Bandai continue to frustrate collectors with the ongoing repaints and retools in the Star Wars Movie Realization series. This Daimyo version of Boba Fett is no different, but I couldn't resist getting this since I'm such a sucker for repaints and trying to get every main figure in this series.
Click through below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.
Box and packaging are pretty much stock standard as with previous figures, so collectors know what they're going to get. Accessories are mostly rehashes from the previous figures, but at least they have the new Tuskan Raider gaffi stick and swap out gauntlet weapons.
The figure itself has a few points of difference in the armour, but obviously borrows a lot from the previous figures too. I do like the darker green paint on the armour, rather than the aqua green of the original. But in the end, it's really just another Boba figure, much like the various Mandalorian releases.
I find it difficult now to get excited about these figures, and probably won't be getting any more of the repaints. I really do wish they would at least release some new molds and characters in amongst the repaints. There were amazing prototypes displayed at past conventions, and concept art too, covering characters like Admiral Ackbar, Artoo, Gamorrean Guard, IG-88, and Yoda. It's extremely disappointing that they haven't released those from the original trilogy, but continue with Boba and Mandalorian repaints.
In the end, this might well be the last figure that I'll add to the Movie Realization series, unless Bandai really show something new.
I have the previous Boba Fett variants in this Star Wars Movie Realization series, so could not pass up the Mandalorian variant. Prices were certainly crazy on Ebay, and the official US Bandai retailer doesn't ship outside continental USA, which is damn ridiculous. But at least I managed to get the figure from Big Bad Toy Store, despite the markup. It was still far cheaper than Ebay, and I'm glad I managed to add it to the collection.
Click the link below to watch my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe and give the videos a thumbs up too 😀
Packaging and contents are pretty much what's standard for this series now. The array of hands is nice, and the weapons are beautifully done too. Of course the main weapon is the long rifle that is prominent in the TV show, and Bandai did a great interpretation of it here.
The pistol looks nice too, and the shorter sword is on par with most of the other figures that also included it. Apart from these accessories, of course the main incentive to get this figure is for the Season 1 Mandalorian armour.
There is obviously a lot of reuse in the armour and figure in general, being mainly a Boba Fett variant. But there are also quite a few unique differences of note. The soft goods cape is definitely something to watch out for. It doesn't really hang naturally due to its material, and the rifle has to be attached to his back under the cape which is not show accurate.
Therefore I made a mod to the cape by making a small hole where the peg on the long rifle can use to attach to his back over the top of the cape. It looks much better that way and is something that Bandai should've done themselves!
The chest and torso armour pieces, and aspects of the gauntlets, kama, and shin armour have unique molds or variations. And of course the helmet itself is unique. The paint application is a great representation of the Season 1 armour, with lots of great weathering and black wash to really bring out the sculpted detail.
I heard that Bandai gave an interview where they stated more Mandalorian armour variants are planned, so I assume a beskar armour variant from Season 2 is coming. Not sure how much that is going to end up looking like Jango, but at least for now these four variants do look pretty damn awesome together. If you're a fan of this series, it's definitely a figure to add, especially since they're so slow in releasing anything new in the series! Hopefully you can get it for a decent price!
I tried getting the new Lego Star Wars helmet sets before May 4th, but they sold out prior to that and were not even available during that promotion. I noticed that they were back in stock on the Lego web store in early June so added them to the cart.
But the damn TIE Pilot sold out before I could complete the transaction, so only managed to get the Stormtrooper and Boba Fett sets. I tried getting the TIE Pilot set during the Big W Toy Mania sale, but despite getting on the site within 10 minutes of the sale starting at midnight, it was still sold out. Bloody ridiculous!
Either way, I'm pretty happy with these sets apart from the stupid use of stickers (again!). Click through below to check out my full review for each over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!
It's a shame that Bandai haven't released any more Star Wars Original Trilogy figures, and decided to announce Sequel Trilogy figures instead. But at least this Captain Phasma certainly looks pretty nice, despite me absolutely hating the character in the movies!
Click through below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!
Packaging is consistent with everything else we've received from this series. It's all classily packaged with some nice artwork. It doesn't come with too many accessories, but what you get looks pretty nice. The scabbard is a nice glossy black with gold highlights. The katana is a longer sword this time which looks great. The rifle is also a larger style that suits the weapon she had in the movie. The range of swap out hands is suitable to hold all the weapons, and as always be careful when swapping out.
The figure itself is a bit of a hit and miss affair. The glossy silver paint app is decent, but mine did come with some annoying paint scratches. I fixed most of them with metallic silver Sharpie, so they're not too noticeable now.
The most annoying thing for me is the use of softer plastic for the shoulder pauldron that deforms as you move it. It just feels like the quality dropped in that area. The decision to use ball joints to attach the side kama skirt pieces is also bloody annoying.
I have no idea why they did that, because it doesn't seem to add any articulation. It just makes adjusting them difficult because they don't align symmetrically with the other parts of the kama. I tried adjusting them and it's too much of a pain in the arse to bother anymore!
The large cape at the rear and on the left shoulder are also a little annoying. The rear is pegged into place with a hole in the back, but at least the shoulder piece can be rotated out of the way. However the part that goes in front of the chin piece hinder articulation of the neck which is also annoying.
Something I didn't really notice until another collector pointed it out to me is that Bandai also changed the elbow joint for these Sequel Trilogy figures. They now have large ball joints that are essentially single jointed elbows, instead of the previous double jointed design. The balls now stick out a lot more and break up the sculpt, which is not good.
In the end, the figure looks pretty good on display, but some of the design changes really are a step back for this series. I hope this is something they do only for the Sequel Trilogy characters. If they announce any more OT figures, I hope they return to the previous design.
Finally the last of the bounty hunters from The Empire Strikes Back is here! Overall, really happy to have the troupe complete, but there are some aspects of Zuckuss that scare the crap out of me.
Click through below to check out my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles channel. Make sure to subscribe and give the video a like :)
As before, packaging is the usual black and grey style that really is getting a bit boring!
Zuckuss comes with even less than Dengar, with only another pair of hands and his rifle. Not sure if there's been much written about Zuckuss in other non-movie source material, but a few extras for the asking price would've been nice.
The details and paint app on the head sculpt are great. Sideshow does aliens really well, and it shows here. The tentacles are a softer plastic and curl around to the rear. The breather bottle is a little strange in that I think it's meant to just hang there. I did look for some place to clip it, but it just hangs near his arm. Just untangle it from the rear if needed.
The light tan coloured shoulder straps, pouches and layered skirt look really nice, with a detailed leather like appearance. The pouches even have their own magnetic clasp to open and close. The scariest part of the outfit is the cloak however. It's made out of a very coarse, almost sandpaper-like material. It's so rigid, it's almost guaranteed that this will crack or peel over time.
I tried minimising the bending of the arms as much as I could, whilst still allowing him to hold his rifle. The last thing you want is for the cloak to start peeling around his elbows where the creases appear when you bend his arms.
On the point of bending his arms, that's pretty much all the articulation you're going to get! On mine, the arms can barely rotate forward, and the legs can barely move too. I'm not sure if it's the underlying body or the suit that is restricting movement, but it's nearly impossible to get this figure into anything other than a static pose.
It's interesting that under that cloak, Sideshow still added quite a bit of detail. The boots and shin guards look decent, but will be mostly hidden by the cloak. He also has a nice pair of pants on, so it's good that Sideshow went to the effort to fully deck him out with clothes.
The biggest benefit to getting this figure is of course finally completing the bounty hunter troupe from The Empire Strikes Back. They look absolutely fantastic together, especially along with the Han in Carbonite set. Despite the concerns around the cloak material and articulation, I think fans of these bounty hunters will have a great looking part of their Star Wars collections for many years to come!
It seems a lifetime ago that Sideshow released some bounty hunters. The original releases of Boba, IG-88, and Bossk were definitely years ago, and the release of 4-LOM back in May 2017 was a good sign that more was to come.
And finally Sideshow released the last two remaining bounty hunters from that classic scene with Vader in The Empire Strikes Back, with Dengar and Zuckuss being released in quick succession. Although Zuckuss shipped first, I somehow managed to get Dengar first!
Click through below to check out my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to subscribe and give the video a like :)
Packaging is the usual simple style mandated by Lucasfilm. The photos of the figure are decent at least.
He doesn't come with all that much, and for the price that's a bit disappointing. I think the price range on this one should've been a little lower, but I think Sideshow were banking on the demand to complete the ESB bounty hunters.
The backpack is nicely done, with magnets to attach it to the back of the figure so there's no frustration in attaching straps. The weapons are nicely detailed too. Be careful inserting the pistol into the holster, but it should fit all the way in if you go slow. The assortment of hands aren't bad, and I suspect most collectors will chose those most like the movie pose.
The facial paint app is pretty good, but still lacking that extra realism from the likes of Hot Toys. The red around the scar isn't too bad, but I would've preferred it a bit deeper in colour. The eyes do have gloss, but still lack that realism of Hot Toys too.
The lower cowl is made of fabric, and it actually covers his head. But the upper part around the top of his head is actually sculpted very soft plastic that is removable. I guess they did that to retain the shape and style, but a fabric version would've stepped it up a notch in quality. I still think it looks pretty good, and can be rotate and tilted to capture the pose you're after.
As for posing the figure itself, articulation is extremely limited. On mine, the arms move fairly well, but the torso, hips, and legs can barely move due to the suit or the underlying clothing. The armour at least is nicely weathered. I thought it was too dark in some early photos, but in hand it looks quite nice.
The boots are also nice, with what seems to be fabric socks or anklets leading up to the shin and calf areas. All in all, you can get him into some poses that match his look in the movie quiet well. But if you're after something more dynamic, you'll certainly come away disappointed.
Still, if you've collected the other ESB bounty hunters, then this is a must-have in the collection. Displayed together, along with the recent Sideshow Han Solo in Carbonite set, they will certainly be an imposing part of your collection. Stay tuned for the Zuckuss review coming up next! :)
Been waiting years for Sideshow to complete their Empire Strikes Back bounty hunter troupe! With Zuckuss and Dengar on the way in early 2018, it was perfect timing to release the new Han Solo in Carbonite.
Overall, it's a great looking piece for display, but don't really think it's worth the $250 asking price! The lightup features are nicely done, and the paint app is decent, although could be slightly more metallic on its main front face.
Click the link below for my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!
Box was actually a lot larger than I was expecting. Contents were all encased in foam similar to their larger statues. Everything was stored fairly sturdily.
On display with the bounty hunters, the Han Solo in Carbonite looks fantastic. An alternative base for the Jabba the Hutt scene would've been nice too, but the options they gave to display in the vertical or horizontal Bespin positions is pretty good too.
Overall, if you're a big fan of ESB and bounty hunters, then this will fit in nicely with your collection!
I was impressed with the Prototype Boba Fett paint application, but it turned out I was less impressed with this Jango Fett repaint! Overall still a nice addition to the Star Wars Samurai collection, but not a must-have.
Click through below for my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give it a like and subscribe too :)
Box art and contents are pretty standard with the previous Boba Fett figures. The double pistols are nicely done, but putting them in the holsters looks awkward. Much better to simply have him holding them!
Posed with the other Boba Fetts, these all look incredible together. The variant paint app across the three really pops on display. Will probably be it for me with this particular Boba Fett mold. Hopefully more focus on new characters for 2018!
I've collected at least one of each previous character from this awesome Bandai Star Wars Movie Realization series. When they announced that they were going to release a Prototype Boba Fett version at SDCC this year, I figured I could do without another repaint.
But they are taking so long to release figures that I ended up caving and getting this from BBTS. The price was certainly high for this exclusive, but once I had it in hand, I was glad I got it! Check out my thoughts in the video below over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. More pics and thoughts below too :)
I thought the repaint would be a pretty bland white job, but man the variations in the paint are awesome! The sculpt of course is essentially the same as the previous Boba Fett, but the use of shades of white, silver, grey, and black actually really pop.
The accessories to go on his shins were more difficult to put on this time, so definitely put the legs into some hot water to soften up the plastic before putting the little knives and gadgets on. All the other aspects of the figure, from the sword, blaster, shoulder pads, and cape are as per the previous version, obviously with a different paint app. Everything is cleanly done and to a high quality by Bandai here.
The paint app on the original Boba Fett had a green that was bordering on aqua. I would have preferred a darker shade of green, but they were probably going for the lighter Empire Strikes Back look rather than Return of the Jedi. Either way, the paint app on both are nice, and the stark difference between them on display looks great too.
In the end, this thing looks so great I'm not regretting the higher price at all. It will be interesting to see how the upcoming Jango Fett repaint compares to these two. I'm definitely looking forward to the new Darth Maul figure too, which will be the first unique figure for quite some time in this series. Hopefully they continue to make more of the characters from the concept art shown before.
I just got back from a few weeks' holiday in the USA, and actually got the new Sideshow 4-LOM figure a week or so ago. Finally did the unboxing and review. Overall a good addition for hard core Star Wars fans, but the head and neck joint design really annoyed me.
Check out the video below on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel for my full review :)
Here's my crude attempt at a music video showcasing some of the awesome detail of the Bandai Tamashii Nations Star Wars Movie Realization figures. Set to the soundtrack of my favourite game, Ultra Street Fighter 4, this time using the Fei Long theme :)
Finally got the next figure in the Bandai Tamashii Nations Star Wars Movie Realization line. If you've seen my previous videos, you'll know that I love this unique style of figures, and this new Royal Guard is no exception!
Click through below for my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Summary of thoughts and some pics further below too :)
Packaging is simple and classy as with the others. Everything is nicely packed in collector friendly clamshell. It doesn't come with too many accessories, but the main attraction in the figure itself is just gorgeous in that red hue!
You get the usual katana and sheath that can be attached to the hook in the belt. It also comes with the expected golden staff, which I actually photographed held in the wrong direction lol!! The larger ball end is meant to be in the hand, but I thought that was the smacking end so had the other end in the hand lol.
The front cape looks OK, but is a bit of a pain to put on. You need to take off the imperial chest symbol to reveal the peg holes. The way in which the holes are oriented means once the front cape is on, it leans to one side to give room for the katana. But this gives a strange look on display since it doesn't look symmetrical. So I display it with it pulled out slightly so I can still rotate it straight.
All the other details are as you'd expect with this line, with the molding and paint detailing right up there with the other figures. I love the two-piece helmet!
Together with the others, these figures make for a superb, unique Star Wars collection. They are always a focal point of discussion when friends see my collection. I think this will continue to be a great Star Wars line for many years to come! Looking forward to getting more now that some concept art was shown at SDCC!
Couldn't help myself and picked up the Hot Toys Boba Fett from Return of the Jedi recently. The Deluxe version was about $30-$40 more expensive than the regular version, so went with that for the extra accessories.
Overall, it's another solid figure from Hot Toys, but there were a couple of nitpicks that bring it down a notch. For my full video review, click through below to watch it on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!
The packaging art is nice as always from Hot Toys , so nothing too much to write about.
The set does come with a decent array of accessories, all packaged pretty nicely. As you can see below, the Deluxe version has the Sarlacc Pit diorama stand and a couple of fire effect pieces for the backpack. Overall, if you just got the regular version, I don't think you're missing out on too much. The extras are nice, but not necessary.
The paint app and details on the Sarlacc are nice, but a little small for that sort of forced perspective look. It's not pulled off that well to be honest. The tentacles remind me too much of Japanese hentai as well lol!!
My biggest nitpick comes with the suit itself and the alignment of the chest armour pieces. Similar to the Sideshow Jango Fett, the armour pieces are not attached symmetrically, and really draws the eye when viewing the figure. Some people have said the armour in the movie was never symmetrical, but in all screenshots and photos I've seen, it looks pretty symmetrical to me. It's very disappointing at this price point that Hot Toys could not get them aligned properly.
The other frustrating part was attaching the backpack to the clips on the back. That was far more difficult than it needed to be, and was far more difficult than the Sideshow version. But once finally on it all looks OK, with a small magnet at the lower back to keep it close to the body.
Another minor point is the black belt that is under the red belt. It is apparently movie accurate, but is not visible and simply makes him look pot-bellied with the huge buckle. I would either remove it like some collectors have, or try to move the buckle to the side so that it doesn't protrude at the front.
The best thing would have to be the underlying TrueType body that is definitely a huge improvement over the previous Sideshow version. The weathering overall on the suit is also pretty good. So all-in-all, I'm pretty happy with the set, but it didn't wow me as much as their other Star Wars figures. For fans of Boba and the original trilogy, it's still a great set to get.
I've loved every single figure release so far in this Bandai Tamashii Nations Star Wars line. Based on the Japanese feudal costumes that originally inspired the iconic Star Wars designs, these figures have a fantastically unique look to them, and have great build quality to boot.
The most recent release is the Sandtrooper, which shares much of the same design as the original Stormtrooper, but with some nice little unique changes.
Click through below for my full video review of the Sandtrooper over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Make sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe too! :)
The packaging is the same classy, very collector-friendly style of the earlier releases. Bandai simply know how to sell these with great artwork and photos on the box. All the accessories are packaged nicely, and have some great touches.
It comes with two large rifles to mimic the large rifles carried by Sandtroopers in the movie. It also comes with the standard katana and sheath that you attach to the belt. And then of course there is the amazingly detailed and painted backpack. The assortment of swap out hands all cater for holding the accessories and other poses, so all around a nice package.
The figure itself has some nice modifications specific to the Sandtrooper. The yellow pauldron replaces the right shoulder armour and is nicely painted. The armour, as with the other figures, is adjustable to support a wide range of articulation. The neck area also has some additional paint detail in the plastic strings that tie the armour pieces together.
The left armour is also slightly modified from the standard Stormtrooper, with a more rounded design. And of course there's the obligatory leather pouch across the front of the shoulder too. It's molded plastic, but looks nice with the molded detail and paint.
The backpack fits onto the body via a peg that slides in fairly easily and allows for a bit of rotation to align the backpack how you like. I really love the molded detail and dirty metal paint app on this piece. It's instantly recognisable as the Sandtrooper backpack, but has a great unique quality to it.
All posed up, the Sandtrooper looks amazing. I was going to get two, as I already have two Stormtroopers and have two Royal Guards on the way. But with other Stormtrooper variants on the way, I figures I'd save the money and get at least one of each trooper variant.
Here's the Sandtrooper side by side with the Stormtrooper. The larger of the two rifles does look slightly ridiculous being so damn big, but it's a comical effect that I don't really mind lol!! For a more realistic look, you can always go with the thinner rifle that is more aligned with the traditional smaller blaster. For me just for some pop on display and interesting conversation, I'll be sticking with the bloody big rifle :)
Together with the other figures, it really shows how unique this line of Star Wars figures really is! I get more questions on these figures than most others in my collection when friends and family come over to check it out. I love the designs, and can't wait to get my hands on the Royal Guards that are hopefully coming out in May! Stay tuned for that review :)
I get mine from Big Bad Toy Store, since many of these are Tamashii Store exclusives in Japan that are harder to get. Click the links below for all the BBTS order details! :)
It was a year ago in December 2014 that the Samurai Taisho Darth Vader was released, and was instantly one of my figures of the year. That was an incredible introduction to this new Star Wars Movie Realization line, and continued with the Ashigaru Stormtrooper in June 2015.
It's almost fitting that a year on from that initial release, Bandai Tamashii Nations have released another figure late in the year to be instantly one of my favourites of 2015! If you loved the detail, articulation, and style of the previous two figures, you are absolutely going to love this new Ronin Boba Fett!
Click below to head over to the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel for my full video review. You'll get an up-close look at the incredible details of this figure! Scroll further down too for more pics and my thoughts.
The detailing in the outfit on this Boba Fett is nothing short of amazing. It has all the nice artistic details as the previous figures, but the light green, orange, and grey paint application just seems to bring out the detail in everything!
The sculpting on the helmet is very nicely done, and the viewfinder can swing down in front of the visor. The tip of the viewfinder also has some nice sculpted detail that looks almost like a dragon, so it's those great little touches that really impress.
The rims on the rear of the helmet seem more tightly glued together this time, whereas the Vader and Stormtrooper had gaps between them. I don't mind this new approach as it's less prone to coming unglued, but still retains the overall awesome look of these helmets.
I think the shoulder pads are on ball joints like the previous figures, but it's not immediately obvious. Underneath the right you'll see the Wookies braids, and on the left you'll see the cape. These are pretty nicely done in softer plastic, with decent paint apps to being out the sculpted detail. The Wookie braids to tend to get stuck in the shoulder joint against the neck plate, so be careful of paint rub there.
The rocket pack is removeable, and simply pegs into a hole in the back of the suit. The overall design is pretty nice, but somehow looks more Indian than Japanese to me, especially the tips of the missile and side boosters. But still, with a nice metallic finish, it still looks pretty nice.
The sculpting on the rest of the outfit, from the chest and back plates to the skirt and pouches, are against very nicely done. The chest piece has some nice battle damage to reflect the iconic suit, and the pouches both on the belt and pants area give him that great Boba Fett style. Most of it is done in softer plastic to minimise impact on the articulation.
Overall the articulation is pretty good and on par with the previous figures. I was actually surprised at how high the arms could be move out the sides, but the legs are a little more constrained. Either way though, you can definitely still get the figure into the awesome museum poses as well as really dynamic flight poses.
I love that they included the accessories for his shin tools. Some do take a bit of effort to peg in there, but once done they really do look cool. I also like the knife that is attached to the forearm gauntlet in place of the flamethrower.
The sword sheath needs to be placed into the holster belt clip fairly carefully to avoid paint rub. I'm still uncertain as to whether it's meant to curve up or down, but either way it looks great against his belt. The sword itself is similar to those provided for the Stormtrooper.
I also love the little Japanese shoes that he's wearing, complete with the two small points on the tips of the feet. Articulation is still a little scary in the feet with the ball joints there, so be very careful not to snap the joint.
The main rifle is beautifully designed, with a rustic style to it and a great weathered paint app. Getting the hands to grip it takes effort, so I would definitely recommend heating up the hands first in some hot water. This should make them grab the rifle without stripping paint off.
I'll more than likely leave mine in the pose where he's simply standing there holding the rifle. It's a nice classic pose that shows off the best features of this figure.
Together with the earlier figures, it's clear to see that this Movie Realization line makes for an incredibly unique Star Wars collection. The build quality coupled with incredible sculpted details and paint application make these some of the best Star Wars figures in my collection.
The future looks incredibly bright for this line, with the alternate Darth Vader releasing later in Dec, and then the Royal Guard and Sandtrooper releasing in the March/April 2016 timeframe. We only just saw teased pics of the Jango Fett and drum-carrying Stormtrooper, so I definitely am looking forward to getting all the figures in this line! Most highly recommended!! :)
You can still preorder these awesome figures from Big Bad Toy Store! Click the links below for the order details! :)
The recent Sideshow Jango Fett 1/6th scale figure has been such a long-awaited release. The preorder period was over 12 months, and it wasn't clear if more delays were imminent. But it has released, and to be honest, I am more disappointed than excited about the figure.
For my full video review going over why I feel this way, click through on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel review below.
Straight out of the shipper I had bad vibes, with the inner clam shell inserted the wrong way in the artbox! I have no idea what the factory workers were doing that day, but someone in Sideshow's quality control department really needs to check and audit what the hell they're doing over there!
But once everything is out of the box, it does come with an impressive array of accessories. And this is the dilemma I'm in - lots of accessories are nice, but if the core figure and main components are sub-standard, then no amount accessories will fix that.
There are a number of smaller issues that I go through in my video review, such as the delicate plastic, armour pieces that come off etc. But the three biggest issues for me that really should have defined the figure are the head sculpt itself, the manner in which it is swapped out with the helmet, and the chest armour.
Sideshow has never had facial paint apps to the same high standard as Hot Toys. But when their prices increased to the same, and sometimes exceeded, the level of Hot Toys figure prices, that's when the quality must absolutely match Hot Toys. With high profile figures such as Jango and Pilot Luke that come with high prices and human head sculpts, the expectation is that the sculpt and paint app have the same wow factor as Hot Toys.
Unfortunately again, the Sideshow paint application essentially ruins a perfectly good sculpt! The facial paint app is far too dark - yes, I realise Temuera Morrison has a Maori background, but despite that the skin tone on the figure is still too dark. Not only that, it lacks all the realistic skin texture and detail that is now standard by Hot Toys. It is flat and in many ways just looks plasticky. It's been a consistent problem for Sideshow for so long, and they do not seem to have any idea on how to fix it during their factory production.
The other huge frustration is swapping out the head sculpt with the helmet. The whole process of taking out the neck joint etc was bordering on me just wanting to throw the figure in the damn bin!! It is so hard to do, and runs the risk of breaking the figure, it's probably not even worth doing considering the head sculpt paint app itself is pretty poor.
The other main issue is the manner in which the chest armour has been glued onto the suit. There have been so many cases, mine included, that the armour pieces just do not look aligned or centred. It just seems like some lazy arse factory worker just glued them on in sort of the right orientation, and didn't care if things actually looked decent!
To make matters worse, Sideshow's response to some customers asking for replacements was that all the figures have some sort of alignment issue with the chest due to factory production, and a replacement won't be guaranteed to be any better! To me that sort of response is pretty poor, and Sideshow really need to rethink their factory and the quality control over there.
All in all, I wanted the Jango figure to complete a group of 10 figures of the current Clone Commanders and their father figure. It's such a shame that a figure we waited so long for just seemed to be rushed out the door at the end. After releasing a great figure in the Scout Trooper, it's so disappointing to get such a lacklustre Jano Fett.
Sure after it's posed up it look OK on display, but it's all the little defects and issues that really sour my feeling towards the figure. I'm not a big fan of the prequels, but I love the Clone Trooper figures. But this Jango Fett is perhaps the first Sideshow figure that I regret buying.
For now, I just hope the upcoming Pilot Luke is up to standard. If it's not, it will definitely be the last Sideshow figure I buy with a human sculpt (if I don't actually cancel the preorder before then!)
Here's my full review of the Play Arts Kai Stormtrooper figure. It's probably my favourite out of the three that they've released so far! Click through below to the review, and head on down for some photos too :)
The overall aesthetic of this Stormtrooper is just bad ass! He actually looks like he means business and is a warrior to be reckoned with!
I found the articulation to be better than Boba Fett, with an easier range of motion especially in the torso. The white gloss paint app throughout the armour also looks amazing.
Love the weapons and their interesting take on the classic standard blaster and long rifle. Instantly recognisable, but different enough to fit in well with this variant style.
My only nitpick would be that I think the Stormtrooper is probably slightly too tall. I would've preferred the height of the trooper and Boba to be reversed. But regardless, these variant figures look amazing together. The Japanese companies are really taking Star Wars figures to another level this year! Highly recommended! :)
Here's my full video review of the Play Arts Kai Boba Fett figure. Overall, and fantastic addition to this new Star Wars line from Square Enix! Click through below to the review, and head on down for some photos too :)
Not much bad that I can say about the Play Arts Kai Boba Fett figure! The overall paint and detailing is great, which lots of options for poseability too. Perhaps the only negative thing that I could nitpick on is the relatively small size of the helmet, but that's pretty minor in the scheme of things.
The styling really does make it look bad ass in pretty much any pose! I'll stick to his standard pose like this, but the use of the flight stand and flamethrower accessory gives lots of options too.
You can still get this from Big Bad Toy Store, so click on through at the link here before it sells out!!
