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

Original Review:  Chris - 8/23/2014 8:00 AM

Ree-Yees is one of the biggest jerks in Jabba’s palace.  He seems to get really excited at the Rancor-based misfortunes of others frequently angling for a front row position.  In high school he would have been the guy who would never get in a fight, but excitedly yell “FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” every time it appeared a scuffle was about to ensue.  Ree-Yees is the embodiment of Jabba’s palace and needs to be one of the anchors of any palace display.  Unfortunately he hasn’t been visited in action figure form since 1998.  Fortunately, Hasbro crosses this desperately need update off our list with the definitive Ree-Yees figure.  As an aside, a disproportionate number of Jabba’s palace figures hold places on the POTF2 “never updated” list to include EV-9D9, Saelt Marae (Yak Face) and 8D8.  Lets get to it, Hasbro!

The figure lacks ankle joints and that is a disappointment.  I rarely subscribe to the “character x does not need point of articulation y” argument.  No figure “needs” any point of articulation, so it’s a slippery slope to chess pieces once you start that thought exercise.  Furthermore, these are “action figures”.  Points of articulation add to the “action” element. I’ve said over and over that a lack of ankle joints essentially renders the knee joints useless and it’s never more prevalent than with this figure.  Due to the top heaviness of the sculpt, trying to balance the figure with the knees bent is an exercise best reserved for a monk.  I ultimately lacked the patience to do so for these photographs.  I know Ree-Yees doesn’t engage in combat on screen, but I would have liked to use my imagination and pose the figure crouched for a “just off screen” stand off.

That personal disappointment aside, this figure is outstanding.  What it lacks in the form of that 13th and 14th areas of articulation, it almost makes up for in an absolutely gorgeous sculpt.  The detailing in the padded jacket and the head and neck area are wonderful.  The intricate sculpting of the flesh areas is highlighted by a light orange wash which brings out the details and adds a lifelike appearance.  I’ve seen a few samples where the eyes are not painted accurately.  I appear to be fortunate where my sample has the black orbits positioned precisely.  I have to admit that I was a bit “pouty” when this figure was revealed at Toy Fair minus the ankle joints and I wasn’t looking forward to it with the usual excitement that I have for most Jabba’s palace figures.  In some ways that is nice because, for once, I’ve had my expectations exceeded.  I love this figure.  For a reason that makes no sense, I will buy a few more.  I will no longer give a figure without 14 areas of articulation a 10 out of 10 unless it is dictated by the sculpt.  So I will go as high as my standards allow me for this figure.  9 out of 10.

Updated Review:  Bret - 11/23/2018 07:05 AM

Not only does this figure not have rocker ankles, it doesn’t have ankles.  NO ANKLES!  Yeah.  I’m with Chris.  This figure needs ankles, not because Red-Yees was jumping around the screen like a jackrabbit, but because there is simply no ability to pose this figure in any meaningful way with regard to the lower body.  Other then sitting in a chair, the lack of ankles renders the knees and hips useless.  So if you think it’s okay to not have articulated ankles, than you obviously think knees and hips are irrelevant.  And if you think that’s the case, than you might as well just collect them 5POA craps. I hear a lot of people say about 5POA, “if the figure just had elbows, it would be great!”  NO!  There is something wrong with you people.  Elbows may improve a 5POA figure, but such a figure is still garbage in the “action” sense.  Our small plastic men need to be able to crouch, jump, run, lunge, etc.  Lack of ankles almost rendered a figure non-super-articulated.

Okay, so with that out of the way, we are otherwise left with a fantastic figure on just about every level.  Hasbro gave us an improvement to the old POTF2 figure (which is actually pretty decent for 1998).  The sculpt is outstanding, especially the head.  There’s a lot of character in that face.  The ball jointed neck allows for some freedom of expression that we’ve never been able to provide for this character.  The upper body can be posed nicely to mimic Red-Yees’ animated gestures of excitement as he watches various prisoners head to their supposed doom.  The figure has a ball jointed waist, which, while limited in range, is a nice touch.  My sample actually had the upper body pop off the lower body at the waist, and after a minor freak out, got it to pop back in place.  The waist is almost…a waste.  They should have put the extra tooling cost into ankles.  But even still, the “skirt” part of the tunic is sculpted in such a way as to hinder the range of the hips. So all in all, the lower body is a bit of a mess when it comes to posability.

Sorry, I can’t get over the lack of ankles.  But seriously, this is otherwise a terrific figure.  The sculpt, the paint, the face sculpt…it’s all pretty great.  It’s a shame this was released in the Black Series, because being a Kenner figure, Red-Yees really needs a TVC cardback.  Instead, we got Mawhonic to represent the Gran species.  Meh.

The most important thing to note about this figure is that it is both a Jabba’s palace figure AND a Sail Barge figure.  So if you don’t have it…yep, you’re a terrible person.  Disappointing lower body articulation aside, it’s an excellent figure, and collectors should happy Hasbro gave us this Ree-Yees.  I cannot call this figure definitive, because of…yep, the ankles.  (Aren’t we so predictable?). So, because he’s such a minor character, and despite the fact that he was a Kenner figure, I’ll reluctantly call this “close enough” to definitive.

A resculpt seems just about out of the questions, so at least Hasbro could put this figure out on a TVC card.  Not only was it a Kenner figure, but the eBay prices are moderate to high.  There’s demand all around, so we’ll see if Hasbro addresses it in any way.

[Editor’s Note 3/28/19:  Hasbro has announced a re-issue of this figure (sadly, without retooled ankles) along with the TBS #19 Han Solo in Carbonite as pack-in figures for the 2019 Jabba’s Palace Adventure Set.]