Action Figure Review: Doctor Caligari from Operation: Monster Force by Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction

 

   Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction's Operation: Monster Force action figures first dropped near the end of 2024 but this year they managed to get the second series out during the month of October! I had hopes to get at least one of the new ones reviewed for 31 Days of Toy Terror or Re-Halloween but, alas, it was not meant to be. How about squeezing one in before Thanksgiving? Absolutely! Operation: Monster Force is really drawing from across the realms of horror and the weird for inspiration and today we're looking at Doctor Caligari, a new take on the character from the 1920 German expressionist horror classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. In Monster Force, Doctor Caligari has been reduced to a brain in a jar who now uses his knowledge and expertise on dreams and somnambulism to create an army for the Forgotten King . Besides the silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, there also seems to be a lot of inspiration from the word of Mike Mignola and the Hellboy universe in this guy. I really like him! How'd he turn out? Let's find out after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 and a 1/2 inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, thigh swivels, balljointed hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, lateral pectoral hinges, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck base, hinged neck, and a balljointed head. 

Accessories: 9 swappable hands, dome, pistol, 2 energy firing effects, shoulder band, briefcase, two canisters, two removable canister cores, belt buckle, and a gravestone display base.

Non-Scalper Price: $40 dollars-

The Positives:

* Doctor Caligari isn't one of the good guys so his outfit definitely leans towards looking mighty fascist-inspired. Heck, the guy who played Dr. Caligari in the 1920 film (Werner Krauss) was a darling of the Nazi party who gladly worked alongside Hitler and Goebbels, so maybe giving this villain some style vibes inspired by Nazi Germany isn't too far off base. There's just something about red and black like this in a military uniform that just makes you want to deploy your entire combined G.I. Joe: Classified Series and Action Force teams on this guy, isn't there? He has some interesting little design elements like skulls and crossbones on his shirt collar and a belt buckle featuring the Eye of Horus image. 

* Doctor Caligari doesn't have a head anymore; just a brain. What is the rest of him made of? Is he an android now? His brain is sitting on top of a mechanical device of some sort and is encased by a clear dome. There are lots of little elements and greeblies, many of which get a gold paint app, as well as features like speakers around the base of the "head."

* You can pop off the dome and check out the brain close-up. It's pretty impressive and looks to be accurately scaled for a 1/12th scaled figure. It's not removable or anything but it does seem to be a separately molded piece with an incredible paintjob 

* Caligari is sporting a fairly elaborate removable armband that has an interesting logo on it. The Sleepwalkers also have this logo but I'm not sure if the logo is for Caligari and his Sleepwalkers or if it's the symbol of the Forgotten King for whom Caligari and his men are now. 

* I am very impressed by the quality of these figures. Articulation-wise you're getting a figure that has the same joints as a G.I. Joe: Classified Series figure or some of the newer Action Force figures, but the plastic feels firmer. Most join movement is quite smooth, too. Doctor Caligari does have some leg restriction due to his long coat, though the bottom of the coat is made from a very pliable and rubbery material, so most poses aren't hindered. 

* To help aid in posing you also get nine swappable hands. I like the knuckle protection on these, too. There's a pointing right hand for issuing commands, a pair of open palmed hands, a pair of pistol grips, a pair of tight grips, and a pair of fists. Everything swapped just fine for me and the pegs seem thick and sturdy.

* Doctor Caligari isn't just running around relying on his Sleepwalkers to protect him; he's packing heat! His Xeiss sleeping gas is both used to control the Sleepwalkers, keeping them in a dream-like state, but is also used to power advanced weaponry. The Xeiss pistol is an incredible accessory (I believe all of the weapons are designed by Gridiron Studios) with a nice, dry brushed metal look and some green highlights to show the Xeiss powered energy crackling through it.

* Two energy effects are included and they can fit into either of the barrels, the one on top or the one on the bottom. I assume they're both barrels, anyway. The main energy bit is electrical like though molded in a pale green.

* The second piece fits over the base of the first piece, making a wilder, less controlled blast of energy. 

* Next up is a cool hard briefcase for carrying important stuff. This is definitely a nice looking piece that appears designed to really keep something inside safe.

* It opens! The top of the case looks to have protective foam of some sort while there are slots for the case for two mysterious canisters.

* The canisters can be removed. They're tall, silver cylinders with small grips on the top and an interesting vented design on the bottom.

* Wait, there's more? Yes, there's more! Inside each cylinder is a rack of little green balls, presumably some form of Xeiss gas. These are fantastic and really should be a cool extra for lots of photographers. 

* Each standard figure in the series comes with a display stand personalized with their name on it in red letters. There are two pegs and the stand has a decent sized footprint, so it's not going to fall over easily. It's a great way to display Doctor Caligari on your shelf!

* Don't want a stand? Then set it up on its side and it turns into a tombstone! The Operation: Monster Force logo is etched into the stone, along with lots of cracks and weathering details.

 

* The Operation: Monster Force figures come in a five panel box with an opening front flap (and a magnet to keep the flap closed). On the back of the flap is a pretty cool comic unique to the character. I love that Big Bad Workshop and Fresh Monkey Fiction are doing this as it is a welcome touch of the old fashioned storytelling that we used to see on action figure packaging. 

The Negatives:



* My only negative with Doctor Caligari is that the painted red trim on his coat is a bit messy. I think this is largely due to the softer material of the lower part of the coat, but it still doesn't look as snappy as the upper torso. 

   Operation: Monster Force is definitely a series that has my full attention and I'm excited for every new series that comes out. I love Doctor Caligari's look and, even though he doesn't look anything at all like the film character, his inclusion really excited me about how bizarre this line can get. At first I thought he was a bit light on accessories but his carrying case with a hinged lid and those cool storage canisters is really more impressive than I initially thought. I'm mostly grabbing the named characters in this line or the really unique monsters and such and I so far have picked up four of the series 2 figures. This guy starts off my look at series 2 with a Great and a 1/2, though, so it'll be interesting to see if he can be beat.

This is the first figure of Doctor Caligari I've reviewed. For more reviews from Operation: Monster Force check out the following:
Count Dracula
Declan Van Helsing
The Forgotten King