Kessel Guard/Lando Calrissian - SW [S] - Two-Packs

It’s evident with the Solo: A Star Wars Story product launch that Hasbro is strategically placing figures in a certain format as to not oversaturate the line and to force the purchase of other formats. With just the initial line look launch it is impossible to buy a single-carded Han Solo figure. (You have to pay 400% more to get an action figure of him.) And you have to pay double to get Lando Calrissian (through the Two-Packs format). This whole new approach is irritating and annoying, but it may pay off for Hasbro if that collecting community doesn’t wait for clearance that is. If you can accept this direction, you’ll get some decently made action figures. The Kessel Guard/Lando Calrissian is a very, very nice set. We didn’t expect to appreciate it as much as we did. But the Kessel Guard is one of the most unique and interesting characters we have seen in a very, very long time. Not a single new character in the Sequel Trilogy looks as cool and intriguing as the Kessel Guard. Part Boushh, part Constable Zuvio, and part Dexter Morgan, the Kessel Guard is not only tooled to perfection (for a simply articulated action figure), he has been decorated to perfection as well. Let’s looks more closely at what makes this action figure so special.

The Kessel Guard’s sculpt is divine. The figure reminds us of characters like Sarco Plank and how awesome 5POA action figure can be. The figure hasn’t been given too aggressive of a sculpt. His arms are at his side, his legs are together, and the most amount of movement you get from him is with his ball-socket head. You’ll need to spend some time inspecting the action figure from head to boot. The amount of detail that Hasbro has added is beyond impressive. It pains us to say that we wish he were super-articulated as he would look fantastic in any Jabba’s Palace or Chalmun’s Cantina display diorama. He is a perfect character for those backdrops. The only thing better than the Kessel Guard’s sculpt is the paint job. Look at how beautiful this figure looks. From the sloppily decorated helmet to the colorful griminess of the apron, the Kessel Guard is loaded with details that you’d expect to see in a collectors’ line. What’s more, he comes with plenty of accessories, most notably a tri-pod canon. It will be interesting to see how this accessory gets utilized in the Solo: A Star Wars Story film. He also comes with a staff that plugs into his backpack for storage. There is a large amount of play value here. Hasbro did a great job here.

If you want a 3.75” Lando Calrissian figure, right now this Two-Packs set is the only way to acquire one. Lando Calrissian looks alright, but he falls short in a few areas. The likeness is perfect. But the paint operations leave something to be desired. The likeness looks like Donald Glover, but it isn’t perfect. Lando’s signature hairstyle is the driving force that makes this look like the onscreen character. His bright yellow shirt and orange belt contrast nicely, and his black pants and matching scarf bring it all together. Interestingly, the scarf is attached to the removable cape. This is not the case with the 6” figure. It’s a little bit frustrating, but it helps keep it in place on a figure of this smaller scale. (They still could have successfully sculpted it as a separate accessory.) Lando Calrissian also comes with a bright silver blaster too. Hasbro sculpted a functioning holster on the figure’s right leg, and you can house the blaster there when not in use. We’re thankful for that addition. Other than that, Lando Calrissian is more of the same in the Star Wars [Solo] line. As history has shown us, the Two-Packs line puts two characters together that interact in some fashion. We’re interested to see how (if) Lando Calrissian and the Kessel Guard do something similar.