Ghostbusters Classics 6-inch RAY STANTZ

[JeffSaylor]

I ain't afraid of no ghosts...

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I wore my “No Ghosts” t-shirt until the iron-on decal peeled off. I played my Ray Parker Jr. 45rpm record until I knew every lyric by heart. I loved GHOSTBUSTERS as a kid back in 1984. Over 20 years later and I still enjoy the paranormal comedy, even though the movie is beginning to show its juvenile age.

This past summer, Mattel began tapping Ghostbusters nostalgia with a new line of MattyCollector.com exclusive action figures. The first release, a “slimed” 6-inch Egon Spengler, kicked off the series at San Diego Comic-Con. Last month, Mattel offered fans the second spook-chasing character in the form of RAY STANTZ; both as a 6-inch figure AND as the first 12-inch collectible. While Bill Murray as Dr. Peter Venkman is no doubt the most anticipated ghost buster, Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz is a very close contender.

Ray Stantz comes packaged on the same familiar blister card as Egon, with one noticeable difference: the package is no longer collector friendly. Peeling off the bubble with minimal damage to the card is possible, but resealing your figure for storage or packed display isn’t possible. I’m an opener so this doesn’t bother me, though I find it odd that Mattel made the change. Why mess with a good thing? Aside from the baffling alteration, the package does an admirable job of conveying the Ghostbusters property. The Terror Dogs guard each corner, the Stay Puft looms in the background, and the “No Ghosts” logo screams Ghostbusters, even if the actual title is hard to see and read. The back, resembling the messy desk of a ghost buster, gives you a brief, but amusing bio on the man behind the proton pack.

I’ve read rumblings that the Dan Aykroyd head sculpt doesn’t quite resemble the actor. I’d have to agree that it’s not laser scanned spot-on, but it’s far from cartoon goofy. My wife, whose knowledge of Ghostbusters is rudimentary at best, watched as I opened the Ray Stantz figure and instantly recognized him as Mr. Aykroyd. So yeah, I’d have to say that the Four Horsemen did their job well.

As for the rest of Ray, it’s Egon Spengler all over again, minus the “slime,” of course. Ray Stantz, as well as future ghost buster’s Winston Zeddemore and Peter Venkman, all share the same body with only their name tag altered to reflect the character at hand. That’s far from a bad thing, as the body used is extremely versatile. It features loads of useful articulation, nicely painted and sculpted clothing, and that amazingly cool proton pack. For the sake of not repeating myself, I’ll let you read Egon’s review HERE for the full skinny on body sculpt, paint and articulation. It’s really a great figure design.

Aside from a different head sculpt Ray Stantz stars a new ghost in the form of the “No Ghosts” logo. It’s not the iconic Slimer that came packed with Egon, but it’s pretty classy in its own right. Seeing the logo sculpted in 3D is very cool, but many collectors (me included) felt that the affixed red ring was campy and not representative of an actual ghost in the movie. It’s a great logo to display, but not a great ghost for Ray to fight with.

Well fear not GB fans! Mattel engineered the ghost’s head and right arm to pop off as one piece allowing you to remove the ring if you so desire. The “No Ghosts” ghost also glows-in-the-dark, another unexpected and cool extra.

$20 (plus shipping and handling) for a 6-inch action figure isn’t cheap, even if these are being sold as MattyCollector.com exclusives. At that price I can see casual fans picking up their favorite character, like Ray Stantz (it is Dan Aykroyd after all), but not each new figure release. For the rest of us, buying all four ghost busters is a must; it’d be like buying Tom without Jerry! Winston Zeddemore is next come December 15th, followed by the iffy release of Walter Peck on March 15th. He’s not part of the core pack, but his included ghost containment unit is an attractive accessory. Alas, fans will have to wait until MAY 17th, 2010 to complete their Ghostbusters team when Peter Vinkman (slimed) is finally offered. That’s a long wait, but for Ghostbutsers fans who have already waited over 20 years to get movie action figures, the wait will be worth it.

Fans looking to add the 6-inch Ray Stantz action figure to their collections are in luck. The figure is still available for purchase through MattyCollector.com HERE. Grab ‘em while you can!

For more images of ghost buster Ray, CLICK HERE.

Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor

Review Sample Courtesy of Mattel

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