If we accept 5POA for what it is, we already know not to expect much.  Going backward in time a bit, as we explore the TLJ 5POA line, we’re going to come across some figures that are poor even by 5POA standards.  While I’m just opening this figure for the first time now, I’m trying to decide if it was good for what it was meant to be way back in 2015.  We’ve already seen some figures in the 5POA line here in 2017 that look great, can achieve an iconic pose better than any SA figure, or come with a nifty never-before-seen feature that almost seems out of place on a budget figure.

On the other hand, we get TFA General Hux.  A figure that might have been fine (but not OK, Randy!) 2 years ago, but now has been more or less destroyed by its TLJ counterpart a mere 2 years later.

At first glance, the figure seems to do its job.  It stands sturdily, it has a reasonably accurate uniform, the paint applications are fairly neat, and the face sculpt is passable. There are several First Order emblem tampos that are applied crisply on the uniform and hat.  Hux comes with a small pistol that he can grip tightly.  The uniform doesn’t have much depth to it as it is all one sculpted piece, save for the joints.  I believe had I reviewed this at product launch, I might have actually praised Hasbro for an interesting take on the hip joints - an angular cut that seems to blend nicely with the aesthetic of the overcoat.

But there are some glaring weaknesses here.  Due to the aforementioned thigh cut, the figure’s legs can barely move backward (unless you force them) and if you move them forward too far, the torso will actually create an indent into the plastic of the front of the leg.  It may be hard to see, but I highlighted the effect in this image here.  You’ll notice that images prior to the one above with Hux on his back showing the range of leg motion do not have this mark.  That picture shows that he can barely move his legs forward more than 30 degrees.  With a 5POA figure, the only point to leg joints is to have the figure sit, albeit awkwardly.  If the figure can’t do this, then the thigh joints are rendered completely useless, and you’re left with a salt shaker figure.  I would have preferred Hasbro save the two hip joints and give Hux elbows so he might clasp his hands behind his back.

On the topic of articulation, the head barely moves other than slightly side to side.  The ball-jointed motion is not possible due to the sculpt.  I would expect this with a figure that has long hair or fur, but not with a character like Hux.  So with useless leg joints, and non-functioning neck, this figure might be considered 2POA.  This is terrible.

Hux also comes with 1 piece of a 3-part accessory.  This one is a jet-pack of sorts, which seems to be custom tailored for this figure.  That might sound well and good, but the reason for this is because there’s a giant peg hole right in the middle of Hux’s back.  What the frack, Hasbro?  If Hux wore armor, at least you could make the “real world” excuse that it’s molded into the plate in order to accommodate the jet pack.  But this is just a hole right through Hux’s coat and into his spine.  The horror!

So even with all that, you could say, “hey, this is still a decent looking figure, and the articulation isn’t necessary for a character that barely did anything but talk and stand there.  But then you look at the TLJ version of General Hux.  It’s a masterpiece compared to this junk.  Not having seen The Last Jedi when this review went to press, it would appear that the wardrobe for the character is identical in both films, with my only concern with the TLJ version being that he didn’t have a hat.  Beyond that, the separately sculpted coat is removable, and reveals essentially a second display option for Hux in a basic officer’s uniform.  The legs have a full range of motion, and there is no disturbing hole in his back.  The neat thing is that if Hux does have a scene in TLJ where he’s wearing a hat, you can actually swap heads between these two figures.  This might be the only redeeming quality of the TFA version.  So if the wardrobe is identical in both films, it would seem Hasbro made a figure for The Last Jedi that is orders of magnitude better than the TFA version.

This figure might have gotten a 4 in 2015, but in such a short period of time, Hasbro destroyed it, and did so only with another 5POA figure.  It not only doesn’t stand the test of time, I think it really didn’t stand much of any test, as Hasbro just proved.

It’s lucky to get a 3.