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Yodasnews Review: Imperial Jumptrooper (The Force Unleashed)
Review and Photography by Jeffrey A. Gouse (SithLord0498)
Review Date: July 7, 2008
FIGURE SPECIFICATIONS
Originally slated for release in 2007, the Imperial Jumptrooper is one of the two army builder figures from the wave based on the forthcoming next-generation console game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Taking its cue from previous Expanded Universe material, the Jumptrooper is one of the many new challenges awaiting gamers in September.
As such, information is hard to find on this breed of soldier as is visual source material, making any in-depth comparisons impossible for the time being. Therefore, as it has been done in some other reviews, the figure will be judged primarily on its own aesthetic and functional merits.
Without further ado, here is the Yodasnews review of the Imperial Jumptrooper.
SCULPTING: Below Average
Quite frankly, the Jumptrooper is a deeply flawed figure whose only saving grace is its excellent articulation.
So we’ll begin with the positive. The oxygen hose which connects the helmet to the chest has a good amount of slack and stays connected while allowing the head to be posed in all but the furthest ends of its range of motion. Even then, the hose can usually be stretched and reconnected manually. This is a pleasant surprise because, most times, such hoses are too rigid, too short, or both, and that severely restricts head articulation.
Sadly, the rest of the sculpting falls short primarily due to poor definition and very weak sculpting. The helmet in particular suffers the most. The overall look is there, but the crevices (and there are many) are far too soft and shallow, lacking any kind of precise definition. The rest of the armor fares only slightly better, but it too is riddled with an overabundance of soft areas.
And most baffling is the omission of the Jumptrooper’s jet backpack. On the cardback, it is slightly visible, and the first four words of the character bio are: “Equipped with jet backpacks…”
So where is it?
PAINT APPLICATIONS: Average
Again, we will start with the positive. In order to simulate dirt, Hasbro speckled multiple brown hues on the feet and calves in a variety of randomized concentrations. For this type of mass production product, this is probably one of the best approaches as opposed to just slopping on brown paint. Compared to the rest of the figure, this dirt deco is the best part of the paint applications.
The rest of the figure is filled with bleeding and smudged paint. The helmet sports uneven paint that frequently bleeds outside the designated areas. The battleship gray used on the shoulder and knee pads sporadically bleeds past the boundaries and into the black bodysuit, and even the white paint of the armor occasionally creeps out past its borders. The only upside here is that the flaws are indiscernible at a distance.
ARTICULATION: Excellent
The aesthetics may be average, but the articulation easily surpasses them. While lacking the superior, bar-setting joints of the updated Commander Gree figure, the sheer amount of ball joints here allows for a variety of stable and subtle poses. Additionally, the figure maintains a good center of gravity, staying balanced while in a decent amount of free-standing poses—although the figure stand is a welcome safety net to prevent toppling.
ACCESSORIES: Poor
Their long range rail detonators eliminate all enemy targets…
So says the cardback.
Since when did a standard issue blaster become a rail detonator? There’s even a partial view of it on the figure image! The accessories for this figure are an absolutely pitiful effort on Hasbro’s part. End of story.
OVERALL RATING: Below Average
The Imperial Jumptrooper is an excellent figure for posing, but it is a sloppy looking addition to one’s clonetrooper ranks. Also, the omissions of both the jet backpack and rail detonator are terribly lazy errors on Hasbro’s part, made worse by its visual and textual reference on the figure card itself. If the product matched the description and the detailing was sharper, this could get close to joining the ranks of such stellar figures as the Elite Corps Clonetrooper. And it would be an easier recommendation if the price was lower. At an MSRP upward of $7.00, the only collectors to whom the Jumptrooper could be recommended are focus collectors and army builders. Casual collectors should spend their money elsewhere.
