pecial agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation Fox Mulder, whose cramped office is in the basement of the FBI headquarters building, is meeting a new partner, whom he takes on a missing persons case. Sounds like any number of crime dramas, from the 1965 TV show The FBI, Quinn Martin's longest-running TV series, to Dragnet, to any number of crime shows before or since.
However, soon the ordinary turns into extraordinary, as we see the opening credits, which feature eerie music over a montage of ghostlike images, strange shapes, mysterious pictures of flying saucers ... something is not quite normal here. We are introduced to a young female agent, who is being told her job is to oversee the actions of an older and more experienced agent. We soon find out that Mulder is not one of the FBI's golden boys, and his superiors seem to be looking for a way to get rid of him. Mulder asks, "So who did you tick off to get stuck with this detail, Scully?"
Their first case together quickly switched from a simple missing person to alien abduction, and television history was made. The TV series, X-Files, became one of the most beloved in recent history, spanning nine seasons and spawning a feature film. Merchandise from this hugely popular show has never been hard to find. McFarlane created a fine series of 6-inch action figures of Mulder, Scully, various aliens and others. Mattell created a Barbie and Ken pair dressed as Scully and Mulder, though it made no attempt at making Barbie and Ken resemble Scully and Mulder.
A while back Sideshow Toy got the X-Files license and began by producing a 12-inch Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are highly articulated 12-inch action figures packaged in dark and moody cover-flap boxes with bright images of actors David Duchovny (Mulder) and Gillian Anderson (Scully) and plenty of informational text.
Fox is dressed in a dark blue suit with powder-blue shirt and black tie. Scully is dressed in a sharp black suit with long overcoat. Both have accessories appropriate to their characters. Each figure comes with a display stand printed with the show's familiar logo.
The strength is not out there
One characteristic that Sideshow Toy action figures boast is accurate sculpts of their characters. And for the most part they have every right to be proud. Some of the figures I've seen and reviewed have had face sculpts that look exactly correct. These figures do not achieve a perfect likeness, though they do come close, with Scully being the better of the pair. Mulder's face is a little too jowly and rounded, but even so it is quite acceptable.
The clothing worn by Mulder is well made and looks quite good compared to what he is often seen wearing in the series. His shoes are soft plastic and are placed on his feet over black socks. On his belt is a holster for his service pistol, which has a removable magazine and sliding bolt action. His accessories also include a clip-on FBI ID tag, flashlight and flip-up cellphone. He also comes with a silver alien ice pick and a poster of a flying saucer captioned "I Want to Believe," seen hung in Mulder's office in many episodes.
Scully, always the clotheshorse, is wearing very stylish black pants, a white blouse and a long overcoat that matches her pants. Scully's shoes are not placed over feet, but are of one piece and connected directly to the ankle. She too has a belt with holster for her service pistol, identical to Mulder's. She also comes equipped with a laminated FBI ID tag, flashlight and cell phone. She also comes with a printed cardboard file folder, which contains photographs of various subjects of investigation in the show, including a Gray alien, an alien assassin, Eugene Tooms (who could squeeze into an opening of less than an inch and liked to dine on human livers) and Flukeman (a bizarre creature that lives in the sewer and feeds on humans.)
Each figure shares the standard articulation points of most of Sideshow's figures. That is to say that there are well over 30 points of articulation, many of which just do not exist in most other action figures, giving these two a range of movement that is incredible.
What suffers in this system, however, is strength. A joint like the ankle should be able to move in many directions, but it should also hold its position without slipping easily. Mulder's ankles aren't the strongest I've seen, but Scully's are just weak. They make it hard for Scully to stand without being attached to her display stand. And her knees are of little help. This, it should be noted, may simply be due to differences in the individual figures and not a systemic problem.
All in all, this pair of figures is an excellent set for any fan of X-Files. Even with some of the shortcomings I've mentioned, they far exceed action figures from most companies. The accessories and clothing are excellent, and the overall look of the figures exceeds expectations.
