est pilot and astronaut John Crichton boarded the Farscape 1 experimental
spacecraft thinking he'd be back on terra firma at the end of the flight.
While he knew risks were part of the mission, he didn't count on a
wormhole opening up, sucking the Farscape into its gaping aperture, and
spitting it out somewhere across the universe. And as if that alone weren't enough
to challenge even the most adventurous mind, Crichton also found himself aboard Moya, a
living prison-ship, with a band of criminals on the run from a ruthless and
unforgiving galactic police force called the Peacekeepers.
That is the premise of the popular TV show Farscape, produced by the
Jim Henson Company and airing on the SCI FI Channel. Now, after
two seasons of episodes, and just in time for Christmas,
Toy Vault has released the first series of
Farscape action figures.
Series 1 includes four figures--John Crichton, Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan, Ka D'Argo
and Chiana--which are available either individually or as a boxed set.
There are also special editions of these four which are basically identical
but with different accessories. A fifth figure, Aeryn Sun, is also available
exclusively through Fandom.com. This review focuses on the boxed set, and
the exclusive Aeryn Sun.
John Crichton comes equipped with his space helmet, communications headset,
a baby Drak, two maintenance robots called DRDs and a cloth jacket. Zhaan
comes with cloth robe and headdress and a sleep mist bottle. D'Argo comes
with a Qualta blade, Takaar knife and a musical instrument called a
Shilquen. Chiana comes with a bladed weapon, handcuffs and a neck collar.
Aeryn Sun comes with two syringes and a pistol, and is posed with her
T-shirt lifted up to reveal evidence of an alien mutation on her body.
Inaction figures in action
Today, the term "action figure" is used to describe toys with articulation
ranging from the well-articulated GI Joe right down to plastic statues with
as little as one joint or seam.
The term is misused on these figures.
D'Argo has no leg articulation at all. His head has a joint, but his hair is
so tight to his back that it can't turn, negating it as a valid point of
articulation. Aeryn Sun has arm and leg articulation that is basically
useless. Zhaan's articulation isn't much better, nor is Chiana's, but at
least they can turn their heads. Most of the figures have wrist rotation,
which helps, considering the general lack of other movement possibilities.
Toy Vault, in this series of figures, has produced some very attractive
plastic statues.
The accessories are well modeled and appropriate to the characters, with the
DRDs and Chrichton's helmet being the most detailed. D'Argo's beard braids
are seemingly made from cotton strands for that real-hair appearance.
Zhaan's dress, robe and head shawl, as well as Chrichton's jacket, are well made
from fabric, which is practically unheard of in figures of this scale.
The design of the presentation box is flawed. It houses four figures, two of
which are recessed so that they are hard to view, especially with the
Farscape logo occupying space that would have better served as a
light window. Inside there is a diorama backdrop of a typical Moya hallway,
which makes a decent display option.
Where these figures shine is in their likenesses to their subjects. They are
quite accurate and certainly capture the essence of the characters they are
meant to portray. Zhaan's and D'Argo's faces are practically perfect.
Chrichton's and Chiana's are close, but Aeryn Sun's is missing some details
that would have made her more of a likeness to Claudia Black.
I would have expected to have seen figures of the non-humanoid Rigel and
Pilot released in the first wave instead of Chiana, who showed up later in
the series than these main characters. Here's hoping Toy Vault produces those
soon!
-- Sean
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