Packaging - ***
Yea, it's that damn boring look that Lucas is pushing for a lot of the
high end 30th anniversary collectibles. But at least it's got a window
so you can check him out before the actual purchase, and he does come with the
nifty baseball card style COA. It could be a whole lot worse.
Sculpting - ***1/2
When I first saw photos of this buy, I was expecting to be disappointed.
First, it's always tough for people to capture Luke's likeness, whether it's
pre or post accident. Second, the photos made him seem much older
looking than he was even post accident, and I wasn't expecting him to be a
particularly good likeness.
Even when I checked him out through the window, I was wary. You can
imagine my surprise once I had him out of the package and in hand, and
realized he really is an excellent Luke likeness. They got this
character down, with the slightly puffy jawline, cleft chin, and tricky
lips. Even the eyes, although a little generic, end up working quite
well in combination with the rest of the head sculpt.
The hair is also well done, with a nice amount of texture detail, and the
perfect length and style. It's very life-like, something that's been
tricky for most companies doing this version.
The face is cut a little sharper than other versions, and that sharpness
makes him seem a little older. For example, compare this to the Sideshow
version, and he looks about 10 years that figure's senior. I actually
prefer this sculpt to that one, but the paint tends to over accentuate the age
difference as well.
My one complaint about the general sculpt is the right hand that's being
gloved. Something looks off about how the material is folding over the
hand and the length of the fingers. It just doesn't quite look right,
and it throws off the overall excellent appearance of the bust.
Paint - ***
And now it's time to further discuss said paint. There's a fair amount
of wash on the face - not a ton, but enough that the already sharp cuts of the
face (cleft, lips, eyes, nose) are made all that much sharper and
darker. I think a lot of the age effect is actually coming from the
paint work, not the sculpt itself, and that's why this category takes a bit
more of a hit.
My only other issue is once again that gloved hand. The color of the
glove is a bit off as well, not quite matching up with the rest of the outfit.
However, there aren't any quality issues. The eyes are dead on and
almost perfect, the lips are a good color, and the hair line is cleanly
cut. Colors are consistent and even, and the overall paint job is
quality stuff.
Design - ***
Luke is in his Jedi clothes and robe, with the hood flowing down his
back. Good stuff. His light saber is on his hip, fully visible on
the bust. Also good stuff. And he's getting dressed. Huh?
Okay, he's just putting on his glove, finishing up with the replaced right
hand. It's a rather unusual pose for him, and is somewhat reminiscent of
a dueling pose. It's as if he's preparing for the duel, staring at his
opponent with an icy stare. The overall design has some high points, but
it's not the most charismatic version of Jedi Luke I've ever seen.
Value - **1/2
You can usually expect to pay around $45 for a GG bust, which is a pretty
average value. With a run of 6500 though, it's likely that the price of
this figure will be lower on ebay, a good indication that something is over
priced. You can find these at some retailers (see below) for as little
as $40 right now.
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