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Star Wars Ultra
Jabba the Hutt

Coheteboy is back tonight with a review of the new Jabba, Ultra style!  He's also sent in a guest review of the denizens pack, which I should have up soon...go for it, Coheteboy!

With an opening wave that provided some very cool toys, what could possibly make the second assortment of ULTRA figures a must-have? The big slug himself, Jabba the Hutt! And like everything else, there are two sides of the coin: One side says "it's about friggin' time!" and the other side says "Why didn't they make him to scale?!". I guess I'm on a third side of the coin that cries out both lines. 

Yes, this is the very first Jabba the Hutt specifically from Return of the Jedi, but the fourth Jabba toy that has been released by Hasbro in the modern line. What are the first three? Let's take a quick trip down memory lane. The first Jabba introduced to collector's was from the Special Edition of A New Hope. It was a terrible looking toy to a terrible looking redesign of the character that included a Han Solo figure. Next up was a "Jabba Glob" released under the Episode 1 card. It resembled the Jabba we all know and love but was a bit small and had a tub of glob to seep out of his mouth. The Episode 1 line brought yet another version of the Hutt that came with the Two-headed announcer and a spitting feature. Really not a Jabba the Hutt that any of the collectors wanted.

And now we have the Saga version that is so far the definitive version of our favorite crime boss. Let's take a closer look at one of the toys you may not want to skip.







Packaging - ***1/2
As I mentioned before, this is excellent packaging. It's simple in design and that's one of the reasons why it works so well. The card stock used is thick and sturdy, though the corners might need need some damage control. The bubbles are big and contents are clearly displayed. A small card insert provides a production still from the film. The card back provides a blurb about the character as well as some good to know tidbits about the toy and in full color. This is some of the more decent packaging designs Hasbro has done so far.

Sculpting - ***
Scale issues aside, Jabba's sculpt is pretty dead on. All the wrinkles, the folds, it's all there. Keep in mind that this is the same body as the Jabba Glob but with a retooled head. I really can't say too much more because this IS the best Jabba we've seen, well, ever! Too bad he's so small! Not to mention the addition of the tongue, well... I'll discuss that below. 

Paint - ***1/2
This is pretty good paint applications even for Hasbro's standards. Still, it's not the best. The colors are much closer to the real Jabba this time around and I breathe a sigh of relief seeing it this good. Now let's bring our attention to the eyes. I think a lot more could have been done here to make the eyes a little more dynamic since they do appear slightly hypnotized. Of course it's not horrible and I can't reiterate enough how much better this is than the Jabba Glob. 

Articulation - *1/2
With this figure was done from scratch, I can just imagine that there'd be several places where multiple points of articulation would be quite possible. A slug this size could have eye lids that can close, multiple points in his arms and several smaller neck joints rather than one big one. Another cool articulation would be jaw movement or an articulated tongue that can slide from side to side. The possibilities are endless, but unfortunately for us, we were given a recycled product. And this recycled product only has three measly points of articulation: one for each arm and one right below his...boobs. The joint is clearly obvious and it is quite bothersome from a visual standpoint. 

Accessories - ***1/2
For a large figure, Hasbro was quite generous with his accessories (see, doesn't General Rieekan seem even more of a rip now?). Included are six pieces. The first is a large railing (1) that can hold the bowl (2) for his snack (3). The top portion (4) also connects to form his hooka pipe (5), which in turn fits into the hole in Jabba's mouth. The final piece is Jabba's tongue (6) that plugs into the same hole that the hookah pipe uses. The tongue is a bit long but it is sculpted nicely and looks alright. With this many pieces, it really makes this Ultra figure worth picking up. 

Value - ****
For what we are given in this pack, it certainly is worth the $10 I paid. We get a large and important character along with a ton of great accessories. I mean, since when was the last time you bought a toy with a hookah pipe?? 

Overall - ***1/2
It's been so long since we had a really good Jabba the Hutt toy. The Glob was a good substitute for four years, and this Saga version will be a better substitute for a few more years. The paint is excellent for Hasbro standards and the accessories are really icing on the cake for the price paid. 

Of course on the flip side it would have been best to get a larger Jabba the Hutt with a nice sturdy base to set him on. :::sigh::: We Star Wars collectors are never happy are we?

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Figures from the collection of Coheteboy.

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