Review of Boba Fett - Star Wars Return of the Jedi
Exclusive Quarter Scale Action Figure QS003

Introduction

I've always been a huge fan of quarter scale figures, ever since McFarlane introduced them to the collector's market way back when.  Other companies like SOTA and NECA continued that tradition, and Sideshow took it a step further, creating mixed media quarter scale statues in their Premium Format series.  And then the evolution came full circle, with Enterbay and Hot Toys taking the articulation of an action figure and combining it with the mixed media quality of a PF, creating the ultimate quarter scale action figure.

The first in Hot Toys' QS series was the Bale Batman, followed up quickly by the Endoskeleton.  They took a bit of a break then, and number 3 was last fall's release of the Boba Fett, reviewed tonight. This figure comes in a standard release as well as an exclusive, and of course the exclusive includes an extra accessory (or two). Either can be had for around $470, although Sideshow is the only retailer in the U.S. with the exclusive available.

Packaging - ****
I love these huge boxes.  The cover has a three dimensional effect, thanks to the Fett helmet that is a separate piece, attached to the front. The QS logo below that is also a separate piece, and the entire exterior of the box has a very high end look and feel. That doesn't end with the exterior - inside the soft foam layers holds the figure and accessories safely and with that just so touch of class.

It's all collector friendly of course, and you can easily remove the figure and parts without any damage. There's no real assembly, although you will want to pop the holster on his belt (quite easy) and insert the tools in his calf pockets (even easier).

Sculpting - ***1/2
Boba Fett is a truly iconic character, whose entire appeal is based on his costume.  Let's face it, the guy never said much, never did much, and died like a punk. (or maybe he's not dead...). But his Mandalorian armor kicks all kinds of ass, and is one of the coolest outfits not just in Star Wars, but in the annals of film.

The outfit has been done over and over, in every scale including quarter. That means Hot Toys better get it right, with no excuse. Thankfully, they did. The proportions, scale and detail are amazing, and much better than we've seen in any other release. The larger scale allows Hot Toys to get crazy with small details, especially in areas like the gauntlets. The end result is a tremendously realistic looking figure, head to toe.

That doesn't mean there aren't nits.  The chest plates are flatter than I'd like, and we've seen that issue before with some of Sideshow's sixth scale releases of Boba and Jango.  There should be a little curve to the chest, but that's almost non-existent here.

The sculpted wear and damage looks fantastic, especially the various dents. I'm betting the serious Fett fans will find some issues with the helmet - they always do - but the sculpt and scale look pretty much dead on to me.

The various hands are sculpted to work nicely with the accessories, and are made from a softer rubber that's fairly easy to work with.

Boba stands just shy of a full 18" tall, without the diorama base.

Paint - ****
The paint makes this figure really stand out, thanks to the amazing work on the wear and damage. The armor looks like it's seen its share of battle, and the man wearing it is bad ass enough to survive it all.

The armor is a bit darker in color than some of the past releases, and I think that lends a bit more gravitas and realism to the final look. Colors are not bright, but rather dulled by use and age, giving him a battle tested and proven appearance.

This amazing paint work compliments the amazing sculpt perfectly, creating something more in the process. That's what great paint does, and Hot Toys has nailed it with this release.

Articulation - ****
Unlike the Premium Format style statue, this guy is fully articulated under that outfit.  He's a biggie sized sixth scale figure, with all the movement and posability of any smaller figure.

If I were merely grading him n the body, he might lose a half star however.  The ratchet joints in the knees and hips work great and can hold stances long term, and the shoulders, elbows and wrists allow for a fairly wide range of arm poses.  Some of those classic Fett gun holding stances can be a little tricky to manage, but it is possible.

The ball jointed neck works well, and adds that extra bit of personality to any stance.  But the ankles are a little less mobile than I'd like, and he's not quite as good at the deepest stances.  It's a minor nit though, and when you add in the other areas of articulation, there's no doubt this guy deserves four stars.

Other areas, you say?  There's the obvious view finder articulation, which allows you to position it down in front of his visor.  There's the slightly less obvious wiring in the cape, which allows you to create more dynamic looks where the wind is blowing dramatically.  And then there's the even less obvious jets on the pack, which can be turned up and down. All those options allow for a greater variety of poses.

Accessories - ****
Fett is well equipped, and most of the accessories can be used in the display at all times.

He has a total of 8 hands, including the relaxed grip set he comes wearing. There's a set of fists, a set of more relaxed hands, a gun grip right, and a wider grip left. These swap pretty easily, thanks to a softer rubber material and very thick, sturdy wrist posts.

He has a set of four tools for the pockets on his shins. These are all very well down, including moving bits and extra details. This is the sort of attention to detail that sets a figure like this apart, even when it isn't obvious at first glance.

I'm counting the jetpack as an accessory as well, and it slips on the back thanks to two shoulder hangers. There's also a magnet that helps keep it in place. I've already raved about the sculpt and paint work, and while it's an accessory, you won't want to display him without it.

He needs a few weapons of course, and the regular edition comes with two blaster rifles - regular, and damaged. Both look great, and can be held in one or two handed poses. And yes, I know he wouldn't be holding them both at the same time, but I only have so many photos to show off various aspects of the figure, and putting them together makes it all that much easier.

The exclusive version also has a blaster pistol and holster. The holster slips on his belt pretty easily, and the side arm fits cleanly inside. It's not a critical extra, since it's largely hidden by the packs on the belt, but if you can get it at the same price as the regular, it's well worth it.

Finally, the figure includes the diorama style base.  Technically, the front of the base has the name plate with the short railing going around the back. However, I suspect most people will want to display him with the railing in front, and Hot Toys took that situation into consideration.

They supplied a crotch support, and there are actually two different locations to insert this support in the base. One is toward the back, the other toward the front, so the figure can look right no matter which way you turn the base.  To make this even more useful, they supply four plastic 'panels' for the top of the base: two with the support holes, and two without. That allows you to cover up the hole you're not using.

This also means that if you're like me and not using a support at all, you can cover up both holes and have a completely clean look to the base. I really appreciate this sort of detail, and it shows that Hot Toys thinks about the final display of their figures and the best way to meet the multiple needs of different collectors.

Outfit - ***1/2
There's not a lot more to say about the cloth outfit, but the quality of materials, stitching and tailoring are all top notch. The worn, ragged cape looks great and the aforementioned wires allow for some interesting looks, and the properly fit cloth suit allows the armor to hang off the body perfectly.

There really is only one other nit that holds back this score from perfection. The wookie braids on the right shoulder are awfully clean and neat, and look more like some sort of armed services designation because of it.  They need to be dirtier to better match the overall look of the figure.

The underlying suit could be a bit more worn as well, since the armor and cape are clearly battle damaged.  There's quite a contrast between the look of the cloth suit and the armor in terms of damage, and it is pretty obvious in hand.

Still, these issues are quite minor, and the final overall look of the figure remains outstanding.

Fun Factor - ****
You'll have a great time finding that perfect Fett pose...and then changing it all up again and again. There's enough accessories here to give you plenty of options, and the solid articulation will allow for plenty of variety in stances. He's also quite sturdy, assuming you take care around the gauntlets.

Value - **1/2
This guy runs $460 or so, depending on the retailer. That might seem expensive, until you consider that the Sideshow PF was over $300 when it was released almost ten years ago! That's an all plastic statue, with almost no articulation or accessories and a very basic base. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the 1/4 scale Endoskeleton that ran $400, but had some die cast metal and a light up feature.

For me, this guy is a pretty average value on today's market.  Of course, south of $450 would make it all the more attractive, but you're getting an extremely high quality figure with a variety of weapons and a great base. Spending the money will be painful, but once you have him in hand you won't regret it.

Things to Watch Out For -
The major issue here is with the tiny, tiny details on the gauntlets. Be very careful when swapping the hands, and always be aware of where you're squeezing or putting pressure.

Overall - ****
I have a lot of versions of Fett, from the silly to the exceptional. But I have to say that I think this has taken the top spot as my favorite out of all of them...at least until Hot Toys gets their sixth scale version released. Even then, it's going to be tough to overcome this guy, because the extra size allows them to do more with the detailing, and allows the cloth and plastic to be even closer to the perfect scale. It's hard to beat quarter scale when it's done right, and this figure is the definition of 'done right'.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Sideshow has the regular and the exclusive for $470, but you'll have to get on the wait list for the exclusive.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
There's been a couple Premium Format Boba Fett statues from Sideshow, like this one, as well as several sixth scale figures including this one from Sideshow, a versions from Medicom, and of course, Hot Toys has their own sixth scale Fett coming soon.

Other quarter scale releases from Hot Toys include the Terminator Endoskeleton and Batman.

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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