Saturday, September 15, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 497: Qui-Gon Jinn (Jedi Duel)

QUI-GON JINN Jedi Duel
Episode I Collection 1
Item No.:
Asst. 84085 No. 84072
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, CommTech Chip
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: May 3, 1999
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: A wise and powerful Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn discovers young Anakin Skywalker, proving to be a pivotal event to the future of the Jedi and to the entire galaxy for generations to come. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: Back in 1999, fans were thrilled that Hasbro upped the ante with tons of articulation and in many cases, better sculpting and deco than we were used to. We got figures which seemed great, like this Qui-Gon Jinn with a whopping 10 points of articulation, a display base, and a lightsaber which had multiple colors of paint on the hilt. Giggle if you want, because back then this was something special. Of course, with a few years between its release and giving the figure another look, you can see it really doesn't look too much like Liam Neeson, it's just a little too angular in the costume, and the hair still looks something like a dog's floppy ears. Time was not kind to the figure, but Hasbro did make sure he was taller than the other Jedi, which was nice, but the once-awesome deco just doesn't hold up today. The hair looks funky, the eyes look off, and the figure itself feels quite plain. This is no doubt the result of cranking out dozens of figures (1999 was the first year Hasbro got close to 100 releases), but geez. Time is the fire in which iffy figures burn.

Collector's Notes: This one has not yet been rereleased, although we can safely say we never expect to see it again. It's not awful, and later releases weren't as well articulated, it's just somewhat bland. Good thing a new, super-poseable version is coming in 2008.


Day 497: September 15, 2007

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