I love the smell of a POTF2 review on a Saturday morning.

This was the first POTF2 figure that was a nightmare for me to track down.  There were other figures that were hard to find initially, but once the distribution log jam broke, they became easier to find.  Some of them would even go on to become epic peg warmers.  But that was not the case with this CommTech R2-D2 with holographic Leia.  It was extremely difficult to find during its primary retail run.  I remember hunting it relentlessly.  Every weekend, it was out into the trenches for me.  Every workday I was making multiple trips to Walmart, and every time I would return empty handed.  Because I have this terrible collector sickness, missing out on any figure weighs on me.  Missing out on what was a really good R2-D2 at the time was crushing my enthusiasm for the hobby.

I don’t remember how long I was on the prowl for this CommTech R2.  In my memory, it feels like it was well over a month, but human memory is notoriously unreliable.  Regardless, it was long enough that I still remember aspects of the hunt to this day.  It was a universally difficult figure to find.  It wasn’t the result of wonky distribution where my region was starved while people in Sheboygan were using them as makeshift insulation because there were so plentiful.  No.  No one was coming by this R2 easily.  I want to say the going rate on the secondary market was $50, but again, remember that thing about memory being unreliable.  Whatever that price was, I wasn’t willing to pay it.  To be honest, I pretty much refuse to pay a secondary market prices for anything that is still shipping.  My attitude is the same as George Costanza’s with ladies of the night:  why should I pay for something, when, if I just apply myself, I can get it for free?

My stick-to-itiveness would eventually pay off.  When I went into the Walmart closest to my office and saw it hanging on the pegs, I was euphoric.  A weight was lifted.  That would be the only CommTech R2 I would find during its principal retail run.  There were variants that I might only see once, but never a general release.  Then fast forward to the Great Toys R Us Clearance Sale of 2000.  The line look had moved on to Power of the Jedi, but apparently Hasbro was sitting on a glut of unsold POTF2 product.  It all ended up at TRU, and it was glorious.  $10 AT-AT’s. $10 PowerFX X-Wings.  $5 Complete Galaxy figures, and bins full of $2 OT CommTech figures.  This solved the mystery of where all those R2’s went.  The figure I hunted for weeks on end would end up glutting in $2 Toys R Us clearance bins.  I bought 5 more, and left four times that behind.  Despite that supply side influx, the figure still retained some collecting heat.  It want from “RARE!!1!” on Ebay to “VHTF!”.

I think this R2 is fairly decent to this day.  In 1999, it was hot soup.  Up to this point, most R2 figures had an inaccurate vac metalized dome.  Well, there was one prior R2 with a painted dome, but it suffers from a hideous deformity.  Unlike figures based on humans or humanoids, astromechs haven’t needed to advance much in technology.  They just need swivels at the shoulders, a retractable or removable third leg, and pivots at the ankles.  This R2 has all that, and therefore, it ages well.  The most noticeable thing that differentiates modern astromech figures is the floating wires connecting the feet.  This R2 has them sculpted to the feet.  Another thing that has improved with time is the application of dirt and grime.  It’s more precise now (in the rare instances when Hasbro does it today).  This figure looks more stained than covered in schmutz.  Other than that, I feel like it holds up well.

One aspect I feel is notable is the treatment of the display panel off the lower left (our left) of R2’s main view port. In the movie, the lights on this panel are constantly blinking on and off.  Hasbro used a reflective sticker over this panel with a pattern that resembles diamond plate.  When the light moves over the sticker, it gives a twinkling light impression.  It’s very cool.  Also worth pointing out is that R2 is sculpted with a retraining bolt.  This means the figure and holographic Leia accessory are locked to a very specific few frames of celluloid.  It’s literally the scene where R2 baits Luke into removing that bolt in the Lars homestead garage.  At the time, this was meant to be an obvious companion piece to the CommTech Luke Skywalker.

The holographic Leia is an accessory that Hasbro has now gone to three times now.  In addition to this release, an upright holographic Leia came with TLC Ben Kenobi, and a hunched over one came in the Resurgence of the Jedi Battle Pack:

(click for the full sized image)

This one has some sort of glittery, pearlescent paint application.  It plays with the light very well.  I have no problem giving this R2 a 6 out of 10 all these years later.  Aside from the foot wires, I think it can integrate into modetn displays.

I sold off a majority of my collection in 2005, and with that sale, my two carded samples of this CommTech R2 departed my collection.  Thankfully, some years later, Mr. Nomadscout gifted me the carded sample you see above.  He’s a sweetie just like Ferris Bueller.  I’m very happy to own it because I love the story of this figure.  Sadly the inner tray is starting to yellow (the photo lamps masked it).  This is something that is endemic of figures from this period.  If you check the Ebay link below, you will see many nicotine-stained bubbles on these R2 figures.  Unfortunately, preserving this part of our hobby’s history in pristine condition may be impossible, just like the end of the vintage Kenner era.