Planet of the Apes ReAction Figure
Item No.: No. 03003 Manufacturer:Super7 Includes:Rifle Action Feature:n/a Retail:$17.99 Availability: April 2018 Other: One of Two ReAction Planet of the Apes Humans
One of my big regrets was not buying Taylor from Battle for the Planet of the Apes - and indeed, the whole line - earlier. I was trying to cut down on collecting new lines when these came out, and I tend to be very "all or nothing" in my toy buying. This whole line is really an "all" sort of thing, because they only made a dozen figures, two statues, and a playset. It's not a lot to store or to track down, and they're all really good. I was driving in Phoenix near Toy Anxiety and popped in, and was lucky they had him just hanging there.
Not all retro figures are created equal. Some (specifically, Hasbro's) tend to capture how people remember them. That means soft detail, two hands that can hold accessories, and generally a "fixed soldier" pose that's pretty much the same across the entire line - but that's not how they actually were. Usually figures had a hand doing something, like the Emperor's "Force" hand, or just a plain, resting hand like we got with Walrus Man or Dengar. Super7 directed their Planet of the Apes line more like the actual Kenner stuff, with lots of sculpted detail and nothing intentionally soft. Obviously they're simplified - there's not a lot of paint on this figure, and while there are a lot of muscles there's no Kenner analog from the Star Wars era to compare him against other than the shirtless Adventures of Indiana Jones German Mechanic - it's still pretty believably retro.
The closest analog to Taylor can be found in Kenner's 1988 line Bone Age, which had slightly smaller cave men riding dinosaur skeleton kits you could convert into vehicles. They were even more ripped than Taylor, and also had visible man nipples. (A lot of modern action figures don't have the nips.) Even though Charlton Heston's neck isn't quite like this, and the face is off a tiny bit - possibly for licensing reasons? - it's consistent with how I believe Kenner would have released this character in this style in the Reagan era. Han didn't look quite right, neither did Luke or Leia - but they evoked the performer pretty well.
One of the first things I look at with retro-style figures is how they sit. Funko's ReAction Figures tended to have hips that didn't swing forward well, with squared-off butts that looked weird when they sit. Not so with Taylor! His leg is rounded off in the back and smoothly rotates forward, helping to maintain the illusion that his loincloth continues to cover his modesty. His arms, legs, and head all rotate perfectly and I should take special note to mention the legs bend more than 90 degrees. That's the sort of thing that deserves a trophy. Both hands look natural, if a little large, with the right one being closed a bit more so it can grip the rifle accessory. The gorillas all have repaints of this one.
The figure's ape rifle can fit in his hand or sling over his shoulder. It's good! It also comes in unique colors depending on which figure it comes with, as Taylor's is more or less dark butterscotch.
If you've never seen these movies, you should. Heston's Taylor is the film's hero and a representation of man's optimism in the space race - warts and all. Three dudes and one woman travel to the future and the mathematician lady was described as their "new Eve" to populate the new world. Combined with his utter disdain for humanity early in the movie - and he softens as the film goes on - I assume a modern (or more mature) audience might even look at the apes and say "yeah, OK, humanity kind of sucks." (And don't get me started about what he does in the sequel.) It's absolutely awesome to have this figure today, although I once again wish I had these as a kid. With all the Ewok Village and Gliders and everything else, I think Taylor and the Apes would have had a good time visiting Endor's toy section. At least they might be able to stop over today. I highly recommend this figure to anyone with a love for old Kenner stuff and absolutely anyone who watched the original five Planet of the Apes films on VHS or over-the-air at some point in their lives. This figure is so good I'd say sell some of your other junk you don't like any more, and use the money to go buy one.
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