Hasbro
Released January, 2004
Reviewed by Adam Pawlus
Photography by Michael Sullenger
Reviewed on March 5, 2004
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The honeymoon is over, as Count Dooku could very well prove the rumor that this line was rushed out the door with its unusual pose, iffy sculpt, and odd articulation.

This figure is packaged with a lightsaber and a base.

Sculpt/Articulation/Gimmicks/Paint

Yet another completely new sculpt comes to the table, but in this case, it doesn't seem to be of the same quality as the others we've seen so far. Actually, I'd go out on a limb and say this might be the worst of the bunch.

His head looks like it was shaped like a soda can, and the elegance that the design has on paper was totally lost in its transition to the third dimension. The black outlines that defined so many of his features are completely lost, plus the general look of his face is just off. There's really no word for it other than inferior.



It's hard to replicate the human face sometimes, but Hasbro did a pretty good job with the previous animated figures. This one just didn't click. The sculpt doesn't capture the villain's look properly, and as such, it's hard to find an area in which to praise it. We can, however, point out that the paint is pretty spotty and outside the lines, giving him a fairly questionable appearance. Obviously it's not as bad as a bootleg, but considering what Hasbro has given us from Star Wars to Xevoz to Pokemon, this is pretty bad.

There's articulation at the waist, neck, right wrist, right shoulder, and left elbow. Despite all these joints, he can pretty much do two things-- point his saber up, and point it down. It's more variety than some animated figures have, but there's a certain something about this figure that doesn't sit well. It looks like some black outlines would have really made a big difference here.

The cape is sculpted as part of the figure, so it isn't removable. It's pretty thick and has a good feel to it, and like the other figures it seems to be made to be very animated in appearance, only this figure seems like it was almost done in a different style completely.

Accessories

This set includes a lightsaber and a base.

Like all the other cartoony lightsabers, this one's a whole new sculpt and boy does it look nice. The paint is where it should be, the detail is minimal, and unlike the rest of the figure, it seems to be exactly what Hasbro wanted it to be.

The base is typical for this series with a big logo from the films and a smaller Clone Wars logo beneath it. While it would be nice to see a second color added to the base to bring out the detail, odds are it's best to leave it as is so the paint doesn't come off on the figure's feet. These bases are quite nice, and it would be nice to see Hasbro adopt movie logo bases for the regular Saga line.

Packaging

Hasbro came up with something new that brings in elements of the old.

The artwork on the front of the package are both excellent and show a nice amount of detail. In a way, it's unfortunate there aren't large posters with these drawings on them, because they really are quite striking. Based on the same templates as the first assortment, these remain some of the nicest packages Hasbro has produced for Star Wars toys in the line's entire lifespan. So, once again, it's a good job.

All in all, this package is everything it needed to be, and then some.

Availability

Target exclusive. The new assortment is just starting to hit, and Dooku seems to be the slowest seller so far. As such, he should be easy to get.

Fin

If you're looking for a figure that you can pass on, congratulations, you've found it. Yoda at $7 seemed a little hard to swallow, but at least he felt like a quality piece. Count Dooku is a much taller figure with a feeling of far less value. Maybe it was rushed, or given to a sculptor who doesn't usually work on these. Either way, I'm not impressed, and if you're at all on the fence about this figure allow me to save you $7 by telling you to skip it. Just get another Clone Trooper or one of those newfangled Energon Strongarm toys.

Our sample was obtained from a Phoenix area Target in January 2004.