C-3PO - OTC - Basic (OTC #13)

Added: March 1st 2013
Category: Original Trilogy Collection, The
Reviewer: Paul Harrison
Score:

Name: C-3PO
Collection: The Original Trilogy Collection
Number: OTC #13
Source: A New Hope
Availability: August 2004
License: Hasbro

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The Rebel droid C-3PO is always worrying about something, especially during battles against the evil Empire. He joins his friend R2-D2 on many dangerous and exciting adventures. C-3PO can speak in over 6 million forms of communication and helps his masters interact with different species and cultures. He may be overwhelmed by his adventures, but he is loyal and remains true to his Rebel friends.

There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to The Original Trilogy Collection C-3PO figure. Sure, it’s just a repack of 1998’s POTF2 C-3PO (Millennium Minted Coin) figure (which was subsequently repacked in 2004’s SW Hall Of Fame line as well), but it actually is a kit-bashed figure and not all-new which many collectors to this date erroneously believe. Two previously released C-3PO figures make up this version. The upper body, arms and head are from 1998’s POTF2 C-3PO (With Realistic Metalized Body And Cargo Net), released in the Freeze Frame line look, figure and the legs are from the C-3PO figure from 1997’s POTF2 Purchase Of The Droids Cinema Scenes set. All the parts have been given an all-new vac-metalized finish including a glistening final coat and a silver right lower leg. By description alone, you know that this is a great looking C-3PO figure because all of the parts used to make him have been collector favorites for years. We glad that Hasbro decided to go with this recycled “newer” version that the figures from where these parts comes. The final figure still looks great today.

There isn’t a “Millennium Minted Coin” this time around, but Hasbro does make up for its loss by putting C-3PO in very cool packaging. You know the style of the card back all too well so we won’t bore you again. But it’s the diorama scene that is set behind the figure that is what is so spectacular. Who could forget C-3PO wandering aimlessly in the Tatooine desert as he walks by the remains of krayt dragon? Hasbro mercifully included the carcass in the backdrop and it’s quite frankly one of the the best card backs in all of The Original Trilogy Collection. (Check The Original Trilogy Collection Visual Guide for the card back images to this figure.) Besides himself, C-3PO comes with an action figure stand, but he comes with no unique accessories of his own. Besides, it’s very rare when C-3PO comes with an accessory anyway. It’s a fair assessment that the glistening finish on C-3PO is the selling point here aside from the figure’s packaging. As we recount previous iterations of C-3PO, we believe Hasbro has given us an rather even 50% mix of dirty to clean versions of the protocol droid, but this one stands out as the best.

The proportions of C-3PO aren’t entirely perfect, but we feel they pass. Action figure making in the late 90s was quite different thank what it is today, so there are going to be things about C-3PO that may stand out as inaccurate. For what the figure is however, we feel that they’re certainly good enough here. Remember, The Original Trilogy Collection was never meant to be an all-new action figure basic figure line. This collection of figures was culled together under pressure to support the Original Trilogy coming to DVD for the very first time. And it was another desperate attempt for Hasbro to engage a new audience of youngsters. You can tell this by the rather juvenile bios of the characters on the card backs and the twofold delineation of the Evil Empire versus the Rebel Alliance. It was truly a kids’ line in attractive collector-focused packaging. Hasbro really knows what they’re doing sometimes, don’t they. Whatever you feel, at least they used the best sculpts at the time and tweaked paint jobs whenever needed to make them as best as they could possibly be. There will be better C-3PO figures in the future. But this one is a shining star for now.

Collector Notes

C-3PO

Status: C-3PO is a straight repack of 1998's POTF2 C-3PO (Millennium Minted Coin) figure. This same figure was also released as 2004's SW C-3PO (Hall Of Fame) figure.

Articulation Count: 6

Articulation Details: swivel head, 2 swivel shoulders, swivel waist, 2 swivel hips

Accessory Count: None

Accessory Details: None

Date Stamp: 1998

Assortment Number: 85248/84715

UPC: 076930852484

Retail: $4.99 USD

Market Value: Click here to check the latest prices based on Click here to check the market value on eBay! listings.

 

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