It’s Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK. While most people are out getting drunk or incinerating hot dogs on the BBQ, my wife and I were hunched over on the living room floor building the Playmobil Ghostbusters Firehouse model kit.
Like many of you reading this, the original Ghostbusters Firehouse/HQ toy was my pride and joy growing up. So when I learned that Playmobil had acquired the license for all things Ghostbusters, it was a given that I’d be collecting the whole range. Fortunately, I have a spouse who indulges my inner geek, as well as her own, and as such, I was lucky enough to receive this kit as a Christmas gift. We’ve had a daughter since then, which hasn’t allowed for much kit building, so you’ll forgive us taking so long to finally crack open the box.
The set, which costs around £60 here in the UK and $70 in the US, is presented beautifully, in a large glossy box embossed with the Ghostbuster insignia and an image of the finished firehouse. This is always handy for someone like me, who sometimes gets a bit ahead of themselves when building anything and needs a constant frame of reference to keep them on track. There are also several images with suggested internal layouts, but these were quickly ignored as designing the interior is half the fun, right?
Included with the set is the notorious red containment unit, which was so integral to the original Ghostbusters movie. The unit has an opening door to allow storage of traps and working levers that allow for the safe transfer of ghouls from a trap into the abyss within. There is also various items of lab equipment, including a monitor showing a Terror Dog, and all the equipment required to observe Louis Tully in full-on Keymaster mode.
The firehouse also comes with a number of traditional Playmobil figures, including Egon in his lab gear, Janine Melnitz, Louis Tully as the aforementioned Keymaster, and Ray Stantz in his Ghostbusting gear – proton pack ready for action. The famous Library Ghost is also included, although she’s had an upgrade from the movie and for some reason transported herself to the Ghostbusters Firehouse.
You can buy additional kits to complete the set, including a rather glorious looking Ecto-1, which sits pretty on the ground floor of the firehouse. But don’t worry, when Janine gets a call and your Ghostbusters are called into action, the firehouse doors slide open just like in the movie.
You have to commend Playmobil for their attention to detail. There was some concern that once LEGO released their stranglehold on the Ghostbusters license, that it would fade once more into nostalgia, but Playmobil have really done the brand proud and made something that both kids can enjoy playing with and adults can get a kick out of building. Playmobil has traditionally been more of a kiddy-centric brand, so it’s nice to see them come up with something that’s a little more challenging than you might expect, and truly a welcome addition to any Ghostbusters collection.
