The Set

As I’ve written recently, Hasbro has been feeling their way through the rules of their oxymoronic “modern vintage” universe.  When Hasbro reintroduced the iconic vintage Kenner Special Action Figure sets in the Vintage Collection, they had a slavish devotion to the exact names and contents of the vintage counterparts.  Some of you like this.  You are terrible (I kid).  (Editor’s Note:  No, he’s right.  You are terrible.). I personally feel that “modern vintage” means reproducing everything that was perfected in the vintage era, and perfecting everything that was a mistake or a technological limitation of the vintage era.  In other words, I want the best of both worlds.  Reproducing a vintage mistake or old technology is a gimmick, in my opinion.  It’s why I’m not a huge fan of the Retro Collection (Boba Fett aside).  Things are only truly “vintage” once.  I think matching the contents of the vintage Kenner 3-packs verbatim was a mistake.  It caused too many recently released figures and obsolete repacks to make their way into these sets yet again. There wasn’t much excitement for these sets and many had “clearance” written all over them the second they hit the shelves.

Thankfully, with the recent Dr. Aphra Comic Set and Luke Skywalker Jedi Destiny Set, “new rules” for this “modern vintage” universe were written and we can break free of the strictures of the Kenner Special Action Figure sets.  In 2012 the old rules were still in place, however.  That meant when it came time to tackle this set, we got a Tusken Raider that had just been released earlier that year in the Discover The Force subline.  We also got a Boba Fett that had just been released heavily in the Vintage Collection mainline.  Thankfully when it came time to fill the “Sanggletooth” slot, Hasbro didn’t rerelease the POTF2 Takeel from the Cantina Aliens Cinema Scene.  We were graced with a much anticipated and all new update to “Snaggletooth”.  But it was only a partial kindness.  Having to buy two figures we already owned and did not want, just to get the one new figure we desperately did, is another example in the long line of abuses Hasbro has leveled at the Vintage Collection market.

Sand People (Tusken Raider)

Have you ever replayed your favorite video game, one that you love dearly, but the the game contains an utterly tedious part that you’re dreading having to play through again?  As much fun as you’re having replaying your beloved game, there is a little weight on your soul knowing you’re fast approaching some precisely timed quintuple jump that if you don’t execute correctly, you have to start the whole hateful sequence again.  That is this figure for me.  When I knew updating the photography of this gallery was on our roadmap, I sighed at the prospect of having to cover this figure again.  I’ve already photographed and reviewed it twice, and I’m just getting warmed up.  We have to update the Discover the Force gallery and we still have to do our first review of the origin of this sculpt, 2006’s VTSC (Vintage The Saga Collection) figure.  I’m praying for an asteroid strike.

Hasbro clearly loves this sculpt A LOT more than the fans do.  They’d probably be shocked to find out it’s actually borderline reviled by fans for a trifecta of hatefulness:  1) swivel elbows that 2) easily come apart 3) under the figure’s robe.  We need a definitive update to the Tusken Raider released on the Episode IV double racetrack Vintage Collection card like yesterday.  I would be okay if that definitive version came about as a retool of this figure as the lower body is pretty decent, but the arms and torso, which leans to the side, need to go.

For the full review of this figure, please consult the TBS3 - Tusken Raider review.

Boba Fett

Have you ever replayed your favorite video game…

As with the Sand People figure, I’m tired of reviewing the innumerable re-releases of 2008’s Evolutions Boba Fett, so I’m not going to.  It’s a heavily flawed figure.  For the full review of this figure, please consult the VC09 - Boba Fett review.  It should be noted that this particular release seems to have a slightly lighter colored jetpack than the other 19,000 releases.  I am pretty strongly of the opinion that we are long overdue for definitive “Jedi Level Articulation (JLA)” updates to both the Episode V and VI Boba Fett figures with properly scaled non-removable helmets.

Snaggletooth (Zutton)

I’ve heard of “burying the lead”, but this is ridiculous.  This is likely the only figure you care about in this set, but I am devoted to following the left to right order of these packs.  I like structure, dang it.  Reviewing these figures in any other order is anarchy.  As you can see, we are (for now) identifying this figure as Zutton.  There are two Snivvians in the Chalmun’s Spaceport Cantina in A New Hope, and a third who drops by in the Holiday Special.  The names of all three have been a point of confusion since time immemorial even though the name of the Holiday Special Snivvian should be undebatable.  Ackmena clearly identifies him as Zutmore.  I think.  She’s kinda looking at the other guy when she says it:

Anyway, that name is settled, but the names of Takeel and Zutton have been used interchangeably for years.  But recently, a Snivvian appeared in The Rise of Skywalker:

(click for the full sized image)

That Snivvian appears identical to both this figure, and the dark haired Snivvian in A New Hope on which this figure is based.  He was played by Jake Lunt Davies.  According to Mr. Davies, he was referred to as “Zutton” on set. (The assist goes to commenter Pat Shark for that factoid.)  I feel that is as close to Disney-era canonization of the name as we may ever get, and thus why I’m going with it.  I look forward to updating all our reviews, menus and references in a few years when the names change for the umpteenth time.

Lots of words about the name, but we still haven’t gotten to the figure.  The first job of cantina alien figures is to look good, and in that respect this figure nails it.  The head sculpt is amazing.  It is so evocative of the warthogs on which I assume the species is based, that I will often mutter “Oh, Timon,” in Ernie Sabella’s voice when looking at it.  In addition to the head, the off center hump of the figure is perfectly executed.  The figure has standard super articulation that allows for plenty of expressive poses even though you need this figure to mostly “stand there” in your cantina displays.  Being able to stow the figure’s blaster in a loop of the sash is a nice touch in lieu of a holster.  The only glaring negatives are the mismatched knee and ankle joints.  In the case of the knees, the contrast is so great that the mismatch is glaring.  This figure could have easily scored a 9 for aesthetics and likeness, but those joints force me to lower the score to an 8 out of 10.

Hasbro needs to either use this exact figure, or use this figure as the basis of a Takeel update, and get it out in the Vintage Collection mainline as the counterpart to the vintage Kenner Snaggletooth.  I know the vintage Snaggletooth was based on the Holiday Special Zutmore, but that was a a mistake (and you know how I feel about duplicating a mistake).  A separate carded release of Zutmore as a wink would make for a great exclusive.