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Yodasnews.com Review: SSC Luke Skywalker (Regular Edition)
By Jeff Gouse (SithLord0498)
Well, folks, here it is…the inaugural piece of
Sideshow Collectibles’ new Star
Wars 1/6 Scale figure line: Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight).
After 11 years in this hobby, I’ve come to the
conclusion that whenever a new line begins, regardless of whether it is an
action figure line or a die-cast miniature vehicle line, the first waves or
releases are typically the weakest links in the line. The company is still getting their feet
wet with the products, and it shows.
Look at the earliest Power of the Force 2 action figures
(“He-Man” Luke and Vader) and then look at the last waves (Admiral Motti, Commtech Stormtrooper, etc.).
There is a clear, positive evolution in the overall quality. The recent Saga Collection demonstrates
even more improvement in the quality of the basic action figure line.
Now, what does this have to do with Sideshow
Collectibles and the new 1/6 scale line?
Simple.
If Luke ends up being the weakest link, then we are going to have our
minds absolutely, totally blown away by the time Qui-Gon
Jinn arrives on our doorsteps!
Quite simply, this is the definitive 1/6 scale Luke
Skywalker figure, the best ever produced.
Packaging:
5 out of 5
Since this is my first Sideshow purchase, I have no
way of comparing Sideshow’s unique Star
Wars packaging design to those of 12 inch figures past. Therefore, I will critique this upon its own merits.
I’ll address the negatives first because there
is only one. I am disappointed that
the accessory tray does not include slots for the hands that are already
attached to the figure. While at
first glance it doesn’t appear to be an issue, the fact is that there is
no place to neatly store the original hands when you swap them out. For example, I detached the Force
gesture hand that is attached to the figure in the factory and put the saber
grip hand on Luke. There is nowhere
to put that Force gesture hand.
Sideshow didn’t include a space for it, so it’s rattling
around the place where the vest was packaged.
Now, the positives:
1) The
magnetic “clasp” is a remarkable concept. Unless you feel around and reflect light
off the glossy finish of the box, you can’t see where the magnets are
concealed. They hold the box
together very well, and the only possible flaw would be if they ever wore out
from being opened and closed.
2) The
removable trays are very user-friendly and accommodating for collectors who
want to keep the figure boxed but also want to play with it from time to
time. The only way to tell if the
figure has truly been removed is the absence of tape on the tray. Other than that, you can keep it looking
factory fresh very easily.
Sculpt:
4.5 out of 5
Without a doubt, this figure looks like a
miniaturized version of Mark Hamill circa ROTJ. Think Honey, I Shrunk the Kids in a plastic medium. The face is accurate and detailed down
to the notch in the chin and the few flesh-colored moles on the face. The hair sculpt is very accurate as
well, and each of the human hands are exceptional as well with particular
attention paid to the figure nails and bone structure.
The only flaw in the facial sculpt is the choice of
expression. While it is a faithful
interpretation of Luke’s expression in the Death Star when his thoughts
betray Leia’s identity, it is much too
scene-specific for a figure that is meant to represent the character as a whole
entity. As a result, the figure
doesn’t look quite right when posed in an action pose because the face
looks dazed and confused
It’s a catch-22.
Lastly, the arms on this body are slightly too long,
and it is noticeable if posed with the arms straight at the sides. Once the arms are bent at the elbows and
posed, it becomes virtually unnoticeable.
Paint
Application: 5 out of 5
This is the figure’s strongest aspect because
it is in the paint application that this figure comes alive. It augments the already impressive
sculpt by providing the figure with naturalistic and accurate skin and hair
tones. It brings the hands to life
(so to speak). Lastly, it brings
such a depth and realism to the eyes that you feel as though it is staring
straight into you. In my
experience, only Gentle Giant’s Count Dooku
bust has matched the realism of a character’s eyes. Definitely a top-notch
job here.
Costuming:
4 out of 5
The greatest flaw with the costuming is that the
jumpsuit is too fitted to the body.
Therefore, the articulation is hampered as in the above mentioned
overhead saber grip pose. The best
way to describe it is to imagine wearing a suit jacket or blouse that’s a
size too small and then imagine trying to fully extend your arms. Difficult, isn’t it? That’s the biggest problem for
this figure. There’s not enough
give to the clothing. However,
it’s likely that this won’t be an issue with the later Jedi figures
because their clothes are loose-fitting.
The only other negative aspect (and this is something
even the Premium Format Obi-Wan figure suffers from) is the lack of hemming on
the cloak. The bottom of the cloak
is not hemmed and therefore has frayed strands. While it’s not too intrusive, the
question is whether or not the fraying will permanently and extensively damage
the cloak a year or two down the road.
Pictures of the upcoming Jedi show that their cloaks have this same
problem as well.
With those two negatives out of the way, the detailing
of the costume is very impressive.
The cloak hood and jumpsuit flap both have a thin wire inside them that
allows poseability. You can shape the hood, and you can keep
the jumpsuit flap open without the need for clasps or Velcro. The belt is well made too.
Finally, the texture is sufficiently varied. Each piece is clearly made from a
different fabric or material, and it adds a further realism to the
figure’s appearance.
Articulation:
4.5 out of 5
Much has been made of how Sideshow’s articulation
stacks up against that of the Medicom Luke
Skywalker. I won’t be
addressing that simply because I’ve never handled the Medicom
version and wouldn’t know what to say. Therefore, like the packaging,
I’ll judge it on its own merits and what my expectations would be for its
articulation.
Simply put, the articulation is impressive, and the
figure can be put into a variety of different poses. It maintains its balance more than I
expected without resorting to the use of the included display stand. There is a slight issue with the hands
popping off easily when you’re posing them, but it’s not
unbearable. You just need to have
care and patience…not too much to ask for considering this is a $50
collectible.
However, some poses are more difficult than
others. For example, posing him
with a double-handed saber grip over his head (a la Luke’s final strike
against Darth Vader) is extremely difficult to get into position. However, this may have less to do with
the articulation and more to do with the costuming, which I’ll discuss
now.
Accessories:
4.5 out of 5
Again, the negatives first. The
D-ring on the lightsaber hilts are made of an
extremely thin and therefore fragile metal wire. Several collectors (myself
included) have already reported the D-rings falling off or bending
significantly. Also, the placement
of the ring is such that the saber doesn’t rest against the
figure’s leg…it juts outward on an angle.
That aside, the accessories are superb. The detail and weathering on the lightsaber hilts are very realistic, almost to the point of
looking like super-miniaturized versions of the MR scaled lightsaber. The blade is sculpted to more closely
resemble a spear-like shape.
Essentially, it looks more like a sword blade than a rounded off dowel
rod.
The Rancor Pit bone has such intricate paint detail
and weathering that it looks like a real bone, and the hands are done just as
well.
Here’s what you get with the Regular Edition of
Luke Skywalker aside from the hooded cloak:
“Fun
Factor”: 5 out of 5
I’ll admit it. I’m 24 years old, and I couldn’t stop grinning for days whenever I’d swap out accessories or pose the figure into different scenes from Return of the Jedi. I can’t think of the last time I had so much fun playing with a Star Wars collectible. That right there says it all in terms of its “fun factor”.
Overall
Rating: 4.6 out of 5
In every aspect, one word can best describe this
figure: “realism”.
Everything from the clothing to the articulation to the accessories
screams realism. Despite any of its
flaws, the bottom line is that you practically have Luke Skywalker himself on
your shelf or in your display case.
This is what truly separates Sideshow from Hasbro, and that is the
reason why this 1/6 scale line is truly worth your time, patience, and money.
I, for one, am glad that I decided to jump on this
bandwagon from the very beginning, and I don’t regret giving up the vast
majority of Hasbro’s offering to focus in on this line.
I guess the best way to compliment this figure and
end this review is to simply say this:
Anakin Skywalker cannot arrive at my doorstep soon
enough. It’s only going to
get better from here !!