I still have my old Playmates version of this figure - which I believe cost me about $4.99 in 1992 - but I couldn't say no to the Super7 Dr. Beverly Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation. What sold me? Take a look at the packaged photo below - the price tag in the store last year was $3.69. I like toys a lot, and I'm unable to say no to a retro Kenner-style figure under five bucks unless it's really, really bad. Is she worth $20? Maybe. But I already bought Armus. Why stop there?
If you buy Super7's era of post-Funko ReAction Figures, you know they come in all kinds of styles. Some, like Planet of the Apes and Universal Monsters, look and feel a lot more like old Kenner and Remco toys with (usually) one claw-like hand that can't grip anything and a slightly more natural pose. Some look like they were digitally sculpted, and some of the limbs look like they were copied, mirror-flipped, and printed out. And others still are in the middle - Dr. Crusher has a left "useless hand", but her arms and legs look like they are plain straight limbs. A little variation in the elbow bends goes a long way, but you do get a good head sculpt with colorful hair and a a Tricorder accessory that's so ornate, it's amazing.
The figure is very similar to the memory of an old Kenner toy, with very straight arms and legs. With her coat, her ability to swing her legs forward is slightly impaired but not so impaired that you can't slide her in your old toy vehicles! She's mostly going to just stand around, but she looks good. The right hand can barely grip the tiny Tricorder, so be very careful she doesn't drop it or you may never see it again. While the grip may be imperfect, the Tricorder is one of the best 3 3/4-inch accessories I've ever seen. Ever. And I have a lot of 3 3/4-inch action figures. Back in the day, Playmates gave you a sticker on a weird Easter Egg-colored plastic gizmo. Super7 gives you a gray tricorder with at least four colors of paint to represent the screens, labels, LEDs, and other elements you saw on the show. There's more detail on the Tricorder than there is on a lot of action figures I've bought - it's staggeringly good. I'm not saying you should buy it just for the gizmo - that'd be silly - but if you ask "Where is the money going on a figure like this?" you can see it here.
While I find the pose to be a little phoned-in, the sculpting is good with subtle wrinkles on her elbows, all three Commander pips, her combadge, and a pretty good head of hair. The color is a little too light, and her painted face loses some detail that may have looked better had it been molded in flesh color. Instead, it looks like they molded her in blue and then painted every single piece of her except the blue on her collar and chest. It's an odd choice that probably cost Super7 extra, but at least all the colors match.
Assuming there won't be too many more Star Trek ReAction Figures, it's a pretty good collection with the main crew and a few bad guys. It would be nice to build out an entire collection, but Super7 put together the main post-Season 2 cast (and Season 1 Wesley Crusher) with the uniforms you remember from most episodes. That's pretty cool - I'd love to see more aliens and bad guys, but I'll probably slowly pick these up here and there as opportunity presents itself. For what I paid for her, this figure is an absolute steal. For $15 or so, she isn't bad. Sadly the last new 3 3/4-inch Trek ships were in the 1980s from Galoob, but at least you can beam up some pretty nice figures. We're probably approaching the last hurrah of this kind of product as the Xennials and Millennials push beyond 40, so remember these are out there when you do your rounds and pick them up if you like what you see.
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