Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,115: Paige (Resistance Gunner, The Last Jedi Line Look)

PAIGE Resistance Gunner
The Last Jedi Basic Figure Teal Assortment
Item No.: Asst. C1531 No. C1538
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, helmet
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $8.99
Availability: September 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Paige Tico, nicknamed Pae-Pae by her sister, was a human female who served as a gunner on a MG-100 StarFortress SF-17 in the Resistance during their conflict with the First Order. (Stolen from Wookieepedia. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: When making toys from an unreleased movie, you're at the mercy of your licensor - hopefully you get some sort of access to the script, the sets, and indeed any part of the filmmakers you can get. Before a new movie is released, most toys are equals - Constable Zuvio, Finn, Rey, and Poe Dameron were all on the same footing. The same was true in 2017 when we got Resistance Gunner Paige, who could be a major character in the movie. Or not. It turns out the character was not a major player in the movie - heck, most of the movie line's figures were a mix of repeats - ad it didn't help that Paige and Rose shipped together in matching mustard-colored Resistance uniforms. Fans were not excited - heck, she sat unopened on a peg in my basement until last month (along with a few other figures from the sequel era) because we've had a ton of things to review and sometimes, things just keep getting kicked down the road. And that was about five and a half years ago.

Before the movie, this was an interesting new pilot figure with a cool helmet. And after the movie, none of that changed as we saw a character have a brief, appearance that served as a way to help define her sister Rose Tico. In a movie year, it's always a little upsetting when your "sneak preview" figures wind up being of little consequence in the grand scheme of things. The sculpting is really good, with Paige having that somehow form-fitting-yet-baggy look that seems to show signs of wear, but without the painted weathering. The vest is a light gray, and every bit of her clothing has the illusion of feeling used and old despite being shiny and new. I'm impressed. She also had a Resistance (or Rebel if you're nasty) symbol on her sleeve and a vaguely familiar checkerboard pattern on her removable helmet. The face sculpt is good, and the face deco is pretty great for pre-Photo Real. I would love to see more paint on the straps and buckles, but at least her leg straps and boots are painted. For her time, this was a pretty great figure in a time where The Vintage Collection was on hiatus.

Her pose is typical of the time - skinny, straight limbs that swing forward with no problems whatsoever. I assume many people in their 40s (or 50s) will turn their nose up at this figure, but the only complaint I had would be getting the mask on her chest plugged in to her removable helmet. It's a great feature, but it's really hard to get it in there and to have it hold in place despite having pegs. She has no problems holding her blaster, and the helmet fits like a glove. Or helmet. It's a good fit, is where I'm going, and you may as well leave the mask off so you can see the face.

I assume the dud of a toy line that was The Rise of Skywalker pumped the brakes on future generations of fans collecting sequel toys later, as it didn't quite come in for the kind of landing we saw with Star Wars originally in The Power of the Force line or the numerous victory laps we saw from Revenge of the Sith figures. The Last Jedi had an action figure series I would call acceptable, Solo had a good enough one, but there weren't a lot of thrilling or weird figures to be had. Paige is aggressively well-engineered, nicely-sculpted and decorated, priced more or less fairly... but she's another boring human. The main thing she had going for her at the time of release was that she was one of very few new characters in the line, and today, I would probably bet you $50 she'll never have another action figure in the next five to ten years. Or longer. She's cheap if you can find her at a comic shop and I doubt you'll find the figure disappointing unless you just don't want another pilot figure. I'd love to see Hasbro make more figures at around this price point and level of quality for a modern audience.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth in 2017. They are long sold out... but there's a nonzero chance a 99 Cents Only store near you might have a few dusty ForceLink-era figures on their pegs.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,115: March 12, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,106: Y5-X2

Y5-X2 with R4-X2
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: R4-X2 and Y5-X2 figures
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $19.99
Availability: ca. Fall 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi
Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. These Resistance droids are assigned to the main cruiser of the embattled Resistance forces. May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: If you're looking for the most essential droid in the line, it isn't Y5-X2. The body is identical to his 2-pack companion R4-X2. Only the head is unique between them, and since they're packed together, you're likely to get both or neither. At least it's cool. The dark green body has black and silver panels with some white on the shoulders, breaking up the dark a little bit - but maybe not enough to really pop. Thank goodness there's a white dome that stands out.

The paint isn't perfect, with the triangles on top of the dome being painted green and off-center a bit. The red eyes are a little off-center, but it's so minor you probably won't notice. He has tons of green rectangles painted on his head, plus a Resistance symbol subtly etched in the back. If I was the kind of person who customized his car, I would want to get this kind of graphics slapped on the sides. It's by no means essential, but I like droids, and I like green, and I like faction symbols on things. Astromechs rarely have any sort of affiliation markers on them, so these two are pretty special. But also, I now have hundreds of them, so I would also be pretty happy if they just stopped.

Collector's Notes: I got mine in 2017 and I'm pretty sure my pal Shannon picked it up for me - but it's been in my "to open" pile for seven years! Well, thanks Shannon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,106: February 8, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,102: R4-X2

R4-X2 with Y5-X2
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: R4-X2 and Y5-X2 figures
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $19.99
Availability: ca. Fall 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. These Resistance droids are assigned to the main cruiser of the embattled Resistance forces. May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I got too many droids, and also, there are a few I infuriatingly was not able to get. But I did get the very nice R4-X2, which riffs on R2-X2 from the original film. Because you apparently can't trust your lying eyes, that droid was originally made as a black figure, but later as a dark green figure, and subsequently this fella and Y5-X2 were made in a similar style using the Disney droid molds... which were based on Hasbro molds.

One of the reasons I didn't open this set until last month was a lack of curiosity - there were no new parts and I mistakenly thought they were pretty straightforward repaints. Not so! The body is very similar to R2-X2, with black and silver painted elements. The dome looks very late-1980s, with green block patterns that remind me of the Industrial Automaton logo. The nice addition that really struck me was the Resistance logo on the front and back of the dome, which is something we just usually never see. Ziro had a droid with a faction symbol, and it's possible R2-X2 did too (I haven't seen reference photos from behind of the actual prop), I don't remember another droid with this symbol on it. It's kind of funny you'd think it would be a handy tool for subterfuge. A Stormtrooper could just roll one of these in a Rebel base and hope nobody asks any questions. If you can paint Chopper black, who's to say it won't work?

The dome is white plastic with green detailing, plus silver and black elements. There's a lot going on here, so it's interesting to look at and, for better or for worse, one of the more exciting figures from that movie. (Hasbro's line gave us a few new faces and also some very samey figures.) I like this one, although after seven year it is notable that the sequel trilogy's sophomore installment hasn't been expanded on in merchandising much, and the entire saga sort of just flailed around and avoided making new and interesting ships and playsets. It would be nice to have a place to put this figure, which is the only real knock I have against it. You don't own a Resistance capital ship, therefore you likely have no need for figures to fill one out.

The price of this set just makes my head hurt - they sold us two droids for $20 back then, and now it's one for $15. (Back then it was one for $13.) At its original price this set was a great - if obscure - pairing, and while arguably not exciting with two nearly identical droids, at least you felt like you got your money's worth. Prices have gone up on this set, but it's charming.

Collector's Notes: I got mine in 2017 and I'm pretty sure my pal Shannon picked it up for me - but it's been in my "to open" pile for seven years! Well, thanks Shannon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,102: January 25, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,753: General Hux (Celebrate the Saga)

GENERAL HUX Redux, Redux
Celebrate the Saga The First Order - Unmarked Best Buy Exclusive
Item No.: No. F1415
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #01 - Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
Includes: Mouse droid, pistol, also BB-9E, First Order Stormtrooper Officer, Flame Trooper, Captain Phasma
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: September 2020
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: In the galaxy's unknown regions, former Imperial officers, nobles, and technologists plotted a return to power, building fleets and armies in secret. This movement became the First Order. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This may be the best damn thing I bought this year. And I didn't even want it when I placed the order. Before Hasbro finally broke my completism with the triple-threat of carbonized, holiday, and credit repaints all in a week I was ordering everything - including the Celebrate the Saga packs. It turns out this was a good move, because General Hux and other humans got that fancy hyperreal paint treatment and it was worth it. I'm not saying you should pay $30 for Hux and barely-changed reissues of troopers you already own... but have you seen how well they nailed Domhnall Gleeson's face?

Arguably one of the more interesting (if chaotic) characters in the sequel trilogy, Hux went from screaming space Nazi to decent comic villain to petty turncoat, making his arc arguably more interesting than most of our heroes. While he didn't necessarily grow as a person, you got to see his bluster for what it was, effectively making him a very Starscream-y villain. How appropriate! It would've been interesting to have him stick around as a post-trilogy villain in some future installment because as a true believer and someone who wanted to keep his job and power, he would be worth following. And if you didn't see The Rise of Skywalker yet and this somehow ruined it for you, you're welcome, just go watch the cartoons instead. Any cartoon. You'll be served better.

Anyway, this figure is a redeco of the 2017 The Last Jedi Hux. It was a big improvement in the facial area when compared to the 2015 figure, but this one does it better by giving him better eyes, better eyebrows, great hair, and painted lips. Under a macro lens it may not be perfect, but to my human eyes it's a remarkable advancement given his melon is about the size of a raisin. It amazes me that this is a mass-produced thing and not a bespoke redeco for a crazy person. The sharp cheekbones are perfectly sculpted, the scowl is just perfect, the hair is sharp, and the eyes are piercing. The First Logo symbol on his sleeve is sharp and has some red in it - that's impressive. The silver stripes on his cuffs are clean, the belt buckle is good, and the glossy boots? Also nice. You can slide off his coat if you like, and he has a nice blaster. When the coat is removed, the articulation is perfect - he can sit! Remember sitting? When I was a kid, everybody except Anakin and Amanaman could sit pretty well.

He also has a Mouse Droid, and it turned out well - rolling wheels, the whole bit. You might already have one of these, but now you can have another one. They're small, they're cool.

It's maddening that Hasbro says they're stopping the 5POA line, because they finally got it right. These sets give you a lot for your money - four full-size human figures and sometimes a fifth full-size (or pint-size) droid for $30 with the best-paint ever is a bargain. The last time Hux was sold, he was $8 - and didn't look this good. For an average of six bucks a figure, we can see we were probably overcharged for the last few movies what with their excessive accessories and useless ForceLink chips. This line could've been amazing. Hasbro's still got it, if they want to go for it, they can still impress the daylights out of me which I didn't think was going to be possible in the year where this amazing paint is glossed over and time is spent applying peppermint and cheer to troopers for some reason.

This is one of the best things Hasbro ever made as a 3 3/4-inch release. If I was making a book with the 100 best Star Wars figures of all time (publishers, call my agent) this one would make the cut. And I've reviewed enough of these things to know what constitutes "best."

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Best Buy.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,753: November 19, 2020

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,657: First Order Stormtrooper (2019 TLJ, The Black Series 6-Inch)

FIRST ORDER STORMTROOPER The Last Jedi Redux
The Black Series 6-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E4071 No. E7519
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #97
Includes: Riot shield, riot baton, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: The first order’s Infantry units are trained from birth, given unit designations instead of names and fed a steady diet of first order propaganda to ensure absolute loyalty   (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: This is my unhappy face.  Figures like this particular First Order Stormtrooper make me sad - because it doesn't need to exist.  It's a pared-down version of the Amazon exclusive Stormtrooper from a couple years back which is a decent accessory pack/tweak.  If you have that one, you don't need this one - but if you need more troopers, this one is fine.  You can steal his weapons for other figures.

The core figure is the very nice 2015 SDCC First Order Stormtrooper [FOTD #2,162] which itself was tweaked for a similar Riot Control First Order Stormtrooper [FOTD #2,235] mere weeks later.   This figure is also slightly different from that last one.  There's a revised The Last Jedi trooper helmet with a sharper mouth, and there's a revised batom that has rotating clubs on the tip of it.   Other than that?  It's pretty much the same great figure with one fewer weapon - the normal, larger blaster has been dropped in favor of the smaller pistol.  You get the tiny pistol here, you get a baton, and you get a shield.  You get a perfectly nice trooper with rocker ankles and what seem to be slightly better elbows.   It's still basically the same trooper though - do you need more?  Well, here you go.

I'm glad it's a trooper and not Rey again under a new number, but I still would've loved to see a nickel spent on some blast damage on the shield, or perhaps some scorch marks on the baton.   It's OK.  It's fine.  There's nothing wrong with it.  It's just that there's not much new here.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,657: January 21, 2020

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,633: Maz Kanata (Holographic, Solo: A Star Wars Story line look)

MAZ KANATA Holographic
Solo: A Star Wars Story Force Link 2.0 Exclusive 5-Pack
Item No.:   No. E2262
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, also Kylo Ren, First Order Snowtrooper, Rey, Captain Poe Dameron
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: ???
Availability: Late 2018
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Maz Kanata was a Force-sensitive humanoid female who was born over a millennium before the brewing war between the First Order and the Resistance. Living in an ancient castle on the planet Takodana, Kanata gained a reputation as a "pirate queen" by allowing traveling smugglers to reside in her home—as long as they honored her prohibitions against politics and war. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Things don't go as smoothly as you hope.  This Holographic Maz Kanata was going to be US Toys R Us exclusive. Then Toys R Us closed - so Hasbro offered it to Entertainment Earth.  They neglected to ship it there, so then they just kind of filtered out and showed up - a friend of mine found them in those seasonal calendar stores.  I never saw them anywhere, so I got my set from a UK eBay seller.

Given how over the sequel movies most toy fans were - in part because of the repetition, repetition, and repetition in the line - I bet a lot of people don't know and don't care they're missing this set. The only truly new figure in the set is Maz, a holdover from The Last Jedi that saw release for Solo which was recast here in blue, with no paint.  This would've been a better carded exclusive - the detail is great, and the blue is darker than a lot of the holographic figures from the heyday of the format from 2005-2009.

She has 5 points of articulation, and has no problems standing or sitting.  It's a quality figure, the engineers of the old Kenner line would be proud of this one.  The backpack isn't removable, and I'd go as far as to say that this is a pretty nifty figure in a style we rarely get these days.  I probably paid too much for this set, so if you get it at a good price, you're a winner.

Force Link 2.0 Notes: "I am no Jedi, but I know the Force."  "I assume you need something.  Desperately."  Blasters. It's not much new here.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from eBay.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,633: October 29, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,611: Luke Skywalker (Crait, The Vintage Collection)

LUKE SKYWALKER (Crait)
The Vintage Collection Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. E0370  No. E4057
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #146
Includes: Lightsaber hilt, full lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: June 2019
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Luke Skywalker, a Force-sensitive human male, was a legendary Jedi Master who fought in the Galactic Civil War during the reign of the Galactic Empire. Along with his companions, Princess Leia Organa and Captain Han Solo, Skywalker served on the side of the Alliance to Restore the Republic—an organization committed to the downfall of Emperor Palpatine and the restoration of democracy. Following the war, Skywalker became a living legend, and was remembered as one of the greatest Jedi in galactic history.   (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This is a heck of a neat figure. Luke Skywalker (Crait) is utterly bizarre when you think about it.  Luke Skywalker projects himself across the galaxy with better hair, a darker beard, and probably a few less pounds too.   Kylo Ren and the Rebels saw him like this once - so maybe what they're seeing is in their own memories - but I think it's funnier if Luke decided to make himself just a little bit better-looking before he spiritually spanks his former student.  It's also kind of funny to think this is the Luke fans wanted to see - an active adventurer, lightsaber swinging, kicking butt and not particularly being bothered to take the names.  He's busy.

This Luke figure seems to be from a different era - it has some of the older problems we thought went away.  The robe is plastic, and the lower part of his tunic doesn't have a slit or any give in it.  Luke's legs aren't going to be doing much swinging forward. The ankles are normal, non-tilt ankles and the wrists are swivel, not bending wrists.  The neck joint is fine, and the ankles are set in a way where gravity might get the best of Luke like Kylo Ren never could.

The hands aren't great at gripping the lightsaber - it doesn't take much to knock it loose.  I'm glad the lightsaber hilt has the ring on the back, and it can hang on the belt albeit a bit awkwardly.  It doesn't quite sit flush.  Still, they're both painted nicely and that's not something we get very often.  As an added bonus, the blue blade is black light reactive if such things excite you.

The sculpt on the outfit is good, with the shirt texture astonishing and the robe seems acceptable.  I like the gloves, boots, and pants - and the head is acceptable.  The reason for this is the realistic face printing makes the good sculpt look great, but the face printing has not been added to the hair.  Each Luke looks a little bit different, so keep an eye out when you buy yours.

I'd recommend this figure, in part because I don't assume the future holds a lot of 3 3/4-inch Mark Hamill-based Luke figures.  Maybe we'll get a ghost or something, but that's hard to know for sure.  Until then, this strange astral projection look is a heck of a cool way to celebrate our hero's last stand on Crait.   Hopefully we'll see him again soon.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,611: August 13, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,597: Resistance A-Wing Pilot (The Last Jedi Line Look)

RESISTANCE A-WING PILOT with Resistance A-Wing Fighter (Red Squadron)
The Last Jedi Exclusive (technically released with Solo, also it's complicated)
Item No.:   No. E2265
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster pistol, vehicle, projectiles, figure
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $7.99
Availability: Spring 2019
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: A longtime reliable starfighter model used by the Resistance that dates back to the struggle between the Empire and the Rebellion, the A-Wing is a nimble, wedge-shaped fighter propelled to incredible speeds by large twin engines. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: There are complications, and there are complications.   This Resistance A-Wing Pilot is a variation on Resistance Pilot Tallie [FOTD #2,407] - it's a redeco with a new head.  Fun story I can't tell at length - this was not the original intended pack-in, nor did this item have a smooth ride to market.  There were rumors of where it would be sold, and changes, and other stuff - this was a toy that clearly did not want to get released.  It did eventually escape to closeout shelves, getting dumped at Ross for $7.99 despite another intended home for it - but that's a long story I can't tell right now.

The nameless dark green suited figure probably isn't meant to be Pammich Nerro Goode, and I am unable to find the identity or reference for the outfit in my limited resources on-hand.     The helmet is now in blue, with a darker orange visor, and a newly-sculpted head with a slightly different face and different hair coming out of the back of the helmet.  She has 5 points of articulation and a blaster, making this a unique character but probably not one you can name just yet.   The paint is nice and clean, it's unique, but it's not a character I can identify or point to in a book just yet.  Maybe you can.  I'm glad she got a new head, but it's not like I needed either this ship or its pilot. I'm just a sucker for A-Wings.

Force Link Notes: "Reporting in, Squadron Leader." "The enemy is on the move."  "I've located the targets."  "Concentrate fire on the enemy position."  With the ship, it's "Firmware update required."  Never change, Force Link 2.0.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Ross.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,597: June 25, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,582: Vice Admiral Holdo (The Black Series 6-Inch)

VICE ADMIRAL HOLDO 6-Inch Debut
The Force Awakens The Black Series 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3834 No. E4880
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #80
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: March 2019
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Commanding officer of the Resistance cruiser Ninka, Vice Admiral Holdo has been a trusted ally of General Leia Organa for years.  Holo radiates a quiet confidence with her measured words, but will it be enough to light the encroaching darkness? (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:  I wonder if we got this character because Winter would require royalties to Zahn?  Well, Vice Admiral Holdo held the screen nicely without us getting a lot of time with her.  Played by the fantastic Laura Dern, she of Diane, Ellie Sattler, Ruth Stoops, Susan, and countless other role fame, it was awesome to see Hasbro give us a high-ranking dead character so soon.  It took us 20 years to get Grand Moff Tarkin, and thanks to Lucasfilm and Disney's tight-lipped-ness I assume Hasbro doesn't always know who they are working on are DOA.  Well, lucky for us.

I'm happy to see Hasbro do a Vice Admiral Holdo.  It's a B-.   There are design elements which are perfect, some that are very good attempts, and some that just kind of fall flat.

The bulk of the dress turned out well - the "dickie" is plastic, and has a lot of golds and bunches in it.  Is it weird?  Yes.  If you muck around with it, you can sort of bunch up the cloth parts of her outfit to look al ittle more like the movie. It's difficult to move the cloth to expose those bits of shoulder though, and since that's an important landmark it shows us yet another limitation of soft goods in toys.  The color is even throughout and they did a ncie job with the jewelry and hands.  She can hold her blaster just fine, and the hood on the back of the dress hangs nicely.  I find myself wishing the whole costume was plastic, just because it is such a mixed bag.  It's not awful - but for modern standards, anything less than perfect is usually rounded up to a disappointment because Hasbro will probably never, ever have a reason to revisit this character in this size and in this outfit.

This is a real pity, because of the head.  Hasbro's "Hyper Real" face printing has been largely good and constantly improving.  Captain Rex and D.J. kicked things off nicely, with fantastic versions of young and old Lando Calrissian and wonderful updates to other popular human heads over the last year.   Holdo is a step backward.  In the movie her eyes pop nicely.  They did a good job of making her look like Space Laura Dern, which is what you want.  The toy didn't quite get the dark parts of the eye make-up right, and the whites of the eyes aren't big or exaggerated enough - so the toy comes off as a little dead-eyed.  At least mine does, and so do the pictures I've looked at of the final product.  This is a place for customizers to do a better job, and if there's a running change I'd buy it.  It's a shame, because the sculptors did a nice job with the portrait and hair - but the eyes.  Oh, the eyes.  You deserve better Laura Dern, you really do.   At least the rings were painted amazingly well, which is a bit of a surprise.

I think the meme goes "thanks, I hate it."   It's almost perfect.  This is one of those figures that if you want, I'd have to say you're going to need to repaint her or take it and like it.   It might be the worst face print on the printed faces to date, and the dress comes off as a noble attempt but not quite right.  If Hasbro reissued her with some tweaks, I would be as happy as a large part of my readership would not be.  She's also without most of her friends - Leia's appearances from the movie haven't been made in this scale, nor have her aides.    Now where's my Twin Peaks Returns Diana figure?

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,582: May 2, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,542: Kylo Ren (Solo: A Star Wars Story line look)

KYLO REN Cape and Helmet
Solo: A Star Wars Story Force Link 2.0 Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. E0323  No. E1244
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: September 2018
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Kylo Ren, a Force-sensitive human male, was the Supreme Leader of the First Order and Master of the Knights of Ren during the era of the New Republic.  (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  This is a weird one.  Kylo Ren in today's review is the Force Link 2.0 carded release - and it's dang near identical to the Force Link 1.0 pack-in figure from last year.  You can get that one at Ross for a couple of bones, this one has a different sound chip and a green symbol on the foot.  Is it worth it?  I guess?    It has a cape, a helmet, and a lightsaber making it a unique configuration until The Last Jedi figures if you missed it before.

Rilo Kiley has an issue being weighted forward a bit, meaning the cape helps keep him standing upright.  Our not-hero has 5 points of articulation and feels pretty sturdy.  I like how Hasbro made the figure with minimal paint applications - there's the silver on the helmet, the belt buckle, and some gloss on the boots. And that's it.  Figures like this make me think Hasbro could do a "low cost" figure assortment with unpainted or lightly painted figures some day, which would be a change compared to today where the assortment price comes out of a target cost of an average of the figures in the assortment.   Really good figures - like Ephant Mon - cost Hasbro a bit more, so seeing them create this line with a moonshot program of a $5 or $6 retail could be awesome for all of us. (This won't happen.)

This is a good figure with plenty of sculpted detail, whose only real problem is being a figure you may have bought, with a Force Link band, at a lower price, last year.  I love the clean paint job, the wonderful textures, and the pose is no stinker. A wrist joint would be nice, but since his hands match his arms it doesn't make sense for Hasbro to do one in the context of cost.  As of right now, Kylo Ren is one of the most fascinating characters in the saga - a bad guy, a little good, seemingly written as a weird wink and a nod to old-school fans while carrying political weight due to the iconography and the company he keeps.  How will he shake out in 2019? I can't wait to find out.


Force Link 2.0 Notes: "The darkness in me grows stronger." "I will let nothing stand in our way." "I know what I have to do."  Lightsaber hums, clashes, and bolts.  It's a good one.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,542: December 13, 2018

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,503: C'ai Threnalli (The Last Jedi Line Look)

C'AI THRENALLI Talking Edition
The Last Jedi Force Link Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. C1503  No. E0524
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Helmet, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $10.99
Availability: June 2018
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: C'ai Threnalli[2] was an Abednedo male who flew in the Resistance Starfighter Corps of the Resistance's military during their conflict with the First Order.  This packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  This is a figure I wasn't sure if people would want - at work, we picked it up after Hasbro dropped it from the US mainline.  C'ai Threnalli looked like a slightly better Ello Asty at first glance - this time with a removable helmet and no holster.  The figure had a bit more to offer than sounds and new joints, and has proven to be pretty popular.  (I've seen the sales figures.  This should be the first one to sell out.)

The arms seem to be derived from the same digital sculpt as Asty, as do parts of the torso - the vest matches the wrinkles on the older figure in spots quite closely.   It's a safe bet Disney and Lucasfilm are giving Hasbro some digital assets while not being afraid to tweak existing models.   Threnalli has articulated wrists and boots either as a forward-thinking way to fit in future vehicles, or as a cost-cutting measure to avoid having to paint those pieces by molding them in color. I assume the latter.  It's a nice feature though - I'll take articulation any way I can get it!  The helmet is rubbery and is a perfect fit on his head, which is sculpted surprisingly well with a lot of detail.  

It looks better than a lot of the other The Last Jedi figures, which kind of is unfortunate as it had more limited availability.  It's similar, but different, and certainly good enough to warrant your attention with extra flight straps and definitely new legs.  C'ai, along with Maz Kanata, a Flametrooper, and Emperor Palpatine were all bumped from the main line but all found homes somewhere.  (The single Palpatine was sold overseas, and in 3-packs at Target.)  I think they're all decent for different reasons.   If you're a pilot fan, get one.

  "Got 'em."  "Come and get me!"  "Roger."  "We have a mission to complete."  "Come and get me!"  And blaster effects.  The voice is, obviously, not from the movie.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.   This figure was originally slated to be a part of the first Force Link line for The Last Jedi but when the final wave got axed, this item was dumped in the USA.  It is a de facto USA Entertainment Earth exclusive.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,503: July 31, 2018

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,502: Maz Kanata (Solo: A Star Wars Story Line Look)

MAZ KANATA Talking Edition
Solo: A Star Wars Story Force Link 2.0 Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. E0323  No. E1676
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: April 2018
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Maz Kanata was a Force-sensitive humanoid female who was born over a millennium before the brewing war between the First Order and the Resistance.   (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  While almost identical to a figure we got a few years ago, this Maz Kanata will not be the figure's last appearance in toys this year.   She seems to be selling well despite a similar Maz Kanata [FOTD #2,273] being sold in 2016.  The problem, like so many problems since the reboot, is we are generally given a choice between new characters we don't know yet (some of which turn out to be pretty insignificant as toys go) and barely different versions of characters we own - Solo's line really leaned in to those.  Maz is a bit more interesting than her 2016 version, but to the typical fan she's the same figure with a new gun and a non-removable jet pack.   For most, the desire to have a Maz figure should be enough. Weirdly this one is desirable, but the 6-inch one is not according to Amazon pricing at press time.

The figure does a good job delivering the character in a costume from her cameo in The Last Jedi, where we found out that she has a labor dispute and her hobbies may have been described by Russ Hanneman.   She has 5 points of articulation including the ball-jointed neck, with deco that's pretty good to the naked eye.  Numerous dongles and beads and gems are painted, plus her hands seem to be the right color - which wasn't the case all the time in 2016.  Her necklace, belt buckle, glasses, wrinkles, socks, toes, and just about everything is well-textured and decorated.   This is great, as Hasbro and other companies often leave details in whatever color the rest of the limb happened to be.   More detail is always welcome.  She's by no means perfect, but given the size and price point we get a pretty good paint job here.  She's stable and the jet pack - and I have no idea why she needed one in the movie - is a nice touch here.   I'd rather have had a figure of a new character instead since she has tooling changes, but I guess that's life.

Hasbro did a great job here - the fact that I don't see her, or a lot of wave 1 Solo figures sitting, says to me either Hasbro did a great job or isn't done shipping the wave yet.  I would not classify this as an essential purchase, but it's certainly very good and I'm not sorry I have it.  

Force Link 2.0 Notes: "I am no Jedi, but I know the Force."  "I assume you need something.  Desperately."  Blasters.  These do seem to be taken from the film archives - and there are more, but the Force Link 2.0 band eats "AAA" batteries.  I probably got about an hour of play out of this set.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.   This figure was originally slated to be a part of the first Force Link line for The Last Jedi but got bounced to this wave for some reason - other figures from those waves were bounced to Entertainment Earth as exclusives.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,502: July 26, 2018

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,499: First Order Flametrooper (The Last Jedi Line Look)

FIRST ORDER FLAMETROOPER Talking Edition
The Last Jedi Force Link Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. C1503  No. E0521
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Thrower, backpack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $10.99
Availability: June 2018
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Specialized Stormtroopers of the First Order, Flametroopers carry incendiary weapons that can transform any battlefield into an infernal blaze.  (Stolen from the 2015 figure packaging.  This packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Generally speaking I'm pretty fond of trooper figures, especially when new poses come in.  The surprising thing about the Flame Trooper is that he is a big improvement over The Force Awakens Flametrooper [FOTD #2,200].  Both have the same number of joints and appear to be cut from the same cloth, but the 2018 version has some improvements.  (Also I worked to bring these out to Entertainment Earth, so consider this your bias warning.)

First up, the white is glossier and seems almost painted all over - it's s harp.  The whites are brighter and shinier, with a few extra paint applications.  A line in the chest is painted, and the backpack has some red dots that weren't painted before.     The index fingers are white now rather than black, which is more consistent with the prop replicas and merchandise appearances.  A few panel lines and dots were left undecorated, but someone with a fine enough paintbrush or toothpick could probably touch it up pretty nicely.   Hasbro basically fixed a number of details from the 2015 release.

Despite only having 5 joints, they did improve the pose.  The arms are now both posed to hold the blaster with both hands, truer to the movie.  While not super-articulated, it's a heck of a nice improvement and arguably a better way to build an army.  You could probably get a few of each flavor and makes a nice display - the colors may not be a perfect match, though.   Given its status, I'd say it's worth getting.  But of course I'd tell you that.  If a better super-articulated one ever makes the rounds you'll likely want that, but with few unsightly joints and a decent flame-sweeping pose you still may wish to get one or two of this model.

Force Link Notes: "What are my orders?"  "Sir! Resistance fighters!"  "Call in the airstrike!"  And some flaming death noises - these are likely not from the movie.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.   This figure was originally slated to be a part of the first Force Link line for The Last Jedi but when the final wave got axed, this item was dumped in the USA.  It is a de facto USA Entertainment Earth exclusive.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,499: July 17, 2018