Likeness

The toy looks like the movie character but is not hyper real. It feels slightly cartoony mostly because of the scale of his body. He feels a bit compressed when compared to other six-inch lines. The gear on his and the proton pack look are genuine Ghostbusters. It feels almost like a mix between the cartoon representation of Ray Stanz and the real version.

Sculpt

One major complaint is that the toys feel too short for six-inches line. The torso is not as long as they could be and the neck is too short. If these two things were different, Ray Stanz would look like most other 1:12 toy. He is pudgy, unlike the others. That’s a good thing. I like all the gear he sports on his belt. It it very busy. If you rotate his torso using the ball joint at the waist, you’ll notice that his jump suit shows like an undershirt. It if had been painted, it would look great and very realistic.

Paint

This figure could use a bit of a dirty grey wash on the jumpsuit. It looks plain without it. The Ghostbusters’ logo looks swell on his right shoulder. Painted details are good but bleed a lot. Hasbro used 3D face painting, but it does not add much to the figure. I wish his hair were not just one shade of brown.

Scale

Nominally, the Ghostbusters Plasma series is a six-inch/1:12 line of action figures. Some collectors complain that the figures and Stanz are five-inch toys. I disagree. Stranz is a bit taller than the Luke Skywalker (Dagobah) action figure from the Star Wars Black Series line. In fact, Ray Stanz is in scale with many 1:12 lines, it’s just that he and his colleagues are not dashing six-foot paragon of athleticism, like most characters from action figure lines.

Instead, he is a pudgy professor who became a fulltime ghost hunter and is probably around 5’6-5’8 feet, like most of the male population. However, actor Dan Aykroyd claims to be six feet! In the cartoon, Ray Stanz was chubbier and shorter than the other Ghostbusters. I find that the figure looks great with Marvel Legends and G.I. Joe Classified, if you understand that he is not an athlete but a nerdy professor. In fact, the reason I got him is because I find that he is good buck for a custom G.I. Joe Mainframe action figure. Mainframe is a computer geek, so it all fits!

Stability

It was not easy to find the right balance for Stanz at first. The feet are quite narrow and with the backpack, he is top heavy and can easily lean or fall backwards. I have found a way to pose him and he is sturdy now.

Articulations

The articulations are stiff. You may need to heat them with a blow drier or warm water to loosen them up and avoid breaking them when articulating him. I find that Hasbro’s Ghostbusters has a good mix of articulations that I would not have expected. He has rotating and bending shoulders that can do a full 360 rotation. He also has butterfly joints which is unexpected. They work well but are not as huge as other action figure lines like Marvel Legends or G.I. Joe Classified.

His double knee articulations are the most difficult to use because of their stiffness. He also has thigh curls. His ankles can bend up, down, and pivot. Posing him as he points his neutrona wand with both hands.

Plastic

Ray Stanz’s plastic is durable. It could be ABS plastic. His body is built moulded mostly in the original colour featured for a body part. More than other manufacturers, Hasbro favours this as they do not have to paint the part much. It also helps with articulation problems when the paint clogs them, as is frequent with NECA toys.

Props

There are many props. First, there is the leg of a Terror Dog used as a build-a-figure. Ray Stanz also comes with a pair of Ecto-Goggles that help him see paranormal activity better. He can store them loosely on his belt, hold them in his hands, wear them on his forehead or wear them on his face. Because of his big hair, they will fit tightly. Don’t pull on them too much as there is little wiggle room and they could break.

The neutrona wand fits on the neutron pack and is tied to it through a soft PVC cord. The neutron pack is super detailed with wires and parts sticking out much like the original gear in the movies. The paint application is off though with paint bleeding all over. There is a harness that connects the proton pack to Ray Stanz’s body. The harness can be locked on the figure’s belly but because Ray Stanz is a bit fat, it does not buckle up easily! I think that Ray Stanz should go on a diet!

Packaging

Cost

Ray Stanz retail for about $22.99 USD or $33.00CAD. They are cheaper in some stores so shop wisely.

Availability