Bandai Star Wars Movie Realization Captain Phasma

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.

Bandai Star Wars Movie Realization Onmitsu Shadowtrooper

I've loved this series of Star Wars figures by Bandai because they are such unique representations of the classic characters. I am getting a little tired of the various troopers though, but caved in getting the recent Shadowtrooper variant.

Click through below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Make sure if give the video a like and subscribe to the channel :)

Packaging is the usual style in this series, with some nice cover art photography. The "onmitsu" designation refers to the highly trained ninja used as secret agents or spies in feudal Japan, which is an appropriate designation for this character. It comes with the usual array of accessories, and I particularly like the black blaster with silver and blue highlights.

I was actually expecting a black body overall, but they've given the armour accents using a bit of white wash to highlight the grooved and details in the mask and body. It works fairly well, but the white wash scratches away very easily so be careful where you rub your fingers.

I thought the mask was identical to the regular Stormtrooper, but similarly with the body armour, there are some minor differences. These changes make the mask appear more skull-like, and the torso armour loses the nipples from the trooper. Either variant looks pretty good.

Displayed together as an army, this series of figures simply looks amazing. The variants give enough differences to the troops to still be interesting. The next figure to come will be the Yari spearman, but it looks very similar to the previous flag bearer and archer.

I'm glad they've teased the new Snowtrooper with E-Web cannon. There are enough changes there to make it a great variant to add to the army. I really hope they do something amazing such as a new Scout Trooper on a horse. That would definitely take this series to another level! Hope to see more announcement soon in this series!

Bandai Star Wars Movie Realization Ronin Boba Fett Prototype

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.

Bandai Tamashii Nations Star Wars Movie Realization Taikoyaku Stormtrooper

I've loved all the previous figures in this incredible Star Wars Movie Realization line by Bandai. The unique Japanese feudal designs and great build quality make this one of my favourite figure lines. It took a while for the Taikoyaku Stormtrooper to release, but it was definitely worth the wait!

Click the link below to head over to the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel and check out my full video review :)

The box art is the usual classy design similar to the previous figures. The figure and accessories are all packed in a very collector-friendly way.

The accessories are pretty nice with this set, including the drum chest piece, flag and connector for the back, drum beaters, sea shell horn, and array of hands. The overall detailing and paint application is the usual high standard in this line (and expected for this price range and scale!)

My video review shows how to set everything up on the figure, and goes through the articulation as well. Overall, this is another beautiful and uniquely designed Star Wars figure. It reminds me of the classic Stormtrooper design, but with a gorgeous Japanese style that I think will truly stand the test of time!

The Yumi Stormtrooper (Archer) is up next April 2017, and that looks amazing too. I really hope they continue this line for many years to come, and release the characters they teased at SDCC. I highly recommend these to any Star Wars fan!

Bandai Tamashii Nations Star Wars Movie Realization Akazonae Royal Guard

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!

Bandai Tamashii Nations Samurai Taisho Darth Vader (Death Star Armour)

Here's my look at the new Bandai Tamashii Nations Darth Vader in his Death Star Armour. Another fantastic addition to the Samurai ranks in this line! The new skeletal design elements are fantastic.

Here's my full video review and comparison against the first Darth Vader release.

The box art is the usual classy style in this line. Everything is nicely packed in very collector friendly fashion.

I think the Death Star on his forehead does look pretty ridiculous, but at least it's removeable lol!! Of course the selling point for this figure is the new acacessories and the skeletal design elements.

The molding and paint app on areas such as the helmet, forearm, hand, and torso area are great and really differentiate it from the first release. There are definitely pros and cons to both figures, and so both are worthy additions to the collection.

I love the new lightsaber hilt with the sharkskin detailing (which I was told after the video review by some very knowledgeable collectors!) I think with both Vaders, you'll definitely have more display options in your collection. For me, I'll have one of the Vaders with the Stormtroopers, and the other with the upcoming Royal Guards. Either way, you're sure to have an incredibly unique Star Wars display in your collection!

I get mine from Big Bad Toy Store. Click the link below for all the order details!

BBTS - Bandai Tamashii Nations Samurai Darth Vader (Death Star Armour)

Bandai Tamashii Nations Ronin Boba Fett

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! :)

- Ronin Boba Fett 

- Akazonae Royal Guard

- Ashigaru Sandtrooper

- Darth Vader (Death Star Armour)

Get them now before the prices start skyrocketing!! You won't regret it :)

Bandai Tamashii Nations Ashigaru Stormtrooper

Late in Dec 2014, Bandai Tamashii Nations released the first in their new Star Wars Movie Realization figures. Based off the Japanese feudal style that inspired George Lucas, the Samurai Taisho Darth Vader was an amazing figure, and was my favourite Star Wars figure of 2014 in any scale!

Soon after they released teaser photos of upcoming trooper figures, including the Stormtrooper, Sandtrooper, and potentially even the Snowtrooper and Biker Scout. It's been a long 6 month wait, and they've finally released the Ashigaru Stormtrooper figure, and it was definitely worth the wait!

For my full video review, click the video link below to check it out on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. For more pics and info, scroll on down for the full written review :)

The packaging style follows closely with that of the Darth Vader, and is very simple and classy. The clamshell inside is perfectly collector friendly. The set comes with a nice array of accessories, including the vintage style flint gun, katana sword and sheath, and an assortment of swap out hand sculpts.

The figure itself is every bit as amazing as the Darth Vader figure, with the details really standing out due to the white armour instead of the black on Vader. The sculpting of the helmet is incredible, with beautiful patterning that matches the line markings on the standard Stormtrooper helmet.

I love the way they did the style around the chin area of the helmet, and the hinge joint that attaches the chin flap. The flap itself has the little gold highlights that are scattered across many areas of the suit. Because it is on a flap, it's easy to move around to articulate the head more, so there's no real issue with articulation.

The rear of the helmet is similar to the layered pattern on the Darth Vader helmet, and is again a softer plastic with gaps between layers. There's a little give in the plastic so there isn't too much restriction in head movement when posing. The subtle weathering on the helmet is nice, and leaves plenty of room for more dirt and grime for the Sandtrooper version!

The body armour is of course the highlight. Some people do not like the style of the chest/torso plate, especially the visible nipples. But this is very accurate to the traditional Samurai ere Japanese armour, and I think it looks awesome. Particularly with the very nicely done dirt/weathering, I think Bandai have done another great job.

The rear of the torso piece is just as intricate as the front, with almost gill-like patterning on the back. I think that really accentuates the figure and makes it look amazing from any angle. I also love the fake ropes across the tops of the shoulders that mimic rope ties used to hold the front and rear sections together.

The shoulder pads are also a nice design touch, where they are attached to the arms via a ball joint. This allows for a lot of range of motion in the arms since the shoulder plate can be easily moved out of the way. The shoulder joints themselves are on a well-designed ball joint system that can move the shoulder up and down, out the sides almost perpendicular to the body, and straight out the front or rear.

As with the Vader, much of the detailing in the costume centres on the kama or skirt. It is all one piece that is made of softer plastic to allow for the hip articulation. The detailing with the front dagger sheath, and the fake ropes holding the various flaps is really nice, especially with all the gold/yellow highlights.

I love how they have mimicked the canister at the rear of normal Stormtrooper outfits. I'm not exactly sure what it's meant to be, but it still looks cool! :) Again the detailing in the flaps is very nicely done. On the left side that is a clips that holds the katana sheath nicely, which is just inserted and left along the hip.

Even the leg armour is nicely molded and detailed. The thighs have a white armour layer under the kama skirt, leading into black plastic representing the undersuit. It's all soft plastic that doesn't restrict hip/leg articulation too much. Going down towards the lower leg armour, that looks fantastic too. The differences in design between the legs is another nice bit of detail, and again the weathering is top-notch.

The feet are a little hard to articulate and get looking right, especially flat on the ground. The ankle joints get a little hard to manipulate without a true ankle rocker motion. I do believe that the ball joint can be rotated to allow the ankles to be tilted in the perpendicular direction, but I haven't tried it out myself yet. But other than that, all the movement is as expected, and nothing is loose so standing on its own is quite easy. The line markings on the shoes also look great.

General points of articulation include both double jointed elbows and knees. The elbows in particular look great, with a wide range of motion, and the elbow joints doesn't become too visible went bent. Similarly, the knee joints also have a great range of motion, and can all cater for some amazingly dynamic poses.

Posed together with Vader, I think the potential for something really special in the Star Wars collecting world is immediately obvious. There is just nothing else out there that is as unique but still instantly recognisable as these Bandai Movie Realization figures!

With teaser pics already posted showing variant Stormtroopers with flags, drums, and other accessories, there will be plenty of opportunity to build an incredible feudal army of Stormtroopers! Add to that the amazing pics of the Royal Guards and Boba Fett, I think this line will become a legendary line of Star Wars figures in the future.

These figures are definitely gaining in popularity, and are selling out fast at most retailers. Click the link here to get yourself the Ashigaru Stormtrooper from BBTS! Do NOT miss out!! :)

Review of Bandai Tamashii Nations Samurai Taisho Darth Vader

The excitement leading up to the release of Bandai Tamashii Nation's Samurai Taisho Darth Vader was palpable amongst hard core Star Wars fans. The designs based on the ancient Japanese culture aren't for everyone, but those that enjoy the history behind the inspiration of Star Wars really love the look.

Before the Vader figure was released, hype was whipped up with photos of the accompanying troopers at an Asian convention, that showed images of the Stormtrooper, Sandtrooper, Biker Scout, and an amazing Royal Guard. Displayed together in this unique style makes for one helluva beautiful Star Wars display!

I received my Vader a few days ago, and posted images of the box art and packaging here:

Bandai Samurai Darth Vader boxart

Beautifully packaged and all very collector friendly.

I've also done a full video review that you can view on the channel here. Hope you can check it out, subscribe, like, and comment with your thoughts on this great figure! For a detailed written overview of my thoughts, keep on reading further below :)

As soon as you take the figure out of the box, the incredible detail and paint application is immediately obvious, as is the build quality which I'll touch on a bit later. The sculpting is really amazing on this figure across all the various textures.

The helmet and face mask are the first standout features. It is great that the back of the helmet flares out nicely, but is molded in a softer plastic that actually has gaps between each level. This allows the material to bend and adjust as you articulate the head to look upwards and to the sides. Add to that the beautifully done purple and orange highlights, it makes for a stunning helmet.

Moving to the front of the helmet, the crest is a great touch and again is nicely painted in a rich gold that contrasts well with the black. In true Samurai style the mask is intended to be grotesque to generate fear in the enemy, and the little silver teeth lining the mouth piece are a great touch in that spirit. The purple and orange highlights continue to the chin piece, which together with the top and back of the helmet truly make for a unique take on Vader's visage.

If the detail on the helmet wasn't enough, the rest of the sculpting and paint application on the body armour really bring it home as to how well built this figure is. There's a lot of intricate detail that hopefully my photos below can show, and there's a lot of intricate paint detail to go with that.

There's great use of different shades of black, grey, and silver, with the use of bright colours like the blue and reds to bring out the detail in Vader's iconic chest plate. The kama around the waist is a separate piece over the figure to allow flexible articulation, and is also a very detailed piece.

The purple and orange highlights continue the theme down the kama, with the golden crests on each side too. At first you think it would really restrict the articulation, but it's relative soft plastic that moves very well with the figure, and the ball jointed hips have lots of room to move.

I thought that this little piece at the front of the waist was meant to the the sheath for the kitana saber, but I've been told it's actually a small dagger. The Samurai apparently carried this dagger as the last resort in close combat, or for use in seppuku (or ritual suicide). It's a nice little touch that adds a lot to the detail.

To cater for the unlit saber, there is a piece below the dagger that acts as a ledge. The unlit saber hilt then simply sits on that ledge, and it looks great if you want him posed with his hands free.

The excellent sculpting continues to the arms and legs too. The different styles to mimic different textures is really well done. And you'd think with this type of armour that articulation would be restricted, but in fact it's the opposite.

This figure is so well built that none of the joints felt too tight or loose, and all move freely and hold their pose. The shoulders can be lifted up to a very high angle, with the shoulder plate and upper arm armour not affecting it at all.

The double jointed elbows also allow a great range of motion, and the forearms can be tilted in slightly too. The hands swap out very easily with no feeling that I would snap the joint at all. And again, all the various hands are well sculpted and painted to fit in exactly with the figure.

The detail continue to amaze even down to the boots, with that unique Japanese stile. The upper legs are hard molded plastic to maintain that flared leg look, but the lower legs are a softer molded plastic that allows for rotation and bending at the double jointed knees.

The ankles don't have the nice ankle rocker articulation, but move up and down nicely and firmly. This is one bit of articulation I can forgive with all the other amazing features of the figure.

The saber hilts are beautifully sculpted too, and the paint app has no slop at all. The details are sharp and defined, unlike the Hasbro sabers of late. But I guess that is to be expected at this price point.

The blade is a nice translucent plastic that seems to change colour depending on the angle that light passes through it. So it can look blood red from some angles, and look almost clear in others. It's a great design, and together with a slight curve to the blade, makes for a beautiful rendition of a Samurai kitana.

The cape is molded fairly well, and is a soft plastic. I wondered if a fabric cape would have been a better choice, but I think it wouldn't have flowed over the figure well. The molded option allows for a nicely sculpt that includes folds and the tattered look at the bottom edges. This would have been lost with a fabric cape.

The cape also attaches to the body via a ball joint in the upper back area of the figure, so you can clip the cape in and have a little articulation to move it around slightly. Another nice touch.

Overall, this has to be one of my favourite Star Wars figures for 2014. It's almost fitting that I started out the year with the awesome Sideshow Collectibles Darth Vader, and now finish the year with this incredibly well-built and unique Samurai Darth Vader.

It's pretty much sold out at all Asian retailers, and most other retailers too. I think Big Bad Toy Store may have reopened their preorder listing for the figure, so if you're looking to get this figure and the troopers in this style, definitely jump on board now! The price of these is going to skyrocket very quickly! Follow the link below to check out the BBTS details:

BBTS Samurai Darth Vader

I highly recommend this figure. We normally get so many versions of the regular Darth Vader and trooper figures. This unique take of the characters from the very source that inspired them truly brings a breath of fresh air to this scale of Star Wars figures! Don't miss out!! :)

Bandai Tamashii Nations Samurai Darth Vader

Finally got my Bandai Tamashii Nations Samurai Darth Vader figure today, and all I can say is WOW!!! This figure is just amazingly detailed and so well built!

This figure is pretty much sold out everywhere except Big Bad Toy Store, so if you're wanting this, click the link below and head on over to check them out!

BBTS - Bandai Samurai Darth Vader

My video review is uploading now, so make sure to follow the link and visit the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel, subscribe, and stay tuned!! :)

Some quick photos below, with more to come!