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

Original Review:  Chris - 6/27/2014 07:05 AM

PATHETIC!  Hasbro, really?  Do you really need to shave every penny out of the production process so badly?  This figure is offensive in the same way as someone unapologetically passing gas in a crowded elevator.  With this figure, Hasbro has shoved their odoriferous and disgusting emanation in the face of the consumer with a “yeah, what are you going to do about it” attitude.  And why shouldn’t they?  The way we have collectively slurped up Hasbro’s equally offensive eliminations in the name of the Missions Series, what possible incentive could they have to deliver quality?  But hey, at least they can sit in a vehicle.

The worst aspect of this wretched offering is how rubbery the plastic is.  Yes, it’s even worse than the jarring double hinged elbows.  The flimsiness of the plastic makes it difficult to even get the figure to stand.  When trying to engage the points of articulation, the plastic feels like it’s giving way long before the joint frees itself.  In fact you can see the pin holding the ball joint pulling like taffy as you try to move the knee.  When you think you have the feet positioned so that the figure can stand, you’ll soon realize you just temporarily stretched the ankle out of shape.  It will return to its normal form soon enough and your figure will topple.  In addition to the arms acting like a Bend-Ems figure, the upper bicep swivel pops off far too easily.

The paint proves that Hasbro isn’t even making a pretense at quality control.  The large anime eyes make the head look ridiculous.  Not only does the white of the eyes cover the eyelids of the sculpt, it’s clear that “close enough” passes for Hasbro these days when positioning facial features.  The hair likewise extends beyond the edge of the hairline and all the way onto the cheek of my figure.  Oh, but why have just overspray when you can also have under-applied paint too?  Hasbro decided to give my figure some male pattern baldness.  Remember, this is a production figure.  This isn’t a factory reject.  It begs the question how horrible a sample has to be to become rejected if this passes muster.

I know most collectors complained about the aforementioned jarring double hinged elbow articulation which makes the Luke Skywalker look like a nightmare creation.  Hasbro was trying to provide the articulation necessary to hold the straps of the backpack in a lifelike fashion.  So I don’t want to kill them for trying, but the execution is terrible.  The New York Comic Con hand painted sample had efforts to obscure the joint mechanics.  Apparently such obfuscation would have cost a tenth of a penny per figure, and Hasbro clearly can’t afford such extravagance.  One thing to note is that the G.I. Joe style “t-crotch” shown at NYCC has been replaced with the more standard ball joint hips seen in the Star Wars line and I feel this is the most aesthetically pleasing execution Hasbro has done of ball jointed hip articulation at any scale.  The end result is a normally proportioned male pelvic region and not a figure with generous birthing hips.

Hasbro, please send me a bill for $10.  You clearly need the money more than I do.  A pathetic 1 out of 10.

Updated Review:  Bret - 11/15/2018 07:05 AM

One look at this Luke figure and you stop in your tracks and wonder what was going on.  Hasbro apparently was experimenting, and I have to give them props for that.  Almost everything about the figure is bizarre, but I have to assume it was an honest attempt by Hasbro to provide collectors with a new level of premium articulation never seen before in the 3.75” Star Wars line.  Unfortunately, it was a dramatic failure, and while there is actually plenty to discuss about this figure, the double-hinged elbows blow it all out of the water.

The figure was clearly intended as true companion to the #22 Yoda figure (which will be revisited tomorrow, so everyone just calm down).  Hasbro has done it before with these two, with the fairly decent duo that was released in the Original Trilogy Collection as figures #01 and #02 in the line.  Those 2 figures interacted nicely with each other, and it seems that 10 years later, Hasbro tried to recapture that magic while giving both characters an update.  I’m a fan of themed waves that contain figures and accessories that are designed to interact with each other.  The Hoth Luke and Wampa with Ice cave pieces from the Saga line is another fine example.  In the case of the OTC Dagobah Luke (shown in the comparison shot), the Luke was under-articulated, but contained swap out arms that allowed you to pose the figure holding on to the backpack straps or in a handstand position.  It also came with alternate heads so his hair would fall appropriately due to gravity when in handstand mode.  While the articulation was lacking, the options were designed to give you two scene-specific display options, and it was glorious.  It’s actually one of my favorite figures (especially when paired with the Yoda), even today. 

So Hasbro decided that collectors don’t like 5POA for some crazy reason, and opted to give this figure super-articulation.  He’s got all the requisite joints, including rocker ankles.  ROCKER ANKLES!  But as Chris pointed out, the plastic used to make the figure is weirdly soft and pliable, and it is difficult to coax the figure into good poses.  The knees have a very poor range of motion, and even the rocker ankles (ROCKER ANKLES!) can’t always help the figure stand well.  But all of that SA is drowned out by horrific noise emanating from collectors across the globe as they see those double-hinged elbows.  Again, I have to give credit to Hasbro for trying, and I understand the thought process here that such articulation would allow Luke to flex his forearms up towards his chest so he could convincingly hold onto the backpack straps.  But at some point early in the design process, Hasbro should have realized that such articulation is not going to be acceptable when implemented on the bare-skinned arms of a human figure.  They might get away with it on an armored figure, when the joints could be disguised better, but on Luke’s arms it just looks like he’s got robit arms. 

The head sculpt isn’t much to write home about.  The paint applications throughout the body of the figure are decent enough (although certainly not great) but that face is…awful.  He looks like he’s meant to be sourced from animation.  The figure comes with a removable belt/holster.  This is good, because the hanging straps would look silly defying gravity when Luke does a handstand. However in my sample, and apparently Chris’s as well, the blaster does not actually fit all the way.  YES, I KNOW IT’S PROBABLY AN EASY FIX, YOU BEASTLY CUSTOMIZERS!  But it should work out of the package.  I shouldn’t have to drill a hole in a figure to get it to work properly.  One other thing:  there is a lightsaber hilt included, but I didn’t photograph it.  It was nice that it was included, instead of dropped just to be cheap, but the problem is that it doesn’t have a peg, nor does the belt have a peg hole.  The belt does have a hook, so you would think the hilt would have a loop, but it doesn’t.  So it’s all kind of a big waste.  The accessories are plentiful, but few of them interact well with the figure.

As for the good:  The figure comes with interchangeable hands, so he can hold the backpack straps, as well as the blaster and saber.  He also comes with open hands which can not only replicate Luke’s failed attempt at X-Wing swamp salvage, but more importantly, can be used to get Luke posed in a handstand position.  Amazingly, despite all the arm joint nonsense (which are annoyingly loose, by the way), the figure can actually stay in an unsupported handstand position.  Amazing, I say! 

So there are a couple of positives here, it’s just that the final execution of the arms is so awful that it dominates.  I’m not sure I would give this figure a 1, like Chris did.  Maybe a 3 or a 4.  I mean, it’s bad, but it’s not frustratingly bad like the Stormtrooper.  Clearly there was some serious effort put into this, it just fell flat.  But I’m not going to change the score.  I enjoyed Chris’s rant too much to do that.

Verdict: Re-sculpt 

This figure is obviously not definitive in any way, shape or form.  It’s got a few things going for it, but it’s easily outdone by the OTC version. Basically, if they took the OTC figure, but added superarticulation to the lower body, we’d probably be in business, with a few minor improvements here and there.  This figure was an interesting experiment, and the elbows might work with a different type of figure at some point, but this version of Dagobah Training Luke needs to be retired for good.  If you must have one, you can get it on the cheap, probably for under $15 shipped.

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.