Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Greedo: Not The Strongest Bounty Hunter, Not The Most Worthwhile 12" Figure!



The Good: Decent outfit
The Bad: Very basic coloring, Hands look goofy, Overproduced
The Basics: The Power Of The Force 12" Greedo is a minor bounty hunter with a pretty problematic execution from Kenner.


When it comes to bounty hunters from the Star Wars franchise, there is arguably less of a loser than Greedo. Greedo is one of only four bounty hunters in the Star Wars cinematic saga that is actually seen doing something (five if you count Aurra Sing actually shooting her rifle), yet he is also pretty easily toasted. In fact, it just now occurs to me that outside Aurra Sing, all of the Star Wars bounty hunters who do more than simply show up get killed. Greedo is so unimpressive and underrated that it was a surprise to me when Hallmark made an exclusive ornament of him back in 2009 (reviewed here!). Less surprising given the variety of Star Wars dolls made by Kenner was that Greedo earned 12" treatment in the 1997 Collector Series Star Wars 12" line.

Like most of the dolls in the 12" Star Wars action figure line, Greedo is a faithful cloth and plastic replica of one of the bounty hunters of the Star Wars Trilogy. Greedo, for those unfamiliar with the obscure Star Wars characters, was in a single scene in A New Hope (reviewed here!) where he confronted Han Solo and ends up killed. Greedo has about a minute's worth of dialogue before dying in a shootout with Han Solo.

Basics

Greedo is a Rodian bounty hunter worked for the gangster Jabba the Hutt. He was a green alien who was gifted to me by my wife who wanted to complete my Star Wars 12" bounty hunter collection. In that regard, he fits the bill, but it is worth noting that the 1997 12" Greedo has too many faults to be considered truly worthwhile, not the least of which is that even coming from an amazing collection that was kept in a climate-controlled (including light) environment, his cloths have faded seriously. The figure stands 13" tall to the top of his head spines. Greedo is dressed in a green and yellow flight suit with his orange felt vest covering his back and chest.

This toy is a decent sculpt, clearly resembling the green alien with the head spines and antennae. The ears on the green snouted alien are pointed and stand out from the creature's head. Kenner got one detail very right by making the black orbs glossy. Greedo's hands feature elongated fingers that end in suction cups, but feature no additional articulation. In fact, the right hand is closed around a small black blaster pistol. The pistol is molded into the hand and is surprisingly boxy. Otherwise, Greedo looks pretty good with his yellow-orange boots and his bubbly green skin on his head. The details on the antenna, other than seeming over-large, is good with contours and etchings that make the appendages actually seem like they might be functional.

Greedo is dressed in a polyester and faux-leather jumpsuit. It is sealed in the front by Velcro. Opening the suit reveals a Greedo that is surprisingly ripped. His green skin is monotonally colored and the outfit is made in complimentary colors. Unfortunately, Greedo's flight suit is covered with an orange vest, which Kenner decided to make out of felt. The felt vest fades ridiculously easy and mine is barely peach now. I've seen them new and they are the appropriate bright orange. But I have not seen any in recent years that have maintained the color they were manufactured with.

Accessories

Greedo comes with no accessories. The blaster he holds is molded into his hand.

Playability

No one I know plays with the 12" figures, but Greedo would be average at best for that. Greedo features only ten points of articulation, though they are not just simple hinge joints. Greedo has ball and socket joints at his wrists, shoulders and groin socket. He also bends at the knees and twists at the head and waist. His knees to not bend enough to make him sit down realistically, though.

Greedo is also poorly balanced. Unless posed in an absolute flatfooted position, he requires a bit of manipulation or he falls over. It is difficult, but not impossible, to get Greedo to stand in a stable fashion, but he wobbles more than most and that makes him a tough sell for those using him for display.

Collectibility

Greedo is part of the 1997 Collector Series twelve-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that were released during a time that they were largely being mass produced. As a result, Greedo is exceptionally common, and was repackaged at least twice without changes to the sculpt. Even the JC Penny exclusive version of the 12" Greedo is overly common and easily available. This is a poor investment for Star Wars collectors or investors.

Overview

Greedo is a surprisingly lame 12" figure. Despite the costuming, the articulation and balance are pretty low and the fading vest issue is serious enough to keep me from recommending the bounty hunter toy. Besides, Sideshow just came out with their rendition and for the serious collectors, he's the one to get!

For other Star Wars 12" dolls, please check out my reviews of:
Power Of The Jedi Slave Leia
Power Of The Force Zuckuss
Original Trilogy Collection Boba Fett

3.5/10

For other toy reviews, please be sure to visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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