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Collecting => Toy Reviews => Topic started by: Jesse James on July 31, 2005, 02:21 AM

Title: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Jesse James on July 31, 2005, 02:21 AM

The Imperial every Star Wars fan LOVES to hate is hands down Grand Moff/Governor Tarkin.  The destroyer of planets, the cruel executor of the Emperor's "New Order", the scurge of the galaxy...  Eh, I'm getting carried away.

(http://www.jedidefender.com/reviews/rots/rots45.jpg)

Governor Tarkin only had one previous figure based on his appearance in A New Hope and remains high on my list of resculpts I'd like to see at some point in the modern line...  His Revenge of the Sith figure isn't too bad though, and shows what potential for a new Classic Trilogy Tarkin exists.

The new Tarkin shows the character in his younger days, though he still closely resembles a walking corpse...  Just with better hair.

Hasbro nailed a lot of detail on the figure though, he's a solid base even for a potential classic styled variant of the same character, however I would like new legs/boots as the pants and footwear don't match up to the ANH style of Imperial Uniform...  I guess over 20 years or so the Empire changed their style somewhat.

He's not perfect...  He's a sign of the slipping levels of articulation on Collection 2 figures (nobody can tell me that a more flexible "skirt" and poseable knees isn't something they'd like on this figure just so he could sit and command people to do bad stuff), but overall he's a nice effort from Hasbro.

Anyway, go Read The Full Review (http://www.jedidefender.com/reviews/rots45.php), and as always hop on in and share your opinions with us. 

Since I've written this review, I will add that I have not seen the Tarkin wave of figures again...  Not once.  Granted, Hasbro's pipes seem to be pretty clogged (they need figure fiber I guess), but I hope you've got this figure in-hand because I haven't caught one on the shelves since that first day I saw about 8 of him...  *poof* all gone!

Enjoy folks!

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: CorranHorn on August 2, 2005, 04:18 AM

JJ, as always a great review and thanks for the shout out  ;D I'm not sure though I agree with your hope of ball jointed knees, as I don't think Tarkin could utilize it much with that skirt. Now ball jointed shoudlers and/or elbows would have been great and could have given him a nice range of motion with his arms to get some distinct Tarkin-esque poses, especially the grasping of Leia's chins. You know if one were to make him older... :P

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Jesse James on August 2, 2005, 04:46 AM

A more pliable skirt + slits up the side would've allowed for better leg articulation...  I'm to the point I'd rather see it on an Imperial Officer (generic) army builder figure though, rather than Tarkin from ROTS's cameo.

He doesn't do much, and his figure's "meh", so extra articulation would've been nice, but a more generic definitive Imperial officer sculpt with overall better articulation and a pliable plastic skirt-piece would be ideal at some point...  Use it as a Tarkin resculpt base and just start working out from there on generics and random Officers I think.

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Commander JediSearch on August 3, 2005, 04:32 PM

Good review Jesse, but I don't have anything to compare it to.  So, I can't comment on your review objectively.  Keep 'em coming.

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: dafoo on August 3, 2005, 04:36 PM

If they made an army builder officer, they could add the ball & socket hips and cover it with a cloth skirt.

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Jesse James on August 5, 2005, 04:09 AM

Hopefully you'll find him soon with all the reshipping of figures JediSearch...  He's in some cases I guess.  He's really pretty good...    Not a good base for an OTC Tarkin really, I'd like a new one ultimately that has better arm articulation and can perhaps sit.

Not sure on a softgoods skirt though dafoo...  I like softgoods, but on the very rigid looking uniforms of the Empire I'm actually not sold.  The thing about skirts is that you can make them look good on Jedi with using cloth...  On the more smooth Imperial uniforms though, I'm more towards them just using highly pliable plastic with slits on the side.  It works just fine if they use the right plastic...

Nightclub obi-Wan has a highly flexible skirt, and other toy lines use very flexible plastics/rubbers for this reason too.  The LOTR figure line for instance uses plastics like that, as does the X-Treme Detail line which is 3.75" scale itself.  (their Battle of the Bulge Germans have trench coats that actually don't hinder their leg articulation AT ALL...  Neat stuff!)

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Matt_Fury on August 5, 2005, 09:36 AM

Nice thorough review as always Jesse.  Now if I could only find the bloddy figure for myself!  ;D

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Jesse James on August 5, 2005, 11:37 PM

Thanks Matt... 

Yeah, I lucked into the Tarkin Wave once, and like many others I never saw it again.  It was abundant when I found it though...  I guess it's reshipping, so hopefully everyone's going to have a chance to pick him up soon.  He's pretty good, but the more I notice that oddly tinted skirt-piece, the more it sticks out as a negative ont he figure.

Definitely noticeable color variation there.

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Darth Slothus on August 11, 2005, 02:40 PM

I lucked out getting this as one-in-a-case of refresher figs shipped in one of the later waves. I think it would be badass is they did his knees in that funky anglular articulation and gave hime a thin vinyl or rubber skirt-then that way we could cross his legs prop him in a chair so he could give commands. Or ..even better they could put his old grumpy ass in a black shiny catsuit and give him a whip or baton accessory!

I definately think he should be given a baton- wasn't his character pure CG in the film clip, like count dooku's pre battle scene where he jumps over the balcony?

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Jesse James on August 12, 2005, 01:19 AM

They had an actor for the part, and I think that was what was used for that sequence, however I'm not positive on that...  To my eye that scene's all actors, with CG bits for the set though.

On a side note, I'm probably the only one who wants it but I'd kind of dig a generic "early" Imperial as depicted in the Vis. Dictionary.  There's a cool pic of a guy I'm guessing got cut from the film, but he's just a generic officer in an early version of the Imperial uniform (different design on the jacket, slightly).  Weird but I'd sorta like that figure.

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Darth Slothus on August 12, 2005, 12:36 PM

I wonder if the real tarkin(actor) was in a cut scene because you can almost positively identify him as CG in his included scene. If there is one in a cut scene-it's likely the one on the 3 3/4" card-as we've never seen that image on the movie. ::)

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: JediMAC on August 12, 2005, 02:52 PM

Quote from: Darth Slothus on August 11, 2005, 02:40 PM

wasn't his character pure CG in the film clip, like count dooku's pre battle scene where he jumps over the balcony?

Pretty sure that was a real dude, Jon.  Did you hear that was CG somewhere, or just assuming that based on your personal observations of that scene?  Looked perfectly real to me...

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Jesse James on August 12, 2005, 04:52 PM

Yeah I can't say that I would positively ID that Tarkin in ROTS as CG...  I've even had a little experience with CGI myself and when you study characters done in CGI you usually can tell, especially with "cloth" movement and skin, etc...  On Tarkin he looks real to me though, as do the others in the sequence.  I'm assuming he's real then.

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Darth Slothus on August 13, 2005, 03:02 PM

Imagine.... it's the everyone's opinion against mine trial..again.Why do I feel like a freedom fighter? There's no assumption on my part. If I see something that looks "fake" to me than I say it is-that's all-if it looks like it I say it-I don't guess. I like to be wrong/right-not kinda wrong/kinda right-I hate this word "assume" because it makes "an ASS out of yoU and ME." If somebody..who definately knows can come out and say that my eyes are bad,that I'm wrong about it- then I'll admit. To me it looks.."fake"
-so I will continue not to assume here and say my eyes tell me it's CG. I think it's well done- but, something about his face looks fake. However I'll restate my position on the photo on the card-that does look real but we never see his face this close up in the film-so, did they take this image from a deleted scene in which there is a real actor?

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: JediMAC on August 13, 2005, 04:48 PM

There's definitely a real actor that they hired to play Tarkin.  I've seen a number of pix of him, including costuming/make-up and such.  So that's not in question.  The Official Site and the Insider, IIRC, both posted news and pix of him early on when he was originally cast to play the role.

He's played by Wayne Pygram, as you can see on the 14th line of the Official Ep. 3 cast page (http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/castcrew.html) on SW.com.  The best reference picture of the actor in costum is right here (http://www.starwars.com/hyperspace/member/bth/2005/03/bth20050317.html), but you have to be a Hyperspace member to see it.

Also, check out our Tarkin thread (http://www.jedidefender.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=1369.0) here, and you'll find more updates on his ROTS involvement.

(http://www.jedidefender.com/spearson/tarkin.jpg)

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Darth Slothus on August 13, 2005, 06:05 PM

at least the guy on the left LOOKS real- I never saw that one in the movie, did you? the guy I saw had alot of red in his skin and eye makeup-but to me still looks CGI. You know what else ..I am a member and I do know this actor was cast......
My above posts state the guy I see is in the movie looks CGI to me, AND I did state that perhaps the real actor is in a deleted scene..didn't I?

You what else,else?(LOL) I'm wondering (if this does turn to become that I'm wrong) that I looked at how it appears overmake-upped perhaps that's why I think it looks fake=CGI to me....

I dunno after 4 times viewing- this scene (with tarkin) and the scene with Dooku(annakin's fight) are still the one's that stick out to me as having CGI characters ( I'm not counting anything with yoda)

Title: Re: New JD Review: Governor Tarkin
Post by: Tijuanajedi on September 30, 2005, 11:28 AM

I agree a newer version of the old Tarkin is needed.