bigbarada
06-23-2004, 01:00 PM
Well, I didn't feel like waiting for my Wal-Mart to order these figures, so I picked up the new "vintage" Han Solo off of ebay.
Packaging: Easily the best card design of the modern figures (1995 up to now), primarily because it is not a modern design. Hasbro is incredibly faithful to the vintage cards with a few necessary exceptions (the LP - Long Playing Toy logo is gone along with the 20th Century Fox copywright info which was on the front of the vintage card, among minor details).
I actually have a beat up old, 12-back Han Solo that I can do a direct comparison with (I've provided a photo) and you can see the differences in the quality of the reference picture. Although the VOTC reference photo seems to have a slight yellow-shift in the colors causing Han's skin to look a little more orange than fleshtoned, the image is far superior in detail and sharpness. The vintage photo has less shadow detail and is darker (partially because of a magenta color-shift), but it does produce a more high-contrast image and might even look like a superior photo at first glance. Closer inspection will reveal that it is not.
Assuming most people don't have a vintage card to compare to (it was a total fluke that I have the one I have), I don't think the average collector will even notice or care about any possible color shifts in the printing.
Overall: A
But enough about the pretty packaging, let's talk about the figure:
Articulation: In the old days, everyone "knew" that articulation was always a counter to detail and accuracy. In other words, the more articulation was given to a small figure, the less room there was for details. Well, Hasbro has made that notion obsolete. Han has ball-socket joints for his shoulders, elbows, knees, feet and head; he has standard joints for his hips, wrists and waist. And none of it comes at the expense of providing us with the best looking 3 3/4" Han Solo figure to date. A+
Accuracy: I was expecting a great sculpt, I wasn't expecting a work of art. The only thing that initially disappointed me was the fact that his vest is sculpted onto his body, it's not a separate piece like the last few Han's have had. Not a big deal at all, it was an unnecessary feature on the older figures, since Han looked silly without the plastic vest and he oftern looked like a hunchback with the vest. Again, the best 3 3/4" likeness of Han Solo, period. A+
My overall score for this figure is an A+! Anyone who was skeptical over yet another Han Solo, can rest assured that if you own only one ANH Han Solo, this is the only one worth owning.
Packaging: Easily the best card design of the modern figures (1995 up to now), primarily because it is not a modern design. Hasbro is incredibly faithful to the vintage cards with a few necessary exceptions (the LP - Long Playing Toy logo is gone along with the 20th Century Fox copywright info which was on the front of the vintage card, among minor details).
I actually have a beat up old, 12-back Han Solo that I can do a direct comparison with (I've provided a photo) and you can see the differences in the quality of the reference picture. Although the VOTC reference photo seems to have a slight yellow-shift in the colors causing Han's skin to look a little more orange than fleshtoned, the image is far superior in detail and sharpness. The vintage photo has less shadow detail and is darker (partially because of a magenta color-shift), but it does produce a more high-contrast image and might even look like a superior photo at first glance. Closer inspection will reveal that it is not.
Assuming most people don't have a vintage card to compare to (it was a total fluke that I have the one I have), I don't think the average collector will even notice or care about any possible color shifts in the printing.
Overall: A
But enough about the pretty packaging, let's talk about the figure:
Articulation: In the old days, everyone "knew" that articulation was always a counter to detail and accuracy. In other words, the more articulation was given to a small figure, the less room there was for details. Well, Hasbro has made that notion obsolete. Han has ball-socket joints for his shoulders, elbows, knees, feet and head; he has standard joints for his hips, wrists and waist. And none of it comes at the expense of providing us with the best looking 3 3/4" Han Solo figure to date. A+
Accuracy: I was expecting a great sculpt, I wasn't expecting a work of art. The only thing that initially disappointed me was the fact that his vest is sculpted onto his body, it's not a separate piece like the last few Han's have had. Not a big deal at all, it was an unnecessary feature on the older figures, since Han looked silly without the plastic vest and he oftern looked like a hunchback with the vest. Again, the best 3 3/4" likeness of Han Solo, period. A+
My overall score for this figure is an A+! Anyone who was skeptical over yet another Han Solo, can rest assured that if you own only one ANH Han Solo, this is the only one worth owning.