Monday, March 23, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 984: Imperial Officer

IMPERIAL OFFICER Shield Generator Assault
The Legacy Collection Battle Packs
Item No.:
Asst. 87752 No. 87779
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, R2-D2, Han Solo, Rebel Trooper in Scout Trooper disguise
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: August 2008
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Imperial officers receive a report that the Rebels are fleeing, so they rush outside the bunker - and walk straight into trap set by the Rebels. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Commentary: Is this just a generic Imperial Officer or the recently named Lt. Renz, the dude who says "You Rebel Scum!"? Hasbro says it's "Imperial Officer," so I'm going to go with that. (Renz has gloves, too.) The figure is based on the Moff Jerjerrod body, but cast in black and with a new head. It doesn't look all that much like the Renz bust, so I'm more inclined to treat it like a generic Imperial Officer and say that this figure fits the bill for the update of the original 1980s Imperial Officer figure or is close enough for an update of a generic figure. (You may argue if you wish.) There's not a lot of new ground to break on a figure like this, but some elbow joints or articulation below the hips would have been nice. What we got is perfectly acceptable, as it has swivel shoulders, wrists, and elbows in addition to the standard six points of articulation. The deco is pretty basic, the figure is cast in black plastic and it's pretty hard to go wrong with "no paint." The boots are shiny, the buckle is painted, everything here is basically acceptable.

The new head sculpt is nothing spectacular, his visor is really low so it's a little tough to make out his face. This could be pretty much anybody, were Hasbro to redecorate the figure or recolor the hair it could convincingly be yet another trooper. I like that. It's almost a shame that these aren't being sold individually as I'm sure army builders could stand to have many more for whatever it is that they do with them, such as populate that giant Death Star playset that we're never, ever going to get. But I digress. This figure is a great revision of a 2006 design and most importantly, it adds another Original Trilogy figure to your collection. A few, if you get the entire battle pack. Be sure you pick this up even if you think the Han Solo figure is worthless.

Collector's Notes: This set originally was to include two black suited Imperial Officers, but the final product ended up with one as a cost-cutting measure. Boo, hiss. Still, this set is almost the most awesome Battle Pack which came out of Hasbro for the original trilogy as it includes three really good figures and a Han Solo that I really have no use for at this point. I'd gladly have shelled out $20something for the R2-D2 update, the Rebel, and the Imperial, so it's one of my favorite items from late last year.

--Adam Pawlus


Day 984: March 23, 2009

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It's pretty good, when viewed as a quick-and-dirty repaint intended for a Battle Pack. Generic bad guys are always a good addition to the line.

It's very close to the officers that appear in the bunker, but might not be close enough for some purists. Too bad they didn't use an officer's tunic with no rank insignia, like the Death Star Trooper's. Still looks cool, though.