LANDO CALRISSIAN Jabba's Sail Barge
Saga Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 84715 No. 84743
Number: #0407
Includes: Blaster, vibro-axe, helmet, display stand
Action Feature: Removable helmet, holster for blaster
Retail: $4.99
Availability: Spring 2004-2007
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: As part of a daring mission to rescue Han Solo, Lando inflitrated Jabba the Hutt's palace by concealing himself in the armor of one of Jabba the Hutt's many skiff guards. When Luke Skywalker sprang his rescue mission over the Great Pit of Carkoon, the skiff guards were startled when one of their own turned on them and revealed himself to be a Rebel infiltrator. Disposing of the guards, Lando piloted the rescue skiff that spirited away the Rebels. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's toy room.

Commentary: Hasbro sure likes this figure-- and rightly so. Lando Calrissian's penchant for disguises in the early comics comes into play in the movies with this figure, which is the third action figure based on his "Skiff Guard" disguise. As a kid, the 1983 version was one of my favorite toys, and this one is pretty good. As far as articulation goes, this is the best version of the figure you can currently buy. He has a ball-jointed neck, a pretty fancy feature for 2004. He also has cut joints at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, and hips. While he has a "skirt" piece over his legs, it's flexible enough to allow Mr. Calrissian to sit, which is very important to people like me who operate under the delusion that people buy these figures to sit inside ships still. While Hasbro could reintroduce the figure with ball joints everywhere in the future, if they don't, at least this one can assume most poses that you would hope for.

The sculpt is mostly excellent. The face, to me at least, seems a little off but at least you can cover it in the best-ever Skiff helmet. The holster is a little chunky, but hey, it's a holster. The sculpt and overall deco is excellent, as the metal is a little weathered, and the look of the pants is just perfect. Since they painted the pants rather than molding the legs in tan, they reflect the light in such a way that looks a kajillion times better than it might have otherwise. The figure could stand to be a little dirtier given that it's a character from the desert and from Jabba's fairly filthy palace, but hey, you can always add your own dirt. This is a solid, fun figure that you owe yourself to buy if you're a fan of Jabba's Palace. I'd almost suggest getting two or three and leaving the helmets on to use as generic guards. It's slick, get one.

Collector's Notes: This is a pretty good figure, so Hasbro keeps it in circulation. In 2003, it came out in a Saga package. Later in the year, it was rereleased in Original Trilogy Collection packaging. And later, in 2007, it came out in a Battle Pack for what seems to be the final release. The individual carded ones have better paint jobs and a display base, so if you have to pick, go get one of those. ( MORE IMAGES )

Day 524: October 12, 2007