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'04 -  Luke Skywalker - A New Hope (Reviewed 11-10-2004)

Includes:
• Lightsaber

"Guess who's back? Back again? Luke is Back"  

Click thumbnail for large image Spice: This is a great way for Hasbro to reinvent and re-enlist Star Wars collectors of old. On first glance one will see the picture of Luke and the cardback we all fell in love with. The VOTC Collection is a big shot in the arm for the pretty much useless OTC Collection. To date they have only released twelve figures, but I feel they should just keep right on going and remake all ninety-six vintage figures. This would require a few rehashes but in the long haul a much better option than the current state of figures being released. While this figure doesn’t have a lightsaber jammed up his sleeve, Hasbro does do quite a bit to make some amazing modern day improvement to our favorite farm boy from the Original Trilogy.   Click thumbnail for large image Rob - While we already have a ton of Luke figures from ANH, Hasbro at least goes the extra mile to bring us a figure with soft goods and improved articulation. While I've never been much of a Luke fan, Hasbro has my eyebrows raised on this one. The VOTC line brings to the table the exact needs of the ever-demanding serious collectors and gives the diorama builders something to write home about. One can only hope that this figure line is the rule and not the exception.   Click thumbnail for large image Spice - While the card is perhaps the most eye-catching characteristic you brought out a good point this is most definitely a figure we have seen way too many of. While I’m not a huge fan of soft-goods, it certainly fits well in this case. I think the extra articulation is simply amazing.  The belt fits perfectly and actually goes right back on if you were to remove it. Unlike the holster straps on that 12-inch Jango Fett figure! The head the feet, knees, elbows, much like a vintage G.I. Joe many of us deserted collecting Star Wars for back in the early 80’s. The idea of putting the figure in a protective case is something long overdue. If it is too expensive to do on the basic figures, they should at least have done something like this on all Exclusive figures. You don’t see too much of the basic card-bending tactics or the spider creases so many of us despise. It’s good to see for double the money they are taking steps to keep carded collectors happy. Rob - As for double the money, I’m expecting double the product. The extra articulation gives the Star Wars figures the respect they’ve deserved for so long. Advanced poses are now possible; where in the past we were stuck with the awkward stick figure stance. I particularly like the knees and ankles, as it should help with dioramas involving sitting or inserting figures into vehicles. A protective case is an awesome feature that helps the average collector get past the hunt and peck method of finding an unblemished card. Nothing will bring down a carded figure collector harder than finding the figure you’ve been searching for than to see a crushed bubble or bent card. I think the Star Wars design, as opposed to a regular Star Case, added a nice touch.

Spice - Well I don’t know about double the product, remember it is Hasbro Rob! The only complaint I could have is the accessories. They could have included much more. The rifle, binoculars, hat and perhaps even a grappling hook would have been a nice touch. I recall the Green Carded Commtech figure having many of these features as well as some pretty decent articulation too, but they finally got the size of Luke right. He seems to be proportioned just right, a puny little farm-boy who appears to have spent much time wasting time with his friends vs. a few hours in the Mos Eisley Gym. The skin tone in the paint isn’t quite as accurate as it could be, you’d think a guy on a planet with two suns wouldn’t be so pale.

Rob - Once again, optimism seems to have gotten the better part of me and I forget whom we are dealing with. More accessories would have been nice. The rifle and binoculars would have been nice as with the extra articulation you could accurately recreate the Tusken Raider attack scene. As for proportions, I agree that they got the size down right. However, the facial sculpt is nothing to bring home to mom. On the contrary, I think it is actually worse than previously released Luke figures. It just doesn’t scream Mark Hamill to me. Overall, the figure’s face looks to be about ten, not the teenage boy wonder that we all grew to know and love. With the time and money that Hasbro invested in this figure, one would think that they could have come up with a better likeness than this. They almost got the bad haircut right, almost.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Spice - Quite honest I'm simply amazed with the VOTC Collection, so far. The extra money is quite worth it. I do think the face sculpt is a little off but this has to be the best looking Luke figure released to date. Other than the non-detail of the lightsaber, and missing other accessories there is really no other bad thing to say about it.

Rob - Hasbro has finally given the collector something to beam about and while it does squeeze the wallet a little more, it does offer that which we have been craving. While the face sculpt leaves something to be desired, I think that the combination of soft-goods, extra articulation, and sweet retro style cards will keep the collector coming back.

(Figure '04 | #XX, Asst. No. 85214/85213 , Insert P/N 6314591300, Backing Card P/N 6314581300,  UPC No. 7693085214)