Hasbro has cursed us with the existence of the 5POA mainline, and with that curse, comes a couple of great looking characters that are just making me mad that they are not in the collector-grade line.  Well, one of the figures could possibly pass with under-articulation (we’ll have to see the film first), but the other just isn’t…smoove enough without full articulation.

Can you guess which figure I was talking about?  It’s the Kessel Guard.  That guy has some swag, but without the much-needed articulation, he just stands there.  Nah, I’m just kidding.  I totally fooled you.  The Kessel Guard is actually a really nice looking figure, but he’s no Lando.  The Guard is an interesting design that brings to mind samurai styling, while still maintaining a Star Warsy feel to it.  The sculpt is excellent (although not too sure about accuracy yet, because of that whole film-not-being-out-yet thing…), but even if this character hit the cutting room floor, it’s a neat design that I am glad exists in plastic form.  The details and textures in the sculpted uniform are tremendous.  Lots to look at and admire.  The “kilt” is made of a very soft and flexible plastic, allowing for the legs to get a full range of motion at the hips.  The helmet is interesting as well.  Several colors were used to paint all the parts of the uniform and helmet, and an interesting wash of dirt was applied to the “kilt”.  The Kessel Guard comes with a sculpted back pack which has a notch to accommodate the staff weapon.  The figure can grip the staff in a vertical “guard” fashion, which I assume is somewhat screen accurate, but it would be nice if he at least had articulated arms to be able to do the THWG.  Maybe it’s not that big of a deal.  For all we know, the character just stands at attention on screen.  We shall find out!

As for the coolest scoundrel in the galaxy, the Lando Calrissian figure also seems to be pretty screen accurate from what we’ve seen.  The cape and scarf are a soft plastic, allowing Lando’s arms to move out from underneath.  The cape is, of course, removable.  This reveals Lando’s neon yellow dress shirt, and he strikes quite the dapper pose with his black pants and shoes.  The figure’s paint applications are executed well.  I have to say that my sample has a face sculpt/paint application that results in an amazing likeness to Donald Glover.  While we often bemoan the 5POA figures, it seems that Hasbro has been improving face sculpts over the past couple of years.  Sure, there are still plenty of misses, but when they hit, it’s a home run.  Lando has an unusual holster, but it works well to hold the included blaster, which the figure also grips well in its hands.  Lando is a beloved main character, and he needs collector-grade treatment.  The lack of articulation is upsetting here, and I hope Hasbro makes the necessary update in the not-to-distant future.

Along with the two figures, this pack contains a pretty cool canon.  Based on the “realistic” design, I’m going to assume at this point that this piece of weaponry appears in the film.  If it doesn’t, it’s still pretty awesome, and would work in an alternative diorama.  Either way, it’s lightyears ahead of the “off screen” inventions that have been included in these 2-packs.  Some collectors, even if they end up loathing Solo and hating these two characters, might consider picking up the set down the road just for the cannon.

This is probably the best 2-pack that Hasbro has released since 5POA dominated the scene with TFA.  You get two never-before-seen characters that interact well with their accessories, along with a good-sized, realistic looking canon.  It’s a decent value, as these sets retail for a bit less than the cost of 2 basic figures.  I am intrigued by the design of the Kessel Guard, and I love the Lando figure, especially the likeness.  I’ll give it a fairly strong (for 5POA) score of 6/10.  Again, if Hasbro is reading this, please get us a super-articulated Lando!