This time TK-421 will …
A Creative Commons-licensed image by Fuyoh!.
Review: Hasbro Star Wars 30th Anniversary Collection A New Hope Imperial Stormtrooper
There’s clearly something about Imperial Stormtroopers that inspires affection. Witness the crowds drawn to Danny Choo’s grooving in Japan, the 501st Legion‘s devotion or the amusing Flickr group. The what and the why remain obscure.
Is it their everyman quality? None of us have a Jedi’s superpowers and few of us have a Corellian smuggler’s cool. But an endearingly incompetent underling who is embarrassed by teddy bears and tricksy doors, and has a manipulative evil boss? We could all be that guy.
Perhaps it’s the outfit that appeals. Simple, cool and immediately recognisable, the Stormtrooper armour has become iconic in the 30 years since the release of the first movie.
Whatever the reason, Stormtroopers are inarguably, if improbably, popular.
Toy-wise, the Stormtrooper has had many a figure with varying results. The vintage Kenner figure was a decent attempt for its time, the Power of the Force 2 line featured a ridiculously buffed up Stormtrooper and there are sixth-scale figures costing over a hundred dollars if your Stormtrooper fixation runs particularly deep.
Hasbro’s latest Imperial Stormtrooper figure is the 20th figure in its 2007 Star Wars 30th Anniversary Collection line. The line features strong sculpts and improved articulation at kid-friendly prices. The Imperial Stormtrooper is typical of the line but not without its disappointments.
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421 … TK-421
A Creative Commons-licensed image by Fuyoh!.
(Inspired by this movie poster.)
Toy links
Movie Optimus Prime.
A stunning scratch-built model by Yasuhiro Yamaguchi.
Alien ver. Lego.
Recreations of scenes from the movie by carmp. That little Lego minifig is awfully happy for someone with an alien bursting out of his chest.
Samurai and stallion.
A nice Stikfas digirama by Ken Battallaones.
Pure class.
“An evil robot wearing a top hat? That’s the coolest thing you ever heard of.”
The Antique Toy and Doll Roadshow.
“Ebay has drastically reduced the value of most antique toys, bringing the value of the original 1959 Barbie in mint condition down from $10,000 to about $5,000 in the past few years …”
Whee!
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by …..dotted…...
Toy review roundup
Artemis reviews the Diamond Select Toys Star Trek Deep Space Nine Regent Worf Action Figure Xpress exclusive figure.
Fred Meyer and Justin Bell review the Hasbro G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary Comic Pack 21B Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, 32½ Crimson Guard and Scarred Cobra Officer, 36½ Tomax and Xamot and 115 Capt. Ace and Wild Weasel two-packs.
Thomas Wheeler reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary Red Ninja figure. (See also.)
Tom reviews the McFarlane Toys Halo 3 Master Chief figure. (See also.)
EVA Unit 4A reviews the Hasbro Transformers Screen Battles Capture of Bumblebee set.
EVA Unit 4A reviews the Hasbro Transformers Movie Landmine figure. (See also.) Ebi has a comparison with the Takara Tomy version.
yo go re reviews the Hasbro Star Wars Transformers Clone Commander Cody/Turbotank figure. (See also.)
Josh Bernard reviews the Kaiyodo Revoltech Black Ox figure from the Tetsujin 28 series. (See also.)
Josh Bernard reviews the Kaiyodo Revoltech Griffon with Aqua Unit figure from the Patlabor series. (See also.)
Retro reviews
Atom reviews the Bandai Super Imaginative Chogokin (S.I.C) Akumaizer 3 set.
yo go re reviews the Kaiyodo Revoltech Convoy figure from the Transformers series. (See also.)
Chong Kah Fai reviews the Takara Cool Girl Alternative CG Gatchaman G3 Jun figure.
Engineernerd reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Torpedo figure.
Reach for the sky
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by Mediatejack.
Toy links
Share his dread.
An excellent digirama by Hock.
K’nex Transformers.
Neat custom creations by Frank Calfa. (See also.)
Magnemo Darkseid and Orion.
Custom figures by Will Jones.
Ghosts episode 7. [via]
Justin Bell’s G.I. Joe photocomic continues.
Vintage toy boats.
“Toys are the mirror of technology evolution … In a couple of decades, toy airships and aircrafts became far more popular than toy boats.”
Revoltech checklist updated
Updated Revoltech checklist with wave 23 Japanese review links.
Episode VII: Revenge of Gonk
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by ben.borgman.