The Set

This is one of two simultaneously released Entertainment Earth exclusive astromech 5-packs.

The review for the first one is HERE.  As mentioned in that review, the per figure price of these sets was hard to swallow at the time, and many fans seemed to pass, much to their disappointment today.

The five figures in this set are repaints of three different previously released molds.  They are 2002’s R3-T7 Sneak Preview figure, 2002’s R4-M9 figure, and 2005’s R4-G9 Sneak Preview figure.  As you might imagine, the figures that are based on the two 2002 molds show their age worse than the figures based on the 2005 mold.  And it’s more than “well, no duh, they’re three years older.”  In 2004, Hasbro started taking its first serious steps towards today’s “Jedi level articulation (JLA),” which is super articulation with superior joint mechanisms.  So it wasn’t a linear three years in action figure technology.  The 2005 figure benefitted from an ideological shift at Hasbro which has culminated with what we receive in The Vintage Collection today. 

R3-Y2

The clear-domed R3 units in these Entertainment Earth sets are based on 2002’s R3-T7 Sneak Preview figure which suffers from having the wires on the figure’s foot being part of the foot sculpt instead of the highly realistic separately sculpted piece that we get today. The torso is also too long and the third leg doesn’t fully retract into the body.  Those are the downsides of this particular 2002 mold. 

As for the character itself, R3-Y2 was briefly seen in Echo Base in The Empire Strikes Back to the right of what I assume is a Tech Communications Officer sitting at a tactical screen:

(click for the full sized image)

“Briefly seen” doesn’t mean a bad figure.  The depth of the line in 3.75” is why it’s so beloved, so this is a great figure to flesh out any Echo Base display.  As for accuracy, it’s hard to evaluate well because that on-screen image and a behind-the-scenes shot of the dome appear to be all that exists for reference.  So it seems Hasbro was allowed to improvise for most of the figure, but they overstepped their liberties.  The painted squares on the dome appear to be a yellow-green in the movie instead of the pea-soup green we got (man there are a lot of greens).  The inset on the leg appears to be gray in the movie, but it’s that same pea-soup green on the figure.  While I would be inclined to give this figure a 6 if it nailed the likeness of the on-screen droid, I have to lower it a little further to a 5 due to these inaccuracies.

As mentioned in the Series I review, a superior R3 mold exists today courtesy of The Legacy Collection Build-A-Droid figures.  It was used for R3-A2 and R3-M3.

R2-X2

R2-X2 is based on 2005’s R4-G9 Sneak Preview figure which is considered a “close enough to definitive” astromech mold for many.  Unlike the R3-T7 mold, the wires are separately sculpted, the third leg fully retracts by rotating the head, and the torso proportions are correct. On the downside of the sculpt, the wheels protrude too far on the bottom of the feet and it makes it impossible to stand it up perfectly straight in the two-leg pose, and range of motion of the foot on the third leg isn’t sufficient enough to allow the figure to fully lean back. 

R2-X2 was Theron Nett’s astromech in Red Ten during the battle of Yavin.  [Editor’s Note:  Check out more info on this here.]  We have neither a Red Ten X-Wing nor a Theron Nett figure, so the film accurate utility of this figure is limited without the companion pieces, but it gets worse.  The actual droid is not black, but rather dark green.  Hasbro corrected this with 2009’s BD52 - R2-X2 single carded release.  So you could argue that this figure is either an obsolete R2-X2 or a definitive random astromech that you are free to pose in any imaginative way you choose (so long as it’s Comic Book Code approved).

I said YOU could make that determination.  Unfortunately I do not have that discretionary leeway.  Mine is a serious calling.  The box says R2-X2 so that is the way it must be judged.  It is an obsolete R2-X2 and a 5 out of 10 due to the inaccuracy.  I’m a stickler!

R4-E1

R4-E1 is based on 2002’s R4-M9 figure, which has the same problems as the R3-T7 mold.  The wires are sculpted as part of the foot, the torso is too long, and the third leg never full retracts. 

In the Legends relegated Expanded Universe, R4-E1 was BoShek’s running mate, and that was a reason for its inclusion in this set.  It was a bit of a joke by Adam Pawlus when he spec’ed out these sets for Entertainment Earth.  He had previously been critical of BoShek’s retail viability, so this served as sort of hobby inside joke.  That’s fairly outstanding, and makes it an absolute must own for me. But the figure is not outstanding and rates just 5 out of 10.

In the current cannon, R4-E1’s backstory is a thin as tissue paper.  He was captured by some Jawas.  Big whoop.  If you’re a droid and you live long enough, you’re going to get captured by Jawas.  It’s going to happen.

R2-M5

R2-M5 is one of the six atromech droids who scramble to repair the shields of the Queen’s Royal Starship in The Phantom Menace.  Unfortunately, he’s not named R2-D2, so he doesn’t last long.  Even worse, he’s not even seen in the movie.  We only know this droid is positioned in the line with R2-B1 and R2-R9 courtesy of behind the scenes shots.  He doesn’t even get a death scene.  Still I would be very cranky if I didn’t own this.  Incomplete sets of things are more irritating than fingernails on a chalkboard.  Hear that, Hasbro?  WE LIKE COMPLETING SETS OF THINGS. 

As with R2-X2, this is based on the R2-M5 sculpt and thus earns a 7 out of 10.

R2-A6

R2-A6 serves as Ric Olié‘s astromech during the Battle of Naboo.  Above I said that R2-X2 lacks all companion pieces.  R2-A6 is the flip of that.  We have a definitive Ric Olié figure from the Discover the Force subset.  We have a definitive Naboo Starfighter thanks to TPM3D line.  I would be grumpier than cat wearing wingtips if I didn’t own this figure. 

As with R2-X2 and R2-M5, this is based on the R2-M5 sculpt and thus earns a 7 out of 10.