Review of Star Wars Attack of the Clones action figures
Plo Koon, Tusken Raider, Dexter Jettster, Shaak Ti

Introduction

Yep, it was Midnight Madness, and I was there along with about 100 other local Star Wars collectors.  I managed to pick up 26 of the 27 figures that first day (still looking for Dooku!), and I thought I'd do a little group review of a few at a time.

In this first group is a bunch of collection 2 - Dexter Jettster, Shaak Ti, the latest Plo Koon, and the female Tusken Raider with child.  I found most of these at Toys R Us, but finished up at Walmart.

The first 16 figures - through Dexter - most definitely came first with little background cards.  I know this for sure, because I've managed to come across all of those.  Rumors have it that Jar Jar, Nikto, and Saesee Tiin also did, but I haven't been able to positively confirm it myself yet.

Other rumored or confirmed variations - R2-D2 with plain silver shoulder connector or spoked connector (confirmed), yellow Clone Trooper (unconfirmed), Amidala with and without beauty mark (unconfirmed), and the Super Battle Droid with incorrect card back, corrected card back with sticker and corrected reprinted card back (confirmed). 

2015 Update: I picked this review to update for WayBack Wednesday this particular week because tomorrow night, Thursday the 3rd of September, at 12:01 am, the next Star Wars 'midnight madness' sale kicks off. With the highly anticipated (now there's an understatement) film coming out later this year, Hasbro selected Friday the Fourth as 'Force Friday', and have just about ever store on the planet preparing for the coming merchandise apocalypse.

It's interesting to look back and see the preoccupation with packaging and paint variations.  Long saber, short saber, did the tray match, etc. etc. etc., and yet I have to admit that 13 years later, I have no idea if anyone gives a rat's ass about any of these things any more. While there are still plenty of people that love these older figures, considerations like whether you got a short saber in a long tray or not, or what the .XX number is on the back, were probably not worth the effort, worry and stress they caused back then. Just something to ponder as you stand in line tomorrow night.

Also to keep in mind - these 13 year old figures can be hand for $5 - $10 MOMC with no trouble. I'm sure there are some variants out there that command higher prices (there always are), but in general, I wouldn't go crazy over finding the figures in the first 30 seconds you're through the door. Look back at history and remain chill, safe in the knowledge you'll get what you're looking for over the next few days.

I know the photos are a little blurry. I upped the size a bit from the old review, trying to find a compromise between not too blurry and not too small. Hopefully I found it.

Now if you don't mind, I have to get this wrapped up so I can go get in line at Target.

Packaging - ***
The packaging isn't too bad, and I certainly like the colors.  The card backs and bubbles appear to be very durable, and seem to hold up to normal shelf wear well.  The inclusion of the figure number on each is also a nice touch with the new figures, and much appreciated by many collectors.

Sculpting - Dexter ****, Plo Koon ***1/2, Tusken Raider ***1/2, Shaak Ti ****
These four figures are simply marvelous.  Dexter is one of the coolest sculpts in quite awhile, and is my favorite of the first 27 new figures. Shaak Ti also shows off some terrific sculpting work, but I knocked off a half point on Plo Koon and the Raider simply because they don't stand on their own *quite* as well as the others.  I could still stand them up without external support, but the foot position on both wasn't quite as good as the others.  With pre-posed legs like these, it's very important to sculpt a pose that works well.

Paint - ***1/2
On these four in particular, the paint ops were great.  I did see some Shaak Ti's with spotty work though, and with all the detail on her face it's easy to get a bad one.  Be careful when picking her out.

I also knocked a half point off simply because as much as I like Dexter, the paint ops don't make him look quite like the 'real' Dexter.  His 'jowels' are a darker gray than in the photos.

Articulation - Dexter ***, Shaak Ti *, Plo Koon **1/2, Tusken Raider **
As much as I like these, the articulation still isn't all that great.  Most have neck, shoulders, waist and hips, although this varies by figure.

Dexter has the most articulation, but he has the most arms.  You can do quite a bit with the joints he has in terms of posing.  Shaak Ti is the worst, with just shoulder joints.

Plo Koon is decent, and the cut joints at the elbows really help the otherwise static pose.  The Tusken Raider is weak, similar to Shaak Ti, but  at least she has waist, ankle and elbow joints.

Accessories - ***1/2
The accessories here are great overall.  Shaak Ti's and Plo Koon's light sabers look terrific, and the saber section is detachable from the hilt, always a nice touch.

Dexter has a pair of vicious looking cooking knives, along with a 'saber dart' that you will lose within 10 seconds of opening the package.

The female Tusken Raider has her gaffi stick (which is a bit wimpy looking compared to the previous version) and her child.  The child looks great, with excellent sculpting and two points of articulation.  He also fits nicely into her back pack.

Shaak Ti, Plo Koon and Dexter all come with those silly red or blue blast effects.  I really don't like them, but they are harmless enough.

And let's not forget that Dexter and the Tusken Raider might also come with a background.  It's not particularly useful, but these two actually have pretty good scenes compared to some.

Quality - **
All the figures take a hit here.  When I'm talking about quality on these, I'm referring to the soft plastics that are the norm now.

It had previously been mostly the accessories that were being produced in this softer plastic.  With the new figures, that hasn't been too much of a problem, since most come with light sabers that are still nice and solid.

But the bodies themselves are getting softer too.  It's most noticeable with Shaak Ti out of these four, and her arms were surprisingly weak.

Value - ***1/2
Did you pay the Walmart price of just under $6 for these?  Then you got a great, three and a half star value.  For a nicely sculpted figure with a couple accessories that's an appropriate price point these days.

Did you pay the $7 or even $8 from other retailers?  Then you aren't getting that same value and can knock of a full star.

Overall - Dexter ****, Plo Koon ***1/2, Shaak Ti ***, Tusken Raider ***
These are all good examples of the new 27 figures.  The sculpting and paint ops are great, and there's decent articulation and accessories.  Add in the lower price point, and it's clear the line has gotten better in a number of areas.  While some characters like Dexter will still be stand outs, overall the line shows real improvement.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - Dexter ****, Plo Koon ***1/2, Tusken Raider ***1/2, Shaak Ti ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - Dexter ***, Shaak Ti *, Plo Koon **1/2, Tusken Raider **
Accessories - ***1/2
Quality - **
Value - ***1/2
Overall - Dexter ****, Plo Koon ***1/2, Shaak Ti ***, Tusken Raider ***

Where to Buy 
In the 'real' world, you can find these at Walmart, K-mart, Kaybee, TRU, Kohl's, Electronics Boutique, Meijers, etc. etc. etc.  The best prices I've seen are at Walmart though. On-line:

- Entertainment Earth has a ton of course. You can usually depend on them to get you minty cards if your a MOMC collector.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
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