Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones - TAC - Commemorative Tin Collection (2 of 6)

If you distilled the contents of all the Commemorative Tin Collection sets from the 30 (77-07) line, you’d probably comes to the realization that the set based on Episode II contains the highest amount of quality parts. Granted, 50% of the set is straight repacks while the remaining 50% are either kit-bashed or repainted figures. But the point here is that Hasbro not only picked some great base sculpts to cull together this hodgepodge of characters, they also picked great main characters to represent Episode II. Plus, we get some newness to the set that is available nowhere else in the Star Wars toy line. The Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones Commemorative Tin Collection (2 of 6) is one of our personal favorites because we feel that is symbolizes the best parts of the film while giving us four action figures that may not be wholly perfect, but give kids and collectors characters that are indeed memorable. While certainly not one of our most favorite Star Wars films, Attack Of The Clones had some exciting moments, especially towards the climax, that have lasted years after the fact. And it seems that there are plenty of collectors who still embrace the film and its fine points, Original Trilogy lovers or not. Sometimes the toy line makes a film’s issues seem much more palatable (or helps us to forget them), and we believe collectible sets like this one help solidify that ideal a little bit more. We don’t really mean to imply there is a direct causation between the two, but it goes without saying that action figures can be appreciated regardless the success of the film on which they’re based.

The first figure in the Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones Commemorative Tin Collection (2 of 6) set is the Clone Trooper. Actually he is a Clone Trooper lieutenant as evidenced by his blue color flashes. Although they appear in the film (they are very, very hard to see clearly), they are only seen with their helmets off of their heads. So, and this may be stretching things too far, the sergeants and the lieutenants with helmets on are technically Expanded Universe more than screen accurate. But if we took that to heart, most of the Original Trilogy army builders with clone heads would be Expanded Universe as well. (And from a certain point of view they are.) The Clone Trooper has been given a very clean paint job, and as far as we’re concerned this is extremely accurate to the film. They’re seen in the antiseptic environments of the cloning facility and haven’t encountered battle yet. So we applaud this approach. The Clone Trooper isn’t perfect however. The head is too big and the helmet is too small for it and his nose visibly pokes through the front of it. And because this figure is based on the Evolutions sculpt, it doesn’t articulate at the waist which really inhibits free movement. Still, it’s a nice update to finally receive a screen accurate version of the lieutenant. (The Entertainment Earth Clone Lieutenant is technically screen inaccurate by comparison.) Anakin Skywalker is a straight repack of the figure from 2005’s ROTS Anakin Skywalker To Darth Vader Evolutions set. You know about this figure all too well now so we won’t belabor it here.

Jango Fett is perhaps the most aggressive update in the Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones Commemorative Tin Collection (2 of 6) set. He is a kit-bashed figure cobbled together from two Jango Fett action figures from the Star Wars [Saga – Phase I] line. The upper body is from 2002’s SW [S - P1] Jango Fett (Kamino Escape) (’02 #13) and the lower body is from 2002’s SW [S - P1] Jango Fett (Slave I Pilot) (’02 #47) figure. They used the lower legs from this figure to give Jango Fett a lessened action pose as the legs from the “Slave I Pilot” figure are more upright and straight. Sadly, this new combination of old parts doesn’t work flawlessly. Jango’s left foot has an awkward curl upwards to it which prevents good balance. Our sample kept wanting to fall over and made photography a nightmare. It was only when we arched his back in an exaggerated manner that we were able to prevent him from falling. At the same time, we have to admit, had Hasbro calibrated the figure better, that this would have been a nice update because this really is the best of both world’s for an updated Jango Fett figure… right now. But our favorite “rehash” is Count Dooku. A straight repack from 2005’s ROTS The Sith Evolutions set, we seem to not be able to get enough of this figure and we’re glad to see him re-released again. The double-layered soft-goods cloak is spectacular and he has been given premium articulation for you to pose him in any way you wish. We feel he was the wisest choice here. As you can see, Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones Commemorative Tin Collection (2 of 6) set is a mixed bag, but overall is falls to the side of good.