Tag Archives: Star Wars

#3905: Saelt-Marea – Yak Face

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

SAELT-MAREA — YAK FACE

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (KENNER)

“One of Jabba the Hutt’s top agents, very little is known about the mysterious Saelt-Marae or his specific connection to the crime lord. He could often be found hanging out in Jabba’s desert palace.”

Saelt-Marea, known as “Yak Face” during the production of Return of the Jedi and keeping that name until he got a proper one in the ‘90s, has the distinction of being the only vintage Kenner Star Wars figure never released in the United States, which has given his debut figure quite a bit of notoriety over the years.  That notoriety has gotten him a handful of additional figures over the years, which isn’t bad for a guy who just stands around in the background of Jabba’s Sail Barge.  His second figure, which is ever so more easily acquired than the first, was released in the ‘90s revival of Power of the Force, which is really where my main jam is, so here I am!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Saelt-Marea — Yak Face was added to the Power of the Force II line-up in 1997, which was a Jabba-heavy year.  He represents the first time the character would get his proper name, something that was pretty common for this line and its approach to the background aliens.  The figure stands just under 4 1/2 inches tall and he has 6 points of articulation.  His neck joint is rather restricted, due to its implementation at an angle, as opposed to being flat.  His sculpt was all-new, and honestly not badly handled.  The original figure had made some guesses at his full design, so this one aimed to be a bit more accurate, most notably giving him his longer robe piece, which is a softer overlay piece on this figure.  The head seems to do an alright job of capturing the prop from the movie, and it looks the part pretty well.  There are definitely some elements here that are a little softer than other figures in the line, and he definitely comes across as a bit more basic compared to more modern takes on the character, but it certainly gets the job done.  Likewise, the figure’s color work is kind of in the same vein; it’s basic and kind of rudimentary compared to more recent stuff, but it does what it needs to and it works.  That said, it’s actually a little bit of a change-up from how things usually worked from vintage to PotF2, as Yak Face is actually a fair bit more colorful and eye-catching than his vintage counterpart, who was really rather drab.  Yak Face is packed with what the package dubs a “Battle Staff.”  Sure, I guess let’s go with that.  It’s a stick with some stuff on one end, and he holds it pretty well in his right hand, and not as well in his left.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

According to my database, I got this figure in September of 2019, intermingled with a batch of eight other Power of the Force figures.  He’s the eighth of them I’ve reviewed, though not because I dislike him or anything.  Mostly just luck of the draw.  Looking at the batch of figures he came home with, he was almost certainly part of a collection that got traded gnat All Time, which I plucked the figures I still needed from.  He’s nifty.  Nothing crazy, but a unique design, and a solid figure.

#3901: Malakili – Rancor Keeper

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

MALAKILI — RANCOR KEEPER

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (KENNER)

“Malakili was one of the keepers of the only known rancor specimen. Kept in a special pit below the crime lord’s court, the rancor was reserved as a method of getting rid of unwelcome guests or others who failed the crime lord.”

Oh boy, we’re getting into the best part of Star Wars; the weird one-off background guys!  Prepare yourself for only the weirdest, most outlandish concepts and designs as we look into the crazy denizens of Jabba’s palace!  …What’s that?  It’s a shirtless guy?  Just a shirtless guy?  With a weird hood?  Does he do something cool?  He cries.  Well, I guess that’s *something*.  And he got a name, because of course he did.  Well, here’s Malakili, crying shirtless guy.  Can relate, buddy.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Malakili — Rancor Keeper was released as part of the 1997 line-up of Kenner’s Star Wars: Power of the Force.  Malakili got his second figure here, following up on the original vintage version, and he was one seven Jabba-related figures in the line the year of his release.  Curiously, that didn’t include the actual Rancor, which hit the following year.  The figure stands a little under 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 6 points of articulation.  His articulation is all rather limited by his build and the layout of his costume, but he mostly just stands around anyway, so it’s not awful.  His sculpt was totally unique, and it’s not a bad approximation of what he looks like in the movie.  The head sculpt bears an uncanny resemblance to Denholm Elliot, which, you know, isn’t the guy that played Malakili, but I suppose Elliot and Paul Brookes, the guy that actually played Malakili, don’t look incredibly dissimilar, especially at this scale.  The rest of the sculpt is pretty good, though, and I do like the flow of the cloth parts and how they hang.  Malakili’s paint work isn’t too bad.  There’s actually some pretty solid work on his skin tone (which is classified by Wookieepedia as “swarthy”, so there’s that), that gives him some nice variation.  Malakili is packed with a long-handled Vibro-Blade, and, if you got a later release, a freeze frame with a picture of the Rancor.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I can’t say I have much attachment at all to Malakili, but he’s also the sort of character that is rather memorable.  He also doesn’t have a *ton* of action figures, so this one’s notable.  Ultimately, I bought him because he was readily available and I was looking to get a lot of Power of the Force figures at once.  I didn’t really expect much from him at the start, but honestly, he’s not so bad.

Shoutout to All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3897: Chewbacca as Boushh’s Bounty

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

CHEWBACCA as BOUSHH’S BOUNTY

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (KENNER)

“Chewbacca, acting as a prisoner, and Princess Leia, disguised as the bounty hunter Boussh, infiltrate Jabba’s Palace. There they hope to rescue the carbonite-encased Han Solo.”

Well, I’m out of “Flashback Photo” figures from the Power of the Force line, so I guess I’ll just have to go back to the *rest* of my un-reviewed PotF figures.  Back in April, when I last looked at a Chewbacca figure, it was the Flashback figure, which got around the whole “how do you differentiate Chewy figures” by going for a very scene specific look from Empire.  That same year, they did the same thing, but for Return of the Jedi.  So, here’s that figure.  It’s Chewbacca as Boushh’s Bounty!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Chewbacca as Boushh’s Bounty was released in 1998 as part of Kenner’s Power of the Force line.  He’s the first of three Chewies released that year (though the last of them I’m reviewing here), and the second of the standard release Chewbacca figures for the line.  The figure is about 4 inches tall and he has 6 points of articulation.  All three of the ’98 Chewbaccas use a variation of the same updated sculpt, removed a bit from the muscle-bound look of the ’95 figure.  In particular, this one is really similar to the Hoth figure, though he’s a little more stiff in his posture.  He’s also got the adjusted neck set-up to feature the collar he wears while posing as Boushh’s bounty.  It’s non-removable, so he’s dialed rather into the specific scene.  Overall, it’s an okay sculpt, if perhaps not much to write home about.  The paint work is more conventional than the Hoth variant.  There’s some good variation to the coloring on his fur, which is certainly cool.  Unfortunately, a recurring issue with this release is that his eyes are almost always crossed, which looks really silly.  Chewy is packed with his bowcaster, which he doesn’t use in the scene, but it’s at least something.  It’s just the same standard one used by all the others, which is fair enough.  He’s also got a Freeze Frame slide, showing the scene he’s based on.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I got Chewbacca on the earlier side of my dive back into the line, so late fall of 2018, I think?  I never had any “updated sculpt” Chewbacca figures, and this one was fairly easily available, so I picked him up in a larger batch of figures.  Like so many of the the time, I didn’t open him for a while, but I did open him a bit quicker compared to some, so as to populate my Jabba’s Palace playset when I got it.  He’s goofy, especially with those eyes, and a bit limited, but he’s a unique enough idea.

#3893: Anakin Skywalker

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

ANAKIN SKYWALKER

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (HASBRO)

“As a youth, Anakin Skywalker was brought before the Jedi Council as a candidate for Jedi training. With some dissension, the Council voted to allow Anakin to become the apprentice of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and over time Anakin became a powerful Jedi. The Council’s concerns, however, proved to be well founded. The dark side soon overwhelmed Anakin and changed him, creating Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. Darth Vader faithfully served at Emperor Palpatine’s side, leading the Imperial efforts to crush the Rebellion. He was even ready, if necessary, to take the life of his own son, Luke Skywalker. But in the final confrontation between father and son, Luke’s pleas finally awakened the good buried deep within Darth Vader.”

While there were plenty of Darth Vaders to be had, prior to 1999, there were very few Anakin Skywalker figures on the market.  The vintage line only had a single one, released at the *very* end.  Power of the Force did a little better, upping that quantity to a whole two.  The first was a “spirit” figure, packed alongside similar versions of Obi-Wan and Yoda in a Cinema Scene pack.  The second was, like the vintage line, at the very end of the run.  He’s also hella quirky.  Let’s talk about him now!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Anakin Skywalker was part of the 1999 portion of the “Flashback Photos” Star Wars: Power of the Force figures, alongside C-3PO and Aunt Beru.  Despite us not seeing this look until he was good and dead, this figure gives us old-man Jedi as if he were real and in the flesh.  Why?  Don’t think about it too hard.  The figure stands just over 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 6 points of articulation.  That said, you can really only use the neck and shoulders, since the legs and waist are hidden beneath the robes.  Despite his structural similarities, the only part actually shared with the Spirit figure is the head.  Otherwise, he’s all-new, and remained pretty well unique.  The sculpt’s rather on the static side, but this version of the character really just did stand around, I suppose.  It’s not a bad sculpt at all, and l can certainly appreciate the more reserved approach to posing at this late stage in the game.  His color work just goes for solid colors, because we’re just leaning into that hypothetical living version of him, I guess.  The application’s all good and clean, and pretty much what you would expect from this line.  Anakin is packed with a lightsaber, which is notable for two reasons.  Firstly, that the ghosts don’t use lightsabers, so it’s sort of odd for him to have one.  Secondly, you’ll notice I said “a lightsaber” not “his lightsaber.” That’s because it’s actually Obi-Wan’s saber, not Anakin’s.  Not entirely sure why that is.  He’s also packed with a flashback photo, which shows Anakin in Jedi and in Phantom Menace.  This is the *third* flashback photo to have kid Anakin as the Phantom Menace picture, especially notable because no one else so much as doubled up on them.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I recall this one was rather early in my push to start completing this line of figures.  I got him alongside the Flashback Photo versions of Luke and Leia, you know for a neat little family reunion type thing.  Honestly, it’s a figure that always rather intrigued me.  He’s not anything crazy amazing or anything, but he’s a fun, if perhaps slightly quirky figure and he’s certainly remained rather unique.

Shoutout to All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3889: C-3PO with Removable Arm

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

C-3PO with REMOVABLE ARM

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (HASBRO)

I keep getting distracted from actually writing today’s review.  I mean, sure, I tend to get distracted from writing reviews a lot; such is my life and all that.  But, this one I kept trying to come up with an angle for an intro, and then I’d go to double check something, and suddenly it would be days later.  At one point, I got into a whole thing about which Star Wars character had the most reviews on the site (it’s Luke, by the way), which resulted in me also noting that C-3PO has had less reviews than any OT main character other than Yoda (who is himself beaten by Wedge of all people).  So, I guess maybe I should get those numbers up?  Well, at least one more, anyway.  On we go!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

C-3PO with Removable Arm was released as part of the “Flashback Photo” set of Power of the Force, with the second batch go figures that hit in 1999, just before the proper Episode I line launched.  3PO continued the set’s heavy focus on A New Hope, as he’s based on his appearance in the movie just after the Tusken Raider attack.  The figure stands just under 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 6 points of articulation.  His sculpt is unique, but admittedly rather similar to the other later run 3POs from the line.  This one, however, does have the odd quirk of his weirdly elongated head.  It seems strange that after getting it more or less right so many other times, that this one’s so…odd.  Otherwise, it’s a decent enough sculpt, with plenty of detailing going into it all.  The left arm is designed for removal, mimicking his loss of it in the scene he’s referencing, and the articulation’s a little bit different to accommodate this.  Per the usual treatment, 3PO is vac-metalized, but he goes a bit further on top of that, getting a fairly extensive amount of paint accenting for the dirt and sand he builds up while on Tatooine.  C-3PO is packed with only his flashback photo, showing 3PO from both the original film and Episode I.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

C-3PO sort of fell into the big batch of these guys I picked up in 2019.  I didn’t honestly think much of him at the time.  That said, in my first real push to get them opened and displayed, I decided he’d be the best fit for my Jabba’s Palace playset display, so that’s where he went.  Shortly after my son Matty moved in with me, his room was still housing my Power of the Force collection, and he wanted toys to play with, so I let him mess with them.  Since the left arm was removable on this guy, Matty assumed the right was too, and snapped that sucker clean off.  He and his mom were both absolutely mortified that he’d broken one of my figures, but I personally just laughed it off, and let them both know he was a relatively cheap figure.  I had picked up a replacement, but ultimately just fixed the one I had, because I still enjoy the story, and it gives the figure more weight than he might otherwise have.

Shoutout to All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3885: Emperor Palpatine

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

EMPEROR PALPATINE

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (HASBRO)

Somehow, Palpatine retuned.  Yep, that’s pretty much what I got.  Here’s the deal, guys: I get that Sheev Palpatine is very important to the Star Wars mythos, and all, and there’s no denying that Ian McDiarmid turns in a good performance in the part, but I just can’t get all that excited or invested in him.  I don’t know, maybe he’s just too realistic of a villain.  He’s also not terribly exciting when it comes to toys, but that hasn’t stopped him from getting *so* many of them.  There were five of them in Power of the Force.  Here’s one of those.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Emperor Palpatine was released in the 1998 portion of the Power of the Force Flashback Photo series.  As with all of the others in the set, he represents the official take over of Hasbro on the branding, meaning this is the first Hasbro Palpatine.  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 6 points of articulation…in theory.  He’s got joints at the neck, shoulders, waist, and hips (a first for him in this line), but the neck is limited by the hood, and the hips are effectively not even there, since they’re completely encased by the robes.  His sculpt’s not drastically different from the other Palpatines, but he’s notably a little more technically advanced, with slightly sharper detailing, and proper layering to his outfit (which actually includes legs, again a first for him).  He’s rather pre-posed, following the same general lead as the Power F/X figure, but there’s a slightly more natural feel to it.  Unfortunately, perhaps the biggest drawback to this new sculpt is that it doesn’t stay standing all that well, something the previous single-card did very well.  His coloring largely follows the same path as the other figures of him, but there’s a little more variety to the colors on his robes.  Otherwise, we’re dealing with the same rather thick paint on the face, and he’s generally not super eye-catching.  But, they’re doing their best with what they’ve got.  Palpatine is packed with a little sampling of his “UNLIMITED POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”, in the form of two force lightning effects pieces, which plug into his sleeves.  They work okay, but they certainly don’t help with his issues of stability.  He also gets the flashback photo thing, which shows Palpatine from both Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace.  Spoilers!

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I don’t vividly recall getting this one, honestly.  I’d imagine I got him in a batch of others, because that’s about the only way I buy a Palpatine figure.  Like a bunch of the other Flashback Photo figures, he’s been sitting there unopened for about seven years, only being opened just before I wrote this review.  He’s fine.  Probably the best Palpatine from the line, at least talking technically.  I dislike that he can’t stand on his own, but I can at least provide an extra stand to offset that issue.

Shoutout to All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3881: Darth Vader

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

DARTH VADER

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (HASBRO)

“Darth Vader was known and feared throughout the galaxy as incredibly ruthless and evil, one who used the awesome powers of the dark side of the Force to carry out Emperor Palpatine’s horrific plans. But deep inside Lord Vader lay vestiges of the person he once was: young Anakin Skywalker, discovered on the planet Tatooine by a Jedi Knight who recognized the boy’s special Force talents. Anakin showed much promise and grew to be a great Jedi. Finally, the dark side beckoned him – and Anakin became Darth Vader.”

I’ve circled back a few times with Power Force regarding its initial approach to the characters with minimal changes between the films in the original trilogy.  At the start, they went with the same set-up as the vintage Kenner line, so characters like Vader, Chewbacca, R2, and 3PO each got one sort of averaged out, all encompassing figure.  As the line expanded, however, they clearly realized how limiting that might be, so slightly more diversified, film specific variants made their way in.  1998 kicked off with a rather specifically Return of the Jedi Vader with a fancy removable helmet and the proper inner robe he’d not had before.  At the end of the year, another Vader did something else never done before: a specifically A New Hope Vader.  It held that title for less than a year, but that’s hardly the point.  Let’s jump into to this short span Vader, shall we?

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Darth Vader was released in 1998’s first portion of the “Flashback Photo” Power of the Force II figures.  There was quite an A New Hope focus in this round of figures.  Vader, for his part, with his included lightsaber and slight action pose, was definitely designed to pair off with Obi-Wan from the same set.  The figure is just over 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 10 points of articulation.  He sported the same improved articulation as much of the other figures in this particular sub-set.  It does allow him to properly hold his lightsaber with both hands, which is at least pretty nice.  His sculpt was all-new, though it would see re-use a few times down the line later.  It’s…well, it’s something.  After the far improved sculpt we saw on the removable helmet Vader, this one is rather a step back, feeling far more in line with the earlier, puffier Vaders from the line.  The improved mobility is nice, but ultimately limited by how much extra bulk he’s got going on.  There’s at least some rather sharply sculpted texturing, so he’s a general step up from the original Vader in a purely technical sense.  The inner robe, which goes over his shoulder plate, is properly detailed, and even looks like its properly hanging on the armor beneath.  His paint work is also a bit better.  There are some more subtleties, with variations on the finish of the black sections, as well as red lenses on the eyes of the helmet.  Vader is packed with his lightsaber, as well as the Flashback Photo thingy.  It shows Vader proper, and then younger Anakin for the second time.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

In a line with a bunch of rather similar Darth Vader figures, this one is notable for the lack of any real distinguishing features.  I guess he’s got some extra articulation?  For me, he falls squarely into “bought it for completion’s sake” territory.  I got him alongside a few of the other Flashback figures because he was there and I was getting the rest.  Luke and Obi-Wan were both figures I regretted waiting so long to actually open, but Vader…Vader’s just sort of meh.  He does nothing to really stand out at all.

Shoutout to All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3877: Luke Skywalker

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

LUKE SKYWALKER

STAR WAR: POWER OF THE FORCE II (HASBRO)

“Bored with the mundane life of a moisture farmer on Tatooine, Luke Skywalker dreamed of being a great pilot. He targeted womp rats while racing his T-16 skyhopper through the steep and narrow walls of Beggar’s Canyon. Many years earlier, Luke’s father also raced over the surface of Tatooine in his podracer. Anakin eventually turned to the dark side and became Darth Vader but was finally redeemed by his son Luke.”

In the whole of the vintage Kenner run of Star Wars 3 3/4-inch figures, we got Luke’s “farmboy” look exactly once.  When Power of the Force II launched in the ’90s, the look got its second go right away.  And then it showed back up in 1998, and just… Kept. Showing. Up.  Between 1998 and 1999, there were no less than five versions of Farmboy Luke available, which is is a lot.  Today’s figure?  Well, he got a new hat.  No, seriously: he got a new hat.  Let’s look a Luke and his new hat.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Luke Skywalker was released in the initial 1998 “Flashback Photo” assortment of Power of the Force.  The set had a rather “greatest hits” vibe to it, and Luke was right at home with that set-up.  This was the fourth of the five Farmboy Lukes in the ’98-’99 run.  He’s notable for being based on a deleted scene from the original film, which would have introduced Luke earlier than his purchase of the droids.  It’s interesting, because I think this was the first figure of its kind, which is pretty neat.  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has a whopping 10 points of articulation.  He starts with the standard 6 and then also gets hinges at the elbows and swivels at the wrists, to say nothing of his neck joint being a ball joint, rather than the standard swivel.  He’s by far the most posable Luke in the line, which is somewhat amusing, given he’s not supposed to be from an action scene.  Though his sculpt looks very similar to the other four Farmboy Lukes, its wholly unique, thanks to how the articulation is implemented.  Honestly, it’s pretty nice.  The proportions aren’t the wacky muscle-bound set-up from earlier in the line, and the head’s an okay likeness.  The articulation’s useful, but also doesn’t ruin the sculpt.  I dig it.  The paint is pretty much what we expect on this sort of figure.  It’s clean, and there’s a little bit of accenting on the boots and bands, which helps the sculpt.  Luke was packed with three scene specific accessories.  He’s got the aforementioned hat, a rifle, and a pair of binoculars.  The hat’s funny, but also unique, and it stays okay on his head.  The rifle gets a surprising amount of painted detailing, and the binoculars can plug onto his belt for storage.  He also gets the Flashback Photo, showing him, and when you pull the tab, a young Anakin.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I owned none of these growing up, but saw them many times.  When I made my first real push to start a complete run, this Luke, along with the Leia from last week, were two of the first figures I snagged….and then I didn’t open them for, like, six years.  Yikes.  Seriously, I opened this figure less than 24 hours before I wrote this review, and that’s honestly ridiculous.  What was I doing?  Other stuff, I guess.  I like this Luke a lot.  He’s very fun.  I wish I’d opened him earlier, but I have now, and that’s pretty cool.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3873: Princess Leia in Ceremonial Dress

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

PRINCESS LEIA in CEREMONIAL DRESS

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (HASBRO)

“A strong-willed warrior who fought for the Rebel cause with great courage, Princess Leia Organa was a natural born leader of the Rebel Alliance. The princess always carried herself with a regal air, whether she was taking part in the fiercest of battles or participating in state ceremonies of the highest level. Although she was adopted at a young age into the Royal House of Alderaan, Leia was in fact a true princess, as her birth mother was Queen Amidala of Naboo. I her day, Amidala also proved to be an adventurous spirit an d a great heroine to her people when her planet faced its greatest threat.”

After the main characters spend pretty much the whole movie running around in the same basic outfits, at the end of A New Hope, the Rebel’s host a ceremony to give medals to Han and Luke, which serves as a good opportunity for new, cleaned up looks for everybody (well, not Han, I guess, though his shirt is *slightly* different).  The vintage line didn’t tackle any of those looks, but Power of the Force sure did, making sure to give coverage to both Luke and Leia’s unique designs.  Let’s look at Leia today!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Princess Leia in Ceremonial Dress was released in the 1998 “Flashback Photo” assortment of Power of the Force.  As I’ve noted before, these figures were released in the lead-up to the proper Episode I tie-in merchandise, and are also the first Star Wars figures to officially be released under the Hasbro banner.  This was Leia’s fourth standard release figure from 1998 alone, making her the most covered main character that year.  Good for her.  That’s a refreshing turn of events.  The figure stands just under 3 3/4 inches tall and she has 6 points of articulation…in technicality.  In practice, the shoulders and waist are alright, but the neck is very restricted, and the hips might as well not be there, thanks to that very thick skirt piece.  Also, because of the skirt and the relative lack of movement it allows on the hips, she has a lot of trouble standing, which is why you’ll see mine making use of a Protech stand in most of the photos.  Her color work is generally pretty solid.  There’s a bit of makeup and color on the face, which feels right for the scene they’re referencing, and the application is all rather clean.  In order to capture the sheer material of her outer robe, it’s molded in a slightly transparent plastic, and that’s a neat touch.  Leia is packed with one of the medals she bestows on the two heroes.  This one is presumably for Han, since Luke already had one packed in with his figure.  There’s also the flashback photo, which shows a picture of Leia from the scene, and then transitions to an image of Padme from Episode I.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I vividly remember seeing every single one of these Flashback Photo figures when they were new.  Or nearly new, at least.  They clung to shelves following the hype of the actual Episode I product, and I was always a little put off by them as a kid.  As an adult, though, they’re neat, at least as figures.  Weird tie-in, though.  This Leia is neat enough, though ultimately felt a bit pointless, since this exact same look was done in The Princess Leia Collection the prior year, and I think ultimately a bit.  I suppose this one’s a closer match to the rest of the line stylistically.  She’s not much of a fun toy, but she looks alright, I guess.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#3869: R2-D2 with Launching Lightsaber

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

R2-D2 with LAUNCHING LIGHTSABER

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE FORCE II (HASBRO)

“Though small and unassuming, the astromech droid R2-D2 has proven to be a pivotal figure throughout the quest for freedom in the galaxy. Whether delivering Princess Leia’s message to Ben Kenobi or accompanying Luke Skywalker in his X-Wing fighter as he delivered the fatal blow to the first Death Star, Artoo’s actions have become legendary within the annals of the Rebel Alliance. But unknown to his compatriots, Artoo already had plenty of time and experience at the center of action. Many decades earlier, he served on board the ship of the young queen from the planet Naboo. Even then, he displayed an unmistakable knack for helping others out of dire circumstances.”

You know, there’s often a lot of contention about the best particular version of a particular character in figure form.  It’s especially true of Star Wars, where all the main characters have dozens of figures at the least.  So, it can be pretty hard to narrow such a thing down.  But that’s best.  What we rarely talk about is worst.  Sure, a lot of that’s subjective, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that today, I’m taking a look at the *worst* R2-D2 action figure ever made.  Well, let’s get to it.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

R2-D2 with Launching Lightsaber was part of the 1998 “Flashback Photo” assortment of Star Wars: Power of the Force II, officially released after the Hasbro change-over in anticipation of Episode I’s release.  This was R2’s third standard release figure in Power of the Force, and his second in 1998 alone.  In contrast to the other “movie specific” R2s in the line, which were all based on the first movie, this one is specifically a Return of the Jedi R2, based on the scene where he launches Luke’s lightsaber on Jabba’s barge.  The figure stands 3 inches tall and has a whole two points of articulation, which aren’t really useful, what with the permanently extended third leg.  But I’ll get to that.  The sculpt is all new, and it’s…well, it’s something.  Since the whole point of the figure is to launch the lightsaber, the sculpt is sort of worked around the whole launching mechanism.  The third leg is permanently extended, to give him more length to fit the saber, but it has to be extra wide to fit the mechanism, and even still ends up being little longer than it needs to be too.  He’s also still a bit long, and his other legs get stretched to compensate.  It’s all sorts of wonky, and not remotely close to what R2’s supposed to look like.  He’s just…wrong.  The paint work isn’t bad, I suppose.  He’s the second instance of the flat silver on the head dome, which is more accurate, and the weathering isn’t too bad.  R2 is packed with a missile version of Luke’s saber.  Like R2, it’s been notably modified to fit the new set-up, and it’s…well it’s also weird.  It launches alright, though, so I guess there’s that.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The thing about getting the whole run of Power of the Force is that it’s the good and the bad.  So, sure, there’s some cool ones, but then there’s this guy.  He’s not great.  The gimmick’s a soft one at best, and it’s not implemented all that well, and the end result is such a mangled take on R2 that it’s just hard to see why.  But, you know, it does at least make him unique.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.