Packaging - ****
While this style of package has been around for years, it's still a wonder to behold. This one is quite large, with the many accessories, and better still, has a TON of text on both flaps. The magnetic closures work well, and the box is completely collector friendly.

Sculpting - ***
I bet someone can tell you whether the helmet is a perfect representation of the screen version right down to the millimeter - that ain't me. I love Fett (I have TONS of silly figures, busts, statues, and odds and ends based on the character) but I'm not that extreme.

However, there are some aspects of this figure that seem off to me, and they are the reason the sculpt gets dragged down a bit.

The helmet itself looks fantastic, and I love the appearance of the visor. But it sits very low on his head, too low for my tastes, and there wasn't an easy fix.

The range finder doohickey moves up and down of course, but mine has a bit of a bend to it, and it seems much too fragile to try to straighten.

My favorite piece of the armor - this time around - is the gauntlets. They did an amazing job with the details here, very realistic and clean.

Normally I'm a huge fan of the torso armor, but this time around it seems a bit off. It's less round, more flat, especially against the chest. It seemed more Hasbro than Sideshow, and was a little disappointing.

Paint - ***1/2
My sculpt issues don't translate to the paint job. I'm sure that some fans will match the wear patterns to specific screen captures, but I'm not that anal. The wear looks very realistic to me, and that's the number one priority.

The colors are clean when appropriate, and small details are captured perfectly. The armor has seen it's share of battle, but the beauty that once was still shows through.

Articulation - ***
Sideshow has greatly improved the underlying body from the days of yore. This one has all the expected articulation, and is much tighter than some previous releases. He has no trouble taking a pose and holding it, even deep stances.

There is something intrinsic about the TrueType that allows it to take very natural, flowing poses though, something that this body still can't *quite* do. Perhaps that's not the right way to put it - it can do them, but they aren't quite as perfect as we see with both the Hot Toys bodies and the current crop of Enterbay bodies.

I did have a couple issues that held this back from the extra half star it easily deserves. Both the arms and legs had a lot of trouble turning at the bicep/thigh joint. I know they are there, and eventually I got them to work, but it was a lot harder than it should be. Even when they did work, it took so much pressure that I was afraid I'd break something.

These are key joints of course, and without them it's tough to get the best poses. I didn't want to strip him down to see what the issue was, but hopefully it's something specific to mine.

On the plus side, the hands swapped cleanly, and having a post for every hand was a nice addition.

Accessories - ****
There's definitely a good number of extras to go around this time.

There's those hands I mentioned - four pairs, plus three extra pose specific rights. That's 11 total hands, each with their own wrist post. The hands are soft enough to not damage the weapons, yet stiff enough to hold them in any pose.

He also has an extra pair of feet, with the toes bent. I didn't end up using them for any of the shots, and they probably work best with the aid of one of the two display stands, but it's still a nice extra.

Yes, there are two display bases with the exclusive version. One is the basic light up style, and the second is the simpler base with the Mandalorian symbol. It looks good, although you won't need either for most standard poses.

He has to have his weapons, of course, and there's two blasters - pistol and rifle. The pistol fits nicely in either his hand or the holster, and the rifle can fit in one or both hands, depending on the pose. Sculpts and paint are excellent, as you'd expect.

We all know that Fett carried several tools in his pant legs, and all four are here. They fit in the pockets properly as well.

Let's not forget his jet pack, since Sideshow did not. It's a single piece (no rocket firing here), and there are two hooks that slip into loops on his back to hold it in place. It's not super hard to put it on...the first time. Or even the second time, or third time, or fourth time...but eventually, I started to get a little annoyed. Ever time I bumped it, it slipped off the hooks, and I had to get it back in place.

Outfit - ***
What counts as outfit? That's a bit tricky. I've really covered the armor between the Sculpt and Paint sections, so that really leaves the soft goods. There's the belt and pouches, the belt and holster, and of course the underlying body suit.

The jumpsuit looks great, but the pants are a little short. Each ankle has a strap that wraps around to hold it tight, held in place with the very thin Velcro. We all know how well that Velcro actually holds - expect to put these back in place more than once.

Both belts work well, and one fits over the other (and over the cod piece) nicely. The Velcro that holds them in place works great, and you can adjust them as you like.

I didn't mention the wookie braids earlier, but they are worth their own mention. There's a bunch, and they are long and well braided.

It's also worth noting the small plastic hoses that run from the gauntlets, which look great, and are held tightly in place.

Another piece of soft goods is the attached mini-cape. There are tough wires in the hem, allowing you to pose it in a number of ways. This works great, especially without the jet pack in place.

I mentioned both belts, but the holster is a nice touch as well. There's a leather strap to hold the blaster in place that uses a magnetic closure.

Light Feature - ****
The deluxe base lights up - very cool. We saw this base before with another Sideshow figure...IG-88, perhaps? It's a very nice base, and they include batteries, a plus even at this price point. The blue and red lights are strong and bright, the batteries are easy to swap, and the on/off switch is easy to reach yet hidden from obvious sight.

Fun Factor - ***
Even though this isn't the sort of figure you'd actually 'play' with, you probably could. It's less fragile than I'd expect, and it retains the flavor of a true action figure with the articulation and style.

Value - *1/2
I think the only real killer here is the price point. At $175, we're now at the Hot Toys/ Enterbay level of cost, and yet this didn't quite seem like the same level of quality. Drop this guy to $150, I'd start warming up - around $125, similar to other high end Sideshow figures, and I'd be happy as a clam.

Of course, the $175 is direct from Sideshow for the exclusive version. The regular can be had closer to $150 from some retailers - at that price you can bump this up another half star.

Things to Watch Out For -
The small ends on the various devices on the gauntlets are delicate, so take care swapping the hands and posing. I didn't have a problem breaking anything, but it was close a couple times.

Overall - ***
There are aspects of this figure that are outstanding - I love the paint, the detail work on the gauntlets, the quality and number of the accessories, the wired mini-cape, all are at a Hot Toys level.

There are other aspects that disappointed me - the short neck, the shape of the chest armor, the slightly short pants, the stuck joints...at $175, they pull this guy down for me a bit.

It's a solid figure, and one that will look good on the shelf. However, it's not the end all Fett - it's still possible to do better in sixth scale, especially at this high end cost.

Score Recap:
Packaging - ****
Sculpting - ***
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ****
Outfit - ***
Light Up Feature - ****
Fun Factor - ***
Value - *1/2
Overall - ***

Where to Buy -
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Alter Ego Comics has the regular at $158.

- Fanboy Collectibles is at $165.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Sideshow has done a ton of cool Star Wars figures, statues and other goodies:

- last up was the Droids.

- I love the big Dewback and Trooper, but it's a lot of cash.

- late last year I checked out Figrin D'an.

- speaking of Troopers, there's the Sargeant Clone Trooper.

- just before that was the dimunitive Jedi, Yoda.

- I also liked the recent Gammorean Guard.

- it was awhile before that for the previous review, Admiral Thrawn and his command chair.

- prior to that was Lando Calrissian, and the Shock Trooper.

- Darth Vader was perhaps Sideshow's best Star Wars release.

- then there's the Utapau Trooper, the Imperial Stormtrooper, and Captain Antilles.

- I wasn't as thrilled with Ki-Adi-Mundi, but Obi-Wan in Clone Armor is easily one of their best. Then there's Aayla Secura, Tatooine Luke and Han Solo.

- Sideshow had a strong year in 2008 with Commander Praji, the exceptional Palpatine/Sidous and ANH Obi-Wan, and the not quite so exceptional Ilum Padme.

- also in the sixth scale line, I've reviewed Leia and Bespin Luke, the Holo-chess set, Sideshow's Asajj, a terrific figure, Yavin Luke, the Endor Troops, Jabba the Hutt and his throne, Bib Fortuna, Jedi Luke, Darth Maul, Obi-Wan, Bespin Han Solo, regular Anakin Skywalker and Kit Fisto.

- I also have guest reviews of the SDCC Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu, Emperor Palpatine and his throne, and Qui-Gon Jinn.

- in the premium format line, I've reviewed Darth Talon, Jedi Luke, Yoda with the Clone Trooper, Slave Leia, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Han Solo.

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