Figure of the Day: Day 267: Mon Calamari Officer

MON CALAMARI Officer
Power of the Jedi Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84455 No. 84644
Number: n/a
Includes: Helmet, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: 2000

Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: A peaceful race of amphibians, the Mon Calamari species have adopted the name of their watery homeworld. Unfortunately, they were a target for Imperial enslavement. After striking back and regaining their freedom, the Mon Calamari joined the Alliance and focused all their energies on defeating the Empire. (Taken from the figure's Force File.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: Another favorite of mine, the Mon Calamari Officer was one of three figures from Power of the Jedi developed in a hurry as a stopgap way to get more Trilogy product in the post-Episode I marketplace. (The others being K-3PO and a Princess Leia Endor figure.) This figure had a few changes made besides the paint, like the newly sculpted helmet, a new blaster, and shoelaces added to his boots. How he ties them, I do not know. But it's a mystery.

By and large, the figure is a 1997 Admiral Ackbar with a few changes-- so it's not as ornate as his fellow figures in this assortment, still being a little beefy and everything. The sculpting is good, the paint is excellent, and as a trooper, this is a real winner. After all, the number of non-human, non-armored troopers of any alien race is pretty small, and to have more lobster people always makes the 4-year-old in me very, very happy. It's a fun figure with only six points of articulation, but he can sit in most vehicles quite easily and is a lot of fun to mess with. The helmet design is especially cool as it fits on snuggly and doesn't really pose any problem-- which is nice, as sometimes, they're a little tough to get on or off.

Collector's Notes: While not the strongest seller of his time, this figure did fairly well and a lot of fans (like myself) snapped up a couple of extras because, hey, how often can you get Admiral Ackbar's teammates? The figure's price range is all over, but you should have little problem getting one for under $10 shipped. And you should get one, he's a cool little figure that Hasbro probably won't revisit with a new sculpt for a while. Which is a pity, as I'd go nuts for an all-new Admiral Ackbar or any other Mon Calamari figure.

Day 267: January 28, 2007