Flying Geonosian - SW [S - P1] - Deluxe

Ten years after the fight to save Naboo from invasion, the galaxy is on the brink of civil war. Under the leadership of a renegade Jedi, thousands of solar systems threaten to secede from the Galactic Republic. A courageous Jedi Knight, his impulsive and headstrong apprentice, and a queen-turned-senator are drawn into the heart of the conflict... and the beginning of war.

Inhabitants of the planet Geonosis, these winged warriors engage in a vicious battle on the side of the secessionist forces. Skilled fighters with weapons for which the Jedi Knights have no known protection, the Geonosians threaten to overwhelm the beleaguered Jedi who have come to the aid of Anakin, Padmé and Obi-Wan.

There is something redeeming about the action-feature focused Flying Geonosian from the Star Wars “Saga” Deluxe line. Sure, it has an awkward sculpt, screen inaccurate paint operations and a pose that is moment-specific but in no way scene agnostic. So how does one rank a toy that falls into so many diametrically opposed critiques? We imagine that you’ll have to be a judge. Let’s iron out for you what the 2002 Star Wars “Saga” Flying Geonosian brings to the table. There are a couple of different types of Geonosians in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones. Some are drones that just carry spears, but others are winged and have the ability to fly (like those seen during the Battle of Geonosis in the arena). Hasbro mixes up a few different key elements of the Flying Geonosian based on different parts of Episode II. But the takeaway here is that it’s all screen accurate from these individual points of view. We’d like to also remind you that the Deluxe line is for kids. These toys are riddled with play features. Hopefully collectors will find some use with some of the included parts here.

The Flying Geonosian is simply articulated, but the detail is pretty fantastic. We’re going out on a limb to say the figure is too brightly colored. When you compare this figure to the ones in the basic figure line, you’re going to see differences. The Flying Geonosian also has an action feature built into it. When you press in the lever on his back attached to the removable wing stubs, it simulates “flapping” which gives the illusion that this figure is flying. It’s a nifty little addition, but collectors will tire of it quickly. The arms are posed to accommodate ONE position: to fire the sonic blaster. The right arm holds out the sonic blaster while the left arm supports it. It looks pretty cool, but again, this is all you get with this figure. There’s also a bright blue blast effect projectile to recreate that sonic “boom” as the blaster fires at its target. The figure’s legs are terribly posed and we have found the need to rely on the lowered wings to act as supports to hold the figure up. You’ll likely experience the same trend on your sample. They’re too thin and strangely positioned that they just are unable to sustain the figure’s weight easily. It’s a shame really.

Perhaps the neatest inclusion here is the Attack Pod. We’re not exactly sure what makes it an “attack” pod exactly, but it is pretty cool to have the dwellings of these insect-like creatures. There is a split down the middle which is able to house the full figure. Or you can pose it half in and half out and recreate the spying nature of these creatures as Padme and Anakin travelled down the hallway to the droid factory. The Attack Pod is cast in a soft plastic which allows optimal give to place the figure inside of it. There is also a suction cup on the reverse side of it if you wish to position it up high on a window for your kids to recreate the scenes from the film. You get a lot of “stuff” here for the $9.99 MSRP. Maybe not all of it is collector-focused, or even quality items, but there is definite value here. Is the Flying Geonosian Deluxe figure set the greatest thing Hasbro has ever produced? Of course not, but it isn’t without merit either. Hasbro is able to flesh out more of the film’s story through these different sub-lines and formats and help complete it through releases like this. We do wish however that Hasbro would forgo the action features. They rarely turn out well.