Jawa - Vinyl Collectible Dolls

Of the many dangers that travel the dunes and crags of the arid world, few can send a droid's behavioral matrix circuitry into a tizzy like the Jawas.

There have been many surprises in 2009, but perhaps one of the more pleasant ones was the Medicom VCD realistic style Jawa. For those of you who need a quick overview on these fine Japanese collectibles, there are two types: realistic and super-deformed. The realistic style sometimes gets mistaken for an item in the one-sixth scale line, but this assessment isn't correct. The VCD line is its own thing and the figures in this line are very limited in articulation whereas the one-sixth scale figures are hyper-articulated utilizing the Real Action Heroes body type. The Jawa is obviously realistic style. Articulation aficionados likely won't be impressed with this brand of collectible because since these aren't true one-sixth scaled figures, but rather more like a statue with soft-goods that can move in a few spots. But we believe they enhance the Real Action Heroes line tremendously and give us figures that might not come to us otherwise. The sad things is that they just doesn't have the universal appeal like the other Star Wars collectibles from Medicom Toy. Arguably, it would still be nice to see these VCDs come with a little more movement to assist with posing and positioning in your collection.

If you can accept a VCD for what it is then you will be thoroughly able to appreciate the craftsmanship of the sculpt and the workmanship of the cloth pieces and accessories which in turn will truly become a beloved piece in your Star Wars collections. Not a cheap collectible by any means, we understand why the pocketbook will be emptied after one single purchase. First, they are Japanese imported collectibles. And, they are without a doubt extremely faithful scaled replicas of the characters we saw in the films. We don't deny that $79.99 is quite a steep price to pay (especially since this figure doesn't exceed seven inches), but we can assure you that if you are able to look past the price, you will enjoy a very fine high-end Star Wars collectible. From the burlap styled cloak to the faux leather/plastic bandolier and from the clear yellow eyes to the droid caller and ionization blaster, the Jawa VCD shines from head to toe with realism, authenticity and wonderful artistic integrity. And for possessing limited articulation, the Jawa comes with a few cool points including articulated wrists elbows, arms and head. The soft-goods "cowl" is also removable which showcases a very round head wrapped in textured black straps of cloth (but sculpted in plastic). This is a nice touch and the first Jawa figure in a larger scale that has this option.

The smallest details on the Jawa VCD are incredible as well. The fingers for example are long and thin and hold his accessories very well. While beautiful and stunning, we would like to add some additional commentary on what we think might have improved the final product (and there isn't that much, trust us). First, the perfectly circular yellow eyes don't work as perfectly well as we had hoped (although we still think they look pretty good). The Jawa's eyes did not look this symmetrical in the films and it is the slightest tad dull and not that bright. Perhaps a different approach to the eyes would have benefitted the figure a little better. We love the pose of the Jawa, but if not carefully displayed, the Jawa has a propensity to want to fall over to the side. This is not uncommon in this line of figures and we find it particularly annoying when figures (especially those that are pre-positioned and incapable of being posed differently to fix the standing issue) are unable to stand on their own. Don't misunderstand us, the Jawa can hold his pose fairly well, we just recommend not bumping into him. The wide leg stance on the Jawa looks great, so it is a bit of a shame that it doesn't aid in ensuring his erect posture. The VCD line has slowed up quite a bit over the last few years, so the releases are few and far between. The Jawa is a stellar product and will make a lovely addition to any collection. But it is you who will have to decide if the price tag is worth it!