This post-Force Friday II Walmart exclusive First Order TIE Fighter is identical to the version released two years ago for The Force Awakens except in one way, which may or may not make this vehicle worth your time and money.  If you were interested in a First Order TIE fighter but you missed both TFA versions (regular and TRU exclusive battle damaged), you have another opportunity.  Since it is a repack, this review will be short.

The vehicle basically serves its purpose with one major flaw which was unfortunately carried over from TFA:  The plastic used for the panels is too soft.  You certainly don’t have to worry about them warping over time, because in both my TFA version as well as this TLJ version, they both came out of the boxes with the wings slightly warped and twisted.  Other than this unfortunate, and frankly unacceptable shortcoming, the only real issue one might have is that the wings are of the original toy dimension before Hasbro gave us the popular “big wing” TIEs.  You may or may not care, depending on the space you have available to store, and if you are willing to save the extra money that would it would inevitably cost to get such a scaled toy today.

Beyond those two issues, it’s a solid toy.  The wings pop off in classic style, there are two spring loaded projectiles, there is a rotating cannon on the underside of the pod, a smaller rotating cannon on the top right of the pod, a cockpit that opens to reveal a two-seater interior, and clear plastic windows on the top, front, and back.  The Force Link feature is particularly neat with this vehicle, because the TIE Fighter engine flight sounds can run continuously while you zoom the toy around your home.  It doesn’t merely make sounds for a few seconds and then go silent, and you can make “lay-zur” sounds also with some slight movement of the device, so it’s actually a neat effect.

The pilot is basic 5POA, and does it’s job.  It loses a point because the face paint is horrendous, but it gains back a point for the removable helmet, although the space where the chest box plugs in is bizarrely large.  But if you get this, it’s not for the figure.  It’s so you can zoom the ship around to the lovely sounds of authentic Lucasfilm TIE fighter flight and battle sounds.  Too bad the warpy wings really ruin what should be a fun toy.  It gets the edge over the TFA version because of the Force Link feature.