Saturday 14 August 2021

Toybox REVIEW: Doctor Who 'The Keys of Marinus (1964)' Set

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Release Date: August 2021
RRP: £19.99

After years of treading water Character Options really kicked into high gear with their B&M Stores exclusive range of Doctor Who figures in 2019 - not only beginning to bring highly sought-after characters back to the market but also brand new figures combining both new and existing tooling. Things are only looking to get even better in 2021, with another selection of sets inspired by the franchise's classic era announced for release. Among these is The Keys of Marinus (1964) Collector Figure Set, one of two three-figure sets based on the First Doctor's era. This a particularly special on, not only bringing new monsters to the fold in the form of the Voord but also another companion. Schoolteacher Ian Chesterton didn't know what he expected to find when he followed student Susan Foreman to a seemingly ordinary Police Box, but it certainly wasn't an unforgettable adventure through time and space with a man simply known as the Doctor...

(A big thank you to Character Options and Evolution PR for the opportunity to review this set ahead of its release this month. This set, along with the other three that make up this latest range, are due to release in B&M stores mid-August.)

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The Keys of Marinus (1964) Collector Figure Set comes in the now-standard triple-figure packaging we've seen for all of the current B&M exclusive releases, featuring a white TARDIS graphic across the front and spine as well as the current series Doctor Who logo. The text on the front of the box also states the name of the set, as well as the scale of the figures included inside and the usual gold foil "limited edition" sticker. On the back of the box you'll find find images of the each figure along with their names, as well as a surprisingly detailed synopsis of The Keys of Marinus. Open the box up and all three figures are neatly stored on a moulded plastic tray, with a number of rope ties to keep them in place.

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Much like what's been seen with a lot of the more recent B&M exclusive releases the set includes a diorama-style backing tray, depicting the ancient temple in Marinus' "screaming jungle". It's a lovely rendering that adds that extra bit of personality to the set, as well as making the perfect background for these figures when it comes to either displays or photographs.

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One of the first and arguably most popular companions of the Doctor, Ian Chesterton finally arrives as part of the Doctor Who 5.5" figure range. This figure reuses the body of 2007 "Mister Saxon" Master figure, albeit with a brand new head. While that Master is certainly getting on a bit in age, it's amazing how much a new coat of paint makes it work on a whole new figure produced 14 years later. Little details such as the moulded rings on either hand haven't been completely removed from this release, but the subtle gold paint that's been used for them makes them barely noticeable at all. In his YouTube video revealing this latest range of B&M exclusive figures Character Options' creative director noted that this technically isn't the costume that Ian wore in The Keys of Marinus, but wanted to go for something a bit more recognisable/iconic to the character so went for the "default" schoolteacher look. I definitely agree that this was the right way to go with the release, and the reused body is generic enough to work perfectly with the right coat of paint. There might not be a lot of colourised photos of Ian out there, but what there is this figure has done a great job of matching - the striped tie is a particularly nice touch. Of course the most important aspect to this release is the new head sculpt, which has a great likeness to both Ian and actor William Russell. If one nitpick had to be made it would be that the eyes aren't quite as sharp as some of the other recent releases we've had and lack coloured irises, but that aside it's a pretty great head. Classic companions are in very short supply and male ones even more so, so to finally have Ian join the collection after all these years really is a dream come true.

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Of course the one downside to using an older figure as the base body is the slightly more limited range of articulation, however this is a fairly standard thing for the majority of Doctor Who figures (including the newer B&M ones) so collectors will know exactly what to expect. Altogether Ian features;
- Neck, shoulder, bicep, waist and wrist swivels
- Hinged elbows and knees
- "T-joint" hip with forward and outward movement
For the most part that's the standard array of articulation for these figures but Ian does lack a couple of additional areas, such as thigh and/or boot swivels. In the past I've lamented the articulation (or lack thereof) on a lot of the Doctor Who figures, but eventually you just have to come to accept it as just the way they are - Character clearly aren't going for the highly poseable figure market, and while they're still relying on existing parts for the newer releases they couldn't even if they wanted to. But while you're not going to get a huge range of poses out of Ian, there's certainly enough here to get his personality across to liven up displays/photographs. 

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But even though Ian might seem like the main draw of the set, with the Doctor Who figure range lacking when it comes to 60s monsters (aside from the obvious candidates of course) the Voord are definitely an equally welcome addition to the collection. Although this race of semi-aquatic beings only appeared onscreen in The Keys of Marinus, they have gone on to make numerous appearances in franchise's wide range of expanded media - even at one point being theorised as ancestors of the original Mondasian Cybermen. Both Voord figures in this set reuse the Humanoid Axon body, which is immediately identifiable from the v-neck cut in the torso. They have however been given a rather extensive selection of new/retooled parts, including brand new head sculpts, a body hardness, new hands and flippered feet. The feet have been really well done, not only supporting ridged detailing along the top but also moulded straps that run around the back of the feet. Although they're only moulded in a single colour with a very minimal amount of paint detailing, the Voord look absolutely fantastic. To know that it they reuse existing parts you really have to know what you're looking for, and the detailing and moulding on the new parts definitely make it feel like a whole new figures. Most of all though it's just great to just get some of the obscurer classic Doctor Who monsters to get a bit of representation for once.

Although both Voord figures (referred to as Voord I and Voord II on the packaging) are largely the same figure, there some slight differences between the two to make each of them unique. Voord I sports a circular head crest and two silver "buttons" on its waist, whilst Voord II has a triangular crest and single silver "button" just below the neck. They may be very subtle differences, but getting that little bit of extra tooling to give fans two Voord variants in the set really goes a long way.

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Although Ian may have some articulation woes because of the body's age, the same certainly can't be said for the Voord. The Humanoid Axon figure was released back in 2013 and the line had made some pretty notable advances by then, particularly when it came to the arms. Altogether each Voord figure has;
- Neck, bicep, waist, wrist, thigh and foot swivels
- Swivel hinge shoulders
- Hinged elbows and knees
- "T-joint" hip with forward and outward movement
The implementation of swivel hinge elbows was one of the best modifications Character ever did to the Doctor Who line. Even with some of the (far more minor) flaws the figure might have elsewhere, the ability to raise the arms outward as well as rotate them gives them so much more personality. By 2013 the sculpting of the arms had significantly improved too, so the silhouette left when using the bicep swivels is considerably less unattractive as well. In an ideal world an ankle tilt would be lovely so that the feet could be posed flat-footed when outstretching the legs, it isn't essential and those lovely long flippered feet are ideal for keeping the Voord balanced. 

It just keeps getting better too, but each Voord also has its own accessory! Said accessory might just be a very basic knife (painted silver with a black band around the handle), but once upon a time we weren't getting accessories with these figures at all so it's always nice to see them when they are included. The knives slot comfortably into the figures' right hands, but can also be stored in the pouch attached to the belt as well. 

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As much as I love the Doctor Who figure range and have been ecstatic to see if having regular releases again, in previous reviews I've mentioned my scepticism at just how much the line can grow if it has to rely so heavily on pre-existing bodies/tooling. However The Keys of Marinus (1964) Collector Set has truly opened my eyes up to the potential the line still has even within these limitations. Fans have desired an Ian Chesterton figure for a very long time and even though the body might be one of the older ones Character had to work with, they did a great job in selecting one that was perfect for the character as well as breathing new life into it. The Voord however are the real standouts of this set - despite how basic they might look they're a fantastic likeness to the onscreen suits, make good use of new tooling to create the illusion of being all-new figures and ultimately are just incredibly fun to play with. A classic companion and a great 60s monster - what more could you want from a set at this price? While I currently don't have a loose First Doctor figure to use as part of this gallery (another reason why I'm eagerly anticipating The Sensorites set also part of this new range of figures), hopefully a few Eighth Doctor images inspired by Doom Coalition 2's Beachhead are an acceptable alternative. Either way this an absolutely brilliant set that shows off just how much potential the line still has. I honestly think it's one of the best B&M exclusive releases we've had so far. 

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