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'04 -  Han Solo - A New Hope (Reviewed 12-21-2004)

Includes:
• Blaster Pistol

"She's fast enough for you old man."  

Click thumbnail for large image Spice: One of the greatest things about collecting Star Wars is the nostalgic feeling of revisiting your childhood. When you pick up one of the many Han Solo VOTC figures you will want it to be 1978 all over again. While we have had Han Solo served up what seems to be nearing the amount of the Big Mac, this is perhaps the ultimate Han Solo 3 ¾ inch figure to date. Everything moves, and while the inflated price tag will make you groan a little, it is all worth picking up two. One for the box, and one to open. There isn't a pose that can not be replicated from A New Hope. The wrists, ankles, knees, elbows, neck and waist help bring everyone's favorite smuggler to life.   Click thumbnail for large image Rob - It does seem like we could be reliving the entire Clone Wars with the number of Han Solo figures (ANH) that Hasbro has put out in the recent years. Forget Clonetroopers, imagine entire armies of our favorite nerf-herder turned hero marching into the ships. You get all this for only an additional five dollars out of your pocket. While Han was my favorite figure growing up, I feel sorry for my boy as I know that while this may be the best ever Han Solo, there will be wave after wave of him coming each year. That said, I am becoming addicted to the articulation that the VOTC line offers and this figure fits right in. The arms and wrists particularly caught my eye. If only he had come with a deck of sabacc cards as an accessory so that we could take full advantage of their endless pose possibilities.   Click thumbnail for large image Spice - The card is the thing that pulls me in the most. It takes you back to the days of your original toy runs, before the internet and being a great trooper. Before the dark times of the scalper. From the field test I've conducted using my padawans (children), I saw first hand how well this figure can be used with the new OTC Millennium Falcon. If you have the 1998 Cantina, you can fit him in perfectly with Greedo at the table. The question I must ask is why did Hasbro have this scheduled for release then put out OTC Han Solo #07? This is very annoying for carded collectors who have had their fill of the same figure for nearly four years. To have something so perfect like this, you couldn't possibly put any other figure in the same pose as the card shot! There is something about the face that is just not right., It also seems like the ball and socket may not have been such a good idea. It appears like the neck is too long almost, not Geoffrey Giraffe or anything but almost too long I should say. Rob - While I think that the head sculpt is actually pretty good, I will agree that the neck length is an issue. If they had kept it a bit shorter, then it would have indeed had that scruffy look to it that Han patented. The rest of the overall appearance is pretty much right on. I really like the vest and the hanging look of the gun belt. The blaster holster also really adds a nice affect when Han has his primary negotiating tool put away. As many have come to know, I’m all about proportions of the body sculpt. I love the arms and chest sculpting of the VOTC Han. They are sufficiently scrawny and gangly, just like Harrison Ford back in the late 70’s. About the only thing I could complain about appearance-wise is the Corellian Blood Stripes on the outer leg seems of his pants. In my humble opinion, these should have been a little more pronounced and not as subdued as the final product. As for the rehash after rehash of Han, I took particular issue with it when they re-released Han with the Post OTC figure wave. Han is getting to be about the same as many horror movie monsters. Just when you think you have seen the last of them, here they come around the corner again.

Spice - Maybe I am being too picky about the face, but for double the money, I want ultimate quality. I need more than an extra wrapper and added movement. Something that has made as much money as Star Wars we deserve absolute perfection. This figure simply falls a tad short. Another thing I wonder is how many were produced. It seems this is the only sure thing on the pegs besides another incarnation of Han Solo. There are so many great things about this Han Solo. I don't know if it's the pose-ability or the way you can almost conceal the side-arm. I completely agree with the your statement on the proportion of the body. Again this thing is two feet short of a grand slam. I look forward and hope Hasbro has enough sense to continue and improve this figure line.

Rob - While Han may be far from perfect, I do think that this is the best resemblance that Hasbro has created to date. Unfortunately, it isn’t so good as to make every collector want to buy the dozen or so left over at every Wal-Mart and Toys R Us. This does work to our advantage though as those who want to have one loose in dioramas and one carded will be able to afford this option once these beauties go on clearance. With respect to continuing a good thing, I feel that Hasbro will once again ignore a good thing and only continue to make business decisions that do not center on the needs of the collector. We’ll get more new versions of the Saga X-Wing or TIE Bomber before we see Hasbro astonish us with a VOTC-like Zuckuss. I’d rather see more figures for lesser known characters than another ANH Han Solo. It all kinds of correlates with the same discussion on the silver figures and another silver Darth Vader. I like this figure simply due to it proportions and articulation. Hasbro finally gave us a Han Solo worthy of captaining the Millennium Falcon. The only draw back is that they could have given us more accessories. I’m a big fan of the standard Stormtrooper rifle and would have loved to have one included with this figure. Once again, for ten dollars, we all seem to expect a little more.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Spice - Out of the first four VOTC figures this is the one that impressed me the most. The mix and match soft goods, on Leia. The robe or pup tent of Obi-Wan and Luke wasn't quite as good as Han Solo. If they could have put a little more into the face this thing would be a perfect 10! Big thumbs up!

Rob - While we did not get the soft goods as with the first three VOTC figures, I feel that the over all figure experience was awesome. Granted they could have done a little better with the face/neck sculpt, but overall a good figure. Once again, the added articulation is a diorama’s heaven and really offers better posing. As with the other VOTC figures, vintage card is a plus. Now if Hasbro could just get some voice modules inside these things so we could recreate that chase scene in the hallways of the first Death Star.

(Figure '04 | #XX, Asst. No. 85224/85213 , Insert P/N 6314591500, Backing Card P/N 6314581700,  UPC No. 7693085224)