Please share with your friends!
Introduction
Everyone has their favorite Troops from the Star Wars Universe. We all might love the basic Stormtrooper design, but there's always one other that speaks to us for whatever personal aesthetic reasons. For me, it's always been the Snowtroopers. Maybe it's because I liked the greater mobility the armor had, or maybe it's because I liked the action on the planet Hoth...or maybe it's just because I live in a cold ass State, and appreciate the situation they face. In any event, make it Snowtroopers for me.
These guys got an iTroopers face lift with the new film, The Force Awakens, and while they didn't have a ton of screen time, they still make an impression. Hot Toys is
working their way through the massive list of Troopers, both old and new, and have just released their Snowtrooper and Snowtrooper Officer figures, either as singles or
as a two pack. The two pack provides a couple extra accessories AND it represents a solid price savings, with the single figures going for $215 - $220 (the Officer
costs slightly more) and the two pack running $390.
Packaging - ***1/2
The box is pretty standard stuff. The two figures are packed together in a single, double wide shoe box, with a single tray holding the figure and all the
accessories. It's all collector friendly of course, and easy enough to work with. I didn't have to cut the plastic wrapping off the hands or feet this time,
which is always a plus. I also like the artwork on the interior tray cover card - which is now standard part of Hot Toys packaging - and like it better than the
last couple of releases.
Sculpting - ****
There's an argument to be made that when there is no human likeness to get right, sculpting gets a whole lot easier. Still, Star Wars fans are hyper vigilante
about the accuracy of costumes and armor, making this sort of figure a tough goal to reach.
The armor and helmet look fantastic to me. Everything is in proportion, and the realism is off the charts. They've kept the right amount of small detail work on the accessories, back pack, and chest, while maintaining the machined, fabricated look you expect in the armor.
The armor fits the body well, and nothing was riding up or sitting at an odd angle. The pieces are contoured to the body and tight, looking like a properly fit suit, rather than a hand me down.
Both figures are right about 12" tall, although the one lacking the pauldron can appear a smidge shorter. I think that's a bit of an optical illusion, but if there is a difference, it's quite minor.
Paint - ***1/2
The white armor is very white - very, very, very white. Combined with the bright white fabric, this guy would disappear in any snow covered terrain, and is likely
to blind you right out of the package.
The black highlights are generally quite neat, with very few issues. There's a blip here, a blip there, but for the most part it's all very clean, sharp, and neat. You'll find some of these issues with a macro lens, but with the nekkid eye, you'll see nothing but perfection.
Articulation - ***1/2
The FO Stormtroopers are not well articulated. The new armor design causes some issues for the base body, and restricts areas like the elbows a lot more than the
older style armor. Thankfully, that's not an issue with this Snowtrooper.
The cold weather means more fabric, less hard plastic armor. This fabric suit might be padded, but it allows for much greater movement in all the joints, especially the elbows, hips, and knees.
The base body is nice and tight too, so the figure can take plenty of deep, dynamic stances, and maintain them long term.
Accessories - ***1/2
There are sixteen hands in total between the two figures. If you buy them individually, each figure comes with a set of fists, a set of relaxed grips, a set of gun
grips, and a splayed left. The Officer includes a set of tighter grips, designed for the adjustable binoculars, another accessory that only he has. The two pack
has these large, funky binoculars as well, hence the need for the extra set of hands. All the hands swap easily enough, and there's a couple extra wrist pegs just
in case.
The binoculars bend back and forth along the long center line, and have a terrific sculpt and paint job. The can easily be held in the set of hands designed for them in a variety of poses.
Each figure also has a longer blaster with folding stock and telescoping stock, as well as the smaller blaster pistol. The smaller blasters are only available with the two pack. There's no way for you to attach these to the body, but you'll want him to carry them anyway. The sculpts are exceptional, and both blasters look fantastic.
Both figures include the nifty backpack too, and I'm counting that as an accessory since it isn't technically required. It attaches with a very cool triangular hanger, and fits tightly to the body with little trouble. The sculpt is great, with lots of tiny details, highlighted by another great paint job.
Finally, both figures come with the basic display stands for consistency. They work fine, although you really shouldn't need them for most poses.
Outfit - ****
I've already discussed the armor at length in both the sculpt and paint sections, but there's also the soft cloth under suit. It's padded slightly in various areas,
which does restrict some of the articulation, but not nearly as much as more traditional armor. The quality of the material and the stitching is excellent, and
the tailoring and fit are just about perfect.
There's also the belt with pouches, which fits neatly around the waist. It's adjustable, and you can have it ride lower or higher on his waist, depending on your preference. The long coat is also nicely done, and while there are no wires, the lower half is made from a stiff enough material that you can get some dynamic posing out of it.
The only real difference in the outfits between the regular trooper and the Officer is in the inclusion of a red pauldron. It's the same design and style we've seen with some of the other Hot Toys Force Awakens trooper figures, and it has the same couple issues I've whined about before - it sits out too far, and it needs to be a little less flat. Some hot water and you can correct the flatness (although I'd take it off the figure first, since you don't want anything touching the bright white suit), but the length is what it is.
Finally, there's the two piece boots. This two piece design allows for the ankles to have a tremendous range of movement, and still look great. It's a
smart choice whenever possible, and these boots are the perfect example of getting the design right.
Fun Factor - ***1/2
You'll get plenty of jollies out of posing and re-posing these guys, and because they are so much more mobile than their FO Stormtrooper cousins, they have quite a bit
more display potential.
Value - ***
At $390, this pair might not seem like much of a deal...but that's just $195 each. When was the last time you picked up a Hot Toys figure for under $200? You can buy
these as individual figures as well, nearly the same accessories, but at around $215 for the regular and $220 for his boss. That's $435 a pair, a savings of $45
with this set. And let's face it, Snowtroopers are like Pringles - no way you can have just one.
Things to Watch Out For -
Have very, very, very clean hands when working with these guys! Otherwise, you should have no issues at all.
Overall - ****
This is one of those situations where the figure might have scored more ***1/2's than ****'s, but the end result was effected by more than merely the stat sheet.
In hand, these two are fantastic looking figures, and my own personal bias toward the Snowtrooper design has something to do with it as well.
I highly recommend snagging at least one of these guys, and if you're looking to get multiples, the two pack is the financially smart way to go. Vader looks great with a couple standard original trilogy Troopers behind him, and Kylo Ren will look as perfect with this pair backing him up.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ***1/2
Outfit - ****
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - ***
Overall - ****
Where to Buy
Online options include these site sponsors:
- Sideshow has the pair for $390, or the singles for around $210.
- or you can search ebay for a deal.
Related Links -
I just recently looked at Hot Toys' Kylo Ren, as well as the First
Order Stormtrooper. Other Hot Toys Star Wars figures include the recent Darth Vader, C-3PO, Tatooine Luke
Skywalker, Luke in his Stormtrooper Disguise, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Han and Chewbacca from ANH. If you'd like a bit more of a regular Stormtrooper,
they've done him as well, along with a Blackhole version. Sidseshow has helped out this year
with the Original Trilogy, with their Hoth Han, Hoth Luke, Tauntaun, Speederbike, and Scout
Trooper.
You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.
Discussion:
Want to chat about this review? Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!
Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!
Please share with your friends!
This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.