Action Man is Europe's version of the late sixties/earlyseventies GI Joe. I have about 8 or 9 different ones purchased inGermany and Belgium. They are the 12 inches tall and are fully posable. There are some models that are less posable and the price reflects that. They feature military themes as well as adventurers. Some themes off the top of my head are an oil driller, underwater driller, special forces, airport police, snowboarder/mountain climber, inline skater, snow sledder, jungle hunter and desert fighter. There are several accessories that remind me of the 60's and 70's GI Joe. One of my favorites is the Stealth Fighter that is about 2 and 1/2 feet long! They still feature lots of cool vehicles that they seemed to have strayed away from with the current GI Joe. You can still get Jet Ski-type vehicles, canoes, 4WD trucks, swamp boats, etc for reasonable prices. They also have plenty of extra theme uniforms to outfit Action Man. Again, much like the 70's GI Joe. Action Man is identical to the 70's Joes in just about every way. The only major difference I've seen is the Action Man feet are smaller. Boots are not interchangeable between GI Joe and Action Man. The hands are also like the newer 12 inch action figures. (Like you would hold a glass). One of them has a shoulder mounted tv camera with a real built-in 35mm camera for "spy" shots. Some feature the "real" hair versus molded plastic and all feature the famous scar. They appear to be as durable as the 70's version, although mine don't see any "action." Bottom line: If you enjoyed the 60's and 70's version as a kid or collector, these are a no-brainer. Buy'em! If you just want an action figure for the kids to play with in the pool, tub or dirt, these may be a little pricey.