Action Force 1982 by Palitoy

In this video we cover in great detail, how Palitoy's Action Man brand was scaled down to 3 3/4" and developed into the Action Force concept for 1982. Special thanks to Bob Brechin for his immense assistance with this video.
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[@billrules8716]

I'm American, so I didn't grow up with Action Force or have an emotional connection to the brand, but your videos are always so well researched and presented that I can't help but think this is a cool collection! Very good work, sir.

[@Plokman040]

Agreed, I think the closest thing to these we got in the US is really more modern. The Imaginex toys, I collect a few of those and they have five point articulation with shoulder points too.

[@richardoverton4425]

@@Plokman040 ŕ

[@tatertot64]

That Action Force commercial is ridiculously charming. Helping young childrens' imaginations blossom by supporting them in these ways really encapsulate the charm and nostalgia of these products and this era.

[@MichaelJShaffer]

Of all the toy lines I never saw or had, this is by far my favorite. The AF5 is such an awesome vehicle. 3 toys in 1 and at an affordable price. I would have played with that for hours on end. Excellent video, Tony! So cool that it's always entertaining AND educational.

[@2carstommy]

Thanks for putting these Action Force videos up on KZbin, still have my Action Force collection & it's move into the GiJoe figures & vehicles in the later years @Analog Toys

[@kieronball8962]

Do I want to start collecting Action Force?! No! But after watching this amazing video, I really NEED to! 😁

[@TRASProjectVideos]

I'm so glad you got my playset and the figures, now they are getting famous!! To me it looks like you have a kind of Action Force Heaven there so If I ever find the rest of the figures of my collection I will send them to you . Thanks for all the work Tony! I can't help getting emotional with this!!

[@AnalogToys]

You’re very welcome. They are well looked after here.

[@juanmarobles9053]

WOW. The orange frogman was my x-wing pilot for many many years.

[@jfjf5525]

Thanks for introducing me to Action Force 👍

[@lostonwallace1396]

The '82 figures are probably my favorites! So many strong sculpts and characters! Love your videos, Tony! So thorough!

[@aceswild5577]

Superb video. I was all in on AF when it launched and loved getting my copy of Battle when it tied in. Excellent stuff Tony.

[@TOONG33K]

Excellent video , thanks very much for sharing this with us, Tony , and thanks also to Bob, for everything. That's my childhood right there, I had almost all the stuff in this vid. Good times.

[@davewilliams174]

What a fantastic video, thank you! Made me quite nostalgic and remember how much I loved this series of figures and vehicles, all of which I'm lucky to still have.

[@Gappasaurus]

Outstanding work as always Tony 😎👍🏼 As a Yank who didn’t get to experience the Action Force toys as a kid, I appreciate all the passion & detail you put into presenting them to us, and your love for the line really shows through. Thanks for your hard work! 😁

[@Ksknight100]

Outstanding video mate. Love the comparisons with the AM figures and the prototypes. Christmas week and I feel like a kid again....

[@Channelnem]

Great video thanks for the information.....I have quite a few of these figures in my parents loft...will have to make a video on my collection once restrictions have eased next year

[@bobahicks]

Excellent video Tony. I was looking forward to watching this all day in work!

[@kingerikthegreatest.ofall.7860]

Very interesting video. The play-set is pretty cool.

[@T2rx6]

Love your videos! Your passion for Action Force is apparent and intoxicating! I find myself looking at some of these toys longingly even though I have no connection to these toys (as an American)! I'm glad I have your channel to watch from afar! Really top notch content!

[@AnalogToys]

Thanks man!

[@craighenry1234]

Wow , a lot of facts about early action force I did not know . Many thanks Tony for making this documentary . Great channel mate , love the varied content

[@GarysActionManChannel1970]

An informative and superbly filmed video👍👍

[@davidsumner9656]

I am American but my grandparents on my mom's side lived in ampthill bedfordshire. I was never lucky enough to have an action man figure but they did send me an action man pillow cover that I cherished for over 20 years. So cool.

[@ThingsThatFallOutofMyHead]

Great video mate, I have fond memories of playing with the command building alongside my Action Force and Star Wars figures. Thanks for the nostalgia hit 👍

[@jonniehotdog]

Really enjoyed this, especially all of the behind-the-scenes exposition on the journey from conception to toy shops!

[@nicholasdickens2801]

1982 was a fantastic year. The Action Force line for me is a timeless classic. Thank you for another great video Tony. Brilliant research and loads of great reference pictures - and your amazing collection. I find it ironic that that Special Team is the direction the line should have gone in - and eventually did go. The mail away Commander figure, is that the basis of the Red Shadows figure? His name escapes me at the moment.

[@AnalogToys]

Yes the Black Major.

[@DougPalumbo]

Just rewatched yet again! Always a brilliant video!

[@Mechanicoid]

I would love to own that base one day. Another well done video on a very cool toyline. Thank you!

[@jasonvecoli2607]

thank you for teaching us in America !

[@loftlegacy]

Action Force blew my mind when it came out. The vehicles and figures were superb. I look forward taking them out of storage in due course.

[@johnanthonybautista]

Hi Tony, great treasure you got there truly to be treasured for sure

[@AnvilAirsoftTV]

Went to Coalville today to see the Action Force exhibition. To our great surprise and happiness Bob was there and we had a tour around the exterior of the old factory site.

[@Dylanio21]

This was a riveting watch. Great video. You’re always giving me the buying itch!

[@guitardudeguy3139]

The color choices on these figures and vehicles are fantastic. Great video, I can watch this over and over. If I was rich and had the space, I would collect all I could. But, with the extensive GI Joe collection I have of 12 inch and 3 3/4 toys. I haven't the room at all. Plus, I'm not rich. But I can watch this video! Thanks again! Good luck in the future!

[@amazingkylieshowaks9070]

I had a couple of these!!!!

[@salfordian0076]

Sooo good i grew up with these as well. Watching this kinda makes me wanna go back

[@jordel2010]

Interesting and very informative as usual. As somebody who grew up with GI Joe, this was quite a fascinating watch.

[@billpagan3070]

Another great episode brother! I think the SAS one is my all time favorite!👍😁

[@leonskum.5682]

Yeah I used to love that one.

[@nikolabakich9709]

great line of figures bring back Action Force maybe retro line haha good job love the videos you make

[@DoktorPill]

Excellent work! Greetings from Germany!

[@SondicoDenann]

Great video, a wonderful trip down memory lane!

[@milgeekmedia]

I missed out on the whole Action Force thing, I had left school by this time and started art college. My 'indoor' toys before this were Airfix's 1/32 soldiers (Action Man being my garden toy). That all said, my younger self would have loved Action Force! Thanks for another terrific video.

[@mathieu4204]

The bent right arm is a simple yet great addition to the 5 poa figure. It adds so much dynamism with adding parts or articulation points. Action Force is indeed a great line and it would have been cool to see even more Action Man outfits in 3 3/4. I for one would have loved to see the Adventurer in blue jumper as a 3 3/4" figure. Great video!

[@eltenda]

Great line and video!

[@andyoc]

Excellent, I was waiting for this. I've been all about wave 1 during the pandemic, bought 5 figures since March

[@SpeedRaycer5]

Outstanding work, Tony. Thank you for creating such an in depth and informative breakdown of the Action Force line, as I’ve always been very curious about it.

[@kumachan9311]

Awesome job as ever, friend had these when I was a kid and we'd play "Action Force vs Star Wars"

[@SaturnCanuck]

Thanks Tony. In Canada we never had these but I'm sure I would have loved them back then. Also, referencing your video of a few weeks ago, I for one enjoy your toy videos. I love your detailed stories and best of all your enthusiasm. Keep them coming. David here in Aurora, Ontario, Canada.

[@billhenricksen7419]

i frickin love your videos! you are a wonderful person with much respect and love for the history of action figures! your are very complete and I feel you have much virtue!! GREAT JOB!

[@retropeter80]

Amazing line of figures. Great video as always!

[@chrisKnight2001]

Just re-watched this again! 👍👍

[@andrewflashchannelgibbs5384]

I still remember seeing them on the shelves of our local department store. Excellent video Tony. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

[@leerendell9403]

Superb video ,thank you for putting it together

[@skabcat242]

That action force headquarters is amazing. I know its cardboard but it well designed and make a cool diorama display.

[@jonboldrey5339]

2 yrs that went by 2 fast. Awsome set tony!👍🎅👍

[@chrispederson1504]

GREAT video. I just rewatched it and it really is superb.

[@ArmandoDy]

I'm loving the orange frogman. Where I can I buy one??? Awesome video.😉👍

[@CanadianPale]

It's interesting how widespread the EM-2 rifle was in the Action Man/Action Force range, considering its tragically brief service life in the British military.

[@michaelsheal4015]

the EM-2 was being use as a stand in for the Future L85A1 which was being tested at the time to replace L1A1 SLR

[@CanadianPale]

@@michaelsheal4015 stands to reason.

[@markalexander1979]

thank you once again for another great review

[@kingerikthegreatest.ofall.7860]

Wish we got these in North America.

[@BrickMantooth]

Despite not having these as a kid, I'm keen on these, especially this wave because they've essentially scaled-down Action Man figures or to me, GI Joes and that hits a few nostalgia buttons, especially that orange frogman suit.

[@leonskum.5682]

Wow. This took me right back!!

[@steve_bal4]

Wow, just wow! I'm loving learning about a toyline I never grew up with in Canada but would have loved if it had been available here. That headquarters playset left my mouth agape. It's so interesting to see how differently Palitoy and Hasbro evolved with their GI Joe initialized lines before eventually dove-tailing product.

[@brycevo]

This figures look so good. I really think they did a great job

[@alicelognonne304]

always hiiiigh cool / thx sweet analog guy !

[@jesseperry9602]

Wow Tony, this was a really great video. I really enjoyed the depth you went into on this line, it's obvious it means a lot to you. The figures were a product of the time with them being 5 POA like the Star Wars line, but those vehicles! They seem simple just to look at them, but every single one is packed with play features and ways to augment and change them that really makes each one a stand out addition to the line!

[@carlosescobar6973]

Hi Tony Nice video 👌!!

[@casual_bill8749]

I've just started to get into action force.. they were before my time honestly but still hold up in my eyes as great little action figures. Soo... I can't believe that the concept behind the cardboard playsets isn't still utilized today. There's one company who does it for six inch figures but. A thick cardstock playset that has minimal plastic and can be stored away is an ingenious design that shouldn't be abandoned and could still work in the modern world for kids now.

[@georgeaitken2719]

The 82 range was the template for what would come next and the headquarters was a delight to play with

[@deopersad2915]

So awesome for thanks this 😀👍🏽, I remember the orange diver , as I had one, but also my friends had him to, I agree that action man figure's are the best, I only got a small collection but it's good for me, hopefully I can Get to England one day and get more 😀👍🏻

[@peppermintspacecapsule9898]

Any chance of turning your AF vids into a DVD? I'd buy it! It'd be a great souvenir!

[@blackhuffer6831]

Good idea!

[@marckpetersen3641]

super info

[@Ju5t_jeff]

There's a lot of people that claim to have a love, or passion for a toyline, for a movie, whatever. And sometimes people think, well that person's full of shit. And then theres you and palitoy. No bullshit here, your love and passion for their products comes out in every video you do. This was no exception. I don't know much about the line, but what I do know, is if I need to learn something about it, or want to (and that want has magnified since I saw your first video pertaining to action force) I come here. This was a fantastic video, thank you Tony.

[@allanspraggon7207]

Yay, I had that Base. Quite a memory.

[@Plokman040]

Oh my, your story about getting the one figure after surgery as a kid reminds me of my mom. When she was young she was in hospitals a lot after being born with SB (Her spine was partly exposed when she was born.) And my grandpa he got her a H.R. Puffinstuff doll and she loved it. Sadly it was mistaken for a room mate of hers when they left but she remembered it fondly. I do hope your surgery wasn't anything too serious, I myself had to have teeth removed as a kid as I somehow got infections under them. My teeth troubled me forever till I was able to get them pulled a few years back, as much as I tried when we moved here after we lost my Mom the adult teeth just crumbled and the more they did the more pain I had so it was for the best. Sorry for the digression, I inherited my mom's love of writing and my family's shared creative side. Writing and making things like props and more are what I am building my future on.

[@destinycaptain247]

Wish we’d have gotten these in the US. These are great. Love the theming.

[@manaldiolea3247]

Very good video

[@studio32nl]

Can you make a action man (1993 - 2006) video?

[@BrillBrix]

Agreed

[@Punisher6654]

Good video.

[@Mr666999666999]

I was lucky to have both Action force & Action man S.A.S figures.

[@tomfish6254]

Excellent work Tony, really glad you made a full video tribute to the early Action Man branded Action Force. Am I right in thinking that the tooling for the weapons chute in the AF base was a reuse of the trash compactor chute in the Palitoy Death Star?

[@AnalogToys]

Yes, it's identical except for being manufactured in brown plastic instead of black.

[@KernowFishy]

This is a brilliant video. Well researched, so well written and presented. I was a big fan of these figures as a kid. I got back into figure collecting in recent years but focused only on Black Series with a bit of Marvel until now but this could be about to change. Not sure if I will look for some old AF figures or find some modern G.I Joe equivalents.

[@dermotshaw5722]

Oh god i loved action force, unfortunately we didn't get all the vehicles and figures here in Ireland but still have 3 of them that i can find

[@markgreet3543]

I had these they were great

[@meneerjansen00]

I remember seeing an advertisement for this line in the "Donald Duck" weekly comic magazine. We had to wait for months for the figures to hit stores. I wanted to buy the jeep. But I never saw it in stores here in Holland (The Netherlands, Europe). Was Palitoy already is a bit of trouble in 1982?

[@markheadley125]

Awesome 👍

[@theviking6052]

Man I wouldn’t mind getting some of them

[@Matt.Willoughby]

My mum gave away literal binbags of action force stuff of mine in the late 1980's when I was a bit old for them. Still hurts 😁

[@countofdownable]

Action Force really needs a retro line. I still have my figures and comics given away free with Eagle Comic.

[@GekoPish]

frogman and SAS commando was my faves

[@micshork]

It’s very interesting that these eventually merged with G.I. Joe. Some of these toys we never got over here in North America.

[@jhickman4735]

Girls toys too. I had an Action Man frogman with orange suit for my 9th birthday , back in the late 70’s 😊

[@stever7066]

Brilliant video. Remember the first wave well. Great toys. The choice of weapons would later always baffle me, especially the desert rat/2 para figures having M60s... bit before Rambo part 2 as well, so why choose the M60? . Obviously didn't cost Palitoy much giving each figure a different weapon. Nice touch calling it correctly the EM-2 not SA80 as well. Rarely played Action Man indoors, usually outdoors and vice versa for AF. Yep, cracking video. Thanks.

[@theviking6052]

Wow I can’t believe how much better these figures are compared to Star Wars

[@sonsofthetribe]

I love Star Wars but I was a Action Force collector. I had most of the figures and I had the SAS jeep the AF3 Jeep The headquarters Z Force Jeep and the Red Shadows Jeep. I was Army mad as a kid and wanted to be in the SAS till I realised you had to get up early! 🤣

[@GekoPish]

I had a Blue diver with a square type helmet and yellow details.

[@georgeaitken2719]

Q force aqua trooper

[@forgedsledge]

Hello, I'm here from the future. Just to let you know, Tony, I think you'll look fondly upon this video one day and be glad that you took some time to focus on the Desert Rat figure... Just saying...

[@vasili1207]

Tie fighter wings as doors? That's a obvious nod to Starwars

[@GabrielCamilo84]

I don't know the agreements between Hasbro and Palitoys into the GI Joe brand, but assuming they had a partnership, wasn't better simply to use the GI Joe a real american hero molds? This is what happened in Brazil, where Brinquedos Estrela (Star Toys) transitioned from de 1/6 to the 3 3/4. Sorry for my poor English skills.

[@georgeaitken2719]

Action force came out slightly earlier than gi joe hence the reason that the 82 range was exclusively all British mini action men by the next year hasbro was licensed gi joe vehicles for the 83 range where recoloured vehicles and figures appeared in the 83-84 range

[@grantwelsh7594]

Fantastic overview. I’m still puzzled by the bottom of the boat...is it LEGO compatible? Why?? 😁

[@nyquist75]

Missed opportunity to add more points of articulation as they did beat GI Joe to market in time

[@asgads]

not sure if this is the right area, but I am looking for something specific: Small non-articulated sci fi dragon warriors, that had an emblem on their chest. if you rub it it turns into a symbol. they were even smaller as the current motu minis or the blizzard cuties. I remember them from about end of 80s/ start of 90s. thanks in advance.