Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 535: Luke Skywalker

LUKE SKYWALKER Moisture Farmer
30th Anniversary Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87500 No. 87277
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #3018
Includes: Lightsaber, Lightsaber hilt, Moisture Vaporator, Coin
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Summer 2007
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio:  On a desert planet like Tatooine, water is a precious commodity. Moisture farmers earn a living extracting water from the air to use or resell. But Luke was never happy with the life of a moisture farmer and dreamed of leaving home to attend the Imperial Space Academy and become a pilot.   ( Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: Some fans would tell you this figure is only worth buying for the accessory.  I think they're wrong.  Luke Skywalker gives you a fairly decent figure for your money, and in some respects this is one of the better Luke figures we've had the fortune of getting.  For example, unlike the 2004 "Vintage" release, the belt doesn't split open and the shirt doesn't sit awkwardly when you pose the figure.   Of course, this 2007 figure has reduced articulation, but as it holds together nicely, I'm OK with that.   The figure has 10 points of articulation, and its sculpt borrows from the 2005 "Early Bird" Luke Skywalker except this one made some significant improvements.  Not only is the figure colored correctly, but it has super-poseable arms, a tweaked torso with a hole on his belt for a lightsaber, a ball-jointed neck, and a head sculpt which you can probably argue if it's better or worse.  I like it more-- yeah, the hair is a little darker, but that's OK.   Hasbro hasn't yet perfected Luke's hair color in the 3 3/4-inch scale, so I'm totally fine with seeing them experiment with colors to see what looks right, even if it's not perfectly authentic.  Depending on the angle at which you view it, the figure may look like he has wind-swept hair or a receding hairline.   In person, I feel it looks great, and I liked the figure so much I got a spare on my desk at work.  It's just a nice piece.  Ball-jointed knees and ankles may have made it better, but I'll take what I can get-- the entire package is a good one.

Accessory Notes: Due to its massive size, it's worth devoting special attention to the moisture vaporator.   The accessory has to be assembled, and can be broken down into 7 smaller parts for storage/battle damage/custom fodder.    It's over twice the size of an average action figure, and I have little doubt Hasbro could have sold this online or at a convention for $7 or so all by itself.  It's weathered nicely, full of incredible detail, and a fantastic piece of scenery.   I've got two of them up on a shelf near my Sandcrawler, and it really does add a lot to the display.

Notes to Hasbro: 1. Big accessories are great.  Even if you have to make them convention exclusives, I'd pay $10 for, say, a decent Dianoga, or perhaps the Cantina Drink Dispenser, or some similar bit of scenery.  2.  Good improvements here-- the Early Bird Luke figure was a fun toy, but this makes it better.  Still, there are some small tweaks you can make to this figure in terms of leg articulation, accessories, and possibly the head.   Why not go for a third stab at the mold with a few more tweaks, perhaps a training remote accessory and a blast shield helmet?  (Would you believe that after 30 years, the only 4-inch scale training remote we've ever had came with the vintage Millennium Falcon and also sucked?)

Collector's Notes: This figure, being new, has not yet been repackaged.  I have no doubt we'll see this figure again in the not-too-distant future.  While it's by no means a groundbreaking figure, it is one of my favorite releases of 2007 so far.  Good job, Hasbro!  (Oh, the head also fits on and looks good on the 2007 Stormtrooper body-- however the helmet doesn't quite fit.)

Day 535: October 23, 2007