Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,598: Ree-Yees

REE-YEES Star Tours
Star Tours Boarding Party
Item No.: No. 19536
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Additional figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $34.99
Availability: May 2010
Appearances: Star Tours

Bio: The three-eyed, goat-faced Gran is a member of Jabba the Hutt's court on Tatooine. He likes to tour different planetary systems, and with his custom three-eyed camera, he is able to snap some great photos as he travels the galaxy. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' kitchen in a backdrop from the boxed set.

Commentary: Back in 1998, Ree-Yees got his first (and so far, only) modern sculpt in an assortment which was, to say the least, hard to find. Along with a Death Star Trooper, these got a "last wave" popularity you rarely saw, and the character remained out of circulation until the 2010 rerelease with new deco, no guns, and a camera that you see here. As such, the figure falls prey to the shortcomings of his day-- specifically limited articulation and wacky posing-- that almost make you wish Hasbro held off on doing this Star Tours set until they went back and resculpted Ree-Yees some day. I mean, he can't even hold up his camera!

To the casual observer, this new Ree-Yees is no different from the 1998 release. To the seasoned expert... it's almost not different enough to matter, although the accessory does place him in a different environment and the deco is barely, slightly different. The 1998 release is shinier and more metallic, while this one is a little duller. The skin seems to be a little lighter with what feels like more color in it, but it's probably just your basic batch issues. After all, in 12 years, can you really expect the reds and purples to be a perfect fit? I don't even know if it came out of the same factory as the original.

If you don't have any Ree-Yees figures, this one is just as good as the Power of the Force Freeze Frame release from 1998, if not slightly better. I think the camera is a more fun accessory than the twin pistols, which I'm fairly sure didn't appear on-screen anyway. At least I remember seeing the camera at Disneyland. Get it as part of the set if you can, the entire collection (especially at current eBay prices of $25 shipped) is well worth owning.

Collector's Notes: The going rate has gone down, so at $25 it's a deal. The Chewbacca is basically an accessory-free repack, but Teek is an all-new sculpt while Kaink and the Star Tours Officer are both interesting enough to pick up. If you collect the Star Tours sub-line-- which has to be scraping 20 figures by now, not counting mascots-- this is an easy buy.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,598: July 29, 2011