Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) - Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figures

All those who grew up with the original Kenner Star Wars figures knew what an absolute joy and nightmare their Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) action figure was. It was an incredible action figure with an awesome clicking noise made from turning his dome, but at the same time it was a disappointment because he had to stay out of the water like a kid with tubes in his ears at the beach because of the paper decal that gave his all of his panels and details. Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) was truly special, and it gave young collectors a reason to take extra special care of him. Sadly, most of us ignored the dangers and if you look at this action figure today, most will have the labels ripped off, have overwhelming yellowing, or just in general received a play workout like no other remaining Star Was vintage action figure. Gentle Giant Ltd. now has decided to release Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) in the Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figure lineup. And as you probably have already guessed, Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) comes with an updated (and much larger) decal in one-sixth scale. It goes without saying however that most collectors will likely treat this collectible like gold and forever protect the condition of this collectible like it’s completely irreplaceable.

Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) is everything you’d expect him to be. But that is the definition of all the characters in the Jumbo line. It’s the familiarity of these pieces that is the strong selling point. Gentle Giant Ltd. has brought forth a roto-cast one-sixth scale of the original vintage Kenner action figure, being extra careful to replicate each and every detail as carefully as possible. The dome is shiny silver, the eye ports are blue and red and the dome panels are metallic blue. The clicking sound made when turning his dome has been preserved thanks to a simple yet clever functionality and the ability to turn 360 degrees thanks to the washer and screw combination in his body cavity. The credits are still etched along the underside of his body (including the original year of 1977) and the painted details on his legs have been done with expertise and precision. Last but certainly not least, a giant decal has been manufactured to wrap around R2-D2’s plain white shell to give the character the same detail and color that the original brought to the 3.75” version. The only thing else you’ll need is the See-Threepio (C-3PO) Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figure so you can rejoin this amazing droid duo.

If we had a small complaint about Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2), we would say that we wish Gentle Giant Ltd. would have applied the decal better to the body. Our sample has captured some air bubbles underneath which affects what should be a smooth surface created by the label. But other than that, we just can’t complain about anything else. We wonder how far Gentle Giant Ltd. will take the Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figures line and it will be interesting to see just how far they will delve into reinventing the original Kenner Star Wars toys. Can you imagine a Jumbo skiff? Imagine perhaps a Jumbo Ewok Village. Will they add all of the vehicles to this lineup? While some items may seem off the table due to their sheer size, it seems that gentle Giant Ltd. is committed to collectors with this very niche collectible format. It appears they want to full engage and surprise collectors like us with this very unique collection. Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) may be quite a bit different than a Jumbo Landspeeder (for instance), but the release of Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) certainly makes a Jumbo Landspeeder possible. Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) is faithfully done and well represented for the Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figures lineup. This line makes us very happy in general.