SAGA - Basic Figure Collection 1, Wave 4 Figures
06-01-2002

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BACKGROUND INFO ON THIS ASSORTMENT:
Eight new figures; four from Attack of the Clones (Jango Fett, Mace Windu, Massiff & Orn Free Taa) , 1 from The Phantom Menace (Qui-Gon Jinn), 1 from Return of the Jedi (Endor Rebel Soldier), and 2 from The Empire Strikes Back (Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader).


'02|#32 - QUI-GON JINN™ - JEDI MASTER (The Phantom Menace™)
Includes:
Lightsaber™
Blast Deflection Effect

 

Spiceowan: The first question I ask is how fast can you flush $6.08? Why not take Shaak Ti's blaster effect and put it on your old Qui-Gon? Use Shaak Ti's and Eeth Koth's accessories to get the same effect. This thing makes me sick. Make someone new. A never done before, but another Qui-Gon Jinn? HE'S DEAD MAN. Deal with it Hasbro and move on . I should have bought another pack of cigarettes and a 40 oz. of Budweiser! We need a Qui-Gon like we needed another Luke, oh no they made that, or Vader, oh no they made another one of them too, oh wait Chewy, oh no! - that too! End the repetitive figure thing. Make someone new, something we don't have, the heck with variants if you choose, but try something new! After I look at this thing I get "gaaauuhh I dont feel so good!" Let's hit the scale on a poor tribute to the great Liam Neeson! 2.0 Overall Grade here, and that's pushin' it! There, I really hated this and if my thumb went down any further it'd get hot, ya dig?

J: Right on Spice! A Jedi Master (soft-goods) version head or Mos Espa head and a better cloak fitting correctly at the shoulders would have made this figure near perfect for a Qui-Gon! We really NEEDED a well-done cloaked Qui-Gon for all the Naboo and Trade Federation ship fighting scenes and just about every other scene in the movie. Don't get me wrong, we absolutely DIDN'T NEED a Qui-Gon that was flawed like this one. Hasbro knew they could squeeze every penny by issuing this mold and not have to eat the costs of a non-released piece. Even after you try fitting the cape at the shoulder jonts, you can really only cover one sleeve or the other - this thing looks preposterous - I just want to laugh! It looks like the stitching wore out on his Jedi robe and now the sleeves are hanging by a thread like some poor kid at school. Qui-Gon should have worn this raggedy sleeve outfit in Mos Espa - Watto probably would have given him the part he needed so the man could get some new clothes. The face is ridiculous - Liam Neeson calls this the "saucer-eyed Qui-Gon" and you can see what he means! He also looks like he's suffering from some kind of swollen-gland condition since his neck looks like it's full of fluid; and the "French painter" mustache??? - come on Hasbro art department!!! I agree with you Spice, grab the blast deflection from Shaak-Ti's saber and stick it on an earlier version of Qui-Gon, and, I guess, try to get a Naboo Accessory Set cloth robe to complete the outfit. The very ironic thing is that Shaak-Ti's saber blade and effect are the same mold and colors as these found with Qui-Gon, give me a break! This is sad, because Qui-Gon is THE character from TPM, in my opinion. This character deserves some plastic dignity. And, the pose is a little forced too, with no real room for any posability variations; another "statue" as it were! The bio on the card back back focuses on the final duel, yet this outfit (cloaked), and the deflection effect are associated more with Naboo or Trade Federation ship droid battles - bizarre. This gets my lowest review ever - 4 thumbs up!

+ it's still Qui-Gon, a figure of Qui-Gon is, in theory, a good idea, in theory that is
- just use Shaak-Ti's accessories on an old version of Qui-Gon, duh
- why did Hasbro do this to us?
- it still costs $6.08!!!

(Figure '02|#32, Asst. No. 84861, Item No. 84801, Backing Card P/N 6108683500, Window Insert P/N 6108763900, Backdrop Card Insert N/A, Date code stamp 20851 (85th day of 2002; can be unique for the same figure) )


'02|#33 - ENDOR REBEL SOLDIER™ (Return of the Jedi™)
Includes:
Blaster Rifle
Blast Effect
Helmet
Backpack

       

Spiceowan: I saw this figure on-line at first and thought 'here we go another Green Card'. After viewing it at C2 and actually buying one I didn't think it was that bad. The paint job and pose and accessories are quite decent. I am, however, hearing about the variations in this figure, so variation scandal hits again. It would seem to me that Hasbro is on to these variant hunters and are trying to appease them along with there own wallets. So now you're buying one figure instead of two. Don't they realize everyone isn't mult-millionaires like you and I? Ha ha -Really, most collectors are anything but and they want a variety instead of two of one guy. The blaster effect is cool but does this mean redo Rebel Troopers? Hoth Soldiers? Imperial soldiers? When will it end? Well I'll tell ya when we're in the poor house. No, it is like I ranted in the Qui-Gon "Just show me something different." I guess it'd be cool to have a few of them mixed in with the old for a diorama but I really don't see the need for this figure. At least not now. Yeah this one kinda strikes me funny because as much as I hate this repetition there is something that makes me not feel the same wrath as I spewed about Qui-Gon Jinn. It is better than the first one but let us keep in mind that the key soldiers in the Battle of Endor were 3 ft Teddy Bears, not these guys who look like they could throw open a can of kick ass. I'm surprised there ain't a new Ewok in the works. I have mixed feelings about this one and am not sure which way to go with the old thumb, I like it then I hate it all at the same time. I still remember seeing the two versions of them at C2 . If they were gonna do variations, why not make an army builder kit of these? Wow, we may have to change my name from Spiceowan to Sith-Spice; feeling a little evil after these last two reviews. Anger leading to hate , Hate leading to suffering! Yeah, he's not exactly Rambo Part 5 but he's tryin'. Maybe we should let the scales decide, eh? Do we have enough on this no-name to go with it or do we need more?

J: It's an improvement over the POTF2 version, but that's about the most redeeming quality I can detect! Who wants to look at Mark Boudreaux's mug atop the shoulders of a Star Wars action figure? Doing something like that might have been cool 15 years ago when G.I.Joe used the faces of Hasbro employees for the head sculpts of some of the characters, like Larry Hama and Vinnie D'Alleva as Tunnel Rat and Cesspool respectively. But back then kids and collectors didn't know who the hell these guys even were! Come on, I mean it's a heart-felt nod from Hasbro to dedicate a figure to their Lead Star Wars Toy Designer who's been there since 1977, but even the dubious non-transparent toadying that we saw go into making a figure as laughable as Jorg Sacul was pushing it! Maybe it's me, this thing doesn't look too bad, but doesn't capture the essence of the movie soliders in ROTJ. That backpack has to be smooshed into the socket really hard to make it stay in and, oh, a goatee - ooh very counter culture, give me a break! The helmet is pretty righteous though and I suppose this headgear could come in handy for some customizations. I'm torn on this one too Spice; it has it's good and bad. With all the articulation in the arms, there's a good amount of battle poses, but I just keep getting the willies looking at that head; it's like a kid who's scared of clowns staring Bozo in the eye!

+ the new look is better than the POTF2 version (glazed-eyed soldier)
+ the juxtaposed fighting stance actually works here
- that head's gotta go, the kids will kill him first I bet
- trying to get that backpack to stay attached

(Figure '02|#33, Asst. No. 84861, Item No. 84802, Backing Card P/N 6108683600, Window Insert P/N 6108764000, Backdrop Card Insert N/A, Date code stamp 20851 (85th day of 2002; can be unique for the same figure) )


'02|#34 - MASSIFF™ (Attack of the Clones™)
Includes:
Geonosian Warrior
Harness

J: Even though I don't remember seeing any Massiffs on Geonosis, or with the termite handler for that matter, according to some of the books they are indeed there, so ok then! This is the best piece of this Collection 2 Wave; the Geonosian looks like he just crawled out of the catacombs and the Massiff actually looks hungry. Look at the detail on the Geonosian: the "tail/stinger" is striated and painted so it looks real and the codpiece is a separate piece and has engravings and micro-chain mail texture. The pose is classic and the forearm leash looks tough as nails, and a metal chain? - gear! Until the Tusken Raider with Massiff comes out later on this year, you can always remove the beast's leashing harness and let him hang out near the Sandpeople campfire. The paint applications on both figures really bring these things to life. I love the Geonosian termites and this guy looks so good that I'll have to get at least one more. Only two things that would have made this top-notch all the way would have been to include the film-accuarate Orray beast with the Geonosian, but maybe Hasbro will make that too eventually, and to have included the sonic blaster weapon from the droid factory. Two thumbs up!.

Spiceowan: This next one won't really get nailed to the chopping block. I was very impressed with this one. The beast is very well detailed and the Geonosian handler makes a very good effect to the overall product. I think the more variety in the figures you have for the Geonosian War, the better. There was so much to take in; so definitely, the more the better. I really dig the chain too, makes a real neat touch too. See Hasbro you can make a good one along with most of the figures in this set, I really like this one. It displays nice has nice detail and those gaping jaws! On the accessory note it doesn't show that well, but it makes up for it nicely everywhere else. To sum it all up at least we have one winner so far in Collection 2, Wave 4 . It took some time but hey, they got one right it seems.

+ this looks meaner than the Endor Rebel Soldier
+ What it lacks in articulation and accesories it makes up for in appearance
- not the most "film-accurate" piece of the bunch
- I still want to see a sonic blaster and an Orray

(Figure '02|#34, Asst. No. 84861, Item No. 84803, Backing Card P/N 6108683700, Window Insert P/N 6108764100, Backdrop Card Insert N/A, Date code stamp 20811 (81st day of 2002; can be unique for the same figure) )

'02|#34 - ORN FREE TAA™ (Attack of the Clones™)
Includes:
Senate Hovercam

J: Last up is a crooked Politician with "robin's egg blue" skin and four fat tentacles draping off of his head. Look at the face and the raging eyes - scary! This guy turned out rather well, he's a typical Collection 2-style statuesque offering with an emphasis on paint deco and "as-seen-in-the-film" accuracy. That electric blue skin is awesome and the folds and gatherings in his robe flawless. Why is he barefoot? I don't know. I do know that there's no comparison between a real stretch like the Endor Rebel Soldier, and this guy that is as good as a miniature prop. Pivoting arms and rotating wrists give this lardo all the movement he can probably muster in real-life anyway - an array of theatrical hand gesticulation! It's possible to pose him as one of the "Three Tenors" singers - Luciano Pavarotti, in a dramatic oration or musical vocalization pose; again, scary! Oh no. Not that same senate hovercam that keeps falling over because the stand base is too small - who designed that thing?! A verbatim reissue of the accessory that came with the Episode I Senator Palpatine, oh well - you can't have everything!

Spiceowan: I like Orn Free Ta. Like a lost cousin of Bib Fortuna there he is. Actually weighs less than Dexter Jettster. Wow I thought he'd take the scale but it is lighter. He looks mean enough and crooked enough to be one of my local politicians. I can't figure out the barefoot deal myself. Maybe a fashion statement more bold than Princess Leia's hair buns! Don't quite get that. Even though I thought they would come out with Sio Bibble first seeing as a lot of collectors missed out on him last time, I am surprised the dollar didn't push this one back two years! I think a lot of these new figures don't have the weapons quality as in the E1 line but that's about the only thing that the old have over the new ones though.

+ it isn't another 121st Qui-Gon Jinn
+ dead-on likeness
- the posability and accessories could have been done better

(Figure '02|#35, Asst. No. 84861, Item No. 84804, Backing Card P/N 6108683800, Window Insert P/N 6108764200, Backdrop Card Insert N/A, Date code stamp 20841 (84th day of 2002; can be unique for the same figure) )