James Bond 007 Ken and Barbie Giftset

I’ve never been a James Bond fan, and only watched Casino Royale (2006 version) when it was released on DVD so this Barbie and Ken set was a spur of the moment purchase in June 2003. I’m not sure if previous James Bonds had such magnetism, but I must admit that Daniel Craig was awfully scrumptious in the role. The scene where he rises up from the water after his swim (you know the one!) was…mmmmm (sigh).

I think this Ken resembles Pierce Brosnan, who played Bond between 1995 to 2002 with his full brown hair, blue eyes and forehead with a slight etch of wrinkles (not that I’m ageist, but wrinkles on Ken?). Ken wears a lined tuxedo (apparently designed by Brioni)and shiny black dress shoes. He carries a slim line, grey suitcase filled with top secret documents – so he's an old school, pre-high-tech gadget James Bond!

Barbie as a “Bond Girl” is very disappointing. He long blonde crimped looking hair hangs past her hips and the only striking facial feature are her full plum coloured lips. She wears a gold y-necklace that was ubiquitous in the 1990s and matching drop earrings. Barbie wears a gold lace gown with a maroon lining with a matching red shawl. She has gold ankle strap high heels and has a “cell” phone (well it was released in 2002 so cell phones were the most advance form of communication compared to the smart phones we have today) strapped to her right thigh. Overall I find this set boring, but Ken does look good as an "accessory" to other Barbies in my collection!

Release date: 1 November 2002
Label: Collector Edition

Mattel price: US$75
Ebay price as at April 2012: US$31 - US$150