New JD Review: Momaw Nadon

[Jesse James]

Jumping into the Tatooine Wave already...  We have a review up for our first Cantina Alien...
Momaw Nadon

Clicky Button, Ready Review

So where to start?  Well, my thoughts on old Hammerhead are laid out fairly well in the review...  THere's things that definitely are likeable about the figure.  His accessories, his sculpt, his paint...  I'm pleased with those improvements over his 2 previous incarnations in plastic.

My main gripe though, and the gripe that makes me really look at this figure as the stinker of the wave unfortunately, is the fact Hasbro took no effort to improve this figure aside from making it prettier...  This is the 3rd try on this character and yet there's still a PATHETIC 6 points of articulation on this toy.  That sucks, you can't deny it.

So yeah he's not without flaw.  Check out the review though and all that stuff...  I think Hasbro owes us a bit better than this no matter how background the character may be.

[obi-dad]

Must say, I have never posted a reply to a review.   But I continually find it refreshing to read your reviews.  I can't remember which site, and a few months ago I tried searching, but it seemed one site's reviews were nothing more than a Hasbro mouthpiece for how great each new figure was.

And I guess my senses have just been dulled over the years... I was thrilled when I saw Momaw Nadon and didn't even notice the lack of articulation.  But after reading your review, I agree it is sad to see just 6 points of articulation.   Last week I started to get some of my figures from storage after moving and I was looking at all my old ROTJ figs that I used to love... can't remember which ones in particular, but one set was the 3 in the Cinema Scene of Jabba's Sailbarge (or whatever).   I think they either had 5 or 6 points of articulation. 

Maybe that's how Hasbro plans on keeping the line active until 2015 or whenever their liscense expires.   Give crappy articulation through 2010 and then start resculpting legs & arms of existing figures with articulation and putting them back out there again.  I agree, $9.99 is too much for the VTSC figures and we should expect that articulation more often (or closer to it) in the basic line.

That said, the sculpt and paint application on Nadon are amazing to me.  With his skirt, I'm not sure how the hip articulation would have been there for him to actually sit, but he definitely could and shoud have had knee and elbow articulation.

My bigger gripe has to do with how close Hasbo came with a nice packin.   what is that thing you called a "drink stand"?   I'll have to watch again, but I don't remember seeing one in the cantina.   With a little more effort, they could have had a cantina table that would have been a GREAT packin to include with every new cantina figure.

[Jesse James]

Thanks Obi-Dad, again.    Momaw's got a lot of qualities, don't get me wrong there...  He just really didn't leap in improvement compared to his previous figures due to no increase in articulation.  Vinty figures have (usually) 5 points of articulation, as the waist movement wasn't made standard till the modern line... 

But really at this point I think Hasbro can offer us some angle-cut elbow joints and swivelling wrists as "standard" in this line.  I think we deserve that after this many years, and it's not an overly complex process for those simpler articulation points.  (Hasbro loves to cite ball joints as "hard" to do...  Fine, then offer hinges and swivels).

The knees I could've probably passed on for the skirt issue you noted OD, but at the same time I think they could've slit the skirt at the sides for it to move with the figure too if you wanted him seated...  They have the ability, but just didn't give us much effort with this figure I'm afraid.

The plus is he's not an army builder...  That's a minor plus. 

[Darth_Anton]

What can I say? You nailed it again. I've got the same hang up (the articulation,) but I don't think it bothers me as much since I don't need him to do much other than stand in a display chatting with other aliens.

[Jesse James]

Yeah Anton, mine does the same pretty much...

For articulation I look at the toy from sort of a few points of view I think though, and not everyone sees it that way.  For instance from my own POV I like poseability on toys...  It's why I loved GI Joe when I was little, it's why I love the AvP figures from Hot Toyz, it's why I love my military 1:18 lines where articulation is KING for 21st and BBI who routinely improve and attempt to outperform each other (ah what it must be to have DIRECT competition improving a toy line without hiking prices...  Hasbro could take some lessons in how to treat its consumers from BOTH these companies who have worked hard to appease the masses).

At the same time, I look also from (partly my own POV again) the perspective of a customizer...  Static joints are good for this character or that, but ultimately I got into customizing for improvements, and articulation is an improvement as I see it.  I'm willing to sacrifice the looks of a figure if his elbows move or his shoulders have full range...  So there's another reason I view things that way.

Third though, I try to look at the toys from a kid's perspective too...  My gf's sons are quick to judge a toy's quality like that.  One day they got Clone 3-packs at Wal-Mart, opened them, and immediately wanted their money back to buy the basic carded Clones...  The reason, and I had to laugh because it's true, was that "these don't move".  Their mother tried the old "but you get 3 instead of one, and if you buy the other you can only get two", but they insisted on taking them back to WM because they wanted the #6 Clone (it was all that was around at that time last year) instead even if it meant only getting 2 instead of 3.

To me that spoke volumes about the quality of SW toys...  Because I buy military figures, the one boy is even wanting those since he sees what all you get with one and how poseable it is.  Plus it's only $5 at WM or TRU to boot!

For me, the articulation is about what makes them toys over "collectibles".  My Momaw will sit on a stand too though with his predecessory sculpts since they all look good and unique set up together. 

But I won't be making a nice Roron Corob out of one, or much else in customizing.  I won't be playing much with Momaw with the kids either, which is a shame.  I guess we're stuck with Clones.