The Good: Good sculpt, Decent coloring, Collectible value
The Bad: Problematic seam under the head, Lack of articulation
The Basics: The Pop! Vinyl Jareth figure is likely to be a generally pleasant surprise for Labyrinth fans, though it is not the best-made vinyl figure ever.
My wife is a huge fan of the works of David Bowie, which she very much brought me around to early on in our relationship. One of her favorite films is Labyrinth and in trying to decorate our space together, I have found that the years I have on her were spent well with acquiring collectibles and now I'm working to catch my wife up. As it turns out, there is not a whole ton of Labyrinth merchandise out there, but most of it actually does feature Davide Bowie's iconic character Jareth the Goblin King. One of the newer pieces of merchandise I have found for her growing Labyrinth collection is the Funko Pop! Vinyl Jareth figure.
For those unfamiliar with Jareth, he is the primary antagonist in Labyrinth (reviewed here!). Having kidnapped Sarah's baby brother, Jareth returns to his castle at the center of the Labyrinth where he holds the baby ransom. Sarah has a time limit to get through the Labyrinth before Toby will be the Goblin King's forever. In the process, Jareth falls in love with Sarah and wants her to join him.
The Pop! Vinyl Jareth figure is stylized, but otherwise generally well-rendered and anyone who has seen how David Bowie as Jareth looked will recognize this character. This looks like a caricature version of Jareth with a significantly larger head than is appropriate.
Basics
Jareth is the Goblin King in his casual outfit that he wears when walking around the Labyrinth. The figure stands 4 5/8" tall, from his feet to the top of his spiky hair. Jareth is dressed in a purple, black, and gray outfit with his spiked hair, recognizable brooch and belt buckle and undershirt molded on.
This toy is a decent sculpt for the stylized version of the Goblin King, which includes things like the pant cuffs folded up, the tiny studs on the jacket's wrist and lapel. The sculpt is brought down a little bit by the head of Jareth. Jareth looks recognizable-enough (it could be pretty much any hair band Pop! Vinyl by the mouthless sculpt), but when the Jareth Pop! Vinyl figure is out of the package, there is a troubling seam under the head. The head, which only turns ten degrees, it attached to the body by what seems to be a plug, like the figure was made with a different head, which was then removed and a new one stuck on. It is comparatively sloppy and that is a bit disappointing for die-hard fans. Funko almost makes up for that with the riding crop that Jareth is holding in his right hand. Jareth's jacket tails are well-sculpted in a soft, rubbery plastic that accents the figure nicely.
The coloring of the Jareth Pop! Vinyl figure is wonderful, in its basic way. There are no subtleties to the coloring, but Funko did paint all of the accents on the figure. The belt buckle, amulet, and studs are all painted to offer contrast with the monotonal jacket, pants and shoes. On Jareth's face, there is the cat eye make-up that Jareth had, which is accurate.
Accessories
Jareth, despite holding a riding crop, is not actually adorned with any accessories; this is a Funko Pop! vinyl figure on its own without a stand or any additional elements to the figure.
Playability
The Pop! Vinyl toy line is a stylized version of Jareth that stands all right, despite its giant head. Outside the head, none of the joints are in any way articulated. The head turns only a few degrees, but it acts more like a statue than an action figure.
Collectibility
The Jareth is part of the Pop! Vinyl Movie collection. Despite my not being grabbed by the concept of the stylized figures, other people seem to like them and this is #364 in the ever-expanding line of Pop! Movie vinyl figures. Because there are so few pieces of Labyrinth merchandise, the Jareth Pop! Vinyl figure has, at least, maintained its value since it sold out in the primary market.
Overview
The Pop! Vinyl Jareth toy is all right, but the sloppiness in its construction is a little disappointing compared to the quality of the sculpt and coloring.
For other Labyrinth merchandise and Pop! Vinyls, please check out my reviews of:
NECA 12" Talking Jareth Figurl
Toy Vault Plush Worm
2014 Comic Con Exclusive Blood-Splattered Sharknado Pop! Vinyl
6/10
For other toy reviews, please check out the Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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