Dewback - SW [TPM 3D] - Discover The Force (2 of 2)

Dewbacks are large, domesticated lizards on Tatooine. They can be found hauling goods for Tatooine merchants and moisture farmers, and pulling Podracers onto the starting grids at races. Dewbacks easily withstand intense daytime temperatures that cause mechanical equipment to malfunction.

Confusion is a big part of being an active Hasbro Star Wars collector. Often times Hasbro rereleases items that didn’t sell through the first time. Then they bring less to the table for that subsequent rerelease and try to repackage it as something new. This is not a knock on the Dewback because it’s a great beast and one of Hasbro’s finest efforts to date, but its release in the Discover The Force In 3D series of Walmart exclusives is just not fully welcomed by us because Hasbro should have done more with it. (And we’re not even talking about a pack-in figure. We definitely don’t want to see another white Sandtrooper for years, but there are some very Episode I specific details that Hasbro totally ignored. Instead of rushing to repack something, some time and development should be considerations so that product, every time its released, seems fresh based on the enhancement, and not just the packaging. Ironically, the Dewback when it was presented first as 2009’s LC Dewback With Imperial Sandtrooper Walmart exclusive, the Dewback was an Episode I interpretation of its appearance in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. And more ironically is that the Dewback (with the pack-in Sandtrooper) didn’t remotely sell through at $29.99 and had to be discounted at ROSS stores for half its original retail. Now we just get the Dewback for that original $30 price point. How do things like this get passed the concept stages?

In Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the dewback beasts had a very unique look. They actually wore ornate headgear that went down the front middle of their snouts and their saddles and reins were completely different than they were how we remember them best in Episode IV. Why couldn’t Hasbro take a few extra minutes and tweak the saddle and reins here to make it truly accurate to its appearance in The Phantom Menace? Now we have an Episode I Dewback in the spirit of Episode IV. The circular logic just doesn’t stop. So with a lack of value and a lack of originality, is there any reason to buy this latest Walmart exclusive? That strictly depends upon your point of view. There are indeed some paint operations differences. And for the most part we would classify them as for the worse. The “new” Dewback lacks some of the “dirt” splotches on his head and throughout the body and the body itself has been cast in a much duller plastic. This is a problem because the legs have been cast from shinier plastic and it sticks our like a sore thumb. The rolled blankets on the back of the saddle have also been painted in a different color brown. Really Hasbro?! Why just change that detail? Other than that, most collectors won’t be able to make out, nor will they probably care to see, the differences on the 2012 model.

The Dewback is a proud addition to the Walmart exclusive Discover The Force promotion. We have to say that Hasbro and Walmart knocked it out of the park and they’ll definitely be the retailer of choice you’ll want to support this year to get incredible exclusives. (Better ones are coming, we promise.) The items that are part of the Discover The Force promotion come with 3D glasses and a 3D image on the back of the box. If you’re over this type of 3D technology, then there isn’t really much for you to appreciate here. But we tried on the glasses ourselves and there is no doubt in our minds that younglings will find this engaging. And since many parents today have grown up during the peak of 3D madness in the 80s, it will be something that they’ll likely show some interest in and buy for their children. Speaking of packaging, the Dewback comes in the same sized slim line box. We almost didn’t believe the Dewback was inside. You have to attach two of its legs to the body (and it’s more difficult than you think). The Legacy Collection version spoiled us and we weren’t ready to work for our exclusive this time around. As a toy the Dewback rocks! It’s nice to see it again and we hope it performs better now with a film push behind it. But you may not see a need for it if you don’t care about the insignificant differences we documented. We do have to say we’re very excited for the Discover The Force line of Walmart exclusives because so many of them are just great concepts for Star Wars toys.