I’ve come to the conclusion that the Star Wars Vintage Collection line is unnatural. I’m convinced Hasbro is using cursed voodoo plastic to make perfect little likenesses that can’t be resisted. Why else would I be tempted to buy a nobody like Wooof, or think that a Wicket figure is actually cool?
I knew Admiral Ackbar was a must have from wave three, but as I stood there looking at the rest of the figures I couldn’t help but feel that familiar urge to buy just one more. After all, Ackbar shouldn’t be lonely right? But I couldn’t decide who else to get because they all looked so good. (Like I said, even Wooof was tempting.) Not knowing who to pick, I left the decision up to Fate, and my girlfriend…
After looking my choices over carefully and weighing the decision for brief moments, she decided on Wicket. “The Ewok?” I scoffed. I don’t have the hatred for Ewoks that some fans do, but I don’t love them either. They were always a little creepy to me. Like watching a stuffed animal mimicking the movements of a real person, it was a bit too close to the uncanny valley for my tastes. But it was her choice, so why not. Little did I realize at the time just how cool this figure is.
Like most of the Vintage Collection, the first thing that jumps out at you is how great the figure looks. I didn’t really realize this until I got home, but he’s got a nice amount of detail for such a tiny guy. Standing a bit over two inches, Wicket isn’t just sculpted to resemble an Ewok. He’s sculpted to look like Warwick Davis in a Wicket costume. This gives the figure an incredibly natural appearance where he doesn’t look posed, but like he’s just hanging out on your shelf.
Adding to the stance are the tremendous details sculpted throughout the figure. His tiny lips are slightly parted to show his teeth, while his round eyes peer out from his fur textured face. The ends of his fingers and toes are smooth with raised nails. Even the bottoms of his feet have pads on them like a teddy bear.
Wicket’s paint job is simple. His entire body is molded in brown with darker painted highlights throughout to add depth to the fur. His stomach and head are highlighted with a light tan while the pads on his hands and feet are a dull grayish tan. His eyes are painted glossy black with a tiny white reflection dot, giving him a very lifelike feel. Continue to Page Two….
I always liked the Ewoks, and “Which is the best film?” questions aside (clearly Empire) I always ENJOYED Jedi the best.
The way I see it, the Ewok hate is mostly used by apologists who want to defend the prequels by trying to bring ANYTHING from the OT down to the prequel’s level.
Now, if the argument is “The Ewoks for the first blatant sign that Lucas was selling out his artistic integrity in favor of commerce” then that’s a conversation worth having.
But I still like the Ewoks. 🙂
And oh yeah, good review. 😀
Thanks Lay Z. I think Jedi was my favorite as a kid, but I’m not really sure why. Maybe it’s Jabba, I did always like those scenes for some reason. I don’t really have a favorite anymore. I just enjoy the subtleties throughout the series, even the prequels.
Great review and I LOVE the hugging Grievous photo! Funniest thing I’ve seem today.
The rare new Ewoks that you’d hardly ever see at retail over the past couple of years have been quite impressive by being in better scale, having improved mobility and a clever reuse of parts to make a couple of 2 packs affordable. The baby Ewok in a basket was something I’d have loved as a kid! The best detail has been the extremely tiny knives with working sheaths!
That said, Wicket is still the best. I even got an extra so I don’t have to choose between hoods. I’m not even that big on Ewoks as an adult. I do think there are a lot of Ewok haters who are in extreme denial about how much they loved the fuzzy jerks as kids. I know I had Wicket pajamas, and I think at least a small part of the Ewok hate is some extreme denial by those embarassed about snuggling their Wokling dolls constantly for years. Or not. Doesn’t matter. The Ewoks don’t bug me that much in the film because honestly, most of them are ugly as sin.
I will say that as someone who experienced Jedi at the perfect age when the film and merchanside hit, this new vintage wave is a dream. It hit me with the full nostalgic force as MOTUC and G.I.Joe 25th!
Lol, thanks!
Yeah, this vintage wave really does hit you with nostalgia. Then you open the package and discover it’s actually a good toy and the world seems like a better place.
nub nub!