Episode III - Preview Figures (SPOILERS)

[SilverZ]

Totally agree with your reviews, Jesse.

I think they're holding back on the Greivous figure. He seems really basic and the articulation can go a lot further. If the one that ships in the regular line has the splitting arms and some better articulation, I wouldn't be surprised. I'd even be ok with the omitting the cape to help costs, as long as they left the pegholes in the chestplate to attach the Preview one.

Add to the list of minor gripes with the Wookie figure the fact that the arm sections don't blend into one another very well, meaning in a sculpt way, not paint apps. The parts seem a little out of scale and don't mesh together as smoothly as I'd like. Not a big deal, but hey.

I managed to grab another Wook tonight (which is the start of a really bad army building habit I think). I want to try to get the chest armor off him so he's completely generic.

[Jesse James]

I started, then stopped, but I think if you just work the braids under the armor one at a time going around it, you'll pop the armor right off.  I do believe it comes off though...  Which rocks to me.

I love the figure though...  It's really great.

I like how he actually holds his rifle or just stands there, or stands howling, or runs, or whatever you want, and also you can have him AIMING his rifle like he's really shooting it...  I mean, it's such a minor thing to so many people but yet it's such a HUGE thing for the figure to do this flawlessly but still look great in many other poses.

That's what it's all about to me...  They nailed it.

Now if they'd do a Hoth Trooper, Fleet Trooper, ENdor Trooper, Scout Trooper, Snowtrooper, Sandtrooper, Bespin Guard, etc., etc., etc., etc. just like that... 

[Darby]

I think that wookiee may end up being my favorite figure of all time.  He's HUGE!   

[SilverZ]

I started, then stopped, but I think if you just work the braids under the armor one at a time going around it, you'll pop the armor right off.  I do believe it comes off though...  Which rocks to me.

Well it gets better: The head is a modern ball-socket and pops right off and on again. So I now have a second Wook au natural. Since there's at least two more Wookiees coming (Tarfful and a 2nd "Wookie Warrior") we might have the chance to do some super-easy headswaps and armor switching to create a quick army. Really genius of them.

If he had VOTC-style Chewie elbow joints, he'd be 100% perfection in an army builder.

[Nicklab]

Scored these today.  Very nice.  I actually did a comparison shot of the Wookiee Warrior, VOTC Chewbacca, Yarua and Rorworr.  Big range in size between these four Wookiees.

[DoctorPadawan]

So I now have a second Wook au natural.

The first thing that came to my mind when I read this was Mark Hamill on the "Empire of Dreams" documentary on the OT DVD set (and I'm paraphrasing):

"Of all the things to be concerned about: the Wookiee has no pants." 

I'm really looking forward to seeing these figures.  Grievous looks really cool, and to hear that the Wookiee is even larger than he looked (to me at least) in the photos has tripled my anticipation for that figure as well.  And any figure with a pimp cane is bound to be cool.

I'm really confused by Hasbro's astromech sculpting these days though.  In my opinion, they had the perfect base body for astromechs that could have been used at least once a year to make generic and/or R2-D2 figures until the end of time, and they seem to have all but abandoned it.  The last time I remember them using that particular mold (excluding the Star Tours stuff) was the Hoth R3 unit from the TRU four pack.  In the last year, we got a totally new mold for the VOTC R2 (which, foot-wise, was a cool change), a step backwards for the OTC R2-D2, and now an apparent third mold change (the third leg, which seems to go back to the Episode I R2) that does nothing to improve the astromech body.

My pointless complaining aside, can anyone with R4 say whether the hologram kind of "hovers" out in front of him, or does it actually touch the surface of whatever he is standing on?  I ask because if it's the former, I was curious how long it would be before R4 started having a "droop" issue.   

[Scott]

Dang...I can't wait to get these puppies.

The paint/plastic apps on the Wookiee makes me a little nervous, as such I may only buy 2-3.  Wonder what the hell happened on them

[Brian]

Yeah, I can't wait for these either.  I went and checked all the stores in town this weekend, but nothing doing in the Star Wars department.  Wal-Marts here actually had nothing (one doesn't even have pegs up, just a "space" where Star Wars will go....and lightsabers and Vader helmets on the shelves below).  I'm really looking forward to the Wookiee figure, although its too bad there are issues with the sculpt/paint.  It looks tremendous otherwise, and sounds like it is nice and poseable as well.  Hopefully they show up everywhere on Feb. 1st.  After that, should be a bit of a break until April, which will be nice on the wallet .

[Brian]

I see that Action-Figure.com has reviews and a number of pictures up of the preview wave (and Anakin's starfighter).  I really like the look of the ship, hoping these will all be showing up next week .  I think these (that are reviewed) were actually picked up overseas, so I don't think the ship has hit in the US yet.  Anyways, more at the link above (might have to scroll down a bit in their news).

[Jim]

I found these tonight.  Only the Wookie.  I was so impressed that I went back and picked up a 1/2 dozen total.  Will make a great army builder.  Anyone know the breakdowns of the case?  My Walmart had nothing but these figs. I thought the droid or the Tion fig would be the last to hang on the pegs.  Prices rang in at 5.88.

[JediMAC]

Apparently I have all of these waiting for me at home right now.  I've yet to see them in person, but Patty wanted me to pass along her thoughts on the new packaging.  She thinks it sucks, and that the bubble being TAPED to the back of the card looks totally weak.

That's all.

 

[Jim]

Apparently I have all of these waiting for me at home right now.  I've yet to see them in person, but Patty wanted me to pass along her thoughts on the new packaging.  She thinks it sucks, and that the bubble being TAPED to the back of the card looks totally weak.

That's all.

 

I can totally relate with the packaging.  Worst ever.  The packing tape really makes for a sloppy package on the back.  In 10 years, these things will be so yellow its not funny. 

[Ben]

My heart skipped a beat when I saw these tonight. And there were lots of them. Six pegs all packed with them.

I'd be singing their praises right now, but I left my card at home and only had ten bucks in cash on me.

But tomorrow, I'll have them.

[Jesse James]

I really want more wookies now...  They've been spotted at a 2nd WM in my area now so maybe I can nab R4 too this week...

I'm sorta hurting financially right now, but there's stuff I want...  It's killing me that I have a 4 month pounding to the wallet from November to February. 

[Brian]

Sounds like these are hitting all over the place, and over in Iowa, so maybe we'll get them here soon as well.  Might have to go check Wal-Mart this afternoon, although last time I was there the "section" for Star Wars was bare (no pegs even), so I'm not getting my hopes up.  Hopefully by next week everyone will see them for sure, and it sounds like for the most part the figures are getting glowing reviews, which is always nice to hear.

On a side note, we haven't heard too much about Anakin's Starfighter.  Although it has apparently been spotted (and bought) overseas, haven't heard of anyone seeing it in the US.  Is this coming later on, or have stores just been better at keeping this in the stockroom?