
Major Arnold Toht