R2-D2, from his time on Dagobah, was released in the Spring of 2020 on special Kenner inspired vintage card-backs to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. This sub-line of the 6 inch Star Wars Black Series started in 2017 with the 40th Anniversary of A New Hope, and the 2020 line continues the design with a number of new characters and figures on these gorgeous vintage cards. R2-D2 Dagobah is part of Wave 2 which also includes the Tie Fighter Pilot, Lando Calrissian, Hoth Rebel Trooper and Luke Skywalker Snowspeeder Pilot.
Packaging 4/5
R2-D2 arrives on an up-scaled Vintage style card complete with classic Empire Strikes Back header and silver tram-line border. The Kenner logo sits at the base of the card with the Kenner styled colour blocks for the character name and behind the figure blister - in R2's case these are green. The only new addition is a foil 40th Anniversary logo in the top left.
While most 40th Anniversary releases re-create the original card, the image used for R2-D2 is a new one to show his time on Dagobah. I understand this derision to differentiate more from the A New Hope 40th Anniversary version, but this does mean the figure loses a notch of nostalgia for those of us around in the 1980's as we will not necessarily instantly recognise the card-back.
The card back is also a replication of the 1980's versions, with the other figures from the wave displayed in varying character specific colour boxes. Beneath this is the 40th Anniversary text which is generic to all card backs. There is no character unique text.
"Commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back with figures from The Black Series, featuring classic design and packaging"
The only downside of a card of this nature is damage, particularly if these are bought from physical stores rather than specialist retailers. Even fresh out of the case there is a slight bend on the card.
Paint & Sculpt 3/5
This version of R2-D2 uses the same one from the start of the Black Series line back in 2013, and as we know this is a little undersized in terms of height and width. The proportions remain good with the silver dome packed with the correct blue panels and photo-receptor eyes. The dome remains two part and is joined across the middle with a very visible joint which is rough in places. The body also has a number of panels and grills, including down the two legs to the wiring around the feet. Any joints here are hidden by the legs, and the detail is quite extensive and screen accurate with the exception of the wires at the feet which have been sculpted quite a bit thicker - most likely so they can be mass produced and do not snap too easily.
The dome is cast in silver with paint added, and the body cast in white. All the blue and red parts are hand painted and they are all neat and tidy. Over this is the "Dagobah wash", a number of splashes of brown/green paint to recreate the mud and swap water Artoo is covered in shortly after landing.
This weathering is a little too patchy, and doesn't go far enough when you compare it to what we see on the card art. there are also discrepancies like very clean feet on the inside and the leg paint not lining up to what we see on the body.
Regardless of the quality of the wash, it does look better than a sterile and clear R2-D2. Somewhere between the original and this release is a version with general weathering that will really bring out the detail on the sculpt.
Accessories 2/5
When you unpack your R2-D2, make sure you spot the tiny part in the top right of the blister. This is the cover for the top panel if you do not want to use the periscope.
Said periscope is an accessory of sorts considering it still does not withdraw into the body, but has to be swapped out with the cover if you want to change the look of the figure. This is disappointing in that a 2020 figure can't manage what an R2-D2 figure in the 1970's for Kenner did with its periscope. The periscope is also lacking any detail or paint apps and it would have been good to see the visual lens and some of the other indicators painted onto the plain white underside. On my version there is sadly a splash of blue on the periscope which is a shame.
Everything else included in the original R2 is missing from this set, yet all the top panels still pop off and reveal the voids where the scanner and lightsaber go. Not sure why these have not been glued down - to prevent loss more than anything. They have at least glued down the leg panels where the rocket boosters used to go.
Considering the size and articulation of the figure, had this been a basic release we would have been disappointed with the contents in terms of value for money. If this does get a standard box release then Hasbro need to consider including some of the Dagobah packing crates to help diorama build the display and add some value.
Articulation 3/5
As a droid, R2's articulation is limited to 6 points. This includes the third leg for travelling, which winds down out of the body by turning the head. Be warned, that this third travelling leg still has a very ugly CE mark stamped into one side. The mechanism works fine, but it can interfere with the posing of the dome - which rotates - as you can be left with a partially exposed leg when you turn the head. The idea is to rotate the head the opposite way when posing the dome, but that will give you some nasty "clicks" and I would guess a risk of damaging the internal mechanism.
The other joints are at the top of each leg so the legs can be swung back or forward. And then at the feet on all three legs to position them flat to the floor.
To aid movement, and in what feels more like a play feature, R2 has two rollers on each foot to help him move around. Artoo has also kept hold of his welder and manipulator arms. These are hidden under two long panels on the front of the figure. The panels are hinged to open and the two arms swing out. These arms need some coaxing to come out, the gap is far too small to get fingers in to aid them.
What we want to see really in the absence of needing any more body articulation, is the scopes and scanners to now be retractable adding more movement to the figure and removing these fiddly clip in and out pieces.
Summary
While other 40th Anniversary figures got significant paint improvements (like Lando) or new parts (like Bespin Luke) R2-D2 gets very little in terms of updates from his previous release. The figure is now 7-years old and slapping on a dirty brown paint job doesn't quite go far enough to demonstrate he is worth the same £20 price point as other figures - especially when all but one accessory are removed.
I don't want Hasbro to change the dimensions of R2 units now, we are too deep into the line, but resolving the cast line on the head, the CE mark on the leg and making sure the Dagobah mud-wash was consistent would have been a good start. The accessories need improving too, either include everything from the first release or include some value add parts like the packing crates from the X-Wing.
R2 will always be a popular choice for any Star Wars wave or sub-line, but this time round he is a little lacklustre alongside the other figures chosen. I score the Star Wars Black Series 40th Anniversary R2-D2 from Dagobah a just above average 3 out of 5.
About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, empire strikes back, dagobah, 40th anniversary, hasbro, bespin, R2-D2
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