R4-P17 Rolling Action!
Revenge of the Sith Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 85174 No. 86760
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: III-64
Includes: Display stand
Action Feature: Twist dome, leg retracts
Retail: $5.24-$6.99
Availability: Fall 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: R4-P17 is an astromech droid that accompanies Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Jedi fighter. Handy and well equipped, this droid is ready to repair any damages to the ship. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy room. That's what happens when you don't dust.

Commentary: 2005 introduced us to the official, regularly scheduled repaint wave at the end of the year. Initially Hasbro said that we got these repaint waves due to unexpected demand, but really, three years in a row? Unlikely. Thankfully there are some repaints which are pretty much universally acceptable, like astromech droids, specifically R4-P17. Many fans (myself included) would prefer they just pick a mold and paint it, because otherwise there's a real inconsistency in size so this figure-- which in-universe is essentially a pet appliance-- changes sizes repeatedly, making it tough to fit into ships and whatnot. While you may moan "guh, more of the same," this figure is a pretty spiffy repaint of R4-P17. The "eye" is now black rather than the annoying light-up clear plastic, giving it a much better overall look. The dark red is striking, making it a perfect match for Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi Starfighter. You know, before the buzzer droids tear into it. The amount of paint Hasbro added to this figure makes it look more realistic and less like a toy robot-- the black eye helped the most, as did the subtle level of dirt and grit on the figure's body. On many levels, especially deco, this may be one of Hasbro's absolute finest repaints of the R4-G9 mold-- I'm sure there's a little room for improvement, but I'm not seeing it. As an obscure droid who doesn't do much on film beyond getting torn apart, you may not see a reason to buy this one. Well, that'd be your problem, because it's a great looking figure and a worthy addition to your droid stash. I wish I had more of these, they're just fantastic.

Collector's Notes: As part of the repaint wave, this figure-- along with the Tactical Ops Trooper-- were fast sellers, often the first ones to disappear from store shelves. This doesn't necessarily make it "rare" by any standards, but if you saw one for regular price at a toy show, you should probably consider giving it a good home. To date, it hasn't been reissued, although his replacement/ancestor R4-G9 has been rereleased in 2006 after being prereleased in 2005.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 709: April 14, 2008