Editor’s Note:  This review has been updated with a second look…

Original Review:  Chris 2/04/2014 09:05 PM

“Oh no! If only I had rockets in my legs.  Oh wait, I totally have rockets in my legs,”  said R2-D2 to no one in this man’s version of Attack of the Clones.  Apparently R2-D2 forgot he had the power of flight when he plunged into the Dagobah swamp or lunged head first into the Tatooine desert during the Battle of the Great pit of Carkoon.  Or any other point in the OT which would have made the plot less complicated. 

I can’t be the only one that wishes Hasbro would just pick a scale for R2-D2 and stick to it.  I believe this figure is based on the nearly decade old R4-G9 mold and as a result is a tick bigger than either the Vintage Collection or Geonosis Arena R2-D2 figures, both of which I prefer to this offering.  The terrible idea of re-releasing the Prequel Trilogy in 3D, and it’s subsequent cancellation, threw the line on its ear.  So for that reason, I cannot fault Hasbro for having an Episode II based R2-D2 in the line.  But I feel a better offering could have been made here. 

The Vintage Collection R2-D2 has more detail, while the Geonosis Arena R2-D2 has much better features as well as the additional Geonosian environmental details.  The only things that distinguish this figure as Episode II based are the rockets the plug into the legs of the figure.  But if you choose not to attach the rocket accessories to the legs, you’re left with droid limbs that are too thin looking and literally have a hole in them to accommodate the snap-op accessory. 

I’m not hard to please.  If Hasbro had released the C3PO and R2-D2 from the Geonosis Arena set individually on Vintage Collection cards, I would have gobbled them up.  I would have even sweated getting them on unpunched cards.  Instead this was probably a rushed effort to get the correct episode R2-D2 into stores to coincide with a media event that never materialized.  But as such, this feels like a rushed effort just to get an Ep II R2-D2 into stores.  6 out of 10.  Thank God I’m done with wave 2.  6/10 Bantha Skulls

Updated Review:  Bret - 10/31/2018 07:05 AM

It’s Halloween, and in honor of that, we are doing stuff.  For example, this Black Series figure is packaged in Halloween-themed black and orange.  (At first I thought it was in honor of Marvin Lewis, who inexplicably still has a job, but no, Hasbro was totally going for the Halloween look with this line.)  Also, R2-D2 is terrifying, and perfectly captures the horror that Star Wars intended to instill in audiences.  Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of this figure is that it celebrates the biggest surprise in Star Wars since Darth Vader turned out to be a white guy.  Yes, it celebrates the leg rockets that R2 was hiding the whole time during the Original Trilogy.  When they first popped out on screen during the priemiere of AOTC in 2002, many viewers fainted in their seats, while many other got up and ran out of the theater, dousing themselves in gasoline and lighting themselves on fire.  (This turned out to be George Lucas’s inspiration for R2 using his jet flames and some spare grease to melt some Super Battle Droids in ROTS.

What a stupid paragraph that was, eh?  I can’t wait to get this review over.  As Chris covered in his original look, it’s a frustrating figure.  It’s from AOTC, and was probably originally intended to be part of some AOTC-3D extravaganza, which was thankfully pulled at the last second, possibly thanks to Disney.  It uses a mold, that was 8-9 years old.  That, in and of itself, isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because the mold is pretty good.  However, the legs were redone to accommodate the removable jets, and unfortunately, there is an open gap in the leg when the jets are removed, which just looks terrible.  You pretty much have to leave the jets on.  And as everyone knows, especially on Sunday, you never want to be in a position when you have to leave the Jets on.  Always have the option of changing the channel.  Anyway, it’s a bad move here, which essentially forces you to have this figure represent only a very specific few seconds of screen time, as the figure has no ability to be a stand in for any other point, which is a shame because it would have been simple to accomplish this.

In fact, since this figure was released, we’ve gotten an outstanding R2-D2 from, of all things, the 5POA line.  The TLJ R2-D2 utilized the build-a-droid mold, including filled in holes on the sides of the cylinder.  That figure includes the leg jets, and doesn’t give us the stupid holes in the sides when not installed.  Not only that, but Hasbro just revealed a TVC version of R2-D2 will be coming in 2019.  All in all, you’ll probably have no reason to acquire this figure, unless you want to click the eBay link below and support Bantha Skull.

Verdict: Re-Sculpt (medium priority) - DONE 

We’re saying that collectors should junk this figure, and seek out better ones.  And, as mentioned, you can get one better R2-D2 now, and most likely another better one (we’ll see if that’s the case) for TVC in 2019.  This Black Series figure can be had on eBay for less than $25 shipped, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that price drops, with the TVC announcement.  This figure is not definitive.  It’s not even the best one out there of this version.  It’s a loser.  I’m lowering the score to a 5 because the Giants are 1-7 and I want to bring down everyone else.

Verdict Guide:
Re-sculpt = The figure is not definitive, and a new version should be developed.
Re-issue = This version is definitive (or close enough), and shows sufficient secondary market demand to warrant a straight repack.
No Action = This release does not require new attention.