Boba Fett - POTF2 [FF/TKC] - Basic

Boba Fett prepares to take leave of Cloud City with his valuable cargo, the carbonite-encased Han Solo. Fett was the only bounty hunter in the galaxy to succeed in tracking the Rebel smuggler and deliver him to crime lord Jabba the Hutt.

After Star Wars collectors found out the Star Wars toy line would return in the summer of 1995, the only character that fans obsessed over to unhealthy levels was Boba Fett. Kenner/Hasbro managed to squeeze Boba Fett into the basic figure line before the close of the year, and the hunt became feverish to add Boba Fett to everyone’s collection. Despite the bulky and muscular frame, Boba Fett was a warmly embraced figure in The Power Of The Force “2” lineup. Colorful, fearsome, and seemingly based on a near-finished colored prototyped outfit, Boba Fett soon became one of the most sought after action figures of the modern line. To add more excitement (indirectly), Kenner/Hasbro changed the “half circles” on the figure’s gloves to “full” circles, and then everyone repurchased Boba Fett to try and secure the running change. Now there is another reason to purchase Boba Fett. Kenner/Hasbro added the figure into the Freeze Frame Action Slide line of action figures with a few changes, and a wonderful pack-in premium: a real and functioning film side featuring a scene of the bounty hunter in The Empire Strikes Back. Boba Fett received a few paint job changes here and there. The changes are especially noticeable on the silver paint utilized to give the helmet and armor a worn appearance. But the base color of the jumpsuit underneath moved from mint green to baby blue as well.

Boba Fett changed the way Star Wars collectors looked and subsequently expected figures from Hasbro. And Boba Fett wasn’t an action figure any of us should have taken for granted or even lightly for that matter. Exceptional details set Boba Fett apart from other characters in the line. These include a three-dimensional rangefinder, battle-damaged markings, multicolored paint operations, and a trio of accessories, including a removable jetpack, and a movie-accurate sawed-off blaster rifle. The cleverly designed slot for the jetpack to attach to the figure is cumbersome and obtrusive, but it works better than expected. It also provided some unexpected additional play value to a figure that would likely be the “go-to” figure in most collections. It securely attaches to the figure without any fear of it falling off if you looked at it funnily. Although Boba Fett suffered from bulky and beefy proportions, it was almost easy to forgive this setback in favor of what the action figure brought to the basic figure line. A little more articulation would have behooved it tremendously. Boba Fett’s cape and Wookiee scalps are one sculpted piece included here too. They’re nothing particularly special, but they do complement the figure and add much-needed details to the costume. This accessory fits snuggly around Boba Fett’s neck and doesn’t interfere with the articulation.

Kenner/Hasbro should be taking “risks” by including extra articulation for characters that need it. We don’t need a funky pose. We need articulation to make these action figures be all that they can be. Boba Fett is the perfect example of an action figure that deserves more articulation. One thing collectors of the Freeze Frame line needn’t worry about is the lesser-known variation of Boba Fett. Initial (most) releases in 1995 have hands sculpted in a circular fashion where the thumb was attached to the rest of the fingers on the hand. It often split when you inserted the blaster rifle into the figure’s hands. But the Freeze Frame versions of Boba Fett appear to return to the closed fingers again. Some versions have the thumb unattached to give the collector more flexibility. Boba Fett has a rather decent center of gravity, although the jetpack makes the figure a bit top-heavy to the point where it wants to fall backward. You’ll find that you’ll have to pose Boba Fett leaning forward to counteract this gravitational pull. The real reason to repurchase Boba Fett is for the pack-in premium: the Freeze Frame Action Slide. It shows Boba Fett leading Cloud City wing guards through the halls of Bespin pushing Han Solo frozen in carbonite. Sadly, the action figure doesn’t match the figure in the scene because the action figure is based on a prototype costume. We still find it particularly interesting that Kenner/Hasbro decided to bring the “Proto Fett” version of the character into the basic figure line. It seems that an Episode V version would have made the most sense!