Corran Horn/R2 Whistler - LC - Droid Factory (5 of 5)

From the book I, Jedi! Rogue Squadron pilot Corran Horn searches for his wife who has disappeared while on a covert mission to track down pirates. The Force-sensitive Horn is accompanied on his quest by his astromech droid R2 Whistler, who has programs useful in detective work, escape and evasion.

If you ask us, Hasbro took a big chance on releasing the Corran Horn/R2 Whistler Droid Factory two-pack. Astromech droids are always a “no-brainer”, but Corran Horn is another Rebel with a following that isn’t that big. Since he is really just another random X-wing pilot (albeit with a great background story) from Expanded Universe books and comics, his slot was truly a risky move. And although we admit that he was a big risk, we also can admit that he is an awesome X-wing pilot. He is very authentic to his EU appearance and Hasbro utilized a great body sculpt to make him. Astromechs are always popular and R2 Whistler holds its own quite well. It will likely fit nicely into any random Star Wars collector's diorama because most of us love multiple and varying astromechs peppered throughout our collections. We can tell you though that if you are a Corran Horn fan, you are certainly going to be very happy with this new action figure. We have done thorough research and after sifting through a plethora of information and pictures, we have determined that Hasbro has nailed his likeness to perfection (from his appearance in the comics at least). He has a masterfully created head sculpt, from his eyes to the last hair on his head, especially the one falling down onto his forehead. It looks spectacular and he has an expression that personifies the heart and drive of the Rebel Alliance. He comes on the (now) standard X-wing pilot body, so not too much new there, but overall he is a very sharp looking figure. While you may find some sloppy paint applications on some samples (especially his hair), he is nonetheless a quite cleverly executed figure. Take your time to find a perfect one.

R2 Whistler is another exciting figure (and probably one of the best) in the Legacy Collection series of the Droid Factory series. Basically a clean white R2 unit with simple but standout details, his most unique trait is the double lime green striped rings encircling his dome. We have seen this pattern in different colors on different astromechs before, but it looks especially neat on this particular astromech. And while we don't know if we are enamored of the green color or not, all we can say is it looks very special. It makes us wish that Hasbro would revisit this deco style more often, even if the droid is not seen in any of the films. The green against the white background is stellar and it is a look we love on our astromech droids. Whistler is a rework of the R2-D2 figure from 2005's TSC Early Bird Figures set, just this time the figure is much cleaner and a lot less blue (obviously). The plastics used have excellent weight and keep their shape, especially in the legs. This gives the R2 unit a crisp silhouette without any bending or slouching, something that might be inevitable if weaker plastics had been used. Great care was used to paint on his details but we did encounter a few samples in the wild where the double green lines weren’t entirely equidistant from each other which makes the final result look sloppy. Again, take care to find great samples for your unit. R2 Whistler also looks as if he had jumped out of one of the Entertainment Earth exclusive astromech multipacks from 2006. He has that "familiar unfamiliarity" which makes us think we've seen him before, but not really. He is such a great little droid and definitely one of the coolest astromechs out there! And we are not just saying this. He is a great complement to Corran Horn and we are thrilled Hasbro took a chance on these two characters.

The Droid Factory exclusive sets from Walmart have some really high points. There is no denying that at the very least, each set contains a new droid. And all of the candidates were never made into an action figure beforehand. And even if the other “non-droid” figure makes you uncontrollably feel disinterest, most likely the droid will wow you enough to make a purchase. Although mostly a neat little collection of Expanded Universe figures, they may be passed by the hardcore "film only" collectors, but we think this would be a travesty. The Expanded Universe has given us some very rich story lines and very intriguing characters and it is neat to see how some of our well known Star Wars characters got their start or met their end or something in between. The second series of Droid Factory figures are truly wonderful action figures and they should interest OT and PT fans. Plus, you get a wonderful pack-in with this figure. Most importantly, there are pack-in premium Dark Trooper (Phase III) building parts that will make you go "ooh". While we can't say that the Droid Factory for 2009 is as good or affordable or full of the same value like the original set, it is certainly what it is and we believe you may find yourself very happy purchasing it (if you want to plop down that kind of cash). But like we have discussed earlier, we think that you will be very impressed specifically with Corran Horn's action figure. Impressive, relevant, new and perfect are the words that first come to mind to describe him. So we don't think we can say much more than pick it up! Be on the look out for these great Droid Factory sets. There may just not be enough to go around in the end. And if they become clearance fodder, they disappear very quickly once that happens.