The original Ghostbusters’ movie has real staying power. 
Aside from the 80s music the movie actually holds up for the new millennia. When Ghostbusters first hit the screen in 1984 it broke records. Ghostbusters held the record for highest grossing comedy movie until Home Alone came along in 1990. I must admit that Ghostbusters earned that title and really should have kept it but, that’s life. Surprisingly Ghostbusters are still popular and even my nieces and nephews, who weren’t even a gleam in their parent’s eyes in 1984, know and love this movie.
Another enduring classic are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Back in the 1980s there was a cartoon and some very cheesy movies. There is currently a new Nickelodeon cartoon for the new generation which means the Ninja Turtles are something the parents who grew up with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can share them with their children.
Now Playmates, the company that produced the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys, has brought those 2 great properties together. Just in time for Halloween Playmates Toys has made the perfect mash-up with the Ninja Turtles as The Ghostbusters! Personally, I think this is a match that was a long time coming and am excited that it is finally here.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as The Ghostbuster are a line of 6 inch action figures that are perfect for both Turtle fans as well as fans of Ghostbusters. These oversized figures are similar to the Ninja Turtle WWE line although in my opinion these are better. I maybe a bit partial to the Ghostbusters but I think the Ninja Turtles and Ghostbusters is a mash-up that any child of the 1980s will absolutely love.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from Playmates are approximately 4.5 inches while these specialty figures clock in at approximately 6 inches tall. Since these are not your normal sewer dwelling, pizza eating heroes in a half-shell they come with character themed accessories instead of their normal ninja gear.
First up is everyone’s favorite turtle, Michelangelo. Mikey is the master of the nunchakus on a “normal’ day but as a Ghostbuster, Michelangelo is Venkman. If you remember correctly Peter Venkman was played by Bill Murry in the original film. Since this is the first figure in the review I have to mention this…I can’t get used to the Turtles with hair. Lol! The Mikey/Venkman figure comes with these accessories:
• PKE Meter
• Unlicensed Nuclear Accelerator
• Ghost trap
• “ghost”
The points of articulation on the Michelangelo are as follows:
• Head
• Shoulders
• Elbows
• Wrists
• Hips
• Knees
• Calf
Next up is Donatello as Spengler. What I said before about hair…holy crap Donny has Harold Ramis’s hair. He is perfectly coiffed and ready for action! He too has the highly detailed uniform and accessories. When I say detailed I mean that even the “patches” on his flight suit are highly detailed. The Donatello figure has a Ghostbuster’s patch on his right sleeve and a name tag on the right side of his body with the name Don. Donatello is the perfect choice to be Spengler since Donny was quite the scientist as a kid.
The accessories for the Donatello figure as Egon Spengler are:
• PKE Meter
• Ghost trap
• Unlicensed Nuclear Accelerator
• Glow in the dark Devil Dog Guardian figure
Points of Articulation:
• Head
• Shoulders
• Elbows
• Wrists
• Hips
• Knees
• Calf
I think the Spengler Turtle has a coolness factor above the other turtles. He just looks very 80’s retro. It has the be the hair and the glasses!
Next up for our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line is the great Leonardo as Stantz. Ray Stantz was played by Dan Aykroyd and he was the most high strung member of the team. Despite his nerves it was Stantz who lead the Ghostbusters to victory against Gozer the Gozerian. Stantz was the one who conjured the 80 foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man which could have been a problem, but luckily marshmallows are easy to toast. The Leonardo as Stantz figure comes with these accessories:
• PKE Meter
• Ghost trap
• Unlicensed Nuclear Accelerator
• Glow in the dark, almost opaque creature figure
The points of articulation are great for these smaller figures and for the Stantz figure are:
• Head
• Shoulders
• Elbows
• Wrists
• Hips
• Knees
• Calf
The last of our great Original Ghostbusters’ is Raphael as Winston Zeddemore. The thing that stands out for me is that this figure has a very cheesy mustache. I know that I shouldn’t fixate on this but I guess facial hair doesn’t translate well to amphibians. The Zeddemore figure comes with:
• PKE Meter
• Ghost trap
• Unlicensed Particle accelerator
• Slimer glow-in-the-dark figure
If you go by the original script, Zeddemore was supposed to be some highly educated scientist but when he appeared in the movie he was just someone looking for a job. His character was the link for the everyman proving that you don’t need a wall of post graduate degrees to be a hero. Just like the others in the line, the figure of Winston Zeddemore has approximately 14 points of articulation.
• Head
• Shoulders
• Elbows
• Wrists
• Hips
• Knees
• Calf
These figures are probably my favorite mash-up from Playmates (sorry WWE). Kids seem to love the Ghostbusters and the Ninja Turtles so this a match made in heaven. The detail on the accessories is amazing. The four turtles also look great as their ghostbusting counterparts. The level of authenticity to the jumpsuits shows that Playmates goes above and beyond to cater to fans of any age group. Little kids don’t care about how screen accurate the figure’s clothes are but the adult collector does.
If you are a fan of the “Heroes in a Half shell”, the Ghostbusters, or both, these figures are a must for your collection. These are available wherever Ninja Turtles are sold. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle as the Ghostbusters are recommended for collectors 3 and up. These 6 inches figures retail for $19.99 and are perfect for play or just display. Pick up yours today and remember: don’t cross the streams!
