Star Wars Fandom
Greedo was a male Rodian bounty hunter who grew up on Tatooine in Mos Espa. During the Clone Wars, he was hired by the Trade Federation to kidnap Chi Eekway Papanoida and Che Amanwe Papanoida, the daughters of Chairman Papanoida, but was forced by the chairman to lead him and his son Ion to them. He was occasionally hired by crime lord Jabba the Hutt for various mercenary jobs, including the capture of Han Solo, who killed the luckless Rodian.
With an outfit like that, Greedo is more suited in a disco dancefloor than being a bounty hunter. Failure from the outset when Han is just doing him a favor so that he can chose another profession when his next life comes along.
The only 1/6 scale Greedo was made by Hasbro and Sideshow (2007). Collectors want a copy that is worthy of their display have only these 2 to chose. Naturally Sideshow's version become the choice due to the fact that it was made for collectors while Hasbro's was made for kids to play with. Sideshow version quickly become really hard to get and price rocketted in the secondary market. It took another 18 years for Sideshow to decide a re-release or a Version 2 of this character.
It came again no way I will miss it this time. Sideshow didn't make it easy for me when out of a sudden, they stop shippping to Singapore. Bought Lando Skiff Guard disguise and C-3PO before and no issue but apparently no more direct ship to Singapore. Buying from other online shop from the US or Europe will subject to added MSRP and a seemingly much higher shipping cost all compiled up to the already very high original MSRP from Sideshow. A local hobby shop drop a lifeline eventually getting their sources from Hong Kong which is next door to the production line in China. Catch is, no exclusive. Only standard version. Local saying - no fish, crab also good. Another catch that this batch probably transported from Hong Kong to Singapore on the back of camel caravan. I got it 10 months later than everybody else. Again, better (very) late than never.
When Greedo finally arrive, so glad I'm still alive to lay my grubby fingers on it.
DESIGN - 4/5
Nothing much there is to say about this second coming Greedo. I do not have the old version but visually on the important area like the sculpt, not much different. It could be from the same mold for all we know.
Holster looks like genuine leather this time which a figure at this price point is to be expected.
If really to nit pick it, would be cool if those "antenna" can be articulated will give more character. However if done so, it will be with rubbery soft material = to keep the headsculpt seamless and to allow movement which also means a clicking clock till the day it rot. In retrospect, better to keep it in current form. Although I have no fantasy that the figure last forever but hopeful till the end of my lifetime.
Another nit on the belt buckle that it seem to be pin to the leather belt on a single knub. it means the buckle will "rotate" on a single point of fastening. When posing and taking pictures, need to be mindful to ensure buckle is in the correct orientation. Something I couldn't understand as it is common sense to have a 2 point pin since the orientation is ficed.
Overall a straight forward design with a straight forward score. "4" here doesn't mean it is a good design, it just means it meets most of the expectations and I feel there is nothing much more to pack it into this figure.
SCULPTING - 4/5
Some pictures found in the internet shows Greedo with a more rounded shorter head while the others show a longer narrower head. Could be due to picture ratio changes etc but personally I find Sideshow's version comfortable enough. Texture on the head are reproduced close to the actual. Specifically on the brow area where the skin pattern kinda "partition" out the face proper from the forehead.
There isn't much info on the skin texture for the hands but they seem like smooth (scaleless) fish skin's kinda texture. Nothing much to sculpt there.
Again, "4" here doesn't mean it is a good sculpting, it just means it meets most of the expectations
PAINTING - 2/5
Missed opportunity here when you have a good sculpt but the paint job let it down. Here I am just referring to the headsculpt. A coat of green was sprayed uniformly over the head. Then whipped out an airbrush and does earth brown color here and there. Washes will bring out the details but there is none. Common with a lot of other, if not all, only have very basic paintworks if any at all (but are now charging higher than the still far superior Hot Toys offerings figure to figure comparison).
In order to save some paint (and cost) Sideshow decide to leave the neck in its original raw material colour. Resulted in a clear colour difference between the neck and the head. Saving grace is the high collar manage to hide most of the neck but it can be seen when articulating the head for posture.
Subtle dry brushing on the hands, shoes and silver dry brush on the weapons. Basic to be expected bare minimum.
Disappointing for this department as a whole.
ARTICULATION - 4/5
Standard humanoid articulation points. Long figers are fixed posture non-poseable
ACCESSORIES - 3/5
10 out of 10 collectors will complain about how bare these Sideshow figures are when they are asking for alot of money a piece. For me, I want to tell Sideshow to stop your "exclusive" and "standard" sets and to give every piece their accessories that were prepared for. For this Greedo, exclusive version includes an additional hand for holding a cup and of course, a cup for it as well.
The standard set I got only has 1... yes only 1 spare blaster holding hand + a very generous of Sideshow, a figure stand. That's it.
I don't mind the lack of accessories for I don't think Greedo really need any thing else.
If really a must, that Cantina chair he got shot and died in will be most appropriate. can be broken into a few piece for collectors to fix it afterwards. Keeping the same price point with it included isn't too much to ask for.
It is what it is for now.
FINAL WORD
Specific good and bad of the figure apart, I am truly glad to have a 1/6 scale collector's quality Greedo in my collection now. Alien species in the OG Star Wars universe are the ones I will not want to miss out if my pocket permits.
Not that I want to squarely point them out but Hot Toys (HT), which I think is the only other company that acquire license to make collector's quality 1/6 scale Star Wars figures, will probably never get to make these figures. HT being a Hong Kong base company know what brings in revenue for them and leaving large area of OG characters and not make them is likely so because their license forbids since it is now obviously owned by Sideshow. Perhaps HT can only make the key character and are limit to a number of character per period. All assumption but I think that about right. I digress again...
What I really wanted to point out is for those collectors who are holding back hoping HT will do it, I say get this Sideshow version before price go the way of ver 1 in time to come. HT will probably never make this until Sideshow gave up the license... not happening.
No comments:
Post a Comment