Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey

Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey

Fig Biz, Incendium

Did we need another toy company throwing their hat in the ring with yet another scale of figure?  No.  Did we need more Bill and Ted?  Well, if we’re talking “Face the Music”, no...yes...maybe?  The second sequel was a bright spot during the height of Covid-19 hysteria. (Up to this point, it was my last trip to the theater.) The movie itself was so-so, but seeing Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves as the older-but-still-most excellent duo was worth the trip.  If you like the characters, it will be hard not to smile watching it.  Though it’s more in-line thematically with the original, Bogus Journey is still the better sequel.  One that is kinda forgotten...at least when it comes to merch.

Most excellent throwbacks to Toy Biz figures in the 90s!

Still having my old Kenner figures in the 5-inch scale, I didnt feel the need to update them with Fig Biz’s first movie offerings.  However, I could not pass up Bill and Ted in their Bogus Journey attire.  They look okay.  A bit soft or cartoony in the likenesses...they probably could have done better in the 6 or 7 inch scale.  

They are more articulated than most 5-inch figures, but they do have some major issues.  They have double-hinged knees, but only one cut and a swivel for elbows.  The shoulder joints have ugly, exposed pins.  Worst of all the crotch areas are large and hamper any natural sitting or bending poses.  Even getting them to rock out on their knees is difficult.  Also, what I thought was waist articulation turned out to be a strange design flaw?  

Accessories included are unique guitars, interchangeable hands with guitar picks, clear display stands and...best of all...interchangeable, evil robot Bill and Ted heads!  There would be temptation to buy two sets here, if they weren’t so expensive for the scale/size.  

They are $30 a figure...$30!!!  Each!!!  I know they are kind of an oddity, but $25 would be pushing it.  Most insulting of all is that they tried to save some tooling by reusing parts from the waist down, thus making Bill roughly the same height as Ted!  Ugh...

Anyway...$45 more if you want the signature vehicle. It’s very bare bones.  The door has a magnet feature to keep it open/closed, but no slide track, so its a bit loosey-goosey.  They phone is static/non-removable, and the antennae doesn’t even rotate. I wasn’t expecting any Kenner-like action features, but for that much, I was hoping for a little more imagination.  The “phone” signs glow in the dark, but even cheap knock off toys from China and Mexico throw in cheap LED lights.  Or maybe a removable top to make it more like the booth in Bogus Journey?  With Rufus’ grapnel guitar?

 

 

I’m being pretty harsh on these...they do look alright sitting on a display shelf.  Playability and value is where the excellent adventure takes a dive into a bogus journey.  I hope the Grim Reaper (coming out at a later date) fares better.  At least he’s not a skeleton this time (comics, Kenner figure) and he comes with a mini Twister mat.  And even with their shortcomings, I would welcome Station, Good Robot Bill and Ted, and Rufus, before Fiz Big calls it quits with this line.

  

Take a trip back in time with a look at Bill and Ted trading cards and Kenner figures:

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2018/05/bill-and-ted-trading-cards.html