HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN...

The thing that once distinguished ACTION MAN from a doll was that he was a 'fully-articulated' figure, whereas a doll was a barely poseable clotheshorse for a variety of outfits and accessories.  True, Action Man also had his own vast wardrobe, but you didn't just dress him up and look at him, you could bend him into almost any realistic fighting position - unlike girls' dolls who weren't much more flexible than shop window mannequins.

Not any more alas!  The new Action Man is a shadow of his former self, with only eight points of limited articulation, which means his main reason for existence is to showcase his different outfits.  You have a choice of three - sailor, soldier, or pilot.  The figure is really just for display, with severely limited play possibilities compared to his original '60s incarnation.  I can't really see kids of today warming to him, and collectors will be disappointed by his reduced abilities. 

Once an action figure that truly lived up to his name, he's now been reduced to that of a mere doll.  How are the mighty fallen indeed.

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Or at least that's what I thought until I discovered that this is intended as a range for young kids to introduce them to the Action Man brand.  A super-articulated version is in the works for sometime this year for older kids and collectors.  Thank goodness for that.

Posted in: Cartoons