Figrin D’an - TVC - Basic (VC249)

Added: August 16th 2022
Category: Vintage Collection, The
Reviewer: Paul Harrison
Score:

Name: Figrin D’an
Collection: The Vintage Collection
Number: VC249
Source: A New Hope
Availability: August 2022
License: Hasbro

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We seemingly live in an era of the Disney Star Wars Intellectual Property where they’re hellbent on dismissing the old guard so they can focus on making the “new fans” happy. So, it’s comforting to see a character like Figrin D’an get a coveted place in The Vintage Collection lineup, even if that means it’s 75% rehashed parts. Much to our surprise, we might add. Figrin D’an is the first super-articulated Bith action figure in the Hasbro Star Wars brand. And most collectors agree it was one of a handful of characters that Kenner SHOULD HAVE made during their original run during the late seventies and early eighties. The Vintage Collection Figrin D’an is a thing of beauty on many fronts, but we’re going to spoil it for you that Hasbro was SUPER LAZY designing it. That said, between the gorgeously fabulous packaging, to the mediocre but deceptively excellent-looking action figure inside, we believe that Figrin D’an will be a long-answered prayer for multiple collectors that it is finally part of the 3.75-inch super-articulated collectors’ line. We almost can’t believe it came to pass. We had little hope that we’d ever see this character as part of The Vintage Collection, but it’s here, and we’re confident many collectors will find it a lovely addition to their collections. Let’s run through the good, the bad, and the ugly here – and we promise we’ll give a fair assessment. Receiving the figure “as is” is better than “not at all.” You’ll have to trust us on this one.

The good: We finally have an update to 1997's POTF2 [R/G] Cantina Band Member and the 2007 TAC Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (Figrin D’an And The Modal Nodes) Commemorative Tin Collection Walmart exclusive! Amen! Hasbro included three instruments with Figrin D’an. In addition to Figrin’s kloo horn, Hasbro added a fanfar and a dorenian beshniquel. Potentially, with multiple purchases of this figure, it also gives us Tedn Dahai or Ickabel G’ont – they both play the fanfar and Doikk Na’ts – who plays the dorenian beshniquel. We can complete almost half the band with one fell swoop of four Figrin D’an action figure purchases. We wonder if Hasbro will create some “army builder” set or “deluxe” set to complete the rest of the band. It would be fantastic if they decided to do this. Our only nitpick is that we wished Hasbro designed four unique cards, each with a different Modal Nodes band member’s name, and slowly released them as case filler while allowing us to complete the band one by one over time. But placing multiple instruments in one package is the next best thing. Another plus here is the portrait. It is stunning. Hasbro nailed the oblong head shape proportions and added the appropriate amount of deco to bring it to life. The new hands are also beautifully designed and match the head sculpt color, which is not the case for The Black Series [Phase IV] Figrin D’an (ANH04) figure, where the hands don’t match the head as far as color. Hasbro designed the hands to welcome all three instruments beautifully. The new torso also incorporates the alien’s neck and is screen-accurate.

The bad: Let us focus where The Vintage Collection Figrin D’an figure starts falling apart. Hasbro found a way to deceptively present this figure as an all-new or mostly all-new action figure. But the opposite of this is true. We were disappointed to notice the old legs Hasbro reused for Figrin D’an immediately, but we were initially at a loss to figure out where Hasbro harvested them. After some pondering, we realized that Hasbro took the legs of 2019’s TVC Death Star Gunner (VC147) figure, painted them gray except for keeping the boots black, and worked them into the Bith’s body frame seamlessly. What aggravates us is that the Death Star Gunner’s pants have pockets. A Bith musician’s pants are form fitted, without any wrinkles or pockets, and that’s not what we have on Figrin D’an, much to our chagrin. With SO MANY parts in Hasbro’s catalog now, why couldn’t they find legs without wrinkles and a fitted smoothness instead? We’re highly disappointed that they didn’t try to find better legs. Would Lobot’s or Lando’s legs have worked better here? And the absence of “rocker” ankles makes posing a figure intended to be jamming to music while playing an instrument very difficult to pose. Figrin D’an kept falling over during our photo shoot. And we all know how frustrating ball-jointed hips with swivel thighs are for collectors. It became increasingly annoying to position the figure in “musical” ways while expecting it to maintain the poses.

The ugly: It feels nearly unacceptable this far into the line, but do you believe Hasbro used parts from a TVC figure from 2010 to “create” Figrin D’an’s arms? It’s true. Hasbro took 2010’s/2019’s TVC Luke Skywalker (Endor [Endor Capture/Jedi Knight Outfit]) (VC23) figure and used the arms for Figrin D’an. The larger and alien hands look remarkably better on Figrin D’an than on Luke Skywalker, but their shape is odd and doesn’t fit with the streamlined design of the more modern figures now part of The Vintage Collection. It looks like they retooled the torso of Luke Skywalker to create a distinct one for Figrin D’an. We feel this way because the torso is “rock hard” plastic, a trademark of the older figures glued together. But as much as we want to complain about reusing these arms for the new Figrin D’an action figure, we have to admit that they don’t look terrible and accommodate all of the instruments wonderfully. The last “ugly” detail we’d like to note is something on the overall gorgeous portrait. Hasbro drilled a hole in the mouth to accept the instruments. And while that is a finer detail to work in here, it looks a little nasty, like something on a “sex doll.” We apologize for bringing up that visual. That’s what it looks like to us. Despite the reused parts, we’re THRILLED to see Figrin D’an finally part of The Vintage Collection. Hasbro could have done worse, but they also could have done better. But as we stated, if this was the only way to get the Modal Nodes, we’ll gladly take them as is.

Special thanks to Alientek for helping us to work through breaking down this figure’s recipe.

Collector Notes

Figrin D’an

Status: Figrin D’an is a kit-bashed figure that utilizes the arms of 2010's/2019's TVC Luke Skywalker (Endor [Endor Capture/Jedi Knight Outfit]) (VC23) figure and the legs of 2019's TVC Death Star Gunner (VC147) figure with an all-new head sculpt, hands, torso, and cod section. The figure has also been completely repainted.

Articulation Count: 28 points (15 areas of articulation)

Articulation Details: ball-socket head (1), reverse ball-socket neck (1), ball-jointed left shoulder (2), ball-jointed right shoulder (2), ball-jointed left elbow (2), ball-jointed right elbow (2), ball-jointed left wrist (2), ball-jointed right wrist (2), ball-jointed torso (2), ball-jointed left hip (2), ball-jointed right hip (2), ball-jointed left knee (2), ball-jointed right knee (2), ball-jointed left ankle (2), ball-jointed right ankle (2)

Accessory Count: 3

Accessory Details: kloo horn, fanfar, dorenian beshniquel

Date Stamp: N/A

Assortment Number: F5632/E7763

UPC: 5010993992225

Retail: $13.99 USD

Market Value: Click here to check the latest prices based on Click here to check the market value on eBay! listings.





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