I had to get this The Invisible Man clear version figure. It came out in 2024, starting life as a Boodega item with some units sold through Entertainment Earth/EE Distribution - and I hear their buyer has amazing taste, so who was I to not buy one myself? I skipped the original version Super7 put out because it was very similar to the very good 2014 Invisible Man [FOTD #1,039] with a head like the (you guessed it) The Invisible Man Entertainment Earth Exclusive Clear ReAction Figure [FOTD #1,108]. There's a pattern here. The Claude Rains movie from 1933 is really amazing - a little goofy in spots, but as an early example of special effects? It's a wonderful movies with great performances. For a movie to still be awesome after over 90 years is tough - try watching 1980s comedies and prepare to feel awful for what we used to find funny - but horror seems to age well in a lot of places.
Since Super7's version of the figure made some improvements over Funko's, I regretted passing it up - so this version was good enough of a replacement. Much of the figure is cast in clear plastic, so it's more about vibes than accuracy - his bandages are clear colorless plastic this time, so you can see through his head and hands. It's not how his "power" works, he has to strip down to be invisible, and that's even funnier when you recognize the movie takes place in a snowy climate. The figure's plush robe sure looks comfy, and gives him a sense of old-thyme elegance when he is in fact, completely mad.
Super7 made a few - very few - changes for this figure, and they're all for the better. The robe is longer, hiding more of his pants - it looks more elegant than frumpy. The leg joints were adjusted, as were the placement of the belt, so that the sculpt does not break up the clothing accessory. The texture of his coat lining and belt also are a little fancier, while his robe loses the buttons. At first glance it didn't look like a new figure, but as they say the devil is in the details.
Funko's era of ReAction Figures were cheap, and good with a distinctive personality that was a bit more uniform in appearance. Super7's monsters were mostly sculpted by Stephen Geddes, an ex-Kenner guy who knows what Kenner fans like. The Invisible Man has a little bit of a slouch, a bend right elbow, and a left hand that's not exactly designed to grip an accessory. (None are included.) If you compare his pose to the likes of the 1978 Luke Skywalker or Han Solo, you'll probably get it - they're not content to be posed soldiers with stiff limbs, there's actually a little movement and gravity in their appearance that may not be obvious at a casual glance. This makes this figure a little more realistic, while looking like a 50-year-old toy from a 92-year-old movie.
I still want a normal version, but I'm happy with this one. The clear bandages do a good job of evoking the movie's whole gimmick, which for a toy is really important. You want The Invisible Man to be invisible - but a clear, colorless man-shaped toy is boring. By taking an element of the figure and knocking it out, you deliver on the premise without making a totally useless release.
I think a lot of horror fans - young me included - like the idea of Universal Monsters so much they'll buy the toys without seeing them. Who among us doesn't have a mummy or a vampire toy or some movie monster from a movie we've never seen? I really dug this movie when I saw it, and I think this may be one of my very favorite versions of the character as a toy. Playmates' TMNT Mikey as the Invisible Man is awesome. Jada Toys put out an amazing one, too. But as I get older, I'm finding myself much happier with simple toys that look like an action figure, stand without a fight, and can pilot an X-wing fighter - and this one does all of those things. If he's still around, and you've got $20 to spare, consider giving this one a look. It will not change your life, it will not alter the course of your destiny, but it will look fun in any Cantina dioramas you may have.
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