Figure Of The Day: Day 195: R2-R9

R2-R9 Astromech Droid
The 30th Anniversary Collection Tins
Item No.: Asst. 87154 No. 87220
Number: 1 of 6
Includes: Removable third leg
Action Feature: Twist dome to raise/lower sensorscope, glowing central eye
Retail: $29.99
Availability: 2006
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: One of five astromech droids assigned to the conveyance of the royal personage of Naboo, R2-R9 displayed the characteristic bravery of his model when he trundled out onto the exterior of the hull of the Royal Starship, only to be obliterated by a turbolaser blast. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam's coffee table.

Commentary: R2-R9 was previously made as a toy whose mold had never been re-used, and was the very first "new" astromech droid to be made as a toy since R5-D4 in 1979. This new version is a repaint of, technically, the Early Bird Kit R2-D2 which itself was a reissue of the Vintage 2004 figure with the door glued shut. The figure has rolling wheels, articulated ankles, and everything you can basically hope for out of a droid of this nature. It's a little disappointing that they didn't go with the R4-G9 sculpt, as the glued-in-place panel isn't very aesthetically pleasing.

Collector's Notes: The original "Royal Starship Droid" (which was initially nameless) was sold with a $100 vehicle, and by himself, commanded a princely sum on eBay. Even though this tin set is a little expensive, it's probably a better solution to fans wanting this droid in their collection. It also comes with Darth Maul (Evolutions), Obi-Wan Kenobi (POTJ with a new cloth cloak, communicator, retooled belt, and blue lightsaber) and Qui-Gon Jinn (Jedi Master, with new cloak and a different head.) As far as "bank for the buck" goes, this is one of the better Prequel-based tin sets. The droid itself is the biggest reason to pick it up, with Darth Maul a close second.

Also notable was the bio-- this is the first I have read of only five Astromechs serving on board the Queen's ship. I'm not entirely sure if this is correct. Finally, this is the first-ever release of this mold with a "brushed" silver head and not the vac-metal version. Here's hoping this means R2-B1 and R2-D2 will be made this way soon, too.

Day 195: November 17, 2006

Figure Of The Day: Day 194: Chi Eekway

CHI EEKWAY Lucas Collector's Set
The Saga Collection ShopStarWars.com Exclusive
Item No.: No. 80060
Number: n/a
Includes: Removable cloak
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $34.99
Availability: 2006
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: This Twi'lek Senator from Wroona is extremely wary of Palpatine's intentions and growing power. She works quietly behind the scenes to oppose him. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam's TV tray. I actually took this around the first week of the column and just never wrote it up.

Commentary: While I was initially thrilled when I heard Chi Eekway was coming out in a nifty exclusive box set, most collectors seem to disagree with me that this was a good thing. Sure, the figure has limited articulation and little in the way of accessories, but she may well be the first non-half-naked Twi'lek female, which is surely a dubious distinction but a distinction either way. If you like the picture, that's what it's like to own the toy-- she can't really sit, but she has excellent deco, a good sculpt, and managed to make the exclusive set not feel like a rip-off. I don't ask for much, just give me something I can call "new" without laughing. For augmenting your displays, this is a must-own figure. For those looking for cool aliens, don't pass this one up. If you're on a budget, though, you can probably live with waiting on this one a while longer.

Collector's Notes: This item was expensive, but more or less worth it-- $35 for 4 figures with 3 new sculpts is up there, especially for "collectors" who bought Zett Jukassa in 2005, but at least there are some interesting figures here to make it a little less painful. So far, it seems the item hasn't been a spectacular seller, and you can get it in a bundle with the Republic Commando set on the cheap-- and it isn't a bad deal. The set is worth it if you're a fan of the prequels and like figures with a good back story.

Day 194: November 16, 2006

Figure Of The Day: Day 193: AT-RT Driver

AT-RT DRIVER Human Clone
The 30th Anniversary Collection Tins
Item No.: Asst. 87154 No. 87221
Number: 3 of 6
Includes: Removable damaged armor, blaster pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: 2006
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Equipped and conditioned for the humid environments of the galaxy's swampy places, these clone troopers helped repel Separatist forces on the Wookiee home world. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's coffee table. (I don't know why but I really like this picture.)

Commentary: Three cheers for Clone repaints. The AT-RT Driver proves what Hasbro knows to be true-- throw a new Clone with anything and fans will buy it. In and of itself, the figure is very striking and I daresay is more interesting to look at than the original camo 2005 release. I'm not sure the all-white one ever appeared in a movie, but it does look very cool and is basically super-articulated. It has the same smaller rifle from the original release, and a removable "blasted" armor chest plate so if you're crazy and buy multiples, you can display them in several different configurations. The figure itself is a real winner and looks so cool, you'll probably consider choking down your shame and buying this set for its high price. (Or wait for clearance.)

Collector's Notes: This item was released as part of the 30th Anniversary Collection, which came out several months early. The AT-RT Driver came in a four-pack with ROTS Yoda, Evolutions Episode III Anakin Skywalker, and a ROTS Mace Windu. Given that the AT-RT Driver, Mace Windu, and Yoda each cost about $5.25 in 2005, this set amounts to "highway robbery." If you somehow got through 2006 without purchasing and re-purchasing the Mace Windu and Yoda figures a few times over, it's a neat set and the AT-RT Driver itself is very cool... but the only other "new" item in the set beyond the tin is the fact that this Yoda wears the Vintage Original Trilogy Collection robes. But if you have the chance to just get this one figure, you should-- it's worth it.

Day 193: November 15, 2006

Figure Of The Day: Day 192: Shadow Stormtrooper

SHADOW STORMTROOPER Expanded Universe
The Saga Collection ShopStarWars.com Exclusive
Item No.: No. 87140
Number: n/a
Includes: Stand, blaster pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: 2006
Appearances: Crimson Empire

Bio: Armed with a powerful blaster rifle and dressed in black armor designed to increase sensor-stealth, these stormtroopers loyally serve a mysterious agent of evil named Carnor Jax. Trained to fight without mercy for any opponent, these stormtroopers obey Jax's order to locate and eliminate an Imperial Guardsman named Kir Kanos.

Image: Another tasteful shot in front of the Jedi Temple for no good reason.

Commentary: On paper, the Shadow Stormtrooper was an awesome idea. It's an Expanded Universe figure from a popular series. It's a troop builder. And it uses the best-so-far Stormtrooper mold. It really does look nice, but there are problems (see below). The figure is an excellent release, and looks basically like the guys in the comic. Except for the gun-- Hasbro decided to take it easy and use the same gun that was packaged with this figure when it was white, rather than the larger rifle seen on the packaging and in the comics. (Booooo.) Still, it's a great little figure and I have to say that despite the price, I'm quite proud to have a little squad of them to go with my Carnor Jax figure.

Collector's Notes: This figure costs too much. Usually I'll make a case for something but in this case I was really insulted. I wanted the figure, I bought the figure, but $15? I didn't need the mandatory clamshell case combined with the shipping upcharges, taxes, and already higher price of an online exclusive. I ordered 5 of these in one order, and with tax and shipping, it came to close to $20 a figure. That's not right. (But as it seems ShopStarWars.com is still sitting on these, at least I know other people with self-restraint also realized it isn't right.) Also, this is not to be confused with the Blackhole Stormtrooper-- that one has silver/white lenses and other small changes.

Day 192: November 14, 2006

Figure Of The Day: Day 191: Clone Trooper

CLONE TROOPER Lieutenant
The 30th Anniversary Collection Tins
Item No.: Asst. 87154 No. 87222
Number: 2 of 6
Includes: Helmet, blaster pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: 2006
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: The clone troopers identified by this characteristic, blue armor highlighting came to be known and feared by Separatist forces as one of the most effective fighting units of the Clone Wars. (Taken from the figure's cardback. Yes, there's a little cardback INSIDE the box. And yes, I realize it looks like it may be the worst written and potentially incorrect bio I've seen in ages. The pack also lists "special equipment" as rocket pack, and I don't see no rocket pack.)

Image: Adam's toy shelves. Whoopee.

Commentary: Who loves more of the same? This Clone Trooper is the Evolutions mold from 2005, but with new paint. That's pretty much it. The figure has excellent articulation, mostly good deco, but if I had to pick nits, I'd pick three. One, the mold has no waist articulation but is otherwise super-poseable. Two, the figure's head (on my samples) have questionable paint on the hair and face. And three, the helmet is still too tight. Due to the super-soft plastic, when you press it over his head, sometimes you can make out his nose pushing through. This is what we in the business call "crappy." (It's an industry term, so I can understand why it may be confusing to hear at first.) But this sort of thing really sucks. A pilot needs to sit in a ship, a weapon needs to be held in a hand (I'm looking at you, Foul Moudama), and a removable helmet has to be able to be placed on a head so it can be removed later. As a helmet-free figure, it's pretty awesome, but it's gosh-darn disappointing to have to fidget with this thing to minimize the nose poking through the face of the helmet.

Collector's Notes: This item was released as part of the 30th Anniversary Collection, which came out several months early. The Clone Trooper came in a four-pack with Evolutions Count Dooku, Evolutions Episode II Anakin Skywalker, and a retooled Jango Fett with a similar helmet problem. Given the obscene price of $30-$35, it's a hard set to advise you to buy unless all of these figures appeal to your collectorial (new word?) needs.

Critic Notes: I just want to take a moment to say that I absolutely adore the concept of the tins. The packaging is gorgeous, the packing-within-the-packaging is genius, the tins are awesome, and the overall look and feel is just magnificent. But the price point is insulting-- most of these take 3 previously $4.99-$5.99 figures with minimal changes and charge a whopping $30 for the set. If the set had all new repaints or a larger emphasis on "new" items, these would be my absolutely favorite items of the year. (For example: an Astromech droid, 2 Battle Droids, a Clone, and a Jedi of your choosing.)

Day 191: November 13, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 190: R3-D3

R3-D3 Star Tours
Star Tours Collection 1
Item No.: No. 21091
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $10.00
Availability: 2002
Appearances: Star Tours

Bio: Whenever your plans call for intergalactic transport, call on STAR TOURS for state of the art travel excitement! Tour the galaxy aboard the STARSPEEDER 3000, the most advanced transport vessel of its kind, and experience the expertise of the sector's newest and most reliable Droid pilots! Reservations are limited, so book your STAR TOURS adventure today! (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's toy shelves. Whoopee.

Commentary: When first rumored, the Star Tours line was said to be a bunch of R2-D2 and C-3PO repaints and Captain Rex. What we got was a little more diverse, as seen with R3-D3 which was part of the first series of these figures. The figure was a revised version of the very nicely designed R2-D2 from Power of the Jedi with a retooled head and, of course, new paint. The figure is jointed at the "shoulders" and "neck," and that's it-- he also has wheels. His coloring is actually fairly incorrect compared to the model used on the ride, which didn't have the red paint on the eye and, well, there's more wrong too. Basically, this figure isn't what you would call authentic, just neat. For those looking to add yet another astromech droid to their collection, this is a good one. It's also unique in that it's the only clear-domed droid to use this body, at least so far.

Collector's Notes: While initially somewhat hard to get as a theme park exclusive, interest has cooled significantly in recent years. (Which is a little surprising given how hard these were to get if you didn't have someone who could do you a favor.) A number of Star Tours figures got closed out and appeared by the case on eBay for very cheap, and as such, the going rate of these little guys is about $10 or less-- so $10 plus shipping is about as high as you should go. Due to the figure's lack of accessories, articulation, etc., you might be left feeling $10 is too high. And it is. But it's not like you can buy one at Wal-Mart.

Day 190: November 12, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 189: Luminara Unduli

LUMINARA UNDULI Jedi Master
The Saga Collection
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84833
Number: 0226
Includes: Lightsaber, removable blade, blast effect
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: April 2002
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Cloaked in dark robes, Luminara Unduli is a female Jedi master noted for her tranquil beauty and most disciplined presence. Her striking blue eyes punctuate her angular face, and intricate, diamond-shaped tattoos decorate her chin. After returning from a mission to Ansion, Luminara and her Padawan Barriss Offe must contend with Count Dooku's massive armies in a full-scale battle on the red rock planet Geonosis. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's toy shelves. Again.

Commentary: It's basically a statue. Luminara Unduli came out alongside some nifty figures when Episode II hit, some of which had significant articulation. Luminara is basically just articulated at the arms-- she has a few other points of articulation but it really doesn't help her much. This figure's extreme pose makes her look significantly shorter than she is, but she has a very striking stance and as a 3 3/4-inch Unleashed figure, she would be very cool. Her deco is good, her sculpt isn't bad, but the figure was outclassed in 2005 with a Revenge of the Sith figure. What you see is basically what you get-- she makes a wonderful statue at a great price. As a toy, she's horrible. That's really all you need to know.

Collector's Notes: As a launch figure (barely) for Episode II she was pretty hot at first. Some of my friends (who aren't collectors or really toy people) picked up this one when she first came out and really dug her. She works as a sculpture, and this is the kind of thing adult fans should enjoy. Should. She goes for basically nothing on eBay, a couple of bucks tops. (Also, a lot of you have been writing me saying that the prices I quote you are wrong. And I immediately check eBay and it looks like I'm 100% right. Am I missing something here?)

Day 189: November 11, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 188: Clone Trooper

CLONE TROOPER Mace Windu's Attack Battalion
The Saga Collection Target Exclusive
Item No.: No. 87110
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster Pistol, Antenna Pack, Shoulder Armor
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2006
Appearances: The Clone Wars (in theory)

Bio: These clone troopers follow their Commander's orders and fight to protect the Jedi Temple. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Inside the backdrop from the box for Mace Windu's Attack Battalion.

Commentary: The figure's construction may not be immediately obvious, but it's 100% recycled Clone. The body of the figure is the Revenge of the Sith #41 Super-Articlated Clone Trooper. (The mold has since been re-used for others such as the Covert Ops Clone Trooper, Shock Trooper, and Utapau Clone Trooper.) The shoulder armor belongs to Commander Bacara, and was also used for a "lunchtime special" black market Clone Trooper that was frequently seen shipping out of China on eBay last year. The figure's decoration is actually quite snazzy, just like Mace's starfighter-- there's two tones of purple coloring. If you look at the "U" on the belt, you can see a metallic shine to the color. This metallic paint is also used on the helmet in places, and on the shoulder armor. (It looks amazingly good on the shoulder.) While some have said that the figure is just a Shock Trooper with purple markings, this is not correct-- some added deco points are on the figure, and some of the markings are grey, and not purple. So it's a little more ornate, but still, the figure is basically what you would expect-- mostly.

The main flaw in this figure (ATTENTION HASBRO/COLLECTORS) is that the packaging actually hurts the figures. Each figure has rubber bands on each hand-- so all three Clones have a rubber band on both hands to hold the gun in place. While Hasbro may have thought it would make the figure more stable during transport, the opposite is true, and an extra problem is created. First, the figures frequently have the hands pop out of the arms while still in the box. While they can be popped back in after opening it, it looks stupid if you're a boxed collector-- I mean, who wants a mint in sealed box toy with a clearly flawed figure inside? Second, the "band hands" problem that were frequent in many G.I. Joe products return here, and take the guns with them. The figure's hands are often malformed, and the gun is equally messed up. In short, the packaging is literally ruining the figure. Visually, the packaging is a gorgeous box and one of the better Battle Packs we've seen so far-- but the rubber bands don't do the toys any favors. Hasbro, this is a real problem. Collectors, this is a real problem. Nobody wants to open a box and realize the toys you just bought have already fallen apart. (For the record, I bought two of these fresh from the case, they're the only ones I've seen, and both had this problem on at least two clones per set.)

Collector's Notes: The Episode II and Episode III hammock is largely called Clone Wars, so it makes sense that any Clone Trooper with the Revenge of the Sith helmet design and any relation to a character killed in that film would be, by default, Clone Wars. As far as I can tell, no fiction has shown a visual representation (or even a mention) of Mace having his on squad-- but hey, here it is. The box says "As Seen on Cartoon Network" but does not sport a Clone Wars logo like on other recent items from the series. Which is funny, because it would make more sense to say that this is a toy from the Clone Wars because it could be, yet I do not recall seeing it on Cartoon Network at all. Also, this set includes three of the Clone Trooper I just profiled, one Clone Commander, and Mace Windu in the boxed set.

Day 188: November 10, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 187: Ody Mandrell

ODY MANDRELL with Otoga 222 Pit Droid
Episode I Collection 3
Item No.: Asst. 84105 No. 84117
Number: n/a
Includes: Removable Helmet, Pit Droid, CommTech Chip
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Summer 1999
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: For unbelievable speed and hair-raising action, there is no better sport than Podracing. At the Boonta Eve race, Ody Mandrell's luck runs out during a pit stop when a pit droid gets sucked into his massive engine and shot out the back. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelf.

Commentary: With Episode I, fans assumed that we would quickly see the entire selection of Pod Racers and Jedi Masters in short order-- after all, with such rich designs and nifty concepts, surely Hasbro would release all of Ody Mandrell's associates, right? Wrong. Other than Ody, Hasbro only made figures for Sebulba and Gasgano (and Anakin) during the film line's initial run, with others trickling out over the past couple of years. They were good figures and a decent value-- Ody has excellent detailing, lots of color, and six points of articulation. Oh, and a second figure packed with him. While the character received little screen time and no real Expanded Universe stories of note, he's distinctive, colorful, and quite the chatterbox. The figure sold fairly well at first, which is a good thing even though it's one of the lesser figures to come out of the Pod Race sequence. It's excellent, you should get one.

Collector's Notes: Who knew this is pretty much where Hasbro would draw the line? After Ody, a carded Sebulba would follow in Power of the Jedi. And then there was Teemto Pagalies in 2002... and then you don't see much for a while. The bulk of Episode I product is now dirt cheap, so if you want one, it's not going to cost you a lot.

Day 187: November 9, 2006