Who Knew Darth Vader Could Be So Cute?
Written: Jan 13 '05 (Updated Mar 24 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Large (6½ inch) character similar to Rescue Heroes line. Lightsaber lights up.
Cons: The battery in the lightsaber cannot be replaced once it dies
The Bottom Line: Cute, chunky Darth Vader figure for toddlers/preschoolers. To scale with "Rescue Heroes" and "Spider-man and Friends" lines.
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| mizgnomer's Full Review: Star Wars Jedi Force Darth Vader and Imperial Claw... |
My husband and I are both big fans of the original Star Wars trilogy -- we both grew up loving it and still enjoy it now. That's why we couldn't resist getting our young son the some of the toys from Playskool's adorable Star Wars line of toys for toddlers/preschoolers. Although he's now got quite a collection of the small, 2-inch characters, we really couldn't resist when we saw the new, larger characters in their new "Jedi Force" line. Our first acquisition was Darth Vader.
Product Description:
This new line of "Jedi Force" figures from Playskool/Hasbro stand much taller than the sets they've put out previously. Darth Vader stands 6½ inches tall (compare that to the 2½ inch Vader that came with the X-Wing Adventure set). Although he is bigger than our other Playskool Star Wars figures, he is to scale with my son's chunky "Spider-man and Friends" figures, as well as his "Rescue Heroes".
The Darth Vader figure itself is quite impressive. It has all of the details one might expect, down to colorful buttons on his chest and belt and the link of the chain for his cape. His cape is cloth, rather than plastic. Because this toy is intended for toddlers/preschoolers, it has been cutsied-up and chunky-fied. His feet are beyond massive, making him very stable when standing. His hands/gloves are similarly huge. His face/mask is a chunky version of the Darth Vader we all know and love, although one eye is squintier than the other (I guess they were trying to give him an expression, which is actually a bit silly since it is a mask, not a face...). Just like his 2-inch counterpart, his eyes are red rather than the black eyes Darth Vader normally has (I don't know why Playskool insists on giving him red eyes). As far as articulation goes, his head and both wrists swivel, he can bend at the knees and hips, and his shoulders can both rotate as well as raise and lower his arms. One thing that doesn't bend like you might expect are his elbows.
Also included with Darth Vader are his lightsaber and an "Imperial Claw Droid". The lightsaber is an impressive 5 inches long and lights up with a red glow when a button at the base of the handle is pressed. It is definitely chunkier than your conventional lightsaber (which in my mind means it is harder to break). Darth Vader can hold his chunky lightsaber in either hand. The "Imperial Claw Droid" is a strange looking little creature but is in keeping with the look of some of the droids seen in the original movies. When you press the button on top of his head his "legs" open, allowing you to "clamp" him onto various objects (such as Vader's arm). Although his legs are clamps, he can also stand unsupported on his own. Also, Vader can hold the droid in either of his hands (the droid's "arms" are just the right width for Vader's hands to hold). He's not articulated at all, other than his clamping legs.
A battery is included in the lightsaber, however it cannot be replaced once it dies. The manufacturer recommends this toy for children ages 3 and up.
Our Experiences:
My favorite thing about this toy is the fact that it is in-scale with my son's "Spider-man and Friends" and "Rescue Heroes" toys. My son adores his superheroes, and he needed a "bad guy" for them to fight against. I love listening to my son as he speaks for his figures, and while my mind rejects the idea of Darth Vader hanging out with Spider-man, listening to my son as he acts out the various scenarios of these two famous characters meet is just hysterical to me.
My son was interested in the clamp-droid for a little while (testing out clamping him to various things), but really doesn't have much interest in him anymore. I suppose it was nice for Playskool to include an additional figure, but overall he's a bit worthless...
My son loves swords, so the lightsaber is a big part of what he likes about this Darth Vader. I'm a bit perturbed that when the battery dies it cannot be changed. We've had the toy a few months now and with fairly regular play the battery is still going strong (thank goodness).
I wasn't sure whether or not my son, at 3½, had a good grasp of the whole good vs. evil, good-guy/bad-guy concept, but now that he's got this toy I realize that he does see the distinction rather clearly. Even though he hasn't seen Star Wars in its entirety (my husband has played bits and pieces for him, but not the whole thing), he does understand that Darth Vader is the villain. At night when he gathers up a few superheroes to keep in bed with him, he will typically hand Darth Vader to my husband or me, asking us to remove it from his room. He simply doesn't want to sleep with a "bad guy" in his bedroom at night. Then the next morning when he's ready to play he'll seek out Vader so the struggle of good vs. evil can continue. At first I was hesitant to get my son a villain (our 2-inch Darth came in a set, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gotten him individually), but now I'm glad we have him and think that my son's reaction is healthy and a good indictor of his maturity level.
There are currently 4 sets of figures in the "Jedi Force" line (the other 3 are a set containing R2-D2 and C-3PO, Chewbacca with a "Wookie action tool", and Luke Skywalker with a Jedi jet pack). We've seen them retail at Target for $7.99. Online I've seen the Darth Vader listed as high as $25 (I don't know if he's more rare or not, but he's the highest priced one of the group -- the other sets were priced at $15 online).
Quickie Summary:
Pros:
+) A cute, chunky Darth Vader made for preschoolers/toddlers
+) Six inches tall - to scale with "Spider-man and Friends" and "Rescue Heroes" toy lines
+) Includes lightsaber that glows red when button is pressed
+) Includes "Imperial Claw Droid" that can clamp onto various objects (such as Vader's arm)
Cons:
-) The battery in the lightsaber cannot be replaced once it dies
-) The "Imperial Clamp Droid" is nice but a bit useless
Final Thoughts:
It is fun to be able to share something I enjoyed in my own childhood with my little boy. Right now my son prefers his superheroes, but he does enjoy having Darth Vader around to be the "bad guy" as he acts out imaginative adventures with his various figures. I'm grateful to Playskool/Hasbro for introducing their "Jedi Force" line to scale with other popular toy lines.
Related Reviews:
Jedi Force R2-D2 and C-3PO
Playskool Millennium Falcon Adventure
Playskool - Fast Through the Forest
Playskool - The Stompin' Wampa Set
Playskool X-Wing Adventure
R2-D2 Interactive Astromech Droid
Boba Fett Unleashed
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 7.99
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Epinions.com ID:
mizgnomer
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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
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