Pop! Goes The Stargate » GateWorld (original) (raw)

After years of waiting Stargate fans finally have official Pop! figures from Funko. This summer’s debut line features five characters from the original movie: Jack O’Neill, Daniel Jackson, Ra, and the Anubis and Horus Guards.

After a bit of a shipping delay (and way too many boxes from Amazon) my collection has finally arrived, and they look great. There is some terrific attention to detail from the sculptors, though I do also have a nitpick or two. Let’s take a closer look:

Fans of the Stargate franchise might be wondering where Teal’c, Carter, and Apophis are here. Yes! These characters from Stargate SG-1 would make perfect Pop! figures, and we can only hope that it’s only a matter of time before they are announced. Stargate’s three TV series are full of beloved and colorful characters, from the Goa’uld System Lords, to the Wraith, to the Tok’ra.

But Funko is a new licensee for Stargate, and it makes sense that they would start with the feature film. (The timing is also good, as this year is the film’s 30th anniversary.) So we’re looking at the movie versions of Jack and Daniel, along with the iconic bad guys from that first adventure that started it all. (You can find these at Amazon.com or Entertainment Earth.)

MGM often starts out news licensees with the movie, so I take this initial wave of five figures as testing the waters. I have no doubt that more figures are already in the design stage and haven’t been announced yet.

Now, let’s get to the figures.

JACK O’NEILL

This figure is of course based on Kurt Russell’s version of the character — sporting his familiar beret, black T-shirt, and green fatigues. Yes, nitpickers will notice that the box reads “O’Neill” while the film spelled it “O’Neil” … and Richard Dean Anderson made “two L’s” a running joke on the series. But I think it’s the right call to stick with a unified spelling here.

The details on this figure look great, but it’s pretty hard to get this one wrong. Stick a staff weapon in his hand and that’s clearly Movie Jack. The figure’s head turns, making him somewhat poseable. The staff weapon is made of a soft plastic that makes it slightly flexible, and it actually came out of the packing a little bent. I managed to (mostly) straighten it out, but honestly having it slightly bent kind of matches the cartoon aesthetic.

DANIEL JACKSON

Daniel is wearing his Abydos green fatigues here, with sunglasses and a couple of notable details. Look closely and you’ll see he is holding an unwrapped 5th Avenue candy bar, just like the one he presents to Kasuf in the movie. He’s also wearing the Eye of Ra amulet, which Catherine gave him and which became a plot point in the story. These are great choices.

But this is my least favorite of the five figures, because it looks the least like his character. A couple of complaints here. Funko went with double-bridged sunglasses for Dr. Jackson, which just don’t look like his familiar glasses from the movie. (They’re more Dwight Schrute-looking glasses.) I thought it was an error until I went and scrutinized the movie, and found that when Daniel is wearing sunglasses in the desert scenes it’s actually shaded lenses clipped on to his regular glasses. So yes, two bridges is screen accurate … but regular Daniel glasses without the shades would make this figure a lot more recognizable.

Second (and this is a minor note more than a quibble), that mop of hair is assembled out of two pieces. So if you look at the figure from the top you’ll see a distinct horizontal line across the top of Daniel’s head, where his bangs meet the rest of his hair.

RA

If you’re looking for just one Stargate Pop! to decorate your self, this just might be the one to get. Ra’s design is so great, from the intricate hairstyle and headdress to his detailed costume. Ra’s robe is sculpted to flow over his feet and onto the floor, so that he has just one sandaled foot poking out. It’s a subtle detail, but it adds a lot to have this iconic villain have more going on than just a big plastic head stuck on a little plastic body. Ra has style.

But Ra’s Pop! figure is one of my favorites because of the attitude. Just check out these half-closed eyelids. That’s a Supreme System Lord who is done putting up with these upstart Tau’ri from Earth, who is about to bring down the hammer. Jaye Davidson’s performance in the film is subtle and understated, which makes his character all the more intimidating — and Funko has captured it here.

ANUBIS GUARD

The two guards (which the TV series will come to call Jaffa) stand substantially taller than a normal Pop! figure, which is fitting given their imposing stature. These warriors are designed to intimidate Ra’s enemies and his slaves alike, and it’s clear that Funko spent a lot of time getting all the little details right. The helmets are the main attraction here, and both guards are marketed as “metallic” — with a metal-looking paint job that really looks awesome, and a standout from the matte finish of an ordinary Pop.

The bent staff weapon is a little more of an issue here. It’s up against the corner of his helmet, making it harder to straighten out. But again, given the cartoonish look of Funko Pops, it doesn’t bother me at all.

Anubis is the jackal-headed guard that Jack fights at the film’s climax. This figure looks terrific — all the little details on the helmet and the body are just right. The helmet has a pattern carved into the plastic, with green flecks from what looks like a paint wash. This gives it a nice aged and weathered look.

HORUS GUARD

Last but certainly not least is the Horus Guard (played in the movie by Djimon Hounsou, in his breakout role). The metallic gold paint job looks great and reflects light well, with a glistening beak and that same paint wash that makes the falcon helmet appear old and weathered.

Like Anubis he towers over the other figures, with a staff weapon and detailed, golden accents around his white costume. And another example of Funko’s attention to detail is apparent when you put the two guards next to one another: they are holding their staff weapons in opposite hands. That’s just right for staging them with Ra and having your display look balanced. It’s a little thing, but as someone who has loved this movie for three decades it is something I really appreciate.

Funko has created many hundreds of Pop! figures spanning just about every character and fictional universe you can think of. They are clearly practiced in what they do, so it’s no suprise that these newest additions are of top-notch quality. While fans have created some really stellar Stargate figures over the years, it’s great to finally have official Stargate Pops on store shelves for the world to pick up and enjoy.

These five figures are definitely worth the pick-up for the Stargate fan in your life. Really the only question here is something that only Funko can answer: Where is SG-1?! When will we be able to expand our collection into the TV universe? I can make room on my shelf right now.

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