30th Anniversary Collection
Concept R2-D2 & C-3PO
The McQuarrie Concept Luke Skywalker figure wasn’t the only Celebration IV/Europe exclusive. Simultaneously, Hasbro released a two-pack of droids. R2-D2 and C-3PO make a perfect pair, and are based on yet another famous piece of concept artwork by Ralph McQuarrie.
C-3PO’s design is largely based on imagery from the film Metropolis. The figure is a great rendition of McQuarrie’s art. Despite the fact that the final design was different, the basic concept seemed to remain the same: a metallic gold humanoid. The figure lacks the articulation we would expect, even in 2007, but the for the most part, works well enough. The shoulders are swivel (boo!), but the head, and elbows are ball jointed. Instead of an articulated waist, the figure sports a ball-jointed chest. This allows it to be posed in some ways that perhaps better mimic the personality we know and love, rather than a swivel waist. Swivel hips and ball jointed ankles round out the articulation, as the figure lacks knees (double boo!). Over time, the plastic in the legs of my familiar has warped slightly, and he’s a bit har to pose. Knees would likely have helped this condition. Nevertheless, the figure is pretty decent, and looks great on your shelf.
R2-D2 is the star of the set. It’s pretty awesome. McQuarrie’s version is “fatter” than the final astromech we are familiar with, and is also a fairly uniform metallic gray. The figure is a joy. It’s got the rotating dome, along with a couple of articulated “arms” that protrude from it. I would guess that Chopper from Rebels was inspired by this in part. The body also has a pair of arms that swing out from the center, and stow away nicely. The legs swivel at the “shoulder”, and also have swivel feet. The center leg isn’t removable, but does extend/retract a bit, and also has an articulated foot. All 3 feet have working wheels. I believe the figure packs more articulation than any movie-based R2-D2 figure that comes to mind. It’s great.
Although no accessories were included in the package, the pair inside the bubble seem to provide a better value than the Luke Skywalker figure. C-3PO is neat, the R2-D2 is exceptional. They make a great pair to display, and given the source material, this set earns an 8.
