R2-D2 And C-3PO (Tantive IV) - SW [DV/ROTS] - Mission Series (MS05)

R2-D2 and C-3PO escape from the Rebel ship Tantive IV as it boarded by Darth Vader and Imperial Stormtroopers. The Droids flee the ship in an escape pod that falls to the remote desert planet Tatooine – and puts in motion an adventure that will change the galaxy forever.

The Mission Series isn’t that bad of a concept if we’re honest. Two-packs of figures with direct ties to each other are something we have always embraced in the collecting community. Droid Factory, Geonosis Arena Showdown, Comic Packs and many other sub-lines and exclusives have taken this format to the stratosphere, and as a result we have received some very impressive action figures throughout the years. But what makes the Mission Series line a bit painful is that Hasbro has simplified the action figure sculpt where they only come with five points of articulation now. This is defeating for many longtime Star Wars collectors who have devoted most of their adult life to the line. To get great sculpts with minimal articulation isn’t ideal. And many collectors have found solace in the fact that this is a modern take on receiving the vintage Kenner line (all over again) in contemporary times. Of course, nothing modern will ever replace the golden collecting years of the late seventies and early eighties, but we imagine that the classic line can now be augmented with these newly revisited action figures. Although the first wave of Mission Series was Episode III heavy, Hasbro has finally cut to the chase and has delved into the Original Trilogy, much to the delight of those exhausted with Prequel Trilogy merchandise. R2-D2 And C-3PO (Tantive IV) are the next duo up for grabs. And you may be pleasantly surprised. R2-D2 And C-3PO (Tantive IV) offer collectors a simple take on our favorite droid duo. They’re done quite well for what they are, and the link to the original vintage Kenner line is palpable.

Not all is perfect here, but the figures have some charm, and hopefully, the photo gallery and our words will aptly convey why this is so. R2-D2 is a simple repaint of 2013’s SW [DV/ROTS] R4-P17 (SL06) figure. We all knew it was only a matter of time before Hasbro would be cranking out multiple repaints of this sculpt. Oddly, it wasn’t R2-D2 that would be the first template in this line. R2-D2 comes with a mere three points of articulation: a swivel dome and two swivel legs. There isn’t much you can do with him, but he fits into this format well, and the modern sculpting makes him look better than he is. The paint operations are a bit sloppy in spots, but overall this figure looks like a decent version of the astromech droid. C-3PO, however, is the “star” of the set. We’re not entirely thrilled with him, but he is the better of the two. The sculpt is great. However, we are disappointed with how Hasbro sculpted his right arm. It looks like C-3PO was playing “Freeze” on the school playground and that’s how the Hasbro sculptors decided to position its sculpt. By now having both arms in a more static “down” position, you’re limited with how many unique looks you can get out of this action figure. And with only five points of articulation you know you’re already severely limited. Some will not like the gold colored paint and wish for vac-metallization instead, but we think he looks pretty good regardless. The best part about C-3PO is the new approach to how his eyes get decorated. While not perfect on our sample, Hasbro added the three “dots” around the “pupil” to recreate the light-up configuration in his eyes. We love it, and we’re very impressed.

Whether or not you can appreciate the simplified articulation in the “kids’” line today, it’s hard to deny that Hasbro isn’t creating good-looking action figures. The silhouettes of the characters are spot on,, and the proportions of each other seem to have been perfected. Figures are appropriately scaled to one another and as the line continues to grow, we’ll have a vast array of equally pleasing action figures, provided Hasbro keeps up the great work. R2-D2 And C-3PO (Tantive IV) is a fun set in the Mission Series line. But more importantly, we’re thrilled that Hasbro has decided to delve into core characters from the Original Trilogy because that it was most Star Wars collectors want to see more than anything else. We have the money to buy the figures, so it’s nice to see the reward in this light. To be honest, the introductory waves of Saga Legends and Mission Series had us disconcerted. And our fears were somewhat realized as they didn’t sell briskly through and we had hoped. Unsold initial product means a delay in a new product with how stores have their archaic replenishment systems in effect, so we hope that this set has a chance to make it out to brick and mortar, and at the very least has a fair shot online. If you’re able to locate R2-D2 And C-3PO (Tantive IV) at retail, we suggest giving it a try. We understand that under-articulated action figures are not for everyone, but we believe that this one may be irresistible to skip. Hopefully, Hasbro has more fun sets like this planned for the future because we know for sure we will buy them up. Besides, you can never have enough R2-D2 and C-3PO action figure in your collection.