Review : Aughra
The Dark Crystal
Wave/Series : Funko Re:Action
Released : November 2016
Price : £9.99 (prices will vary)
When they were first unleashed on the world, the Re:Action 3.75" figures from Funko were a broad ranging set of figures from numerous cult licences - but presented as a retro 1980's limited POA figure. This meant Funko could pump out generic figures for big licences like Alien, Predator, Back to the Future without worrying too much about the Actor licence. It was a similar principle to their highly successful Pop! range. Despite the volume and variety, the figures didn't do as well as perhaps hoped and soon found their way to being deep discounted and sold off on clearance
In 2016 the line reinvented itself. Still under the Re:Action logo, the new figures stuck to the 3.75" scale and limited articulation - but lost the stylised 80's look to a more realistic style. The first licence to be distributed in this style was Game of Thrones - replacing the 6" Legacy figures. And then Funko went and did something particularly awesome by picking up the Dark Crystal licence.
The Dark Crystal movie, from 1982, was directed by Jim Henson and his creature company provided all the main characters. There was a range of figures initially planned in the 80's, but they didn't see the light of day. Some 34 years later Funko have finally brought these figures to light - releasing a group of figures based on the early sculpts for the 80's range.
Sadly, the availability of the Re:Action figures in the UK hasn't been great. With Underground Toys now distributing in the UK it is harder to ship these direct from the UK, and when imported in officially they are coming through at a premium price. The other issue that hasn't set the line off all that well is the exclusives, with some key figures and creatures consigned to SDCC 2016 and NYCC 2016 attendees only.
Beside all these issues I have done my best to pursue this line (at a reasonable price) and I finally got hold of my first Re:Action Dark Crystal figure via Amazon. So may I present my review of Aughra.
Aughra arrives on a retro blister card-back. The card-back is nicely designed with a gold trim, purple movie logo and striking image of the hero Jen atop the titular Dark Crystal. The blister is crisp and clear, but sadly was already detached by the time Aughra reached my door - not enough adhesion and this will frustrate mint on card collectors.
Round the back of the card is the run down of all the figures in the line. This is a pictorial checklist of the 5 figures in the general release wave. It also rubs some salt in the wound by showing the Garthim and Landstrider sets - the aforementioned Convention exclusives that collectors will have to pay a significant secondary market price to capture for their collection.
Out of the pack and in hand Aughra is actually weightier than I expected, she certainly feels hefty - even if she isn't quite a solid piece with the lower section being obviously hollow. The sculpt captures the look of the wise hermit really well, and remember this is a toy capturing a puppet - so it's a good job on behalf of Funko to get that looking right. Her head, as in the film, is oversized and heavily wrinkled. Her left eye is sculpted and painted, while the right is missing - lost in the first Great Conjunction. Her wild hair tumbles either side of her head - with the ram like horns curling out on either side of her head.
While the head sculpt is really nice, the paint is missing a final finish. The basics are there - including the facial hair, the eye and the horns - but it is all lacking a wash to add the depth that deep wrinkled head and voluminous hair is crying out for. Without a wash the other issue is the missing eye actually looks unpainted, with my son actually commenting they'd forgotten to paint it.
The great sculpting carries down into the detail of her tattered but ornate red dress. The front is textured and runs down to a netted section at the hem. Round the back is even more detail with a contrasting back cobwebbed wrap over the dress. Once again this is one wash away from being awesome, with some detailing lost on first look that would have stood out with some contrasting wash to make them pop. The dress detail continues down each arm finishing in her gnarled grey hands - again one tone grey, as are the feet which stick out from the base of the dress.
The articulation on the standard Dark Crystal figures is 5 POA, on Aughra it is only 3, and the 3rd is questionable. Each arm is joined with a simple (1980's style) swivel at the shoulder. Each arm, on arrival, is down by her side. You can then rotate these upwards to about 90 degrees out from the body, at which point the hair stops them being raised any further. The 3rd point of articulation is the head. Again its a simple swivel joint, which is clearly visible, but it doesn't really work as the hair has locked the head firmly in a front facing position. In fact the joint acts more as a tiny bobble head with the head having a tendency to wobble when you move the figure.
Aughra comes with her triangular device that represents the Great Conjunction. This is crisp and holds a decent amount of detail considering the scale. It is painted a glossy gold colour and to continue the consistency, there is no wash here either.
The other pack in is a build-a-part of the Dark Crystal itself. Buy all 5 of the figures and you will assemble your own purple crystal on base. I only have the one piece so far, so can't yet comment on the finished article - but the piece I do have is angular in a nice translucent purple plastic. You wonder what the finished crystal will look like if it was lit.
When it comes to scoring this figure I need to make it clear that the score I give this figure is based on the assumption you can get it for what I believe to be a realistic UK RRP of £10 or less. These figures are sold at $9.99 in the US (same as a Pop!) and logic states we should simply be swapping out the $ for £ and paying £9.99 in the UK (same as a Pop!). If you got Aughra for £10, then even with the limited articulation and one paint finish less than she perhaps deserves, then the sculpt and card art alone deserve a 3 out of 5 score.
Pay any more, and the value for money element comes into play - there is no way this item should be priced closer to the 6" super articulated lines like Marvel or Star Wars.
