The vintage Kenner 20-backs mean a lot to me.  I’ve written about this several times.  Like many kids during that time, I gobbled up the first 12 figures, but at that point it was just another action figure line where you get the heroes, and a menagerie of foes with which they could interact.  Up until then, the Kenner Star Wars line was indistinct from the Mego super hero line, which are the only action figures I remember collecting prior to Star Wars.  It was with those next eight figures that the Kenner Star Wars line became magical.  It became legendary.  Expectations for the line were set that were inconceivable to that point, and to a degree, are inconceivable today.  No longer were screen time, and importance to the plot the sole determinations on which characters could get an action figure.  If a character was visually compelling and could unlock kids’ imaginations, it didn’t matter if it was “blink-and-you-miss-it”.  That alone could command immortalization in plastic.

When the 20-backs came out I was ravenous in tracking them down even though I had no idea where Snaggletooth was in the movie (turns out, he wasn’t).  Hammerhead, on the other hand…I remembered exactly due to the odd vocalization he made.  He was one of the first figures I tracked down from those next eight.  For that reason, this Vintage Collection release has massive ties to my childhood.  When I got the shipment notice from Entertainment Earth, I was genuinely excited, and was checking the tracking daily.  That’s pretty rare for me these days.  Don’t get me wrong, I always love adding to my collection, but I rarely get that “waiting for Christmas morning” anticipation anymore.  Part of that is my fault.  When Amazon had the VC231 - Stormtrooper in stock, I was buying them the same way Peter Griffin orders beers at Fenway:

I don’t have Prime, so whenever I was short of the $35 free-shipping total on an order, I would just tack on a Stormtrooper to get me over the hump.  This result was that I diluted the experience.  I still have Stormtroopers in the Amazon shipping boxes.  Not only have I not opened the figures, I haven’t even opened the boxes the figures came in.  When the next one would arrive, it almost felt like a chore to go outside to get it.  My six year old self would slap me right across the face for taking the gift of easy access to Stormtroopers for granted.

Thankfully, the promise of a definitive Hammerhead snapped me out of this spoiled collecting malaise.  When I got the delivery notification, I ran outside like the Kool-Aid Man.  I was so swept up by seeing the double racetrack Hammerhead card staring back at me once I opened the box, that my disappointment over the 7x9” dimensions temporarily waned.  I basked in that glow for a few moments, decided which of my two samples would be the opener, and carefully sliced the bubble off the card (I show respect to the greatest packaging of all time even when opening them).  After only a few minutes of fiddling with the figure, I knew it was a home run.  My experience posing it for the gallery absolutely confirmed this early opinion.  This release is a delight.

I will address the largest negative I see, and that’s the color.  The sleeves are a lighter shade than the tunic, and Hammerhead’s fancy cravat is almost orange in color.  If you look at this reference photo, you can see that these items were all the same shade of brown on the actual prop:

(click for the full sized image)

I’ve reconciled myself to the fact that there are some coloration differences since Hasbro has to fill in many blanks to realize Momaw Nadon as a action figure.  The character was nothing more than a puppet torso on set.  Hasbro had to imagine the entire lower body.  If they have to invent that much, is it a huge deal that they took a little liberty with the coloration to give the sculpt some depth?  I’m personally letting it go, but if this is a hill you will die on, I get it.  It’s a legit gripe.

My other complaint is the off hand.  It’s sculpted with a somewhat open palm.  It doesn’t provide much utility for holding accessories.  I’m also just about over the middle hinge on wrists.  I don’t find much usefulness in the flexing motion it provides.  I would rather be able to move the wrist side-to-side so the grip angle can be changed for two handed weapon poses.  However, I assume this open hand and middle hinge are so that some sort of conversational gesture can be made. I have to admit, it’s quite effective at that.  It’s expressive.  I just personally prefer action figure hands accommodate interaction with the accessories first before being used for other posing options.  But again, this is just personal preference.

Update:  After reading Trooper31’s comment below, it dawned on me that this figure’s left hand is an homage to the vintage Kenner figure’s right hand.  If you look at the comparison photo, they are mirror images.

One other thing that might appear as a flaw at first blush is the eyes, but it’s not.  I thought my figure was seriously side-eyeing at first, but it’s not the case.  The coloration of the eyes is reverse from what we normally expect.  The pupils are white, and the sclera are black. With a quick glance, you mind might think it’s black pupils in the corners of the eyes instead.  Everything else about the figure is a pure delight.  It poses effortlessly.  The knees bend well beyond ninety degrees, and the figure can be posed in a natural kneeling position.  My apologies for not thinking to capture that pose in the gallery.  Hopefully you gather that from how well it posed in the two seated positions above.  And that is a big deal.  This is the first Hammerhead in the forty seven year history of the line that can sit, which is the primary job for many of the Cantina patrons.

The other thing I really have to commend Hasbro for here is the paint applications.  I was fully expecting to be raging about all the little nuances that were captured on the Black Series Momaw that were skipped by its TVC counterpart, but that’s not the case.  There’s a wash to bring out the pachyderm-like folds on the legs.  The toe nails are painted, and even the little pouches on the back of the belt are uniquely painted.  After some basic paint applications were skipped on the deluxe Cobb Vanth, it’s refreshing to see that effort taken on this Momaw Nadon.  If I could guarantee that every Vintage Collection figure could of be of this quality, with no shortcuts to the tooling, I would (begrudgingly) pay $25 per figure.  To me, it’s a lesser evil than paying $17 for an inaccurate kit bash with missing paint apps.

I initially gave this figure a 9 score due to the minor color inaccuracies, but after working with the figure for the gallery, I couldn’t bring myself to sell it short like that.  It’s a 10/10.  Don’t miss out on this Hammerhead.  It’s sold out on Pulse.  You can still order it at Entertainment Earth at the following link (sponsored):

Star Wars The Vintage Collection Momaw Nadon Deluxe 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure