Boba Fett - TVC - Basic (VC275)

Here we go again! Collectors are due for another vintage Kenner-colored Boba Fett figure. Since they have a glorious buck, 2021’s TVC Boba Fett (VC186) figure, they used that tooling to give us our favorite bounty hunter in those memorable primary and secondary colors. Let’s get to the issues first. Using a Boba Fett figure based on the Return Of The Jedi design isn’t an accurate recreation of the classic 1979 action figure. Boba Fett’s outfit changed for Return Of The Jedi. The Boba Fett costume that inspired the Kenner figure was based on a prototype costume, so it’s not a perfect match to the outfit in The Empire Strikes Back either. That said, it’s not an ideal sculpt to develop this nostalgic version of the character. However, this is a novelty action figure, so collectors may be able to overlook the kinks, scrapes, and scabs here. What collectors won’t be able to get over is the offensive $22.99 MSRP. It confounds us how figures made from existing tooling cost more than when Hasbro used it for the original release. Something is very out of place here. Hasbro opted not to include a subtitle for this Boba Fett figure this time, and that’s alright. But it would have helped clarify things if they did, especially in collector’s checklists and fan sites’ archives. Boba Fett is an exciting release, and it certainly strokes the nostalgia for longtime collectors. But Hasbro didn’t do everything it could for this figure, which is an annoying setback. With the price they charged this thing, there could have been new (and necessary) tooling that would have made this release nearly perfect.

Where is the rocket-firing missile? Why couldn’t Hasbro have retooled the jetpack to allow for a removable rocket? This omission has to be one of the laziest things Hasbro has done in a while. It’s a necessary inclusion for a Kenner-inspired Boba Fett action figure, and we’re very disappointed that they couldn’t think outside the box and include this revised detail. We’re also disappointed they left the Wookiee scalps “as is” on this figure. They stick out like a sore thumb. It would have behooved Hasbro to “cut them off” or leave them blue like the rest of the figure to blend in better. But our first inclination is that they should have retooled the figure by removing them. Some paint operations aren’t faithful to the Kenner version, either. For example, they painted the codpiece green (so it matches the rest of the chest armor). But the Kenner Boba Fett figure didn’t have this detail. The cod area is all light blue, and that stands out too. The belt section is a bit wonky too. There is too much brown on the new release, and when compared to the 1979 release, the blue breaks up into the two belt sections, so this detail is off as well. But perhaps the worst oversight here is the included weapon. Once again, as lazy as ever, Hasbro included the same gun from 2021’s TVC Boba Fett (VC186) figure, the sawed-off blaster rifle. Why couldn’t they have the E-11 blaster pistol with this figure instead? Does anyone at Hasbro study the Kenner line with diligence and precision? How difficult is it to match the classic Kenner figures when developing them for the modern Hasbro Star Wars line?

Boba Fett comes with an impressive 30 points of articulation. No one can deny how wonderful it is to get 3.75-inch action figures with this incredible articulation. Plus, with “rocker” ankles becoming commonplace in the line now, it is easier to appreciate these little works of art. Hasbro tooled Boba Fett so incredibly well that it looks like a miniature The Black Series 6-inch Boba Fett figure. What Hasbro achieved for this action figure is an intense accomplishment, and no one should take anything for granted here because it’s a magnificent action figure. Boba Fett’s articulation system is astounding. And all of the articulation points function beautifully. The joints are hidden well throughout the figure, and more importantly, the insert portions of the ball joints match the surrounding areas of the figure for a seamless aesthetic. The joints throughout the figure are tight and hold their positions well. Aside from a few minor center-of-gravity issues, we didn’t have any trouble posing the figure, only due to the figure’s jetpack with certain poses. It sometimes wants to pull the figure down, but you can prevent this natural effect from occurring with some careful positioning. All of the joints on Boba Fett articulate with buttery movement. Hasbro engineered a high-quality action figure that functions as nicely as it looks. We noticed that Boba Fett is a little taller than in previous versions. The height difference isn’t substantial, but it is noticeable. From the “rocker” ankles to the ball-jointed wrists and even the shoulder armor plates, we appreciate so much here. That said, Hasbro could also throw collectors a bone and slightly tool the significant differences so these Boba Fett figures stay authentic.