Indiana Jones (Club Obi Wan)

This is more like it. Delivering the remains of Emperor Nurhaci to Lao Che, Indiana Jones is double-crossed and, instead of receiving payment in the form of a diamond, is poisoned. I believe it was our old buddy Will West who really pinned down the problem with doing a full Indiana Jones toyline, and why no attempt over the years has ever been a success: once you get past Indy himself and a couple of other highly iconic looks, it swiftly devolves into just a bunch of guys in suits and hats. It's like doing a Superman line; you've got the guy himself, then Lex Luthor and Brainiac, then... Morgan Edge? Bruno Manheim? Whoever's the boss of Intergang this week? A parade of unimportant scientists? Nobody wants toys of any of that nonsense. But still, you do have to admit, there are times when the guy in the suit looks really good. Temple of Doom may not be the best Indiana Jones movie, but it's at least one of the top five, and it earns even that ranking based mostly on the strength of its opening sequence. Like the best James Bond openings, it hints that the character is out doing things in the world even when we don't see him, and because it's freed from needing to actually connect to the rest of the screenplay in any meaningful measure, it can just do whatever wild, entertaining bits people come up with. A Mandarin kickline number and Indiana Jones acting like a bloodthirsty maniac? Put it in! The scene also homages James Bond by putting Harrison Ford in a white tuxedo jacket with a red carnation, harkening back to what Sean Connery wore in Goldfinger (Spielberg was salty that he couldn't get hired to direct a James Bond movie, which was one of his lifelong goals). The likeness on this Target exclusive is better than the normal Indy, even without the help of an iconic hat to aid in selling the look. Heck, I'd say this is the best Harrison Ford likeness of all the toys I own. Take that, any number of Han Solos! But also, now that we know a toy can look like him, we're going to be extra picky in the future. Indy is highly articulated, with a barbell head, balljointed neck, pec hinges, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel biceps, swivel/ hinge elbows, balljoint wrists, balljointed waist, balljointed hips, swivel thighs, swivel/hinge knees, swivel shins, and swivel/hinge ankles. His neck is done the same way as Toht's, with the shirt collar and his tie molded as part of the neck, and thus moving with it. Still strange. And still leaves a blatantly visible line where the two pieces meet, though dark this time instead of pink. All that articulation will be put to good use, too. While sitting across from a criminal mastermind for a mental showdown is absolutely a James Bond kind of situation, Indy solves it in his own distinct way: namely, getting fed up and trying to murder everybody in the room. You don't see James Bond punching a cigarette girl in the face unprovoked, do you? No! That's the Indiana Jones special! This figure includes the giant prop sword he used to cut down the gong he hid behind, and the skewer of flaming chickens he hucked into the chest of Lao Che's son Chen. There's also the jar containing Nurhachi's ashes, which is molded in translucent blue plastic, but has far too much white paint covering the upper half. Finally, there are 2023's Most Easily Lost accessories, a tiny vial of blue antidote, and a perfectly clear diamond. Say goodbye to them now, because they're going to disappear the instant you blink. Which, come to think of it, makes them possibly the most movie-accurate accessories any company's ever made for any line. All this over-the-top craziness takes place in Club Obi Wan, which is, of course, a subtle nod to another Lucasfilm property: Jock's plane. It's all connected! It's not really clear why Target got a Temple of Doom figure as an exclusive to go with the Raiders of the Lost Ark series, but this is somehow the best figure in the line so far. Great likeness, fun accessories... there's something about Tuxedo Indy that means everything comes together in a way it doesn't for anyone else. -- 08/12/23

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