2013 Darth Vader Lava Line Look Mission Series Tantive IV
Item No.: Asst. A5228 No. A5234
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS05
Includes: C-3PO figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: December 2013
Appearances: Star Wars
Bio: R2-D2 and C-3PO escape from the Rebel ship Tantive IV as it boarded by Darth Vader and Imperial Stormtroopers. The Droids flee the ship in an escape pod that falls to the remote desert planet Tatooine – and puts in motion an adventure that will change the galaxy forever. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.
Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!
Commentary: If you bought R4-P17 from Saga Legends, this R2-D2 uses the same mold - with much less paint. The sculpt itself is shorter than the average astromech, roughly the same height as The Vintage Collection version from late 2010. Hasbro did a nice job sculpting the figure, as everything seems in place. Hasbro even did a good job giving the figure jointed legs and a dome, and everything moves smoothly. Heck, Hasbro even picked good paint colors - the silver shines without being too shiny, and the metallic blue paint around his glossy, big black eye is augmented by a red light just under that optic. Hasbro got this one tantalizingly close to perfect for a cheap figure, but close really isn't enough here. I feel that I got my money's worth, but there are a few things missing from R4-P17 in terms of deco bells and whistles.
1. The dome top - the cap on his dome is left silver, it should be blue. This is the one and only paint application I feel Hasbro should've left on here even in budget cutting - the mismatched color looks wrong, and is the only one I find upsetting.
2. The horizontal lines on his right side are unpainted.
3. The various greeblies on the bottom of his body are unpainted.
4. The entire batch of silver painted bits on his arms were left blank.
5. The back of the figure is white, same as R4-P17.
6. The back of his dome lacks various colored lights, just like R4-P17.
That top part of his dome really gets to me - this would probably be my go-to R2 if that were included. The mold itself is a lot of fun, and the candylike blue paint is a treat to behold up close. I was delighted to see Hasbro sculpt the wires on his feet in a dynamic way, rather than making them boring straight lines like on several previous R2 toys. I would suggest this version of the figure for completists only, because without the blue circle on his head this doesn't make a good droid socket filler. It's fun to fidget with, though, and in the grand tradition of vintage Kenner figures is moderately charming because of his omissions. I can't quit you, R2. But if you get a single-carded repaint, I expect those bits to be fixed.
Collector's Notes: I got this from Entertainment Earth in early December. I have not seen it in stores yet.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 2,073: January 1, 2014
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