Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,109: R2-D2 (Star Wars Rebels Mission Series)

R2-D2  and C-3PO
Star Wars Rebels Mission Series
Item No.: Asst. A5228 No. A8657
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS02
Includes: C-3PO figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: October 2014
Appearances: Star Wars Rebels

Bio: C-3PO and R2-D2 unknowingly play a part in helping the Rebels intercept a shipment of Imperial weapons. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: This R2-D2 is kind of unnecessary - not only did we just get a movie one in a two-pack last year, but the Rebels design is incredibly close to the movie.  The Clone Wars' take on R2-D2 had some altered colors and rejiggered the shapes on his person, but if you put the Rebels R2-D2 next to the movie ones, the differences are minimal.  For example, the eye bulges out a bit out of the blue square, the wheels on the feet are now a non-moving tread, and the shoulder detail is minimized - but other than that?  It's pretty gosh darn close.  The differences are apparent and obvious when put side-by-side, but when I first saw the Rebels R2-D2 in a picture I didn't even realize it was a new mold at first glance.

Overall, I like it more than the last movie two-pack R2-D2. The blue is richer, the silver looks better, and a few more areas on his body are painted this time around.   But it's still just a two-legged R2-D2 with no features, so fundamentally there's not a lot going on here.  The top panel on the head is still silver and not blue like it probably should be, and the detail is a smidgen sharper overall.  It's good, but you've got dozens of R2-D2s.  I'm not a big fan of shortcuts, but in this case I think Hasbro could have just repackaged the last one and we'd be none the wiser. 

There's not a lot you can do to R2-D2 other than action features or some sort of dirt or deco change, so figures like this - while new - are sort of a painful reminder of how Hasbro uses its production slots to make all-new versions of figures with perfectly new, perfectly recent molds in circulation rather than cranking out something new.  (For example, we could've had Sabine or Hera earlier.)  It's not a bad figure... it just leaves you asking "why is this here?  Do we need this now?"

Of course, that's the bitter collector perspective.  If you're buying this for a kid for a birthday or just want a cheap droid set for yourself, they're quite good, quite stable, and nicely designed.  It's just not new.

Collector's Notes: I got this from Entertainment Earth.  I have not seen these figures show up in stores yet.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,109: November 7, 2014