admin
22 December 2023
I already know what you’re going to say: \"Jesus, Jeremy. You’re writing another Star Wars review?\" Well, yes, I am. But this one is really special.
Sideshow Toys is renowned for their 12\" line of collector’s dolls. Recently, however, they\'ve been producing a line of more expensive, quarter-scale figures. Made of resin bodies with finely crafted fabric outfits and other found materials, the final products have been startling. They started out slow, with a series of classic monsters out as the first batch, but quickly began to branch out into other areas, such as Star Trek and James Bond. They were all really beautiful items, but I was hard-pressed to pay over $200 for one of them.
That was until they announced picking up the Star Wars license. Sideshow’s first Star Wars item in their quarter-scale catalog is, of course, Luke Skywalker from the very first Star Wars movie. And they couldn’t have picked a better character or pose for their first creation.
Young Luke is posed on a rocky sand dune, looking at the twin suns of Tatooine, ready to begin the journey of his life. Over the years, there have been countless toys attempting to capture Mark Hamill’s likeness. I don’t know what it is about the guy, but apparently he’s got one of those faces that, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t sculpt. It’s like the Devil himself put him on this planet to entrap hungry toy sculptors, hungry enough to sell their soul for just one shot at capturing the elusive Mr. Hamill. What a devious cad!
That said, this statue has the best Luke Skywalker likeness to date. The paint application does a terrific job complimenting the sculpture. They even airbrushed a barely noticeable shadowed tone underneath the cheeks and eyes, to add a little more depth to the face. On mine, the effect is marvelous, but I have heard other horror stories. Some of the Lukes apparently look like they’re wearing a thick coat of make-up, as if he was about to dance the night away at the Blue Oyster. Is this another teasing glimpse into the life of The Hamill? Your guess is as good as mine.
Still, the coolest thing about this statue has to be the outfit and accessories. Luke’s initial outfit in the movie is very simple, but Sideshow did an excellent job making it special. The shirt and pants are very well tailored. The boots are resin, and the calves are carefully wrapped with a miniature Ace bandage. Luke’s belt is even made of leather, with a real metal belt buckle. You would never see an outfit like this on a 12\" doll! The whole thing is topped off with a tiny pair of binoculars, and a really terrific rocky base to display Luke in his classic pose.
My only complaint with the outfit was the belt. It looks great because it fits very snugly around Luke’s waist. Unfortunately, you have to put it on when you open the figure. This thing is a real nightmare to get on. It does look great because it’s made of leather, but of course that means it doesn’t stretch. No joke, it took me twenty minutes to get the damn thing on! It is a small nitpick, but nonetheless, an annoying one.
Sideshow\'s first quarter-scale Star Wars figure really only has one thing going against it: the exuberant cost. Nearly $250 is a lot of money, and Luke is the cheapest figure in the Star Wars catalog. Darth Vader sells for $350, and General Grievous sells for a whopping $450. For the average person, that is way too much money to spend on a doll-- even a really nice one.
Despite the high cost, most of the Star Wars items are sold out on Sideshow’s site. However, you still can get on the waiting list to obtain one of these treasures. If it’s just killing you that these items are out there, but you just can’t afford them, fear not. Sideshow has just announced production of a 12\" line of Star Wars dolls. For a Star Wars fan, this has to be the greatest toy news ever! Better start saving your money now, Jedi.
artid
3329
Old Image
8_1_toybox.jpg
issue
vol 8 - issue 01 (sep 2005)
section
entertainmental