Editor’s Note:  This review has been updated with our second look at TVC…

Original Review:  Chris - 03/04/2012 2:27 AM

Like the Lightsaber Construction Luke from this wave, this is another two-fer figure.  It can serve as the deleted sandstorm scene Lando, but after swapping out a few accessories, it becomes a Skiff Guard Lando.  Hasbro didn’t have to pack in the helmet and vibro-axe, so it’s an appreciated inclusion.  It was also a wise one.  I’m not so sure how well this figure would sell if it only worked as a sandstorm scene figure.  And as sandstorm figure, I don’t love it.  The plastic hood and cape over the soft goods tunic looks okay, but it doesn’t blow me away.  The goggles are the same ones that came with the 2008 Legacy Collection Luke Skywalker.  It was made to fit that figure’s head with the sculpted wind swept hair.  They’re a little too large for this Lando head sculpt.  As such, putting the plastic hood over the figure tends to slide the goggles over the figure’s head. 

But where this figure is in the money is as a skiff guard figure.  As has been pointed out in our forums, it is a tad to short.  It’s about the same height as the Luke Skywalker figure from the same wave.  Billy Dee Williams is listed at 5’10”.  Mark Hamill measure 5’6”.  What this means is that, in the 3 3/4” scale, this figure is about two tenths of an inch too short. Other than that, is pretty damned sweet.  The figure is fully articulated and the joints have good range of motion.  The head sculpt looks spot on to me.  The DL-18 blaster is too small.  It’s a new sculpt from the one we’ve been receiving with other Vintage Collection Jabba’s goon figures such as the Weequay Skiffmaster and Wooof.  Why Hasbro decided to fix something that wuddint broke is beyond me.  The one included with this figure gets almost entirely swallowed by the holster.  If you have a spare of the previous mold, you’ll probably want to swap it out.  I feel the the improper scaling and and miniature blaster are offset by wonderful detailing, super articulation and a nice head sculpt, so this figure scores a respectable 8 out of 10 with me.

Updated Review:  Bret - 8/31/2018 07:05 AM

Along with the just reviewed Princess Leia (Sandstorm Outfit), Lando Calrissian (Sandstorm Outfit) should be “two-fers”, as Chris called it.  From my point of view the Jedi are evil the Leia figure actually fails at that, because without the collar and short chain accessory, she cannot be accurately displayed in any other screen inspired diorama besides the deleted sandstorm scene.  But Lando pulls it off perfectly.  The accessories get top billing, so the figure is named “Sandstorm Outfit”, but underneath the shmatas and goggles, Hasbro has delivered an outstanding and nearly flawless Lando Calrissian (Skiff Guard Disguise).  It’s truly a two for one proposition, so unlike the VC88 Leia, you should instantly buy two of these Landos (I only bought one because I’m a terrible nerd).

First, we’ll look at the figure as it is named.  Like the Leia, Lando comes with both a soft goods and a soft plastic shmata, which work well in conjunction to wrap around the figure convincingly.  One or the other would not do, but together they are executed very well.  Lando comes with goggles (they appear to be the same that came with the Sandstorm Luke from The Legacy Collection).  they fit a bit loosely on Lando’s head, but you can maneuver the plastic shmata to avoid knocking them off the face.  The goggles do line up nicely with his eyes.  I had to rewatch the deleted scene prior to doing this gallery and review because I had no idea why the heck he came with a data pad thingy.  Well, there it is in plain sight, as Lando seemingly uses the device to home in on the rendezvous point and/or activate the Falcon’s lights and ramp as they approach.  Oh, and not to be repetitive from yesterday’s Leia review, but if you missed it, there’s a Y-Wing at the rendezvous point.  So I included it in one of the images above.  You can see the nose at the right of the image with the Falcon.  Y-wings.  What’s happening here?

As for what’s underneath all the sandstorm gear, we get an outstanding Lando Skiff Guard.  While donning the armor and identity of Tamtel Skreej, the figure’s sculpt and paint applications are excellent.  Lando has standard super-articulated (lacking ball-jointed wrists and hips) and along with the helmet and vibro-blade, he works perfectly in Jabba’s palace or on board the prisoner skiff.  The helmet fits tightly, and you can see Lando’s eyes through the mask.  Lando can perform a perfect THWG with the vibro-blade.  He comes with his blaster, which fits snugly in the holster, or he can grip it tightly with the floating trigger finger.  Again, he can perform a simple THWG, but as we know, it’s not that effective with a pistol.  The face sculpt is a passable likeness to Billy Dee, although the skin tone is a little on the light side.

Lando’s plethora of accesories (two shmatas, goggles, a data pad, a blaster, a vibro-blade, and a helmet allow you to make two nearly perfect and completely different Lando figures.  The value is tremendous.  Although some marginal improvements could be made (full modern articulation, better skin tone, and properly painted ankle joints), they’re not really worth an actual update to the figure.  I’m confident in calling this the definitive Lando in Skiff Disguise, and it’s absolutely the definitive Sandstorm version of Lando.  You need at least 2 of these figures. I think Chris was still reeling from the Pats losing to the Giants in XLVI a month before when he day he gave it an 8.  I’m upping it to a 9.

Verdict: Re-issue (High Priority) 

The figure goes for a hefty premium on eBay.  It’s a two-fer, and definitive on both counts.  Obviously it also will work for your future Sail Barge display, so that could also be affecting the price.  Hasbro should figure out some way to make this available again, even in some kind of exclusive skiff-themed multi-pack, maybe with a Vedain and a Velken Tezeri so WE CAN PLEASE FINISH THE DAMN PRISONER SKIFF!!

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.