R2-D2 (Droid Factory Flight) - SW [S - P2] - Basic (’03 #09)

Added: November 21st 2013
Category: Star Wars [Saga - Phase II]
Reviewer: Paul Harrison
Score:

Name: R2-D2 (Droid Factory Flight)
Collection: Star Wars [Saga - Phase II]
Number: '03 #09
Source: Attack Of The Clones
Availability: January 2003
License: Hasbro

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Ten years after the fight to save Naboo from invasion, the galaxy is on the brink of civil war. Under the leadership of a renegade Jedi, thousands of solar systems threaten to secede from the Galactic Republic. A courageous Jedi Knight, his impulsive and headstrong apprentice, and a queen-turned-senator are drawn into the heart of the conflict... and the beginning of war.

Accompanying Padmé on a rescue mission to the planet Geonosis, R2-D2 is chased into the huge battle droid factory, where he uses his jet-flight function in an attempt to escape his pursuers.

R2-D2 (Droid Factory Flight) may be the worst figure in the entire Star Wars “Saga” line. When we look at figures like this, we have to really ask what Hasbro could have possibly been thinking. The “attack” R5-D4 figure from The Power Of The Force “2” line may be better than this one. In fact, it is better. Hasbro sacrificed, aesthetics, accuracy, functionality and even collector engagement with this version of a fan favorite astromech droid. You really have to wonder was it worth it? OK, we get it. Kids like action features. But will they like action figures to a character when it has been so blatantly over-tooled that it no longer resembles the original character? You may think we’re exaggerating a bit here. Maybe we are and maybe we aren’t. But one look at R2-D2 (Droid Factory Flight) and you’ll be second guessing yourself as a collector too once you take in the horror and dread of what became such a beloved Star Wars character. We hope that if nothing else Hasbro has learned that all of these sacrifices don’t pay off and that keeping thing more simply done is the key to engaging both the kids as well as the collectors. Certainly the figure possesses some familiarity, but it’s a stretch. It will make you hope that Hasbro doesn’t try anything like this again. Let’s talk about why this version of R2-D2 may retain a top 10 status of “worst Star Wars action figures ever produced”.

R2-D2 (Droid Factory Flight) comes with two accessories: snap on rocket blast effects. Interestingly, they do look screen accurate and come on and off the action figure believably and easily which is far from any complaint we have with the figure. When you do activate the “action feature”, you’ll find that the blast effects do add a bit of charm to the action figure. We honestly cannot find fault with them at all. They bring forth some saving grace to the action figure. Also, the intended included action feature works rather cleverly. But again we ask at what expense. There are a lot of things happening here to allow R2-D2 to “climb up a string” and we have to unequivocally state that we would rather the figure be a standard R2-D2 action figure with newly tooled booster rockets that any gimmicky mess like this. R2-D2’s legs don’t even articulate for goodness sake. He is complete a salt or pepper shaker. That just doesn’t fly in this age of action figure collecting. What’s worse, he has a sculpted hooks on his rear panels so that you can wind up the cord like a garden hose when “not in use”. It’s laughable but then the humor of it quickly transitions to disappointment. We could go on all day with how this doesn’t looks much like a functioning R2-D2 Star Wars character, but hopefully you catch our drift. The aesthetics here are completely skewed and R2-D2 looks more like something from a cartoon than in a Star Wars live action movie.

We’re also not impressed with the deco on this action figure. At this point in the film, R2-D2 had been through quite a bit and he had obvious signs of damage, dirt and grime. Yet this action figure comes to collectors bright and clean. We suppose we can‘t expect much here. If the action figure doesn’t even appear and function like R2-D2, how can we expect the deco to also look like R2-D2? R2-D2 (Droid Factory Flight) was absolutely intended to be a gimmicky action figure. But Hasbro didn’t need to take such a drastic approach to work in this effect. They definitely thought outside of the box, but they thought so far outside it that they became lost from it. Aggressive, contrary and perhaps even silly are words that we feel good about using to describe this version of R2-D2. For those interested, here is how the action feature works. A chord runs through R2-D2 . The upper end of the cord is tied to his sensorscope (and functions like one of his removable dome compartment lids) and the lower end is attached to a tow cable (the one he used to drag C-3PO’s head to his body in Attack Of The Clones). By holding each end of the cord by the attached accessories, pulling in either direction will allow R2-D2 to climb up and down the cord. (Duh.) How is that remotely “flight”? Anyway, if you’re a one-of-everything collector then this is a required purchase. If not, save your hard-earned money.

Collector Notes

R2-D2 (Droid Factory Flight)

Status: R2-D2 (Droid Factory Flight) is an all-new figure.

Articulation Count: 4 points

Articulation Details: swivel dome, 2 hinge-jointed outer feet, sliding "third leg"

Accessory Count: None (action feature cord is permanently attached to figure)

Accessory Details: None

Date Stamp: 2003

Collection: 1

Assortment Number: 84922/84851

UPC: 076930849224

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.

Star Wars [Saga - Phase II] Wave 16
Mace Windu (Arena Confrontation) (’03 #02)

Anakin Skywalker (Secret Ceremony) (’03 #07)
Boba Fett (The Pit Of Carkoon) (’03 #08)
R2-D2 (Droid Factory Flight) (’03 #09)



This review comes from Jedi Temple Archives
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