Note: This classic review page preserves the original review links. Once all classic reviews have been updated, we will update the links.
Click here to go back to the new Minimates Central
Slimed Peter Venkman and Clear Slimer
The Toys R Us exclusive Ghostbusters Minimates have been very popular and 2 waves have flown off the shelves. This is a review of the wave 1 set of Slimed Peter Venkman and Clear Slimer.
Packaging
The packaging here is the same as that for the others in this wave of Toys R Us Ghostbusters Minimates - control art drawings on the front, photos of packaged figures on the side, and a group shot and brief descriptions of each packaged character on the back.
Of interest for the packaging here is that the Slimer shown on the box is slightly different than the actual figure. The original prototype pictured here shows a chicken leg, booze, and a pie drawn onto Slimer's stomach. However, the decision was made not to include this detail on the final toy, presumably for cost reasons.
The Figures
Slimed Peter Venkman
Peter Venkman is the "mouth" of the Ghostbusters, and as such, is the de facto leader. During an investigation into the haunting of the Sedgewick Hotel, the green ghost Slimer attacks Venkman, flying through him and knocking him to the ground, covering Venkman with green ectoplasmic residue in the process. This figure is of Venkman in this "slimed" look.
Venkman’s face and body are covered in green slime, and his face reflects the fear he experienced as Slimer flew toward him. The expression of terror is very nicely done, and the haphazard green goo application on Venkman’s face and clothing works well, reflecting the messy nature of the slime. The hairpiece is the same as the one given to the other Venkman figures, and works fine. The likeness, similar to the others in this line so far, misses the mark in my opinion. But this is a minor issue really. You know who he is supposed to be, and for Minimates, this is what really counts.
Other than the slime tampo, Venkman’s outfit and proton pack are essentially the same as the one previously reviewed Egon. However, whereas Egon came with the PKE meter accessory, Peter comes with a removable walkie-talkie that fits onto the same peg used to house Egon’s PKE meter. This accessory is relevant to this particular Venkman, since he used the walkie-talkie to communicate with the other Ghostbusters during the investigation into the Sedgewick haunting, and is famously holding it to his mouth as he is slimed. Additionally, Venkman comes with the proton stream packaged with each Ghostbuster so far.
In conclusion, this is a great, fun variation of Venkman from one of the most well known scenes from the first Ghostbusters film, and personally is my favorite Venkman variant of all. Though this was a Toys R Us exclusive and can sometimes be pricey on the secondary market, this is definitely a figure (and 2-pack) worth searching out.
MMC Score - 10 out of 10
More pictures
Clear Slimer
It is only appropriate that "slimee" Venkman comes with "slimer", er, Slimer. Slimer is probably the most well known Ghostbusters ghost of all, for his memorable scene from the first Ghostbusters film and subsequent co-starring role in the Ghostbusters cartoon. This version of Slimer is called "clear", though he isn’t completely clear. He is a clear-ish green where light can pass through him, giving him a ghostly, ectoplasmic look.
Slimer is made up of a Minimate chest block, head, two arms with hands, and a sculpted piece that goes over his head and torso, all cast in this translucent, green-colored plastic. He has no crotch or leg pieces, because he floats around without those things in the film. The pear-shaped sculpted piece takes away from the conventional Minimate basis of the figure, but as with Mr. Stay Puft, it is essential to effectively translating Slimer’s design to this medium. You could just paint Slimer’s face on a regular Minimate head, but then this would not look anything like Slimer, since he isn’t an overly anthropomorphic, bipedal character. He’s basically just a big hunk of green goo with a face. The sculpted piece additionally has some sculpted wrinkles that reflect the wrinkles on the film version of Slimer.
Slimer’s face has been interpreted in a slightly different way in each of the various Minimates released, and this particular version is pretty accurate to the Slimer from the film. He is UGLY, with exaggerated eyebrows, huge cheeks, small, beady eyes, and of course, a huge mouth with exposed gums and uneven teeth. And as ugly as he is, this is a great face! Slimer isn’t supposed to be pretty, after all. In addition to all this, Slimer comes with a single accessory - a flight stand. It is basically a thin pole with a broad, flat base sculpted in the same green plastic as the rest of Slimer, and it slips right into the chest block cavity. This is a very nice accessory that allows you to view Slimer in his floating state. The accessory is doubly nice in that the pole also slips right into the C3 feet of other Minimates, making it a flight stand that other figures can use. Since the release of this figure, DST has released a few other figures with this stand, and will hopefully continue to do so, since it is a cool way to distinguish the flying Minimates from others.
In conclusion, as with the Venkman in this pack, this is a great version of this essential ghost (and again, this is probably my favorite Slimer of all). It, and this 2-pack particularly, is definitely a highlight of the line in my opinion.
MMC Score - 10 out of 10
More pictures
Review and pictures by karamazov80
Discuss this review at the Minimate Multiverse
Back to Film/TV Reviews Index Click here to go back to the new Minimates Central