Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,778: Mickey Mouse, Jedi Knight

JEDI MICKEY & R2-MK
Star Tours Gift Set
Item No.: No. 16990900
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Display base, R2-MK, lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $18.95
Availability: Summer 2010
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Whether he is fighting the Separatist forces in the Clone Wars, or helping the galaxy with their struggles against the Galactic Empire, Jedi Master Mickey Mouse is ready to use the Force at anytime. Aided by his new friend astromech droid R2-MK, these allies can complete any mission in the galaxy. Join Jedi Mickey and R2-MK on their many adventures across the stars! May the Force be with You. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' insert box.

Commentary: The question of "does it count?" comes up a lot, and Jedi Mickey was one I kept kicking down the road in hopes that I would not be writing this column at some point and could weasel out of making the call. Some of you will be upset that he's here, and some of you will understand why he is. So why is he here? He comes packaged with Star Wars branding, an unquestionably Star Wars-y robot, and is made by Hasbro. If the Hasbro logo didn't appear on the box, and/or he were packaged separately, you probably wouldn't see a 3 3/4-inch scale Jedi Mickey Mouse in this column. But they did, so I feel obligated to include it.

This is the second version of this figure-- the first has light tan robes and is packaged with (the worst) Yoda, and this one has slightly reddish brown robes but is fundamentally a similar figure. The sculpting is OK-- not bad for Hasbro standards, and it captures the character's personality fairly well. Granted, as an adult American in 2012 I don't see or think about Mickey Mouse much, beyond that great clip on the Soup a few months ago. He doesn't really belong in any diorama or display shelf, unless you pull out your Star Tours stuff. To date (and correct me if I'm wrong) he's the only Disney mascot 3 3/4-inch scale figure to appear in a Hasbro-branded Star Tours product, as the rest seem to be Disney Parks items. (Depending on who you asked at Hasbro, they sometimes are cagey about this being a Hasbro product-- except by its SKU, it's a pretty safe bet it came out of Hasbro. Industry stuff. Long story.)

He can't do much other than look angry and wave around his lightsaber, so this is the sort of thing Disney fans are sure to love while the rest of us probably roll our eyes and grumble they didn't just give us another astromech repaint instead. Hasbro's relationship with theme park merchandise can elicit all sorts of responses in collectors, so let me put it this way: I wouldn't have bought this figure if it weren't for R2-MK. It's a perfectly nice figure but he's one of a tiny number of figures I have no real desire to display, or really even own, so let's move on.

Collector's Notes: Initially a fairly expensive park exclusive, the set is now... still kind of pricey on eBay. Prices start at $20 and go as high as $35, and I do not know about its Disney Park availability as I haven't been to a Disney compound since roughly 2010.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,778: April 6, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,777: Oola

OOLA with Jabba the Hutt
The Legacy Collection Wal-Mart Exclusive
Item No.: No. 94727
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Salacious Crumb and Jabba the Hutt figures, throne, throw pillows, pipe, bowl, railing
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $34.97
Availability: August 2010
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Jabba the Hutt and Salacious Crumb sit on a throne as Oola dances for the crime lord. The loathsome Hutt is momentarily entertained by the Twi'lek dancer's graceful performance. His monkey-lizard cackles with glee, knowing that Jabba will soon turn to some other amusement, such as throwing another victim to the hungry rancor. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV.

Commentary: Over the last few years, the value of a dollar has changed a lot as toys go. Now, a basic figure is $9 or $10, deluxe Transformers start at about $13, and it seems the era of a $5 action figure has ended. So the fact that Oola was sold as part of a quasi-pricey exclusive stings a little bit less, but it still ain't cheap. This figure is about on par with any Vintage release, including the requisite articulation, soft goods outfit, and anatomically incorrect nipple-free but exposable breasts. I'm not sure if this was a nod to a scene in the movie, or just the way things worked out to maximize authenticity and blah blah blah. Due ot the figure's facial construction, I'd say she looks a little younger than the last release or Femi Taylor, the actress/dancer who portrayed her on the big screen. The arms are a little thick in spots, but that's more or less normal when you have a lot of articulation. Nearly her entire outfit is made of a net-like material which exaggerates the size of the holes significantly, but there's only so much you can do as you scale a costume down. The sculpt is wonderful, and her collar has a fairly long rope tied to it, so Jabba can yank her around and do whatever. You know, dirty Hutt things. (In the Hutt?)

As the second Oola figure, she's pretty great. I won't say you should toss out your 1998 Oola to get this one, but since you're going to want Jabba and his throne you may as well. If this figure were sold on a Vintage card, you'd happily buy it while kids ignored it, so it's probably for the best that Hasbro stuck it in this gift set. If you can find it at a good price, get it. If she ever is repackaged on a single card, you should probably pick her up... but odds are you'll want the throne, so yeah, get the big set too. Hasbro could probably have done a slightly better figure if they reduced articulation in the arms and replaced the net dress with a sculpted dancer's outfit, but this particular figure has a nifty range of motion and a unique feel you probably won't see anywhere else in this (or any other) action figure line. Seriously, where else can you push aside a costume and see what amounts to a mutilated green breast?

Collector's Notes: Initially exclusive to Walmart stores in 2010, this set showed up at online store Entertainment Earth in 2011. (You can order it at the link below, unless they ran out, there was a run on them it seems. I get a teeny cut of it, so really, your buying one is basically charity.) The set was tough to find in many Walmarts, so if you missed it on the first go-round, get one now. It's possible but incredibly unlikely she may remain at a Walmart near you, so the stories of rural America tell me.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,777: April 5, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,776: Lando Calrissian

LANDO CALRISSIAN Sandstorm Outfit
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No. 49689
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC89
Includes: Cloth poncho, plastic wrap, goggles, communicator, pike, blaster, Skiff Guard helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: February 2012
Appearances: Return of the Jedi deleted scene

Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you! (Taken from the figure's packaging. No specific character information.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' shelves.

Commentary: Fantastic, but short. Also, kinda white. Lando Calrissian is many things, and those aren't two of them-- this figure is an odd example of a misfire mixed with the best execution you'll ever see. Hasbro was clearly switched on when sculpting, designing, and costing out this figure. He has more then enough gear, and is able to appear in his "Skiff Guard" outfit as well as the deleted scene sandstorm costume, but height is something of a shortcoming. He's nearly a full head shorter than the last Lando figure, and that head is pretty pale. I think I have a couple of Lukes darker than this Lando, and that seems just plain odd. With the helmet on, it's not like you'll notice, but I find it pretty frustrating. The darkest Skiff Lando was 1983, and while he was probably a little too dark, I hope any subsequent reissues of this figure go in that direction.

I consider this figure to be essential, despite the height problem, since this is the super-articulated version of this costume. The costume itself looks fantastic, colored closely to the 1983 Skiff Guard Lando figure, which was one of my favorites growing up. If Hasbro ever does reissue this figure, I'd love to see darker skin, longer legs, and maybe a tweaked torso. The sculpt is wonderful, but it just seems Kenner and Hasbro, since 1995, have had a hard time making non-white figures. (And let's be honest, a lot of the whitey figures are pretty pale or translucent too.) The last issue of Skiff Lando was preposterously pale, so here's hoping the next one is exactly like this... but colored better.

Collector's Notes: Probably the best figure of this wave, save for those two issues, he's in stores near your now. Probably. I don't know who lives in your area. If you're reading this years in the future, unless a Skiff Guard Lando came out after this one, make this the one you buy. Height's not everything and it's just got so dang much stuff in the package.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,776: April 4, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,775: R2-B1

R2-B1 Royal Starship Droids
Discover the Force Walmart Exclusive Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 38606 No. 38608
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: R2-D2, R2-R9, R2-N3, display stands, die, cards, droid harness
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.96
Availability: January 2012
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Astromech droids repair the Naboo Royal Starship. The shield generator and hyperdrive are damaged while escaping the Trade Federation's blockade of Naboo. The droids fix the generator, but the hyperdrive is too badly damaged. The ship is forced to land on the remote world of Tatooine to find a replacement part. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: The third time is the charm! After three attempts, Hasbro has finally gotten R2-B1 painted "correctly." (I don't have photos of the front, back, and sides, but he has a silver dome and that's what I wanted to see.)

The first 2000 release had a vac-metal dome, just as that was going out of vogue. The 2007 release was molded grey plastic, unpainted-- which matched pretty much zero droids, let alone the rest from his crew. But this one? Just right. It's kind of depressing that I spent about $15 on previous R2-B1s, and only now in a boxed set of 3 other figures which are basically robots I already have do I get a correct one, but what are ya gonna do?

This time around R2-B1 is made of build-a-droid parts, which should make him attractive to pretty much everybody. The blue color is just a tiny bit paler than the 2009 R3-M3 figure, but the markings are unquestionably R2-B1. After all, he's got yellow panels, a silver dome, and that's what you really want. This is the R2-B1 which will match your other droids, plus the colors just seem to click. Oh, and he has a black central eye-- finally-- which makes him as authentic as you can get to the movie right now. Sure, the little holes in the bottom of his body for extra legs aren't exactly like in the film, but nothing's perfect! Its a good R2-B1 and if you only get one, make it this one. The droid harness is a nice touch, too, but not absolutely essential.

For those not familiar with the build-a-droid chassis, it has removable legs, a removable dome, a removable central third leg, and articulation at the ankles. There are no extra features or gadgets, but the end result is a clean, well-sculpted, and nicely decorated figure. Right now, unless you've got a real soft spot for extra gadgets and panels which open, this is the best mold Hasbro has for new movie astromech droids.

Collector's Notes: This set is one of two tremendous pains-on-the-butt from an otherwise uneventful and frankly above-average roll-out of Walmart exclusives. The chain got a whopping 17 exclusive items, and all except two were distributed fairly well in a matter of days. These two Battle Packs were sold online around late January and vanished completely from Walmart's online inventory and, in most cities, apparently never actually got out to stores. There were shelf labels, but few (if any) collectors started to see inventory until the very end of March 2012. I ordered my sets online in late March 2012 and they showed up literally yesterday, about three days after I actually saw them at retail. So there you go, sometimes ordering online is a good backup plan for exclusives, but sometimes you'll still see them in the wild first. But anyway, yes, you should see these at retail but it's unknown how many each store will get, so go out and look today if you haven't yet found them. The set is arguably not worth $25, but 4 build-a-droids for $25... it really isn't that bad of a deal.

Oh, and there's a variation (and presumably not an error.) If you pop off his dome, some of the figures have an unpainted segment directly where the "guts" can be seen, while others have an unpainted, blue area. It's not yet known what the exact deal is here, other than the painted ones are definitely more common. This sample was a painted on.

I think at this point, R2-B1 has more toys than any other Astromech than R2-D2, as action figures go he should be tied, in the modern line, with R5-D4. R2-D2, of course, has somewhere around 30 modern releases by now.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,775: April 3, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,774: Clone Trooper Kix

CLONE TROOPER KIX Hunt for Grievous
The Clone Wars Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 35566 No. 35580
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, stand, game card, 2 other figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $26.99
Availability: July 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: "Kix" was the nickname of a clone trooper medic who served in the 501st Legion, a unit in the Galactic Republic's Grand Army, during the Clone Wars. Kix, Jesse, and Hardcase took the injured Rex to a nearby homestead to recover, while they returned to join Kenobi and his team. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' former kitchen.

Commentary: Another clone! This one is Kix, and he is one of very few medics to appear in the Clone ranks. The figure was sold in a set with a different enough to be interesting pair of Rex and Grievous, each of which had some interesting alterations that go beyond mere batch changes or minor variations. Kix though, is unique-- it takes the new basic clone body (no ankles) and gives him a new blue paint job so he can hang out with your other clones and be slightly different. Since the armor deco is unique to this figure, which is exclusive to this set, you'll probably want to track it down-- particularly if your local stores still have him on clearance. The figure has the same increasingly maddening hip joints which are not conducive to sitting, a thin build, and overall decent articulation in terms of quantity goes. Since 2003 we've been in such a rush to get to super-poseable figures that it seems a lot of people don't care that this figure has pretty weak hip joints which aren't as good as the old Kenner toys. I guess that's progress?

Collector's Notes: This entire assortment has gone to clearance at many big box stores, so he's probably already gone from your local distribution area. You may need to check closeout stores, online, eBay, or Toys R Us as they never mark anything down and hang on to stuff for ages.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,774: April 2, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,773: Clone Commander Cody

CLONE COMMANDER CODY Jetpack
The Clone Wars Basic Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37290 No. 37306
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: CW7
Includes: Card, stand, rifle, helmet, big jetpack, little jetpack
Action Feature: Removable helmet
Retail: $8.99
Availability: January 2012
Appearances: Clone Wars TV series

Bio: Commander Cody takes on battle droids wherever the Clone Wars rage, even in the deep space or orbital battles. He straps on a rocket pack and propulsion pack when the fighting takes place in the vacuum of space. Cody’s flight pack has built-in weapons that swivel to blast battle droids in any direction. (Taken from Hasbro's web site.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' back yard.

Commentary: Good figure, bad accessories. Clone Commander Cody is the second major sculpt of the animated figure and given that it's a Phase II upgrade, it's neat and new enough to be interesting. However, the execution is only partially good-- there are things about this figure which are fantastic. And others which remind me that nobody ever thinks about the end-user, the kids, in a meaningful way.

Let's get this out of the way: the figure reuses the big honking jetpack originally sold with the new Captain Rex sold in late 2011. It's a good accessory, but to be good it requires additional accessories-- it's a part of a three-piece set. Rex had a unique blaster which rests in a holster on the chest, and a second, smaller jetpack which fit in the giant hole on the back of the larger jetpack. This includes neither, so what you have is an item that's obviously incomplete just to look at it. A holster without a gun is a bad idea, and a giant gaping hole in the backpack is probably going to confuse the poor child that gets this one. But as a collector? I get it. I see that they tossed it in to add "value" to the figure, although this extra piece seems to just make it look like something was left out.

Cody includes a smaller jetpack which resembles the one from the movie, but the peg is quite large and the hole in his back is quite small. It's a tight fit-- I wasn't able to get it in there without using boiling water to soften the peg. (And I fully admit, I have the strength of a small girl.) His rifle is pretty good, and the new helmet sculpt is superb. Deco is good, with some scrapes and damage, and the new head design is nice as well. I hesitate to say it's better than the previous release, but it's different and I can appreciate different.

The figure's body has quite a few new parts, some of which really add to the range of movement. Sadly, ball-jointed hips aren't present-- but oddly, rocker-jointed ankles are. So in theory, if you could spread his legs apart, his ankles could rotate in a way to always keep them flat on the ground if you wanted. Much like the large jetpack, it's a nice feature but one that cannot be fully appreciated in its present configuration. Cody has 14 joints, but lacks the bend-and-swivel wrists of the earlier Clones in the animated line. I'm going out on a limb and assuming we'll never, ever see them again.

I can't complain about the paint job, in particular a (I think) multi-colored tampo on his chest which I assume is for rank purposes. The movie versions have this bit sculpted, but I guess better it be flat than not included at all. It definitely adds to the look of the figure, which I would give a strong buy to collectors of the animated style. There's nothing wrong with the previous Codys, so if you're satisfied with whichever ones you have, I wouldn't consider this a must-buy upgrade. But it is good, and I do like it, and it's different from other animated Clones... so I'm not sorry I have it.

Collector's Notes: New! He's selling pretty well so far, so you may as well get him if/when you see him. Since he's a major character, I expect to see more of him later-- unless Hasbro axes the animated line, and sometimes I'm beginning to wonder if they're contemplating that.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,773: March 30, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,772: Qui-Gon Jinn

QUI-GON JINN Light-Up Lightsaber Blade!
Discover the Force Movie Heroes
Item No.: Asst. 87752 No. 36573
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MH18
Includes: Stand, card, die
Action Feature: Light-up lightsaber
Retail: $8.99
Availability: February 2012
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Qui-Gon Jinn battles Darth Maul in a deadly confrontation on Naboo. The Jedi Master first duels the Sith apprentice on Tatooine, barely escaping the confrontation, then faces him again on Naboo. Qui-Gon is up against a relentless enemy who tests his mastery of the lightsaber. Although he's strong in the Force, Qui-Gon battles for his life against this powerful foe. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo area.

Commentary: Old-school Kenner meets modern Hasbro! This Gui-Gon Jinn is an interesting synthesis of new and old design techniques to the point where I'm honestly not sure what to make of it. His shoulders and hips are classic joints like the 1970s figures, and he has no waist joint. If you remove the lower part of his robe-- easily done, as it's a belt tabbed in the back-- he can sit in pretty much any legit 1980s Kenner vehicle unless his lightsaber gets in the way. On the other hand, he has ball-jointed knees and a ball-jointed left elbow, plus a jointed wrist and a ball-jointed neck plus the best Liam Neeson head sculpt yet. It's so real, he could practically speak "I've got full-blown AIDS." (Did you watch "Life's Too Short?" The improv bit? With Ricky Gervais? It was funny. Anyway.) The pose is also similar to the old Kenner figures, and I get a kick out of that.

The other nifty thing-- and shortcoming-- is the figure's action feature, a swell light-up lightsaber which is activated by his belt. If you push the buckle, it lights up until you let go-- so fighting with lit-up sabers is difficult. My big complaint, though, is that the battery isn't replaceable. I don't know what this means for corrosion over the coming decades, which we as collectors are sort of worried about at times. There's a battery in this guy, and it ain't coming out. I don't like this. I love the feature and how it works, but I want to be able to replace the battery and it's my guess that I won't be able to buy a new one in 10+ years when the battery runs down or leaks or something. And I have to literally crack the figure open if I want to remove the battery. I know this may be a ridiculous thing to Hasbro, but seriously, consider your audience: a lot of people, maybe not the biggest market, are buying these and will hold on to them for years or decades. Is it safe to have a permanently-installed battery? (I'm not calling them out, I honestly don't know.)

I have zero understanding of why Hasbro put in the expense of giving him ball-jointed knees, but they did and there you go. I think this may be the best toy figure of Qui-Gon to date since he can actually sit and has a cool fun toy feature. Sure, his shoulders are a little broad, but if you can get beyond that this may be the best, funnest Qui-Gon Jinn figure Hasbro has ever and will ever make. Get it if you dare, fun lovers!

Collector's Notes: A relatively new release, this figure is a little tough to come by in the wilds of retail. Wave 1 of Movie Heroes may be in the way at a store near you.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,772: March 29, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,771: Colonel Dyer

COLONEL DYER Figure Debut!
The Legacy Collection Battle for Endor Battle Pack
Item No.: Asst. 87752 No. 91805
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, additional figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: Fall 2009
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Rebels and Ewoks attack stormtroopers during the Battle of Endor. The Rebel strike team arrives on Endor's moon to demolish the shield generator protecting the Death Star. The Rebels are captured but a surprise attack by the Ewoks freese them, and a desperate battle ensues. Through the combined forces of the Endorian natives and Rebels, the generator is destroyed. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' old apartment.

Commentary: The Moff Jerjerrod body has been brought back to bring you Colonel Dyer. This is the only version of this character, which I believe is currently the closest release to the vintage "Imperial Officer" action figure-- he's got gloves, he's wearing black, that's pretty much all I'm asking for in terms of requirements here. (Nevermind the fact that the original officer was an Empire Strikes Back release.) Between this figure and Warok, I would consider the Battle for Endor Battle Pack a required purchase for anyone looking to get modern updates of the original 96+ Kenner action figures. (92 + Yak Face + 3 R2s & C-3POs +...)

Anyway. Hasbro is pretty good at making the most out of an old mold, as Dyer is basically a figure you already bought with a couple of tweaks. The torso is similar, the head is new, and of course he's wearing black-- but it's basically Moff Jerjerrod. This means he has no knee or ankle joints, his elbows are cut joints, and he doesn't sit particularly well-- and that's OK. I'm assuming most people are going to be getting this figure for dioramas or shelf displays, and this figure isn't much to play with. He looks cool, but he won't be doing a lot of sitting. His stormtrooper blaster accessory is quite nice, and the coloring of the figure is, obviously, decent-- it's hard to screw up "black uniform." For classic Kenner fans and Imperial loyalists, this is one fine figure-- although the set of Luke, Dyer, and Warok makes zero sense as a group, each individual figure is totally worth your while and I am quite pleased Hasbro cranked them all out together.

Collector's Notes: Despite being tailor-made for the original trilogy collector, this set lingered and was available quite cheaply at certain retail (and deep discount) outlets. If you were lucky, you could probably have scored it for as little as $10-$15, but now it's closer to $20-$25. It's also totally worth it for the best Battle Poncho Luke, the only Warok, and this nifty Imperial Officer figure.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,771: March 28, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,770: Battle Droid

BATTLE DROID Tan Edition
Discover the Force Movie Heroes Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 36563 No. 37751
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MH04
Includes: Stand, card, die, blaster, firing blaster, projectile
Action Feature: Removable limbs
Retail: $8.99
Availability: January 2012
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Battle droids are the perfect soldiers - programmed to fight without hesitation and deployed in vast numbers that overwhelm opponents. Individually, though, their limited cognitive ability makes them vulnerable when they go up against skilled Jedi who can outwit and outmaneuver them. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo area.

Commentary: The very definition of "just different enough to make you mad," Hasbro decided to try our loyalty with this Battle Droid. Two versions of it-- the first release was tan, the second is red-- were released, and each one had a different Ultimate Battle Game card with different artwork. The figure is based on a removable limbs mold with 5 points of articulation, best known for being part of a 2-pack starting in 2002 with the deluxe C-3PO Droid Factory set. It was doubled up with itself in Saga Legends and was generally known as the cheapo Battle Droid, as the 2010 edition came with two stunning super-articulated versions for a mere $7-$8. This time around, though, we get the worst articulation at the highest price. This figure is not worth $9.

The deco is new-- the tan color is different from previous releases, as are the blast marks and dirty spots. The shoulders are clearly different, and there's a little color throughout. The paint job is quite nice, it's just that Hasbro is now selling you half of a $7 2-pack for $9. That's just wrong. The figure is nifty, but compared to the $10 Vintage edition one peg over, it's insulting. The figure has no real problems standing or sitting, and the standard blaster may plug in to his backpack. What's more, he includes a Clone Wars oversized rocket launcher which fits better in his hands than it does the animated droid. (Good call on that, Hasbro.) For the dozenth-plus take on a 2002 mold, this figure is about as good as they come-- and I sincerely hope they retire this mold for good after this year. Getting two of this mold in a set feels like a steal, but getting one for $9 feels like a ripoff. It's different from your other Battle Droids, though, so if you like armies or need every version you'll want to get this one too. I don't regret tracking this variant down, but that's because I have a problem. If you're a well-adjusted individual you may want to direct your discretionary income and spare time toward other, more meaningful pursuits than "this robot is slightly different than the 50 robots I already bought."

Collector's Notes: According to the date stamps on the cardback, the tan version was produced before the more common red version. Lately, I'm only seeing the tan one at Target stores so you may want to go there first if you intend on picking this one up. I have no doubt the running change was made when someone realized that a red color would set the mold apart from the vintage version, which is significantly better for basically the same price. I'd say this is a figure for collectors (or clearance) only.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,770: March 27, 2012