Boba Fett Unleashed!
Written: Dec 10 '03 (Updated Dec 10 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Very nice piece. Wonderful, dynamic pose. Translucent base.
Cons: Not as nice as a sculpture, yet not a toy that can be played with
The Bottom Line: Super-great pose. No articulation. More of a sculpture than a toy. Great for any Boba Fett fan.
|
|
|
| mizgnomer's Full Review: Hasbro Star Wars Boba Fett Unleashed |
My husband has been a Boba Fett fan for a long time. As someone who collects sculptures, figure models, and toys, this little item topped his list of must-have items this year...
Product Description:
Hasbro's "Unleashed" line of Star Wars figures captures each beloved character in a frozen pose that occurs at the peak of a very dynamic, action-oriented moment. Each figure is basically a work of art, with a very impressive sculpt chock full of tiny details and an above-average paint-job. There is no articulation to the figure -- it is more like a sculpture than a toy.
The scene captured by the piece is that of Boba Fett tangled up in the Sarlacc's tentacles in the Pit of Carkoon (from Return of the Jedi -- I go into this a bit more in the "Controversy" section below...) The pose is one of the best, most dynamic ones I've seen from the "Unleashed" line. The base is very interesting, consisting of the Sarlacc's gaping mouth, a number of tentacles attempting to pull Boba Fett down, and the twin streams of fire coming out of Boba's jet pack, rolling waves of flame along the Sarlacc as Fett attempts to escape. The fire is cast from a clear (or orange and yellow tinted) resin that is translucent (and, well, it's VERY cool).
Boba Fett measures 10¾ inches high (from the bottom of the base to the top of his hand). The likeness is excellent - from dents, scratches, and holes in his armor and cape to fine details and emblems on his outfit.
There is some assembly required (attach the tentacles and "fire", put the gun in Fett's hand, etc). It isn't very complex or time-consuming, but we did have one tentacle that didn't quite line up with the notch it was supposed to go into. It isn't really noticeable, since there are a number of tentacles going a variety of directions anyway.
The manufacturer recommends this "toy" for people ages 8 and up (at least that's what it says on the box... the Hasbro website lists it as ages 4 and up).
Controversy?
Boba Fett arguably became the most popular minor character from the original 3 Star Wars movies. Let's face it -- cool armor, mysterious past, and a tough-guy attitude, what's not to love? Well, the fact that he met with a rather lame ending, that's what (with a malfunctioning jet-pack he fell right into the Sarlacc's gaping maw, after which the Sarlacc emitted quite a satisfied belch). Purists will say simply that Boba Fett died, however other fans have sought ways to bring Boba Fett back, asserting that he managed to escape somehow (because surely he was too cool to die in such a goofy manner).
This figure adds to the controversy, in a way. Since Boba "fell" into the pit in the movie, we never saw him with a tentacle wrapped around him or firing his jet pack in an effort to get away. Some people argue that that's what this figure shows us -- Boba, down in the pit after getting his act together, attempting to blast his way back out again.
The wording on the packaging doesn't help one determine who wins this little tug of war either. It brings up the injustice of meeting one's end this way (just like many of the fans have done down through the years), but then it goes on to discuss Fett's powerful weapons and superb survival skills, finishing up with, "If it could be possible for anyone to emerge alive from the carnivorous maw of the Sarlacc, that person would be Boba Fett."
At any rate, fans can interpret this piece any way they choose. To some it will always depict Fett's last moments, just before he becomes lunch for the Sarlacc, but to others this figure can be officially-licensed proof of Boba's triumphant escape that takes place after the events we witness in the movie.
My Thoughts/Experiences:
As much as I hate having yet another toy that my husband feels the need to display prominently in the house, I really must admit that this one is very cool. The pose is really fantastic, and with my husband being such a big Boba Fett fan I know that it is quite special to him.
Because the "fire" areas of the base are translucent, my husband wants to wire it up with some lights underneath to really show it off. He tried out the look with a flash-light shining up under the figure, and again I must admit that it upped the cool-factor a bit.
For all the great things I've said about it, I do think that the quality is below that of a sculpture, but the price is a heck of a lot cheaper too so it seems almost silly to complain about it. Most sculptures (or well-done figure models, for that matter) don't have visible seams -- Boba Fett's seams are on the large side, but you can only see them if you're up-close and personal with him. You're never going to get true sculpture-quality from a toy. Being an expert modeler and painter, my husband tends to re-work and re-paint some of the toys he buys to give them a more professional look -- however he has made no plans to do that with Boba Fett Unleashed, as he thinks it is plenty good enough as-is.
Final Thoughts:
At $19.99 it is on the expensive side for a toy that doesn't actually do anything, but as I mentioned above it is quite cheap for an officially licensed "sculpture". The pose is fantastic with realistic details, and would look great sitting on any Star Wars fan's display-shelf. I would think Boba Fett Unleashed a real must for any Boba Fett fanatic.
Until Epinions gets the picture loaded, here's a link to Boba Fett Unleashed on the Hasbro site:
http://www.hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.viewproduct/product_id.13805/dn/default.cfm
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 19.99
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
mizgnomer
|
 - Top 50 |
|
Location: Tennessee
Reviews written: 306
Trusted by: 202 members
About Me:
Don't meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you're crunchy and taste good with ketchup
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.