Review of Zuckuss - Star Wars
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

Many collectors are 'completists'. Their obsessive tendencies drive them to want complete sets, and marketers have known this forever. As children, we were espoused to 'collect them, trade them with your friends!', and there was a hole in our lives when there was a hole in our collection.

Ignoring the deep psychological ramifications, because we're all alot better off if we do, this desire is easy to see with sets of characters. For example, throw a rock at a comic convention and you'll hit a collector who won't buy one Lord of the Rings figure if they aren't assured they'll get the whole Fellowship.

One set that I wasn't sure I'd ever see was a complete group of bounty hunters from Star Wars, at least not in high end sixth scale action figures. We got them in statue form from Kotobukiya, and we got the piss poor versions from Hasbro...but with the license bopping around between Sideshow and Hot Toys over the last few years, I feared the final couple would never see the light of day.

Those fears are now put to rest. Zuckuss and Dengar, the last two we needed, are now with us. I'll be reviewing Dengar soon as well, but let's take a look at the bug himself, Zuckuss, tonight. This guy is available exclusively through Sideshow in the U.S., and will run you $225.

Packaging - ***
The usual. Basic photos of Zuckuss, basic Star Wars style for any packaging, and it's all collector friendly. Sideshow revolutionized the packaging market when they went with the flaps with magnetic closures, but the world has moved on.

Sculpting - ***
Zuckuss is the sort of blind date that is always described as 'having a nice personality'. This is one ugly mofo. You might assume that because he's a bounty hunter and that's a cool gig, that he's actually one of the more attractive of his species...but the fact that he hangs out with Dengar kills that idea.

The large, insect-like head looks good, with decent proportions and some nice work on the translucent eyes.  I think the skin texture could be a little more defined, and some areas are a bit soft in detail. But they've done a nice job differentiating between the mechanical breather on his face, and the fleshy parts around it.

They've used a soft rubber for the 'tubes' that run off his lower face, as well as the tubes that hold the weird little 'tank' off to his left side. It has always reminded me of some sort of alien colostomy bag - I really don't want to know what's in it. There's also a nicely sculpted panel on his back, which I assume is part of his overall breathing apparatus.

He only has four hands, but they are sculpted to work with the blaster and a couple different poses. They pop on and off easily enough, and their scale is good.

Paint - ***
They've used a wash on the skin to highlight some of the texture, but it tends to wash it out instead.  Again, I think that's because the texture needed a bit more definition, but the paint hasn't really improved things.

There's a blip here and there on the silver mouth piece, but overall it looks good. I really like the translucent eye coverings, but it's tough to get the light to catch them just right.

There's not a ton of detailed paint work on this guy, but what's here is solid B work.

Articulation - **1/2
You're not going to get a ton of poses out of this guy - he's just not built for it.

The ball jointed neck is restricted by the wide neck on the head, as well as the costume. The neck itself flairs out, and the back collar tends to get trapped underneath this flair. I found myself constantly pulling the collar back up and over the neck (which I had to use tweezers to do, and risk damaging the coat), if I wanted the head to properly tilt back.

The heavy coat tends to restrict the arms, and the short, stubby length doesn't help any. You can get some two handed gun grips, but not many, and none of them are particularly natural looking.

The torso can turn and twist, but the heavy costume tends to push it back to center. The legs work well, but the boots restrict the ankles quite a bit. Overall, you can get two or three good poses, and that's about it.

Accessories - **
He comes with very little, particularly when you consider the price point.

He has the set of hands he comes wearing, plus one more right and left for holding the blaster. Each hand has its own wrist peg, as you'd expect from Sideshow.

The blaster is cool looking with some wood grain detail on the stock. Be very careful when inserting it into the hard plastic hands - there's some very thin pieces on the gun that you could damage with too much pressure.

And then there's the basic display stand and support rod...and I mean basic. It has the Star Wars logo on the bottom, but nothing on the top. And that's it. Considering the price point, he's woefully under accessorized.

Outfit - ***1/2
They spent a lot of time on this outfit, but I'm not sure it's going to get noticed, at least not at first.

There's a light colored shirt and dark pants underneath the rest of the costume, which gives him a bit of bulk and thickness. While you might argue that these pieces aren't necessary - you can't see them unless you really work at it - they do create a more realistic overall figure.

The boots are a cool sculpt, and they are made from a softer material. You still can't get a lot of rocker movement out of the ankles, but you can get a little, enough for any poses that the long coat will allow.

The coat is worn and aged quite nicely. It still needs to be softer though, because the stiff material makes it hang unnaturally below the waist.

The belts and harness are made from a quality leather-like material. The pockets all actually open, and more surprising, they are all held closed with magnets! Rather than cheap out, they went the extra mile with these details, although I doubt they'll get the love they deserve for it. I also find it amusing that I just realized Zuckuss is wearing a fanny pack.

The panel on the back has some nice detailing, in both sculpt and paint. It all fits well thanks to some good tailoring, and the quality of the materials and construction is high. At first glance, I was only going to go three stars here, but as I worked with the figure more and saw the details of the costume, I was more impressed by the overall work.

Fun Factor - **
Due to the limited mobility and the lack of accessories, this isn't going to be a figure you return to over and over, looking for that new perfect pose. Instead, you'll use him to fill out your ultimate bounty hunter team, and move on to the next cool release.

Value - *1/2
While I will give them props for going the extra mile on the costume, the simple reality is this is not a $225 figure. $180? Sure, I could easily see that, but this guy is costing as much as far higher end figures, with fewer accessories and less complex paint work.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not much. As I mentioned earlier, the gun has some tiny pieces, and it can be difficult to fit it within the hard plastic hands. I'd suggest using some heat to reduce the pressure and stress you will need to put the gun in the hands.

Overall - **1/2
Here's the short story - if this figure was $200 or less, he'd get a solid B here. While there's nothing about him that's going to elevate him onto any Best Of lists next year, he can hold his own on the shelf with your other bounty hunters, and there's really no reason you'll ever need another Zuckuss.

But he costs more than that, rivaling in price some much nicer figures. If money is no object, you'll be much happier with the end result, but if the cost makes you pause, watch for a deal before pulling the trigger.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***
Paint - ***
Articulation - **1/2
Accessories - **1/2
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - **
Value - *1/2
Overall - **1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Sideshow is the exclusive retailer in the U.S., where he runs $225.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've covered the rest of the bounty hunters, including IG-88, Bossk, Boba Fett, and 4-LOM. I'll be hitting up Dengar soon!

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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