Review of Gamorrean Guard
Star Wars Black Series action figure

Introduction

There are a lot of cool creatures in the original Star Wars trilogy. It was a huge part of the appeal because it had been years since aliens this extreme had been seen on the big screen, and kids ate it up.

My favorite, at least of the bipedal aliens, was the Gamorrean Guard. It helps that he was part of the best sequence in ROJ. But it was also because the character design, actions, and purpose were tied together nicely. Here's a big, strong, pig-like dude who's working security. He's not too bright, but he gets the job done.

You knew Hasbro would get around to including him in their great 1/12 scale Black Series, and they have. This guy is a Target exclusive, at least in the U.S. He'll run you about $30 there, and is currently shipping.

Packaging - ***
If you've been collecting the series, you know what the packaging is like. It is collector friendly - no need to damage anything when freeing the figure and accessories - but it's relatively plain. I do love the gray scale artwork on the cover, but this box is a bit larger than it really needs to be.

Sculpting - ****
I love the look of the character, and Hasbro has done an excellent job capturing the gruff, mean, and none-to-bright expression. There's lots of skin texture, implying a rough, rhino-like exterior, and the armor has tons of tiny details.

The helmet is not removable, but I'm very good with that. It looks great right out of the package, and it's one less thing to lose. They've done a nice job engineering the sculpt and articulation to work together, something that's not easy with a chunky character like this.

Rather than use a sculpted fur skirt, they went with a soft, faux fur material. It looks great, but it does tend to ride up on him, due in part to the articulation at the waist. I'm thinking I may glue it down at key spots where it doesn't interfere with the hips, but does keep his Gammie panties covered up.

He's shorter than you might expect, but that's consistent with his look on screen. He's between 5 3/4" and 6", depending on how much bend you put in the knees and waist.

Paint - ***
While I love the sculpt, I'm not quite as enamored with the paint job. It's not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but there's enough slop to annoy.

This is particularly true around the teeth, mouth, and horns. A repaint on this guy would go a long way to perfection.

There's also a weird light color on the face that I'm not digging. It's not as obvious in photos, but in hand it's clear that the face is lighter than the body, intentionally. I'd prefer a darker skin tone all around.

Still, these are minor nits, and while a repaint would make the sculpt stand out even more, it's not necessary for this to be a terrific figure on your shelf.

Articulation - ****
Perhaps most impressive to me was how well the articulation works with the sculpt. The character is slightly short and very wide, and that can be a recipe for restricted joints. They manage to avoid any issues however, and he's quite posable for a big man.

The ball jointed neck has good tilt and lean movement, even with the sculpted armor. The rotating hinge shoulders and wrists, along with the hinge elbows, allow for decent arm poses, including two handed weapon holds.

The ball hips are not restricted by the torso or skirt, and the double pin knees allow for deep bends. The rotating hinge ankles have a ton of rocker movement too, so he can keep those feet flat on the ground in those deep bends and wide stances.

And then there's that hidden waist joint. It rocks and rolls with the best, and adds a ton of realism to any stance.

EDIT - an astute reader pointed out that I missed one!  Yes, he has a hinged jaw!  It works pretty well, thanks to the ability of the neck to rock back...

Accessories - ***
He's not super well outfitted, but he has some necessary brutal extras.

There are three weapons in total: a short handled ax; a short handled wide 'chopping' blade; and his trademark vibro-lance. The sculpts and paint work on all three are basic but well done.

And that's it. It's not a lot, but it does allow for a few different looks on the shelf.

Outfit - ***
I usually don't have an Outfit score with a Star Wars Black Series figure, but since the skirt is fake fur, I thought it would be useful.

It tends to ride up on him, getting pulled into the rocker waist joint. You can tug it down, but I may look for a more permanent solution if I can come up with one that does not restrict the hips.

The material quality is great however, and I'm very glad they went with soft goods rather than merely sculpting it.

Fun Factor - ****
Thanks to the great articulation and excellent sculpt/paint, this is a really fun Black Series figure. You'll return to him over and over, changing up the look depending on what other figures you pair him with.

Value - **
The usual Black Series figure is $20. This guy is an exclusive, which drives the price up a bit, but a full $10? It's hard to justify that full price, although I certainly didn't hesitate to pick it up.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - ***1/2
I always love the creature figures, particularly in the Black Series. It's a perfect scale for them, and Hasbro hasn't let me down yet with likenesses and quality. This particular dude is a personal favorite, so it's no surprise I grabbed the figure the moment I saw it.

I have a minor nit with the skin tone on the face, and I'm not sure he's worth $10 more than a normal release, but I wouldn't pass on this guy when you see him on the shelf.

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

Where to Buy 
This guy is a Target exclusive, where you'll find him for $30, or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I might buy a lot of Star Wars Black Series figures, but I don't always review them. The last was the cool 4-LOM, young Lando, young Han, and the Range Trooper. I also recently reviewed the terrific Dewback and Sandtrooper.

Going back further, there's Ackbar and the FO Officer, the 40th Anniversary Leia, the Hovertank Pilot, Jango Fett and the Flametrooper, Old Man Han and Trooper Finn  the Resistance Fighter, Captain Phasma, the Target two pack of Poe and the Riot Control Trooper, the first Poe, the basic FO Trooper (along with the Disney die cast version), a Snowtrooper, and Captain Zuvio.

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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