Well here they are! The Droids we have been looking for... Well not 100% what we have been looking for but very close.
Seems like we have been waiting forever for these guys to finally arrive. For me these two "ARE" Star Wars. They tend to be the first image that pops in my head whenever Star Wars is mentioned. Much of that has to do with the characters themselves since they were who we took the Journey with in the first film but also because of the marketing campaign that used these two images on everything. the only other character that is as close to iconic is Vader.
Since I have decided to streamline my collection I had decided to pick one character/statue that best represented my fav. film/series. And for Star Wars there was no other choice then the droids. Now I threw out that idea of only one statue when the Star Wars mythos line was announced but I digress.
So How did these two classic characters turn out... Pretty great if you ask me but not without some issues.
Sculpt -
3PO (4.5 out of 5) - R2 (5 out of 5) Both sculpts are overall dead on. R2 looks fantastic and as far as I can tell no detail was spared. 3PO is equally well done except for one minor flaw. I think his face seems just a little thin/long. Nothing major and something you only notice If you compare photos side by side with the real thing. Otherwise both figures are done with amazing detail. I love 3PO's working joints, pistons, and hands. I really love R2's power cords on his feet. A very nice addition indeed. The light up features are amazing and really give the characters life. I do wish there was some kind of Power cord that could have been used but that would have limited R2's movement and for me I needed to display him in a different spot then what the base suggested.
Paint -
3PO (4 out of 5) - R2 (5 out of 5) Being that this is the reg. version these two droids are dirty. I personally like this look because A) they pretty much looked this way in the entire OT and were the epitome of what Lucas was talking about when he said he wanted SW to look like a "used Universe" and B) the clean version sort of made me think of the Prequel trilogy. I also am not found of the way R2 looks at all (very much like plastic).
Now I take a point off of 3PO because his weathering could have been done with some more care and detail. It's not like I needed him to look just like he did in the desert (in all honesty that is too dirty) but just a little more detail in the nook and crannies. Give him a little more carbon scouring. Upon up close inspection he looks pretty good. From a farther distance he just looks like a darker gold. Now I watched a lot of scenes from SW after I got this piece and the darker gold seems pretty accurate whenever 3PO is inside the Death Star, Old Ben's, or Luke's place. But he is much lighter in the outside shots. Since mine is indoors I would say this works fine. But I think because it is as it is it hides the weathering.
Now this sounds like I am being negative on the paint. I am not. Like I stated I am happy that he is not Dessert dirty like he looks in the film when they first land. SSC seemed to be going for and overall look from the film. In a brightly lit room he really looks impressive and like real metal. So he deserves a good rating and I think 4 out of 5 is fair.
R2 is painted perfect. The weathering is perfect. And he really looks like he was lifted from the movie and placed on my shelf.
Pose -
Both - 5 out of 5 The first day I got these I would have actually rated the pose much lover on 3PO. He just was too stiff and reminded me of the action figures of the 70's. But then I discovered that his torso was articulate also. AND BAM! That made all the difference. 3PO now had life and looked like the film version of himself. Anthony Daniels said he felt that a protocol droid should have proper posture. By being able to move the torso and arch his back it gave 3PO his distinct look. Then you have the fact that you can move his arms wrist and head in a variety of poses and you have SSC most versatile PF (pose wise)
R2 is done to perfection as well. You can have him in biped or tripod mode. His head moves as well as his hologram scopes. He also has panels that open and shut on his body but in all honesty really have no use for that but it's still a nice touch for those who might.
Base -
5 out of 5 - One of the biggest advantages of getting the reg version over the EX is that the Reg version allows you to pose these two together as they are meant to be. Because of this I give it a 5 out of 5 rating because they could have screwed this up like they did with the EX. If though the base is a simple sand/desert look, SS did a nice job of giving it some life by adding footprints and wheel marks.
Overall -
3PO (4 out of 5) - R2 (4.5 out of 5)
Total -
4.5 out of 5
I took off a whole point for 3PO because I feel that the paint apps with the weathering could have been done better. But otherwise everything else is pretty first rate. I took off 1/2 a point for R2 just because he is made out of plastic. While he looks fantastic and very film accurate I have a hard time getting past the fact that I paid almost 800.00 (after shipping) for something that feels like a plastic toy. So it has more to due with the price then the item itself.
Overall I am very happy. Admittedly this review would have been much different if I could not have arched 3PO's back. But as it stand now this is a great addition to my collection. I would be much happier if I could have got these guys for 550.00 shipped, not sure how SSC came up with the 750.00 price tag other then they knew a lot of people wanted these two. But other then the price point I am very happy.
May the Force be with you!!
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