To become a true, card carrying geek, there are certain requirements.  It’s not enough to like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings – God knows, just anyone does that these days.  Oh no, to become truly one with your inner nerd, you must be a master of other films.  And while Monty Python is a good start, you can’t skimp on the 80’s fantasy.

This 1986 film was produced by George Lucas, directed by Jim Henson, and starred the cool geek, David Bowie.  It also starred a young Jennifer Connolly, who went on to star in other top 10 flicks on the nerd-o-meter like The Rocketeer, The Hulk, and even Dark City.

Labyrinth involved goblins, and the Goblin King Jareth.  Not all Goblins are alike of course, and when Plan-B picked up the license to produce some statues based on the film, they had several to choose from.  They are producing a mini-bust of Jareth, as well as status of a sitting goblin and a hanging goblin – we’ll take a look at the hanging goblin today.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop me an email at mwc@mwctoys.com.  Now, on to the goblin!

“The Hanging Goblin – Labyrinth”

In the maze that was Jareth’s ‘labyrinth’, the goblins liked hanging out on the spires and columns.  The hanging goblin is doing just that…hanging out.

 

 

Packaging – ***
It’s a box – but it’s a relatively attractive box that does job number 1, keeping the statue safe, extremely well.  They use the good styrofoam here, not that crap that falls apart and gets all over the house.  And while the box does lack a window, it provides some reasonably accurate photos of the production statue.

 

 

And of course, like pretty much all boxes for statues and busts, it’s collector friendly, allowing you to put the statue back in for transport or storage without tearing anything up.

Sculpt – ***1/2
The goblin is a distinct entity from the column, appearing to be made from completely different materials with a different texture, when in reality it’s all the same stuff.  The stoney texture of the column is offset by the smoother appearance of the goblin, although that doesn’t mean there isn’t small detail texture work there as well.

 

 

There’s a malevolence in the eye and expression, something creepy and awful about such a small creature.  They’ve managed to capture the movie interpretation extremely well, and fans of the film should be happy with the likeness.

These statues aren’t big however, and overall it stands just 7 inches tall, with the goblin himself about three and a half.

Paint – **1/2
If I have one complaint, it’s with the paint application.  In the prototype photos we saw some areas with a gloss finish, but here almost the entire goblin is glossy.  While this works well for his eyes and mouth, and to a lesser extent his face, it seems out of place for his clothing and boots.  It reduces the reality of the overall look, by making the entire goblin seem too consistent.

 

 

That aside, the basic quality of the paint application is excellent.  There’s little to no slop, and even the smallest details are clean and neat.  It’s also a colorful piece, with lots of variety in the goblin’s outfit.

Design – ***
The design is somewhat basic, but true to the film.  People who aren’t fans, or who don’t remember the movie well, are unlikely to recognize this character right away, but card carrying members of the geek patrol will pick up what Plan-B is laying down right away.

 

 

I like the basic black base as well, which is simple yet effective.  It doesn’t take away from the rest of the scene, but in it’s simplicity makes the texturing of the stone all the more obvious and interesting.

Value – **1/2
Suggested retail is $40, which isn’t cheap.  However, most mini-busts are at that price point currently, with some companies pushing things up into the $50 – $60 range.  Considering the likely low runs on these, and the uniqueness of the license, the price is right about where you’d expect it.

 

 

Things to watch out for –
Not much.  I’d be careful when handling the goblin that you avoid tapping the spike on his hat on anything, since it’s the single most likely break point.  But other than dropping him on a concrete floor, you should be good.

Overall – ***
The statues are a little small, and the heavy gloss on the entire goblin was a bit disappointing.  But the sculpt is excellent, and fans of the movie have been starved for any product. Combine this hanging goblin with the sitting goblin, and put them on either side of the very cool Jareth mini-bust, and you’ll have one hell of a Labyrinth display.

Where to Buy –
Online is your best bet:

– Plan-B has their own store, where you can pick this up for $40. 

Related Links:
You’ll want to check out some of Plan-B’s other goodies:

– You’ll want to check their own website, of course.

– I reviewed some of their WWII Special Forces figures awhile back.

– They’ve produced several mini-busts for the Dark Crystal license, including the Skeksis.

– the also produced the special Rex Gannon figure.

– and they did the very hard to find Ladder 49 figures, based on the movie of the same name.

 

 

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