Review : 12th Doctor Doctor Who 5 inch (Character Options) Wave/Series : Forbidden Planet Released : 2016
Price : £14.99
Pro's : improved sculpt, neat paint job, sonic screwdriver is fantastic considering the size
Con's : articulation is dated. These figures seem to grow with each release, and this Doctor dwarfs his predecessors.
Collectors of the 5 inch Doctor Who figures by Character Options have had a very barren few years, but 2017 did see three new figures up for sale. These were made up of two 12th Doctor figures and a 10th Doctor in his Tuxedo. The figures went into Forbidden Planet as exclusives, but there was an indication these would also go into Toys R Us as a follow up to the 2016 releases they had sold.
Sadly the figures never made the high street, and while the 10th Doctor Tux is still relatively cheap to pickup. The two 12th Doctor figures have increased significantly in price once Forbidden Planet sold out.
The packaging remained consistent for the 2017 releases, made up of a window box with blue clockwork backdrop and orange nebula design with blue inserts to carry the character name and to confirm the 5.5 inch scale (half inch bigger than the original 5" figures?)
The card back carries a very in-depth overview of the 12th Doctor aside an image of the figure itself and a neat quote from the show.
The figure slides out by the top or bottom flap and comes tied into an inner plastic tray. And it is actually tied in place with a thin string - very difficult to untie so I'd recommend scissors. The Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver sits to the side under a piece of sellotape.
We have had 12th Doctor (Peter Capaldi) figures before in a variety of different colour shirts. This 2017 release however is a brand new sculpt for Capaldi and while not perfect, it is a closer likeness than we've had in the past. The sculpt remains a bit soft and the basic paint job doesn't help this. The hair in particular is very heavy handed with a dark grey coating and then almost silver highlights
The outfit is an update with the hoodie over a patterned t-shirt. The original press photos made the hoodie look quite plain, but in hand there is a lot more detail in the outfit. The coat is the first piece and is coloured in a dark grey with black buttons. Under this we have a green hooded jumper, this is seen via the hood which is folded down behind the head. We see some more of the jumper towards the waist where it reappears from under the coat with the zip in place. And beneath this is a black t-shirt with white spots. The trousers are a plain grey and then the ankle boots a nice gloss black with grey sole section. Other sculpted details includes the ring on the Doctor's left hand
If like me you are a collector of these figures you will know the articulation is a little behind the times. The Doctor actually has 18 points of articulation, but the joints themselves are quite rudimentary and dated.
We start with the head which is sculpted and cast as a head and neck that is then plugged into the torso, this means it only rotates. The shoulders are a form of ball joint and unlike many Who figures the arms can be extended out to the side as well as rotated. There is then a bicep swivel which allows rotation of the arm, although as you do this you do ruin the loo of the arm and it looks quite odd. The elbows are a single joint with a very visible peg round the side. The hands are pegged like the head and rotate too.
Under the shirt section is a waist swivel which will allow the torso to rotate. The legs then have a T-joint which means the hips can swing out to the front or to the side. A similar swivel exists on the thigh to rotate the legs, this is less intrusive than the bicep being covered by the coat tails. The knees are a single joint and the ankles are joined where the boots meet the trousers - allowing a rotation but not a more modern rocker type joint. While being basic the joints are all quite tight and the Doctor stands perfectly well.
Another update for the 12th Doctor this time round is his Sonic Screwdriver. This is now the bulkier silver and blue version and it is a very well done piece considering the size of the thing - less than 25mm. It is cast in a softer plastic and is painted silver. We then have two shades o f blue a well as bronze - each well defined and with no slop or paint bleed. The Screwdriver fits into the right hand for posing.
Scale has always been an issue for the Doctor Who line, and this figure is no different. The 5.5" inch was "launched" in 2015 and at that point we got a number of variant 12th Doctors. Roll on to this 2017 release - also in the 5.5" scale and also of the same Doctor - and he now stands a good half inch taller, 5 and 3/4 inches overall.
It is fantastic to see that Character are still giving us new Doctor Who figures, even if they are few and far between. This brand new sculpt is an improvement in all areas from its predecessors including the new sonic screwdriver. The paint is basic but neatly applied and the articulation while still dated does enough to pose the figure. He also won't look out of place with any other figure which of course now date back 12 years to 2006.
The original £14.99 price felt about right for the figure, considering we pay £9.99 now for a 5 POA Star Wars figure. The price actually then dropped further to £12.99 so a bargain for those who snapped him up while he was fully available.
I score the 12th Doctor (2017 release) a solid 4 out of 5.
