Dack Ralter - TVC - Basic (VC07)

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Do you believe it has been eight years since we received a brand new (and super-articulated) Dack Ralter action figure? The first (and last until now) figure was a pack-in with the 2002 Power Of The Jedi Luke Skywalker’s Snowspeeder Walmart exclusive, which also came with a Luke Skywalker figure. With the announcement of the large-scale Star Wars [Shadow Of The Dark Side] Imperial AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport) vehicle and to help celebrate 30 years of The Empire Strikes Back, Hasbro ensured collectors that they would fill 2010 with many updates, as well as first-time available characters sourced to this fan-favorite film. When the 2009 LC Luke Skywalker (BD51) figure was released, fans knew they also needed an updated Dack Ralter. Six months later, Hasbro delivers this update timely, and while the final product is what we expected, it is nonetheless a welcomed addition to the line. If you have purchased the Rebel Pilot Legacy, Rebel Pilot Legacy Series II, or Rebel Pilot Legacy Series III Evolutions sets, then you know what to expect from Dack Ralter. This base tooling is an excellent body mold for a Rebel snowspeeder pilot. Since it is super-articulated, it is the perfect convention for a figure that pilots a vehicle. You won’t have issues fitting it into the cockpit. This release marks the first time Hasbro packaged Dack Ralter in packaging inspired by the vintage Kenner line, so we’re thankful to see it part of The Vintage Collection. Seeing never-before-available figures in this packaging is fantastic because it makes them all the more noteworthy. We are thoroughly impressed. It does seem that packaging will indeed play a part in the success of this line.

Dack Ralter has 23 points of articulation. The bright orange flight suit is a few shades duller than the other snowspeeder pilots part of the Evolutions sets, and the muted coloring is a benefit here. It looks more authentic. Dack Ralter’s head sculpt is far from perfect and perhaps a distance further than we would like to see. But to be fair, getting likenesses on this small scale is challenging. We think Hasbro would have scored higher points with us if they hadn’t given him such a bewildered look. Dack did have a “puzzled” or “bewildered” countenance throughout the scenes the character is part of in The Empire Strikes Back, so we think a more serious expression would have been the best approach for this action figure. But the final version is what it is; you will think it’s alright or not like it much. The good news is that the figure has a removable pilot’s helmet that will cover the portrait well if you aren’t crazy about it. We are digging all of the pilot’s skullcaps Hasbro included here. It makes all the pilots incredibly authentic to what we saw in Episode V and solidifies the idea that it was a cold tundra on Hoth. There are some soft and rubbery spots on the uniform. In particular, the lower portion of the jacket below the waist joint and the flight suit straps are highly pliable, so they should not interfere much when placing the figure in a snowspeeder to serve as Luke Skywalker’s tow cable gunner. We aren’t too crazy about Dack Ralter’s wider stance. But because the figure is simply a retool of an already established action figure mold, there is not much more or new Hasbro can do to remedy it.

The Vintage Collection is proving early on that we will get some impressive, super-articulated, and excellently sculpted action figures in the line. So it makes sense why this line may charge us extra for these well-made figures alongside premium packaging. The Vintage Collection line look is spectacular, but the cards are too thin for our liking. We suspect there will be a plethora of depressed mint-on-card collectors over time. While we don’t want to use an adjective like flimsy to describe the cards, they are thinner than previous lines. And collectors have voiced angst that the first wave comes un-punched. Hasbro should do what it takes to make people thrilled to be Star Wars collectors. We aren’t affected by the quality of the packaging because we play with our Star Wars figures, but we understand how this may be an issue in a more global sense. But one thing is sure. The Vintage Collection includes some remarkable main characters and essential background characters. Since Dack Ralter has lines in the film where Dengar, 4-LOM, and Zuckuss do not, it makes sense that Hasbro added this character to the basic figure line. Dack Ralter is a fabulous addition to The Vintage Collection, and we hope Hasbro considers more Rebel pilots for release in this line. The Star Wars line wouldn’t be the same without them. And focusing on The Empire Strikes Back wouldn’t be the same without the important Rebel hero, Dack Ralter. Oh! And they goofed by misspelling the character’s name, although there seems to be dissent on that detail, too.