I'm gonna still pass on grievous but you're right on the paintjob, it's night and day.  I'm bummed he's inaccurate with the hands and all mostly so I'm just not interested I guess, plus I hated him the first time around.

The Cody I like, but Jared's pics make his legs look oddly wide apart (not terribly so, but noticeable).  It's weird. 

Far from perfect, I'll agree with that for sure.  Ankles would have helped...  I usually don't care much, but they would've helped.  And I really don't understand the NEED to sculpt new legs.  I mean, would anyone complain if they'd re-used the SA Clones legs on this figure?  I know the scarring on the armor looks ok and all but in the grand scheme of things I could've done without it if it meant better leg articulation, and if they have the mold (and how many freakin' Clone molds with SA legs do they have at this point?  I mean, re-use the Evolutions Clones, the Commanders, whoever you wanted's legs but Bacara's actually) then the $ is not an issue even for them...  It cost more to sculpt up the new legs on Cody, but these are the times that make you wonder why Hasbro doesn't cut corners in a smart way like that, instead of the usual cheap way that makes a figure worse rather than better.

Dumb.

What sucks are the prices people are getting for these figs on ebay.  Now more and more people who dont collect will be grabbing these figs to place for auction.

I agree wholeheartedly.  Hasbro's made this hobby a haven for the toy leaches to just latch onto and suck away.  The way things are, there's just not much reason to go to stores unless you've got the time to go super late, or super early, but not "average" times.

For me, you would be doing yourself a favor to go to etailers more and more.  Get cases, screw Wal-Mart, Target, TRU, KB, KM and the rest.  As an army builder, the best I can hope for is pure luck at this point and nothing more.  The hobby's in a serious rut...  Not because, like in 2002, it isn't popular at all, but because in 2006 it seems Hasbro and retail (or one or the other) are determined to make this hobby frustrating for the people who've supported it steadily for 10 years +. 

**** that, and **** them.

Another new review, yay me!



Clicky the image above, and you can read up on my thoughts on the Major who hangs out where everyone knows your name...  And no, he doesn't hang out here at JediDefender.com, but rather Cheers Bar.  For the uninformed Major Derlin was played by John "Cliff Claven" Ratzenberger of "Cheers" fame...  Though I don't know anyone who didn't know that in this hobby.

The figure is a huge improvement over the similar General Rieekan figure...  But could Derlin be better?

Well just make sure you read the full review to find out, but suffice it to say that once again articulation is the figure's downfall.  Hasbro really needs to set a higher standard and run with it as opposed to making some figures just a weaker effort overall.  WIth Derlin being great army building fodder for the ambitious enough to do headswaps, some knee joints would've made my opinion of him much more favorable.  As it stands now, he's an average and somewhat ho-hum figure though.

Check it out to see what  the positives and negatives are though...  It meant the difference between me buying one or two of these compared to 12 or 20 of them.   

Ruiner, if you get one you'll want more no doubt.

I got the Anakin E3 one at C3...  I had $ to ditch and treated myself...  Since then I've gotten ROTJ Luke's, and I have a Windu on hold for me.  I'm wanting Vader and Maul's too then, and an E3 Obi-Wan saber to accompany my Anakin...

I'm wanting to really display them nicely on a homemade rack (sort of a rifle rack, though I want Obi/Ani's E3 sabers "crossed" across the rack like they're clashed together).  I have grown to love these though.  I don't get into expensive stuff but these sabers are worth every penny to me.

I'm wagering the head casting choice was to protect on paint wear...  What you mentioned about the helmet to me makes me think it was a concern.

The thing of it is, the VOTC sculpt doesn't really cost them more to put back out there in circulation...  They just choose not to.  Any variance in costs compared to older sculpts is negligible really in the grand scheme of things.  It's simply better for us in a huge way, and hardly an effort on Hasbro's part, but sadly they choose not to do it (or they haven't for the most part thus far), and that's just been a bummer to me.

Stormtroopers have to get out there...  Not one-pers either, they just need Stormies, SA, out there at retail in good quantity.

Moldy Oldy.

Boy was I right about the VOTC Fett, heh... 

Anyway, I'd say the Imp. officer is my favorite of POTJ but I'd list Teebo, FX-7, and the Bespin Guard as 3 others I felt were tops of that line (without touching Deluxe).

The Bespin Han's cool too Anton, but my gripe was his articulation was limited (though at the time it wasn't bad, but it still was "eh" in a way too).

Lot of stinkers in POTJ too though.  I thought BE Leia bit and I was always disappointed in Lando's pose.  The earlier figures like General Leia or Mechanic Anakin were weak efforts at best.  The EU figures like Snowbi Wan and Training Maul sorta sucked though Training Obi and Qui-Gon were nice I thought, for what they were.

The astromechs were great though, as was Duros and Ketwol.  Nice filler figures.  Bo Shek was pretty nice too.

The Imp. Officer is one I'll buy in droves still.  I love that figure.  I wish it'd get a re-release with the TIE Pilot pack-in figures legs (bendable knees) for a little better poseability at no additional cost.

Release it in grey and I'd buy lots and lots of that figure.

I disagree on the sellability of Willrow Hood as, there's lots of dull stuff that's somehow popular despite not being aimed at the kiddies...

Honestly, what is aimed at kids sells like **** when kids aren't interested in the line.  That's been a fact with Star Wars since 1995.  For me, 2005 isn't going to fool me into thinking we should long for resculpt and repack upon resculpt and repack simply because "kids drive the line".  They're a factor, but it seems that once more the area I live in is back to 2004 where the only things selling are what collectors are buying and kids are either getting out of the line again or they're just having such an even harder time finding stuff (than we are) that they're losing interest somewhat at least.

Would Hood sell like he was goin' out of style though?  I doubt it, but the benefits he does have are customizing fodder at least.  Dull figures like Bo Shek moved quite nicely in my area though...  So have others, so there's possibilities for Hood to sell ok, plus he's got the movie people into him unlike EU who may not have anyone into them but a small handful... 

For me, my vote's with Katarn still, but my second choice is definitely Hood simply because he's a movie character.  There's other EU in there I like but Hasbro's gotta show me they're committing to some EU not just one-shots that you'll not have much to ever go with it.  Things like that make me question getting NJO figures or KOTOR figures...  I want them, but I want more than one from any given story/setting.   

I'm all for oddball background humans once in a while though.  The line's missing Garrouf Lafoe and I'd say he's one of my top Cantina wants.  He's not really even a notch about Wilrow Hood though in any way, but I still want him as a figure for my Cantina.