Boba Fett - Unleashed

As the hungry Sarlacc holds Boba Fett in its lashing tentacles, you would expect Fett to rage at fate for bringing him to this hideous circumstance. But Fett never allows himself a second of weakness or self-pity. From the moment he witnessed the brutal death of his father in the first battle of the Clone Wars, Boba Fett has dealt with the injustices and vagaries of life in a cold, calculating manner. Encased in armor and hidden behind a battle helmet, Fett has cut himself off from the universe, protecting himself from the dangers of his work as a bounty hunter, and also, perhaps, from the pain of loving and losing anyone else dear to him. Even as he struggles within the deadly Pit of Carkoon, Boba Fett exemplifies a harsh enforcer of his own code of honor and justice. He is armed not only with powerful weapons but also with the superb survival and martial arts skills taught to him by his father. If it could be possible for anyone to emerge alive from the carnivorous maw of the Sarlacc, that person would be Boba Fett.

If you’ve been a follower of the Expanded Universe since the Marvel comic’s era, you probably know that Boba Fett was rescued from the Sarlacc Pit. It was one of the most memorable stories in the comic’s history. The Special Edition of Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi put the Marvel story of Boba Fett’s escape in the hot seat for a bit, but fans found a ways to explain that Boba Fett could have still survived while inside the belly of the beast. Just the fact that we got to see Boba Fett alive and well was enough to keep us tuned in and see him resurrected as the most notorious bounty hunter in the galaxy. Hasbro took this a few steps further with their aggressive interpretation of Boba Fett and the sarlacc. It is probably the most exciting Star Wars: Unleashed figure to date. And what makes this figure so unique is that it portrays a completely different angle of the events during the Battle of the Great Pit of Carkoon seen in Episode VI. Instead of Boba Fett tumbling into certain doom from Han Solo making his rocket malfunction, the Unleashed figure presents Boba Fett in a light that shows he is not only adept at saving himself, but that he has enough stamina and agility to escape danger with grace.

Then again, is that just a ruse by the sculptors? After all, Boba Fett is in danger. A tentacle is tightly wrapped around his right leg. This pieces is fascinatingly it’s own cliffhanger and resolution. Obviously, the Boba Fett Unleashed figure is based on his appearance from Return Of The Jedi. Boba Fett in any collectible format is usually a hot item, but this one will likely become one of the hottest. A frighteningly tall Unleashed figure, it towers over most others in the line. Between the outstretched posture of Boba Fett and the extraordinarily long tentacles of the sarlacc, there is a lot going on here and it should all be consumed and digested slowly. This is another work of art in the line, and you’ll succumb to the detail. It’s powerfully engaging and beautifully executed. It’s Boba Fett like you’ve never seen him, but have expected him to behave. It may be our most favorite “outside of the box” interpretation of him we have ever seen produced by Hasbro. We are just amazed time and again with the Unleashed line. The line brings beautiful artful Star Wars figures of our most favorite characters, but in ways that are familiar, yet off-screen. Or they are completely different from what is seen in the films.

The detail on Boba Fett is astounding. Hasbro kept most of the details of the Return Of The Jedi costume all in tact here. The light gray jump suit is accented with green chest plate armor, a green helmet (with cool battle-damage markings) and red gauntlets. We’re especially taken with how his boots have been sculpted and painted too. Hasbro utilized a lot of shading/shadowing in their approach. But the soles of his boots have a distinct texture too. Hasbro spared no expense to capture all of the traditional details, in addition to adding a few new ones into the mix as well. Boba Fett can be broken down into three parts which include the figure, jet pack and sawed-off blaster rifle. Boba Fett then can be affixed to the base which is made up of the flames shooting out of his jetpack and the maw of the sarlacc. To accent this, Hasbro included three separately sculpted tentacles that plug into the base and enwrap themselves around Boba Fett. Together the parts for a magnificent display. Boba Fett may be the most popular secondary character in the Star Wars saga and it seem that Hasbro can’t produce enough toys and collectibles based on this character. But when Hasbro goes above and beyond to produce a “sculpture” like this, well, let’s just say that it floors us.

As a bonus feature to this review, we have provided the original artwork created for this Star Wars: Unleashed figure. Click the thumbnail to the left to see the amazing illustration.