Updated Review:  Chris - 4/26/21 07:05 AM

A little change can make a big difference.  For the second production run of VC189 Zutton, Hasbro corrected the mismatched knee joints that were cast in red plastic.  This second release is date stamped “10501” (February 19th, 2021).  The original release is date stamped “03611” (December 26th, 2020). The knee joints are not the only change.  It appears that there was also paint applied to the ankle joints, but they did not get full coverage.  The tops of the ankle joints are painted, and this helps hide the red plastic when Zutton is displayed in neutral poses.  Finally, the hair appears to be a shade lighter, but this might be a normal production variance, and not an intentional change.

This big aesthetic update with the recast knees in tan plastic results in an increased score to 9 out of 10, and makes this superior to the first version released in the TVC Villain Set.

Original Review:  Chris - 4/08/21 07:05 AM

Drink it in, everyone.  We are now in the fourth year of the revival of The Vintage Collection and this is the first Cantina Alien released since the line’s return.  There’s something wrong about that. The soul of the vintage Kenner line lies in the background aliens.  It’s what has made it special.  This figure finally returns the line to its origins.  You can be a Johnny Raincloud and say “it’s just a repack,” but go be miserable somewhere else.  I’m thrilled that TVC 2.0 has finally broken the ice on Cantina Aliens, and I’m thrilled to have this figure in the Vintage Collection.  I hope this pegwarms because I will buy every single one I see.

Since this is a repack, the following is copied from the review of the 2012 Special Action Villain Set:

The first job of cantina alien figures is to look good, and in that respect this figure nails it.  The head sculpt is amazing.  It is so evocative of the warthogs on which I assume the species is based, that I will often mutter “Oh, Timon,” in Ernie Sabella’s voice when looking at it.  In addition to the head, the off center hump of the figure is perfectly executed.  The figure has standard super articulation that allows for plenty of expressive poses even though you need this figure to mostly “stand there” in your cantina displays.  Being able to stow the figure’s blaster in a loop of the sash is a nice touch in lieu of a holster.  The only glaring negatives are the mismatched knee and ankle joints.  In the case of the knees, the contrast is so great that the mismatch is glaring.  This figure could have easily scored a 9 for aesthetics and likeness, but those joints force me to lower the score to an 8 out of 10.

Hasbro needs to either use this exact figure, or use this figure as the basis of a Takeel update, and get it out in the Vintage Collection mainline as the counterpart to the vintage Kenner Snaggletooth.  I know the vintage Snaggletooth was based on the Holiday Special Zutmore, but that was a a mistake (and you know how I feel about duplicating a mistake).  A separate carded release of Zutmore as a wink would make for a great exclusive.

Continuation of the 2021 Zutton review:

The differences from the first release are cosmetic.  The color of the tunic and the accompanying wash appear darker.  The hair is also darker to the point of almost being black.  This feels closer to the source of the character.  On the flip side, the shirt and pants appear a shade lighter.  One odd difference is that the upper portion of the boots are painted a lighter shade than the bottom part.  This almost gives the impression of spats.  I would say this is an odd choice, but I doubt it was intentional.  This feels like a factory whoopsie.  You will have to decide which version you prefer.

Update:  I forgot to mention that it’s hugely disappointing that the mismatched joints were not corrected for this release.