AT-AT DRIVER The Removable Helmet OneThe Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 88336
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD49
Includes: Blaster, helmet, droid part
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: Late 2009/Early 2010
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back
Bio: The massive AT-AT walkers need skilled drivers to handle them efficiently in battle. AT-AT drivers are experts at operating these ground assault vehicles to keep them moving over rough terrain while pounding their targets with laser cannon fire. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)
Image: Adam Pawlus' yard.
Commentary: The most surprising things about this AT-AT Driver are that 1) he isn't the one packed with the Big AT-AT and 2) he came out so quickly after the last one, which was in 2006. The 2006 one was actually quite good-- great sculpt, decent (but not fantastic) articulation, and a head that stayed on pretty dang well. The helmet seems to be a smidgen different, and there's a big red box on the chest console. His helmet comes off, he has ball-jointed ankles and elbows now, plus he has pretty sweet sideburns. I hesitate to call this one a huge improvement mostly because the 2006 one was so good/just fine. Where do you go from "pretty much perfect?" Prefect-er, apparently. It's a fine figure, but he has a little more problem holding on to his gun and I gotta say I don't care for the removable helmet anymore. It was cute in 2006 when we were all crazy about Clones and Hasbro was trying to merge that element of the prequels with the original trilogy, but I'm pretty over it now. That, and sometimes the helmet gets knocked off, so eh. Since the design is fairly simple-- except for the helmet-- the sculpting is about as good as the last one and if you need a dude to sit around inside an AT-AT, this is more figure than you're going to need. So get it, you won't be sorry you did unless you already have too many existing AT-AT Drivers.
Collector's Notes: This one sold pretty well so far, and it's a safe bet you'll see it again.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 1,308: June 18, 2010
3 comments:
At-At Driver clones are taller than other At-At drivers, too. Hasbro's being mucking up the scale issue lately, like those NBA Bespin Wing Guards.
One improvement over the 2006 release is the leg straps, not as ridged as the 2006 ones, which I broke.
They could've just as well made new arms and lower legs for the 2006 release, and probably had a better figure for it than this one. Saved tooling costs. Whatever...at this point a re-redone Imperial Gunner seems inevitable, too, even though they already gave him a clone head.
Have they put the waist on the right way this time ?
I really find the oversize helmet to be poorly painted and oddly shiny compared to the 2006 version. Why do the noisy fans keep getting articulation that they don't need? It's a pilot! It doesn't need articulated ankles! You will never see them when you leave your pilot in the cockpit...
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