Lobot - POTF2 [FF/TKC] - Basic

As the cyborg administrative assistant to Cloud City, Lobot made certain that Lando Calrissian and his Rebel companions would safely escape the Imperial occupied city.

Since the vintage Kenner line, Star Wars fans have known that Lobot was named as such because he was lobotomized. A cybernetic implant was inserted into his head that enabled him to connect with the central computer system at Cloud City. This character development removed all potential dialogue from the character in The Empire Strikes Back. It didn’t matter. Lobot’s silence and his communication with facial gestures spoke volumes in the film, and he quickly became one of the most favorite background characters in the Star Wars Trilogy. For trivia lovers, you may be interested in knowing that scenes involving his death were filmed. These scenes, however, were removed from the final cut of the film because there was a chance he was going to have a part in Return Of The Jedi. These plans never came to fruition. As one of the original Kenner figures, 1981's ESB Lobot figure didn’t perform too well on store shelves during its original release, and throughout the remaining duration of the vintage line. But that didn’t stop Kenner/Hasbro from forging ahead, developing a modern take on Lobot for The Power Of The Force “2” line. Reserved for the Freeze Frame collection, the first modern version of Lobot comes with a beautiful film cell that captures a moment of Episode V for collectors. The figure itself has its share of positives and negatives, but we have to admit that it’s nice seeing another one of the classic Kenner figures updated.

The best part of Lobot is the head sculpt. Interestingly, the head sculpt is too big for his body, but the likeness is a dead ringer for actor John Hollis. Had the size of the head been reduced for this action figure, Lobot may have resonated a little more strongly with collectors. The chief administrative aide of Bespin comes with a very nice replica of the Borg Construct Aj^6, the cybernetic implant which allowed human beings to become a computer interface. It’s evident that a great deal of effort went into sculpting it, and Hasbro did their best to make it look like it is lit up. It also is proportional to the figure’s head, despite the head sculpt being too large for the body. Therein lies the major issue we have with Lobot: his body. We don’t understand why they posed him in such an awkward manner. It almost looks as if he is trying to dance. Or is he startled and is ready to flee? In the film, Lobot had a very erect posture and seemingly was always at attention. Parts of his body weren’t invading the space of others. He was closely drawn in with himself and didn’t utilize any body language to communicate with others. Everything ”readable” was in his face. As a result, this figure creates a distraction from the place you should be concentrating on the face. At the very least, his legs should be close together and not posed in some action stance instead. It’s honestly a little disappointing that Hasbro went this route.

The paint job on Lobot is actually excellent. His sleeves are off white, and the rest of his outfit is light gray, just like the character in the film. He also has the appropriate black shoed. The paint operations are relatively clean, and there is little to no overspray, which makes Lobot look very neat and clean. Lobot comes with two accessories, both of which are screen inaccurate to the film. First is a blaster pistol, and second is a transmitter. We find it odd that Hasbro felt a transmitter would be a necessary device for this character since his head is the only transmitter he needs. Then again, it could be a transmitter completely related to something different. Either way, these accessories add play value to an otherwise “boring” action figure. Lobot is the epitome of a collector figure. We could probably guarantee you that none of the kiddies are looking for this one. We hope that Kenner/Hasbro will sculpt figures according to their role in the films. Some “off-screen” interpretations can be a neat thing, but when it comes to a character like Lobot, we feel that simple is the route to take. Right now, his “dancing action” eclipses what collectors should be taking away from this figure, and that’s a shame in our books. We hope that at the very least the fans will appreciate this figure’s excellent head sculpt because that is the real treasure with this action figure.