Darth Vader - POTF2 [R/G] - Electronic Power F/X

Interconnetcs with Power F/X Obi-Wan Kenobi figure for full lightsaber duel!

On paper, the Electronic Power F/X figures should have been one of the neatest sub-lines of Kenner’s/Hasbro’s illustrious career. In execution, most of them fail because of poor sculpting. Although all-new sculpts, they decided to keep the bulky proportions of the basic figures in this line, and it messes with the whole package’s aesthetics. When you have screen-accurate environmental displays and screen-accurate cardboard dioramas in the background, they don’t interact well when you have a hulking action figure in the center of it all. Granted, the light-up feature of Darth Vader’s lightsaber is another welcomed idea, but the execution also fails because of how large they had to make the hilt and blade for it to function. It’s not practical in the slightest. If you’re buying the Electronic Power F/X line for the figures, well, we think you’re going to remain a disappointed Star Wars collector.

We’d like to think that Hasbro developed the Electronic Power F/X line as a way to get out larger environmental pieces out of their way to create environmental display stands, large enough to be considered playsets, to interact with the figures and recreate some of the most pivotal scenes from the Star Wars saga. The packaging also serves as part of the experience. Once you cut out the dioramic backing, you add it to the plastic display stand for a bigger presentation. They look great fully assembled. Likely, you’ll replace the electronic figures for better-looking ones and reuse the environmental pieces to set up your shop. Again, we appreciate the technology brought forth to these action figures, but in execution, they truly fail miserably. Because of batteries, each of the humanoid action figures has a large hunchback that they tried to obscure with capes. They didn’t turn out well at all.

The display stand is beautifully created. Kenner/Hasbro took the final duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi as the source of inspiration. (Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi comes with the other half of the blast door and backdrop of the Millennium Falcon in the hangar bay.) They spared no expense on the details of this corridor. The coloring, patterns, and flooring all perfectly mimic the on-location set in A New Hope. It also breaks down into two pieces for easier storage. The cardboard backdrop must be cure from the back of the packaging. But once fitted into the slots on the display stand, the visual will stun you. It’s a perfect snapshot in time in Episode IV. And our only wish is that it came with a better Darth Vader figure to accent it. (Better ones will continue to come.) For $9.99, you do get a fantastic diorama piece. And the Darth Vader figure included here is bittersweet at best. You’ll have to judge if this is worth the money for you.