Please share with your friends!
Introduction
It's a trap! The talking cephalopod known as Admiral Ackbar recited one of the best known - if shortest - lines of dialog in the entire Star Wars universe, right behind "No, I am your father". In Ackbar's favor, no one ever misquotes him.
Hasbro has just released a two pack in their 6" Black series of a new Ackbar alongside a First Order Officer. The officer has no memorable lines,
but he's a nice addition to the bad guy side of the display. The pairing is exclusive to Toys R Us, and will run you $40.
Packaging - ***
The simple window box shows off the figures, but remains plain and basic. I will give them this - its collector friendly, with no tape, twisties or
bands holding the figures or accessories in place. Mine arrived pretty beat up (ordered it online rather than wait for it to show up at the local
store), but hopefully that's just due to awful handling at the warehouse. There's a nice, big silver foil sticker on the front, ensuring you
know all about its exclusivity.
Sculpting - FO Officer ***1/2; ****
If you're looking for a great Ackbar in the 1/12 scale, look no further. This guy, standing about 6 1/2" tall, is everything you want him to be.
With his googly eyes and wrinkly crustacean skin, he matches up nicely with the on screen persona. The suit has a nice sculpted texture, something
uncommon in figures this size, and even his tiny insignia on his chest looks terrific.
The First Order Officer isn't really less impressive...he's just less recognizable. The sculpted face and hair have a very Aryan look - if you had any doubt that the Empire was based on Nazi Germany, even after the 'stormtroopers', this guy will wash it away - but the smooth skin and short hair make for a much less complex portrait. The costume has some excellent detail work though, and the removable hat was a nice surprise.
Paint - FO Officer ***; Ackbar ***1/2
The paint work on Ackbar does an excellent job of highlighting and showcasing the terrific sculpt. I'm particularly impressed with the eyes, which
shine with life and realism. The skin tones are good, but not quite as impressive, but the light wash used across the figure brings out much of the
detail. Once again, that itty bitty insignia looks terrific, thanks in large part to the delicate paint application.
The work on the uniform of the officer is his paint highlight, even with a predominately black costume. They've mixed gloss and matte finishes to create some variation in the black, and there's plenty of small details to add contrast. The eyes and eyebrows aren't quite as clean (and the eyebrows look a lot like Uncle Leo, when Elaine drew them on with a magic marker), and this boy is certainly white. The skin tone is very light, so much so that he'd be the whitest guy in the room at an Ed Sheeran family reunion. To finish on a positive, the work on his hair is well done, with the short buzz on the sides looking quite good.
Articulation - ***1/2
Ackbar doesn't have the most mobile neck, with the tall collar and flappy neck getting in each others way. But the hinged jaw, which allows the
mouth to open quite wide, makes up for most of the negative, adding a great look to the overall figure.
The rest is pretty much as you'd expect - rotating hinge shoulders, elbows and wrists; ball hips with cut thighs, double pins knees, and hinge ankles with plenty of rocker movement. There's even a cut waist.
The Officer pretty much mimics this. You'd expect his hinge neck to work better than it does, but otherwise he's a well articulated and very posable figure. Neither of these guys will get into super dynamic ninja poses, but it would be out of character for them anyway.
Accessories - **1/2
Unfortunately, they don't come with a whole lot. Both have a blaster, with the FO Officer coming with a small silver model, and Ackbar coming
with the larger - and more detailed - gray and silver version. They can hold them in their hands, and the Officer has a holster permanently attached
to his belt to carry his with him.
The FO Officer has one other extra - his hat. Yep, it's removable, and it's properly scaled, with a perfect fit. Imagine that!
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Both of these make for fun additions to your display...or you kid's battalion. With great looks and decent articulation, they'll have hours of fun
fighting it out between the Empire and the Alliance. Or you'll have fun carrying around Ackbar and yelling "It's a trap!" much to your families
chagrin.
Value - ***
They've maintained the $20 a piece price point for quite some time now, and the quality on the Star Wars Black line has improved. At $40 for the
pair, you're getting an exclusive set at the same price as two of the regular release figures, making this a slightly better than average value to
me.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.
Overall - FO Officer ***; Ackbar ***1/2
While I don't review every 6" Star Wars Black figure, I do buy them all - at least the ones I can find. Distribution remains terrible, and I still
haven't seen any of 36, 37, 38, or 39. C'mon, Hasbro, you're killing me!
The FO Officer is a nice add, with a solid sculpt and paint application. He's not the most exciting figure you'll buy this year, but if you're going to get a filler character, he should at least be well done. This guy is.
But let's be honest - the reason you're buying the set is to get Ackbar. He looks great, and is one of the more impressive figures (to me) in the last few months. I don't think you'll be disappointed in him, even if you have to buy two figures to add him to the collection.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - FO Officer ***1/2; Ackbar ****
Paint - FO Officer ***; Ackbar ***1/2
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - **1/2
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - ***
Overall - FO Officer ***; Ackbar ***1/2
Where to Buy
This is a Toys R Us exclusive, where you can pick it up for $40. You can also search
ebay
for a deal.
Related Links -
Other Star Wars Black reviews include 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.
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.
