BOB SHARE

This is the story of how Obi-Wan Kenobi became my favorite Star Wars character...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Ok, so maybe not that long ago, and not very far away at all, I was young, and I liked Luke Skywalker.  Who didnt?  After all, he was the sagas protagonist and the "boy done good," who comes into his own, confronts his fears, and in the process saves his father and the known galaxy.

But then came the Prequel Trilogy, which was to shed some light on the past and in particular, one young Obi-Wan Kenobi as he came into his own.  We all cheered when he cut down Darth Maul but by the time the second movie was done, the only thing I could think of was why the hell would any Jedi think wearing a mullet and a trimmed beard would look cool? It didnt help that young Anakin was annoying and Obi-Wan couldnt stop sounding like he was annoyed with him.  And how the heck was he defeated by an old human Sith Lord when hed previously sliced up perhaps the fiercest villain in the Prequels (Maul)?

Ok I admit, I had a soft spot for him going into the movies because Obi-Wan was played by a dude named Ewan McGregor.   And by having the same name, I felt compelled, probably by the Force, to like him as a character. I sure didnt.  I liked none of them because they were all one (or less) dimensional.  But I did like the Original Trilogy Obi-Wan.  He was everything the old and supposedly wise Jedi in the prequels werent.  Patient, using his power only when absolutely necessary, accepting of his fate and of course, heroic. Everything a favorite character should be. :)

So thats how I came to think of old Obi-Wan as the guy I wouldnt mind being in the Original Trilogy.  Except Id try harder to kick Vaders ass.  Except Id run when I realized I was defeated, only to come back for a rematch.  Except Id take out the Death Star instead of just bringing down its shields.  Except Id show that cocky Han Solo guy I can pilot his piece of junk spaceship. Yeah, Id be more "excepting" of my power than "accepting" of my fate. Har.

Thus, Ive had this figure in packaging since I got him when he was first released and the Rangelord, who is my advisor in all things from the galaxy far, far away, said that this was the ultimate Obi-Wan.  Those word were never spoken more true. So click on for the details!

Like: That he looks a spitting image of the late Sir Alec Guinness.  How cool is that?  A Jedi Knight/Master played by a real life knight.  I think the expression on his face captures the feeling of calm and yet inevitability that Obi-Wan exudes in A New Hope.  The sad eyes, the slight frown, and the hair.  Yup, they even got the hair down perfectly.


Like: The voluminous cloth Jedi cloak. Its a brilliantly rich brown and has got body when worn. And it matches the cloth of the inner robes perfectly to give ol Ben a very real-life feel.  The cloaks even got a hood you can pull over his head.  Having him that way reminds me of his first appearance when he saves Luke from the Sand People.  We hear the strange cry of the krayt dragon and then a mysterious figure in a robe appears over the crest of the rise...

Like: His ball head and swivel neck.  I love it when they give us extra articulation.  I especially love it when it give the figure character--in this case, the neck is not entirely upright but attached at an angle that makes him look stooped over. Its perfect for an old hermit who lives out in the Jundland Wastes.

Like: His right hand.  Its sculpted in a Jedi mind-wipe pose that really adds character to all his other poses.  He really looks like he could kick ass with that lightsaber, even if its in his left hand.

Dislike: That he can only hold stuff in his left hand.  A minor issue, but interchangeable hands wouldve been awesome though probably not need.  At least Obi-Wan here can claim he was "using his left hand" while fighting Vader, thats why the Sith Lord won.  Yeah right, old geezer! :P

Like: His articulation.  Its pretty standard Star Wars, but Im beginning to appreciate this lines great swivel hinge knees and hinged hips.  These never really became loose (especially the knees) and keep the figure stable when put in poses.

I also like how this figure is so well articulated that it seemingly has better moves than the on-screen Obi-Wan.

Dislike: That his grip on the saber is a little loose.  I think this is down to the little rubber bands they use to tie the weapon to his hand in the package.  Somehow the band can be so tight as to warp the shape of the hand. Its not even a major warp, but a slight one is all thats needed to wreck a tight grip.

Like: The attention to detail to the inner robe sleeves and the pants beneath his robes.  The sleeves are nice and wide with folds and wrinkles just like in the movies.  His pants are cast brown, which is a nice touch considering they never show his pant in the movie (I dont think), but youve gotta appreciate the effort in making it a different color from the off white torso.

RATINGS
Aesthetics: 9/10 - Its simply beautiful how movie accurate this figure is.  I imagine Sir Alec himself would be proud if he were still alive to see it.  From the sharply painted eyes to the salt and pepper hair and beard, to the sculpt of the robes and boots, to the voluminous robes and his personalized lightsaber, I cant imagine there ever being a better 3.75" old Obi-Wan.

Poseability: 8/10 - Just look at the guy go! He looks very taichi, which a form of martial arts that focuses on slow but fluid and balance movements.  Old people in Singapore practice that a lot in the mornings.  I suspect in China too.  But its by no means a pushover "oldie" discipline. Someone who is a master can probably do some serious damage.  Its kinda like old Ben Kenobi in the movies using the Force in a passive but powerful manner.

Its the little things that make him so fun to pose, like the pointed hand, the kickass robes both sculpted (like his sleeves) and cloth (robe skirts and cloak).  And despite looking old and feeble and swaddled in cloth, none of his joints are obstructed by sculpt problems.

Fun: 10/10 - Its hard to put Old Ben down once youve got him in your hands.  Whether its a scene from within his hermit hut, a meditative pose, or an action stance, Obi-Wan can do it all.  The figures I have the most fun with are the ones that I can finish shooting and still want to play around with.  Theyre the ones I like to put on display, so that when I see them again after coming home from work, Ill have easy access to em! ;)

Value: 9/10 - Obi-Wan comes with his lightsaber, his robes, a table (complete with glued-on tea set), and a mini Princess Leia hologram.  He also comes with the orange left leg of R2-L3, which I didnt photo but Ill review in a special way soon, hopefully.  Though i cant remember what I paid for him, I did remember getting him at retail.  So going by todays retail prices here in Singapore, hed be the equivalent of US$10.  Thats quite a steal considering all the stuff he comes with and also the quality of the figure itself.
Overall: 9/10 - Yes, I may be biased towards Obi-Wan as a character since hes one of my favorites.  But this figure of him is really up to scratch.  Sometimes when youre partial to a certain character, the toys end up being more disappointing because they dont measure up to how you see them. In this case, he not only matches up to my expectations but also exceeds them.  So I can very safely say that if you were to want an ultimate Obi-Wan Kenobi, this would be it, with re-releases of the same sculpt dependent on the "extras" they come with.

The sneaky bastard.  Who does he think he is, running around the Death Star in his Storm Trooper armor disguise. Hes Han Solo, of course!  Good ol Harrison Ford himself some 33 years back. He just turned 68, so happy birthday, Han!

So does this latest 3.75 inch release of everyones favorite scoundrel do him justice?  It is, after all, the first figure of him with a Storm Trooper utility belt, so its gotta be good, right?


Well, lets find out...




 Like: That he comes with new/unusual accessories.  Removable Storm Trooper helmet and armor?  Sign me up!
Dislike: That the armor is incomplete.  Well, at least to my mind.  No ones gonna think Han ol boy heres a Trooper, not when hes missing the arms, legs, hand and boots to complete the look.  Whats the deal with the incomplete getup???

Like: The Storm Trooper utility belt.  The thing also has a detachable thermal detonator you can peg into a slot on the back. Way cool.  The belt also has a long sheathe/holster, which the blaster he comes with doesnt fit in because its too flat and long.  You could stick the blaster in there, but it doesnt fit right.  I suspect its for a vibro knife or something similar.

Like: The head sculpt!  I actually though he looked a little ragged/saggy in the face, but upon busting him open, he does look pretty much like Han Solo.  This is especially so when you remove his head for the shoulders.
Dislike: Extraordinarily large head, or rather, the exceptionally small body.  Its the narrow shoulders that make the head seem too large.  But its the shoulders which are barely wider than his hips. The skinny arms hes got dont help either.

Dislike: The pose theyve got him in in-package.  He kinda looks like hes strolling through the mall on his way to pick up a low-fat decaf latte after picking out some shoes.  Way too girly...:P

Like: The overall paint apps.  The head, trooper helmet, and pants (with red piping) are especially sharp.  Theres some fudging of the black around his collar and vest, which is probably my only problem with the paint.

Dislike: That he comes with imperial blaster pistol, but no DL-44 Heavy Blaster, Han weapon of choice!

Dislike: The slightly yellowed shirt torso, slightly yellowed helmet. All white plastics yellow with time, but isnt this figure supposed to be from the latest series?  Im just worried that it hasnt even been on the shelf that long and its turning color.  Better plastic next time, perhaps?

RATINGS
Aesthetics: 6/10 - Great head but to small a body, great overall paint but fudging on a major area of the figure (his vest). The head ball-joint is also visible when you swivel his head to the side.  The neck couldve and shouldve been a lot better.
Poseability: 7.5/10 - The only thing missing from this Han are some ball hips to give him sideways leg movement. Most Star Wars figures dont have these and don;t need them, really.  But otherwise he can do what a Han Solo needs to do--balance well in various shooting positions, even if youve got one foot on point with the other planted.



Fun: 7.5/10 - Its hard not to have fun with an iconic Star Wars figure like Han, even if this is not as close to the perfect Han Solo figure I wanted.  Whyd I get him then?  The accessories, for one, because the more stuff that comes with a figure, the more stuff you can do with it.  That the accessories are unique to this figure is a bonus.

Value: 8/10 - I got this guy minus the Build a droid part from the local "flea" market, bundled with an MISB Scanning Crew (Hell yeah!) for just S$22 (US$15.70).  Its a great deal for Star Wars figures here, which hardly ever go on clearance. Its a good thing the new Vintage Series is coming through--I now get to build my Star Wars collection for a better price.


Overall: 7.25 - Han Solo in Storm Trooper "disguise" is worth getting if, like me, you can identify with the Death Star escape Han Solo.  The utility belt he comes with simply smacks of nostalgia/adventure/derring-do all in one.  Also, he nice to have if: a) you dont have a Han Solo and want a decent basic one, or b) you fancy the Trooper helmet and the torso armor.

Finally!  A 3.75 inch two pack set that has two members of the same team!  In this case, of course, its the X-Men.

While Im really happy Ive got these two to now add to my Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Gambit, Im a little sad because this is the last Wave of the Secret Wars packs, meaning that there wont be a chance for ol Prof Egghead...er..X, to be produced.  On the bright side, Prof X doesnt move around in a wheelchair in this series, so perhaps Hasbro will do him in a more "iconic" look in the main Marvel Universe line.

So yes, I picked up these two to round out my ragtag all-costumes-go X-Men.  But I had other reasons too: who wouldnt want Storm with a Mohawk? And how can you no want to buy a uniquely sculpted Nightcrawler?  Well, I sure did, so lets see how it turned out!





Like: Mohawks! Well, actually, Mohawk, since theres only one in this 2-pack.  And not for me, but for Storm.  Its one of her more distinctive looks, and I think shes probably the only superhero around with two really different but memorable "costumes."  Of course, theres this Mohawk look and theres also the long hair with cape look, which is more current, I believe.  A unique hair-style on  figure means a unique head sculpt.  And Hasbro have done a good job with it, as with the Doom and Absorbing Man two-pack.  Like that two-pack, this set also has two new heads.  And all through the line, theyve been giving us unique head sculpts for the most part.  Nightcrawler is no exception to the new head sculpt practice too.  His head looks perfect for our for favorite Mutant circus performer.

Like: Prehensile tails!  Or specifically, the one on this Night Crawler because its got swivel articulation!  Woohoo!  If only it was really prehensile and I could make him hang on trees or something...

Like: "Accessories."  Technically they dont come with jack.  But they do have extra parts on their bodies that could be considered as accessories.  Storm has her sleeveless leather jacket and a belt, while Nightcrawler has his vest "sleeves" and tail.  Yeah, I know, thats reaching a little, but at least they did try to give us something more than just paint on the body for costumes. Oh, and the comic that comes with them doesnt really count as an accessory per say, but its still nice to have a little history/background on the characters!


Like: Nightcrawlers funky proportions! Hes got 2 fingers and a thumb, as well as three toes on each foot.  Also, his lower torso is longer and thinner than other MU figures, giving him the thin, wiry look he needs.

Dislike: Nightcrawlers funky proportions! He may have all that neat new sculpting, but I suspect the new torsos made him a little too tall.  Stand him straight up and hell tower over most of the other MU figures.  Hes around the height of Thunderball from the first wave in this mini-line and the newly released Luke Cage. Now such proportions are unforgivable.  But luckily Nightcrawler does a lot of crouching in most all his incarnations, so that extra height should be easy to hide.

Like: That I have a reason to crack open my $1 Mutt Williams figure from the Indy Jones line!  Why?  Not because Storm could use a biker gang (hmm...maybe she could use one!), but because Mutt comes with a saber!  And that sabre has been pilfered for the ol Bamfer himself!  And I also get to add to my flimsy cardboard crate collection.  Boy, Im just racking those up!

Like: That I can put Storm on the Wolverine Movie series "Back Roads Brawl" bike that comes with Wolverine and Sabertooth.  Itll go great with Storms biker chick look and its even got a nice big blue and green X on it.

Like: That I now am two figures closer to "completing" the X-Men.  I say that because theres prob too many X-Men for Hasbro to want to make them all.  Also, I think if they made a Professor Xavier and I got my hands on a Colossus, then Im more or less set for the...uh ..set. :)

RATINGS
 

Aesthetics: Storm - 7.5: Both of these sculpts are the "simplified" versions of these characters, especially for Storm, whos had longer hair for some time now and sports a full costume with cape and other flowy things (for wind effect). Unique pieces molded for her are her biker chick jacket, her spiffy hipster belt, and of course, her mohawk!  Its a tall one, I tell ya! 

Nightcrawler: - 7.5: The more I look at him, the more I like his face sculpt with ts stern expression and chiseled features.  Also, I dont know how else they could have done his red "vest" better.  It looks exactly like what it is--shoulder shoulder pieces for the upper body and paint for the lower abdomen.  All things considered, I think Hasbro did the best they could with his costume.  Also, the paints not so hot, especially with fuzzy/faded lines for his boots and gloves. 

Poseability: Storm - 7: Because of her hair style and her costume shes the Marvel Universe female figure unhindered.  And as it turns out, shes not that bad at all.  The only problem comes with her feet, which are tiny.  Balancing her can be quite a challenge but it can be done.  Having one open hand is cool but I think shes one figure whom I feel needs both hands open to better "summon the wonds and the lightning." ;)


Nightcrawler - 8: His gangly frame lends itself to some great twisting and turning and his giant feet and hands make for good poses too, especially the fet which have giant toes.  His chest pivot is the best joint, able to twist all the way around and bend forward and back in a way only a real circus peformer can!

Fun: 8 - Theyre both key X-Men!  What more can I say?  And this will also probably be the only time you see Mohawk Storm in 3.75 inch scale and probably the only time youll see Nightcrawler in this scale at all!  I know, i know, hes got his fans in us.  But the kids want the Spideys, the Wolvies, and the Iron Men, dammit!  And what the kids want, Hasbro gives.

Its strange, these figures dont come withaccessories, but with what Hasbro has put out there in this scale from this line or especially other lines, its not tough at all to acquire some piece of equipment that can easily go with these guys.  Hence the bike (Wolverine Back Road Brawls) and the rapier (Indy Jones Mutt Williams) for these two!


Value: 7 - Yeah, they both come with (drum roll please...) a comic!  Not one each but just the one!  If you just take the likes of the Dr. Doom and Absorbing Man 2-pack (which has a gun, a ball n chain, and a to-scale mini Wasp) into consideration, Storm and Nightcrawler are simply poor when it comes to value for money.  Thankfully, we dont.  The waves other 2-pack in Ultron and Mr Fantastic is just as vanilla accessory-wise but this is the only set that has two recent A- to B+ listers.  Theyre definite fan favourites and anyone who loves the X-Men will find this 2-pack worth it.  Im not a huge fan but I can still appreciate that its two imporant members of the worlds favourite Mutant superhero group. 

Overall: Storm 7.6, Nightcrawler 7.8 - A solid pack to have with two solid figures.  Granted, alone they seem a little lost at sea when you put em next to the likes of Hulk, Thor and Captain America, but when do the X-Men ever stand alone?  NEVA!  Unless Hugh Jackman plays one of them and gets his own movie.  Har!  Even then, he needed Gambit to fly that damn plane and sop him from killing Sabertooth.   Speaking of which, I have both of them lying around somewhere in package...the time to free them may be near!