Jar Jar Binks - TCW [SOTDS] - Basic (CW65)

It's up to Gungan representative Jar Jar Binks to save the day when Senator Padmé Amidala walks into a trap set by the Separatists on the planet Rodia. Donning a Jedi robe, Jar Jar hopes that the threat of dealing with a formidable "Jedi" will force Padmé's captors to release her.

When you consider a toy line like The Clone Wars in its entirety, it’s hard to believe what figures Hasbro chooses to ignore getting out again to kids and collectors despite the incessant nagging from them. If you think about it, it’s quite shocking that a figure like 2008’s TCW [F/S1] C-3PO (No.16) never got reissued in the subsequent line look updates. Plenty of evidence exists how highly sought after some of the main characters are in this line, yet it is almost a miracle if and when they get a second chance at retail despite the insatiable need to meet collector demand. Another character like this that worried collectors was 2009’s TCW [F/S1] Jar Jar Binks (No. 24) figure. It’s pretty much a given that you either love or hate Jar Jar Binks. A character with very little middle ground in his likeability factor, The Clone Wars version of Jar Jar Binks quickly became a highly sought after figure on the aftermarket. Thankfully, Hasbro slotted his re-release into The Clone Wars [Shadow Of The Dark Side] phase of the line and he ended up being the very last sequenced figure in the line. Was that a subliminal message? Was it passive-aggression on Hasbro’s part just saying “Here!” or was it a gift. We’d like to think it was the latter, because Jar Jar Binks definitely needed to see store shelves again. And it appears he did so more heavily the second time around. If you missed him in the past, you have no excuse to miss him this time.

The 2011 version of Jar Jar Binks is a slight repaint of 2009’s TCW [F/S1] Jar Jar Binks (No. 24) figure. Based on his appearance from the "Bombad Jedi" episode in Season 1 of The Clone Wars, Hasbro has done a very fine job with this figure. His costume and appearance are very authentic and he has so many intricate details that we are very impressed by how Hasbro managed to capture them all so well on a small action figure. Jar Jar Binks has a vast array of articulation and a quite magnificent paint application. On top of a ball-socket head joint, the bottom of his long neck also has a hinge-joint. This gives him the perfect amount of movement you would expect from a figure of this variety. While more joints would have been divine (especially in the legs), we really won't complain about how we wish he had more. Once again, his eyes are hit or miss. Samples vary, but you should look at placement of pupils in his yellow eyeballs when you are choosing one to purchase because we found many with ones that were very off center. Eye placement on figure can be very all over the map and it is this detail that can be responsible for making some figures look really good or really bad. In Jar Jar Binks’ case, purchasing one with centered pupils is key. Jar Jar Binks also comes with a Jedi-esque cloak with a very neat option included: a wire in the collar. With the right amount of futzing, you can make this cloak stay on him while looking very authentic. It just takes some time. The cloak has an "off the shoulder" look at all times and it is a very striking look for soft-goods.

The rest of his outfit is well done too. He has an ornate purple "tie/scarf" hanging from a brown and gold ring around his delicate neck with a neat paisley pattern. It is evident Hasbro spared no expense making this figure turn out so perfectly. This pattern also matches the long fingerless gloves on his forearms. While perhaps not the most masculine touch to a male character, it solidifies his whimsical and carefree behavior quite flawlessly. Jar Jar's skin tone is very pale in comparison to his movie counterpart, but this is not a criticism. It serves his animated version very well and allows for great contrast to the Gungan body pattern on his posterior. Although Jar Jar doesn't have knee joints, he does benefit from ball-socket ankle joints and for this type of alien, they work very well. Standing him upright is not an issue on our sample and the joints are hidden well by his long "boot-cut" styled pants, amazingly well to be exact. Hasbro certainly went the extra mile on shadowing and other details like on the back of Jar Jar's ears for example. It really makes this animated version life-like. Jar Jar's frame is very delicate looking and it is really an amazing accomplishment for Hasbro to create a figure of this stature with such impressive precision. It is quite an amazing feat to sculpt an action figure that is so skinny and narrow, yet is also functional and artistic. Jar Jar Binks is actually a stellar action figure if you give it the inspection it deserves. And we have been more appreciative of this figure the second time around. We wish we hadn’t been so dismissive of it in the past.