Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,231: PZ-4CO (The Force Awakens)

PZ-4CO New Character
The Force Awakens   Jungle and Space Figures
Item No.: Asst. B3445 No. B4161
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: "Combine" ankle rockets
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99  
Availability: October 2015
Appearances: The Force Awakens

Bio: PZ-4CO is a constant fixture in resistance base control rooms, offering tactical data and communications support during important operations. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Hey, a new droid!  The packaging is scant on details for PZ-4CO so I'll continue the favor.   The one detail I will let fly is that she - well, that was it.  According to other resources, this is a lady protocol droid but, as of now, we don't know who's doing the voice or if we'll even hear her speak.   This figure feels more like a toy figure than some of the others - it's more of what I was hoping for and expecting, minus the actual towering giraffe-esque design.

PZ is tall.  She stands a hair over 4-inches high, which puts her above C-3PO and many of our heroes - no small feat, as it were.   Cast in blue plastic, she's decorated with red patches, some smoke and dirt highlights, and a smattering of wires and other details.  While we haven't had a good, clean look at the movie costume we do have packaging art as a basis of comparison and it looks like Hasbro more or less nailed it.  A restraining bolt was left off, and there's some missing grit, but other than that we have a pretty decent mutant C-3PO protocol droid here.   This figure has no problems passing the Landspeeder Test, as she fits in the vehicle quite nicely.   Her sculpt and pose are a little more toylike - her arms are at her side, and swing forward without elbows sticking out at awkward angles.  Her hands are designed to actually hold an accessory - even C-3PO rarely can do this.   The detail is good, the deco is nice, and the head can only turn at the base of the skull.  Her big, thick neck can't turn but the head can move around on a nice ball joint.

That feels more like a book report than a review, but when it comes to mystery figures like this what else can you do?  Hasbro engineered the figure well - she stands, she sits, she can fit in a vehicle.   If you put her next to C-3PO from the 2-packs, she looks like an early 2000s figure with softer detailing.  I'd go as far as to say she seems like a Power of the Jedi-era figure, although the clamp-on "Combine" shin rockets feel more like something from the early 1990s.  They're silly, but the clamp on nicely and become the "eyes" on the Combine drone.   I'd rather she have a weapon or some hardware, but such is life.

I like droids, and I love new droids.  We haven't had a new kind of protocol droid in ages, so I'd elevate this to a must-buy.   Goss Toowers, I hope, will be exciting in the movie.  Kylo Ren is a straight-up repack.  But PZ?  Oh, PZ.  You're awesome.  We need more like you.  Everybody out there, if you have any love for Star Wars robot toys, put this one on your shopping list.   She doesn't impress, but she's durable and looks cool.   It's a straight-up nice action figure.  Get one.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,231: November 5, 2015