Han Solo thinks this whole plan to save a princess from her Imperial captors is a very bad idea, but he changes his mind when Luke Skywalker says that there might be a large financial reward for the one who rescues her.
Is
it really possible that we didn’t
get our first Han Solo (Stormtrooper Disguise) basic figure
until 2009? Wow! That is not to say that Han Solo didn’t
receive his fair share of releases in other places in the toy
line including some appearances in the Comic Packs, miscellaneous
multipacks, Cinema Scenes, and many other sub lines. But it
wasn’t until The Legacy Collection that we got
him on a single basic figure card back. Good things certainly
come to those who wait, because this Han Solo figure is excellent
and long overdue. It is nice to get a movie accurate version
of him with super-articulation (and without blue washes). If
you have read our Luke
Skywalker [Stormtrooper Disguise] Research Droids Review,
you will remember that we commented that Luke is a bit shorter
than Han. This makes for incredible authenticity to the film
and proper scale and is something that is at the forefront
of Hasbro’s minds in this modern era. We are extremely
thankful for the attention to this particular detail. And while
the parts to both Luke and Han are nothing new to the collective
whole, the overall product is simply a pleasure. Even the Stormtrooper body that we're not crazy about seems to work better for Han Solo than other figures. Interesting how that works, isn't it?
Does
the figure have small issues? Of course, but not enough to make
us feel that it is inferior or not worthy of purchase. Although
we are very happy to receive almost any figure with 23 points
of articulation or more, many of these joints can be rendered
useless if one point is inhibiting movement of all the others.
For example, Han Solo’s
legs are very close together, and though he has both knee and
ankle joints, the width between his legs cannot be changed or
altered width-wise due to the one range of motion swivel joints
are capable of executing, Han can't be posed in many different
ways unfortunately. Does this hinder the quality of the figure
a little bit? Yes. Is it worth skipping over him because of this?
No. The hip ball joints (as seen utilized on both 2008’s
TAC Commander
Gree (08 03) (and subsequent TLC reissues) and 2004’s
VOTC Luke Skywalker (in addition to 2009’s
TLC Luke
Skywalker (BD 38) figure) are really necessary
for the Stormtrooper/Clone Trooper sculpt (and those disguised
in them too). We are really hoping that Hasbro will develop a
template for both so that we can start getting the definitive
versions of all in the near future. This clearly should not be
cost-prohibitive to Hasbro, imagine how many extra troop builders
collectors would buy if we had, say for example, a hip ball jointed
Stormtrooper figure? Oh, we are drooling already! If this type
of joint can be added into the super-articulated mold, it will
make the ultimate figure. We beg Hasbro not to be penny wise
and pound foolish here.
Han
Solo has a really good head sculpt, it is simple but effective.
The paint applications on different samples vary significantly
so we recommend looking for one with well painted eyes and a
well painted body glove that doesn’t bleed onto the white
armor (or conversely, a black paint that is too faded). Just
like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo’s functioning holster has
also been modified to better accommodate his weapon. But again,
we think Hasbro needs to revisit this in order to make it as
functional as possible. His removable thermal detonator comes
off very easily, but interestingly will stay in place fairly
well too. The joints are pretty tight on our sample and it is
nice that his waist stays in one place instead of flopping around
like it has on others, including the VOTC Stormtrooper. His armor
is very clean and he comes with the standard Imperial issue blaster.
We tend to be picky about certain things, but Hasbro only “sometimes” listens
to our pleas about perfecting action figure aesthetics. And it’s
out of pure hope of change that we express what small issues
Hasbro can resolve to guarantee us the definitive versions of
the characters we love. In the meantime, Han Solo will be a worthy
addition to your collection, and a necessary purchase if you
are into the Droid Factory pack-ins. And if you have been waiting
for a carded basic version of Han Solo (Stormtrooper Disguise),
well, here is your chance. Go ahead, get him. He really is an
excellent figure.
Collector Notes
Han Solo
Status: Han Solo is a slight retool of the figure from 2007's TAC Chewbacca/Han Solo (No. 04) Comic Packs multipack. This time the figure comes with a new belt and has been repainted.
Articulation Count: 23 points (14 areas of articulation)
Articulation Details: ball-socket head (1), ball-jointed left shoulder (2), ball-jointed right shoulder (2), ball-jointed left elbow (2), ball-jointed right elbow (2), swivel left wrist (1), swivel right wrist (1), ball-jointed torso (2), swivel left hip (1), swivel right hip (1), 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: removable helmet, BlasTech E-11 blaster pistol, removable thermal detonator
Original Droid Factory/Build A Droid Part: R5-A2 right leg
Date Stamp: 2005
Assortment Number: 87835/87535
UPC: 653569342243
Retail: $7.99 USD
Market Value: Click here to check the latest prices based on listings.