Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,101: Boba Fett (Dune Sea, The Retro Collection)

BOBA FETT (Dune Sea)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.:
Asst. F6874 No. F8564
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Rifle, Gaffi Stick, Robe
Action Feature: Removable cloak
Retail: $11.99
Availability: December 2023
Appearances: Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now! 

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: It's funny to think that other than Krrsantan (a comic book character), every figure in this wave previously appeared in a small-screen Star Wars series. Heck, Boba Fett (Dune Sea) appeared in (and was sold as a figure from) The Mandalorian already, so it's interesting to see Hasbro take two years put out what a wave of mostly The Mandalorian characters for a The Book of Boba Fett wave. It's not a bad wave at all, and it's really telling that with this Dune Sea version - after a Prototype, regular version, and Morak re-armored version - Boba Fett technically has more figures than Han Solo and Princess Leia in The Retro Collection. Heck, if Hasbro had the desire they could keep it going with Empire Strikes Back deco, white proto armor deco, Holiday Special/Droids cartoon deco, and even proper The Book of Boba Fett revised armor. And he'd sell.

Upon reveal Hasbro seemed to take care to obfuscate the plastic figure under the cloth robes, which feel similar to that of the Jawa. They look nice, but have a giant hood like a lot of the older Jedi figures. It's a good accessory, and Hasbro should be lauded for it. The rifle seems to be an all-new one, and the gaffi stick is basically the same 1978 Kenner one we all know and love. (If you don't know it and love it, go get some Kenner figures.) Much like the bulk of the old line, none of these accessories are painted. it's kind of amazing to have a Kenner Boba Fett figure that has exactly zero elements of the classic 1979 Boba Fett figure.

Boba seems to be all new tooling, but in this era of digital sculpting you can see some shared digital sculpting elements with Boba Fett (Morak) [FOTD #2,935]. The legs are incredibly similar, retaining the holster loop for a blaster that isn't included - but they removed the knee pads. The sleeves seem to share similar wrinkles to the elbows of that figure too, but the hands and gloves are new. The scarf-like neck also shares elements with the Morak figure, but the shoulders have deeper grooves and, of course, no pauldrons. To top him off, his all-new head actually looks a lot like Temuera Morrison... just a little botoxed out. Very subtle traces of scars seem to be left - maybe it's my imagination - but everything got just a little too smoothed out. His expression looks right, and his eyes seem appropriately old-Kenner-esque.

This is not the figure I expected - I was assuming we'd get a new version based on his revised armor, or the white prison suit, not the Tusken garb. (Memo to Hasbro: I would like to buy those other costumes, too.) I was excited to see how he looked under the robe, and I was not disappointed. Hasbro did a nice job with the texture on the torso, but weirdly, the rest of him looks a little smoothed out. (Before Maul was revealed, I was wondering if they would share parts. I'm glad to say they don't.) Whoever did the soft goods really gets how to do them correctly, but I would've loved to see a bend in the elbow or a slightly different posture on the plastic figure. But I'm nitpicking - Hasbro did a job that's consistent with the rest of the line, so if you like those I expect you'll like this too. As a younger fan I was obsessed with the stories and concepts fo the unmade post-The Power of the Force toy line that never came to be, particularly with things like a Bantha (which would still be nice) or Grand Moff Tarkin (which we got in 2019.) A "Boba Fett that survived" figure (TWO of them, at that) would have been a lot of fun back then. I'm a lot older now, but the figure is just so much fun to play with and shows that (at least to me) style and personality go a long way. My The Vintage Collection nomad Boba is in a display case... but this one? We've been having fun. I just wish we could have another wave of thees guys.

Vehicle Notes: I think I'll start doing these for Retro as appropriate. Boba Fett (Dune Sea) can fit in the original and Shadows of the Empire Kenner Slave I pilot seats. He does fit nicely in the Attack of the Clones/OTC model. He is too thicc to fit in the pilot's seat clips of the XL The Clone Wars and The Vintage Collection version - it spits him right out. He fits just fine in the 2012-2015 "Saga Legends/Mission Series" mini version of the Slave I.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

Unsolicited Wish to Hasbro: I would love to see more figures from this series. For example: the R0 droid drummer, a new or reissued Max Rebo, the Rancor Keeper, a revised Boba Fett with the new costume (and removable helmet?), Cobb Vanth, Lortha Peel, more Tuskens... I could go on. Everything about this show looks like a fun toy. I'd also love a Retro Bantha.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,101: January 23, 2024

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