Welcome to the Playmobil Playroom, where we take a monthly peek inside those impressive blue boxes and see what treasures await within. Sometimes we’ll have step-by-step photos walking you through assembly, maybe we’ll discuss and review a particular set or theme, or maybe we’ll have an unboxing video.
Who ya gonna call? They’re finally here! Announced last year and unveiled at Toy Fair in February, Playmobil’s Ghostbusters toys (based on the original 1984 film) have been one of the most anxiously awaited toy lines in a long time. At least in my house.
It’s not often that Playmobil gets a pop culture license, so this was a bit of a coup. It’s also a coup that seems to have already paid off since Playmobil is releasing several sets based on the How to Train Your Dragons films later this year.
Today, we’re going to be looking at three sets in the new Ghostbusters lineup: the Firehouse, Ecto-1, and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. Other sets available include Slimer with Hot Dog Stand, Venkman and Terror Dogs (with Dana), and Spengler and Ghost.
Before I start singing the praises of these sets too much, I am forced to note that if you want to get all four Ghostbusters figures in their uniforms, you’re going to have to buy four sets (which can get pricey). Venkman and Zeddemore are only available in one set each. Spengler is in two sets, but he’s only wearing his uniform in one (he’s wearing a lab coat in the other). And Stantz is in two sets, but his uniform is covered in marshmallow slime in one of them.
That is probably my one and only nitpick with these toys.
Janine is included twice – once in her “secretarial outfit” and once in a Ghostbusters uniform! The likenesses on everything are pretty darn close to the movie; in fact, I’ve never seen Ghostbusters toys that look this good. They’re amazingly well made. Seriously, if you’re a Ghostbusters fan (of if you have little fans in your house), you owe it to yourself to pick these up.
- Product Number:Â 9219
- Number of Pieces: 228Â pieces
- Number of figures: 5 – Spengler (in lab coat), Tully, Stantz, Janine, Library Ghost
- Product Number:Â 9220
- Number of Pieces: 79 pieces
- Number of figures: 2 –Â Zeddemore, Janine (in Ghostbusters uniform)
- Product Number:Â 9221
- Number of Pieces: 9 pieces
- Number of figures: 1 –Â Stantz (with marshmallow splatters)
Ease of Build:
On a scale of 1-5, Stay-Puft is a solid 1. He’s one giant piece, and the only other pieces are Stantz and his proton pack. The set doesn’t even come with instructions. The Ecto-1 comes in at about a 3 since there are a lot of little pieces that attach to the roof of the car. And the Firehouse is probably a 4 just because of its size. As explained in the video, many parts unnecessarily consist of multiple pieces (e.g., the two staircases are 30 pieces total). It’ll take a while to assemble the entire thing.
Coolest Features:
If you’re a Ghostbusters fan, this list is lengthy. Highlights include:
- The Ecto-1 is spot on. It’s just an amazingly cool toy.
- The siren on the Ecto-1 sounds just like in the movie. The lights are also a very cool feature.
- Slimer’s green slime attaches to anything and looks way cool.
- The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man is one huge piece, and it’s a spitting-image likeness. They did an amazing job with the mold.
- The Firehouse is just incredible. It’s filled with a bunch of details that will make any Ghostbusters fan happy.
Playability:
Again, if you’re a fan of the film and franchise, it’s endless. The sets all combine together, obviously, so the Ecto-1 fits perfectly in the Firehouse garage. Stay-Puft isn’t entirely to scale, but he’s plenty big. Speaking as someone who is not the world’s biggest Ghostbusters fan, I still think these sets are just an absolute joy. They’re so much fun, and all of the little details really set them apart. Playmobil has raised the (already impressively high) bar in terms of both quality and attention to detail.
Kid Verdict:
Two enthusiastic thumbs up! Our only complaint is the difficulty of getting all four members of the team in their Ghostbusters uniforms. I’m sure this was intentional to get you to buy more, but that’s not cool. One of the best features of LEGO’s Ecto-1 is that it came with all four minifigures. Playmobil could have easily put all four characters in the Firehouse. It’s already the highest-price box in the lineup; including all four team members would’ve made it that much sweeter.
(Disclosure: These Playmobil sets were provided free of charge for review purposes. All opinions remain our own.)
