The Frog's Name Was Indiana!
Written: Mar 26 '04 (Updated Apr 10 '04)
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Pros: A stunning figure that just surpassed everything else in my collection.
Cons: No cons here.
The Bottom Line: "Throw me the Gonzo, I'll throw you the whip!"
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The Jim Henson’s Muppets line of action figures from Palisades Toys has surpassed all of my expectations. Quite frankly, I expected the line of toys to fold after the first two series, leaving me with half an Electric Mayhem band, no Statler and Waldorf, and serious gaps in my collection. Now, dozens of figures later, the Palisades figures have become the centerpiece of my Muppet collection, and they still come up with toys that make me giddy with excitement.
But nothing prepared me for this. “Adventure Kermit” is a version of Kermit the Frog I never thought I’d see. Over a decade ago, in a television special “The Muppets at Walt Disney World,” Kermit dressed as Indiana Jones and saved Miss Piggy in the “Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular.” My best friend and hero was dressed in a leather jacket, fedora, and was armed with a whip and even a pistol (possibly the only time Kermit has ever fired a gun). Seeing that 15 years ago was seeing two of my fanboy worlds collide. And now they’ve collided again. Because in front of me on my desk, I have a Kermit the Frog action figure dressed exactly like another hero of mine, Professor Henry Jones Jr., better known to the world as Indiana Jones.
To avoid any copyright unpleasantness, and to make my life more difficult, Palisades has dubbed this version “Adventure Kermit,” but there’s no doubt that this is Indy. He just can’t be called Indy. So it’s Adventure Kermit. And since he showed up at my house one week ago, he’s become the favorite toy in my collection. Why do I love him? Let me count the ways:
1) His clothes. Clothes do make the frog (even though Kermit spends much of his time naked), and in this case, the sculpt of his clothing is absolutely perfect. Indiana Jones wears somewhat baggy pants that sag around his ankles…so does Adventure Kermit. They’ve got a rough texture, and the worn, dusty brown pants are held up by a leather belt, with a holster and bullwhip hook attached. More on those later. His light beige shirt is buttoned improbably all the way to his neck, but this avoids the issue of “whether Kermit wears that pointy collar ALL the time.” It’s a thorny issue, and I won’t tackle it here. His leather jacket has just the right texture—almost pebbled, creased, and painted with washes to look just like Indy’s. His hat is removable (although he looks naked without it), and stays firmly in place thanks to a magnet in the soft plastic fedora.
2) His articulation. Not enunciation, but articulation. Even though Kermit is well-spoken, I’m talking about his moves here. His posability. Because Kermit is wearing so many clothes, the crew at Palisades was able to give him more joints than they usually give Kermit figures—and the joints don’t get too bulky or interfere with the frog’s sculpt. He’s jointed at knees, hips, waist, wrists, elbows, biceps, shoulders and neck, which means you can put him in just about any situation imaginable. And believe me, I can imagine quite a bit.
3) His accessories! Besides his hat, Adventure Kermit comes with his trademark bullwhip—which hangs nicely coiled on the hook, but is also flexible enough that it looks great in his little hand…er…flipper. He’s got a bag that hangs over his shoulder, that he can use to store precious antiquities. The holster on his belt fits the pistol perfectly, and closes with a tab over the gun, and the gun itself fits perfectly in Kermit’s right hand. If it’s a really dangerous situation, you can even have his index finger on the trigger—just in case he’s in Cairo and there’s a surly swordsman who needs dispatching. All this stuff fits nicely on Adventure Kermit’s person…but beyond him, Palisades also includes a small golden idol—similar to the fertility idol seen at the beginning of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” but this bears a striking resemblance to Gonzo, who’s kneeling naked and bound, a disturbingly toothy grin under his beaked nose. The idol is great, it’s disturbing, and it’s appropriate. It’s only about an inch tall, perfect for playing “throw me the idol, I’ll throw you the whip!” with your Alfred Molina Dr. Octopus figure in a few months.
4) The final thing is something I usually bypass in my reviews of these toys, and that’s the packaging. There are collectors who save their packaging, some who keep their figures in their packages, and others who open their toys, play with their toys, and throw the packaging away. I’m usually that last one. I enjoy the packaging, I admire the work that goes into it, but ultimately I want the toy. Palisades’ Muppet packaging is consistently entertaining, including little bios on the back of the package, giving us the likes and dislikes of the character. For Adventure Kermit, we get a blue box, and on a mossy stone wall, we see some of his likes: “Laws allowing for parody, Legendary film producers & directors with a sense of humor.”
The figure is a perfect mix of Muppety humor, the coolness of Indiana Jones, and just a damn good toy. The only problem: where to find it! The Adventure Kermit figure is an “Exclusive,” which means it’s only sold through certain outlets. If you’re a member of Palisades Toys Collector’s Club you’re able to buy one, but there are various online sources as well. The easiest may be through www.starwarsshop.com, the official Lucasfilm site for such things. I bought one for myself to open, one to keep in the box, and I’m buying a few for birthday and Christmas presents for friends. If you have friends who are Indy fans or Muppet fans, this is something that will bring a smile to their face. Don’t let this one pass you by.
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MORE MUPPETS!
Series One
Kermit the Frog http://www.epinions.com/content_81549233796
Miss Piggy http://www.epinions.com/content_81637707396
Dr. Teeth http://www.epinions.com/content_81569549956
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew http://www.epinions.com/content_81822191236
Series Two
Fozzie Bear http://www.epinions.com/content_85935820420
Crazy Harry http://www.epinions.com/content_98525613700
Floyd Pepper http://www.epinions.com/content_98514865796
Gonzo the Great http://www.epinions.com/content_98463813252
Series Three
Scooter http://www.epinions.com/content_91825081988
Lew Zealand http://www.epinions.com/content_91457293956
Zoot http://www.epinions.com/content_91549830788
Rowlf http://www.epinions.com/content_90764316292
Series Four
Link Hogthrob http://www.epinions.com/content_105889107588
Dr. Strangepork http://www.epinions.com/content_105892187780
Sam Eagle as Samuel Arrow http://www.epinions.com/content_105895988868
Rizzo the Rat http://www.epinions.com/content_105903591044
Series Five
Gonzo and Camilla http://www.epinions.com/content_115081186948
Janice http://www.epinions.com/content_117029899908
Pepe http://www.epinions.com/content_117043138180
Muppet Newsman http://www.epinions.com/content_117058145924
Series Six
Clifford http://www.epinions.com/content_120939515524
Bear on Patrol Fozzie http://www.epinions.com/content_120963501700
Statler http://www.epinions.com/content_120983948932
Waldorf http://www.epinions.com/content_120987487876
Series Seven
Kermit the Frog as Captain Abraham Smollet http://www.epinions.com/content_135481364100
Beauregard http://www.epinions.com/content_135557975684
Johnny Fiama http://www.epinions.com/content_135581634180
Frog Scout Robin http://www.epinions.com/content_135578947204
Playsets
Muppet Labs with Beaker http://www.epinions.com/content_81755606660
Electric Mayhem Stage with Animal http://www.epinions.com/content_98538262148
Swedish Kitchen with Swedish Chef http://www.epinions.com/content_98725432964
Pigs in Space Swinetrek Playset with First Mate Piggy http://www.epinions.com/content_134628544132
Exclusive Figures
Adventure Kermit http://www.epinions.com/content_134654889604
MINI Muppets
Wave 1 Set 1 http://www.epinions.com/content_119826517636
Wave 1 Set 2 http://www.epinions.com/content_119837462148
Wave 2 Set 1: Muppet Christmas Carol http://www.epinions.com/content_120237952644
Wave 2 Set 2: Muppet Christmas Carol http://www.epinions.com/content_120245292676
Coming Soon!
Series Eight
Sam Eagle
Marvin Suggs
Movie Usher Scooter
Dr. Phil Van Neuter
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 15.00
Type of Toy: Action Figure
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Epinions.com ID:
JediKermit
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 in Movies, Kids & Family, Books |
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Member: Quinn
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Reviews written: 2150
Trusted by: 600 members
About Me:
Books, Movies, and Toys. Is there more to life?
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