Yodasnews Review:  Galactic Marine (30^th Anniversary Collection)

By Jeff Gouse (SithLord0498)

FIGURE SPECIFICATIONS

• 14 Points of Articulation:  Ball jointed: head, shoulders, elbows, knees, ankles;  Swivel-jointed: wrists, waist, legs
• Accessories:  Blaster rifle, removable helmet, removable shoulder pauldron, backpack, figure-specific collector’s coin
• Packaging:  Standard 30^th Anniversary packaging

SCULPT – 5 out of 5 

Hasbro certainly made the right choice when they decided to place the Galactic Marine (aka Mygeeto Clonetrooper aka Snowtrooper predecessor) in the opening wave of 2007’s 30^th Anniversary collection.  Sporting an entirely new sculpt (no repaint or repack this time), this figure is about as film accurate as a figure can be in this scale.  The armor closely matches the film version with great attention paid to the details (both large and small).  Case in point: the legs even have the cargo pockets found on its CGI film counterpart. 

Proportions look spot-on as well.  One of the problems with last year’s Commander Cody figure was its unusually small head, a side-effect of the removable helmet feature.  In the Galactic Marine’s case, the head is sized properly without hampering the removable helmet. 

PAINT APPLICATION – 5 out of 5 

Complementing the unusually superior sculpt is an equally superior paint application.  The deep purplish-red of the CGI armor has been faithfully reproduced here, and the weathering is second to none.  The boots and backpack are washed in varying shades of gray and black to reflect the years of dirty warfare endured by these clone soldiers.  Black paint has been drybrushed on the dark maroon areas of the skirt and helmet, replicating different degrees of scuff marks. 

However, the chest armor sports the best paint application overall, and it’s because of its subtlety.  Chances are you won’t see this unless you reflect light off of it, but Hasbro has included silvery marks where the paint has been chipped and scratched away.  Again, it’s a subtle touch, but it adds a higher level of authenticity to the overall appearance.

 ARTICULATION – 4.5 out of 5 

Similar to 2006’s Elite Corps Clonetrooper, the Galactic Marine lacks only one point of articulation.  However, it is the mid-torso articulation missing this time around as opposed to the Elite Corps’ lacking waist articulation.  However, this POA appears to have been omitted for design reasons rather than because Hasbro was repainting a previous mold.  Because of the style of armor worn by this character, mid-torso articulation would likely be impossible without compromising the figure’s aesthetic integrity.

The 0.1 deduction from an otherwise perfect Articulation score is because the skirt interferes with the leg articulation to some degree.  A softer plastic would’ve been preferred here to allow more give to the skirt when the leg pushes against it.

 Bottom line: articulation is near-perfect and a tremendous asset to the overall figure. 

ACCESSORIES – 4.9 out of 5 

If you count the removable pieces of armor, then the Galactic Marine has quite a few accessories.  There are three removable pieces of armor: helmet, shoulder pauldron, and backpack.  This would be particularly useful for dioramas of troopers suiting up with their gear.  In terms of weaponry, the Marine only comes with a long blaster rifle.  Hence, the slightly reduced score.  While this is the only weapon the Galactic Marine was portrayed using in the film, a smaller DC-15 blaster would’ve made this figure complete.  After all, Hasbro saw fit to include it with practically every clone released in 2005-2006. 

Lastly, we have a character-specific collector’s coin.  It is made of plastic with a metallic-like coating and very light.  Personally, these are about as useful as the holograms of 2006.  It’s nice to include them as a bonus trinket, but I would rather see the retail price go down by a dollar instead of getting a coin.

 “FUN FACTOR” – 4.5 out of 5 

Get yourself a few Galactic Marines to go along with a Ki-Adi-Mundi and Commander Bacara figure (which I could easily see Hasbro re-releasing this year), and you have a great little diorama on your hands. 

The downside is that the armor is so bulky that this figure is more statuesque than other clonetroopers, and that sucks some of the fun out of it. 

OVERALL RATING – 4.78 out of 5 

The Galactic Marine is a stellar piece for the inaugural wave of the 30^th Anniversary collection.  While the articulation is abundant, it’s the visual aesthetics that are the centerpiece of this figure and the primary reason for buying it.  At an average retail price of $7, this is also one of the figures that I can honestly recommend buying at this price.