“I can't do it, R2. I can't go on alone.”
R2-D2 was one of the founding members of the Star Wars Black Series, released as part of Wave 1 back in 2013. The figure has gone on to make multiple appearances as well as being the blueprint for all other Astromech figures in the line. R2 has also been a part of the previous two 40th Anniversary series for A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back and the character makes that three out of three with his Summer 2023 release as part of the 40th Anniversary of Return of the Jedi - albeit with some big upgrades on all of the prior releases. R2 arrives on the six-inch scaled backing card that uses the artwork and design of those original Kenner figures inclusive of the tramlines, retro Return of the Jedi logo, original card images of R2 in action and round the back a checklist of other releases all laid out against their coloured backgrounds. All of these painted panels are done neatly in a crisp colour finish and with no obvious errors. R2 is quite clean looking, lacking any weathering or grim as we may have expected around the feet in particular.
I alluded to some big changes with this release of R2-D2 and this is because Hasbro have redesigned the Astromech body making it both bigger and more screen accurate than the original, but also introducing a couple of new features. Looking initially at the aesthetics we have a droid cast in white plastic with inserted or painted blue and silver panels. The dome is cast silver with further blue segments painted over the top and a red lens just under his visual sensors, with a similarly sized green panel around the back.
Height-wise, the new R2-D2 is taller than the original and stands to the waist of a standard 6-inch figure, more in line with the on-screen look while paired with C-3PO or other characters.
Our droid retains the same articulation as the original with a rotating dome and legs that are articulated at the shoulder and again at the ankle to allow for variations in stance and movement. The third leg no longer ‘winds down’ by turning the dome but is still there tucked into the main part of the body. It has to be extended manually and once deployed has articulation at the ankle to allow all three feet to sit flat on the floor in R2’s rolling position.
The first R2-D2 figure in the Black Series was designed to be as extensive in accessories and looks as it could be and this new version, while based on Return of the Jedi, is no exception. The front of the body has two opening blue panels just under the dome, as seen when he blows a fuse. To either side of the main body, we have the same opening doors as the original inside which is a grey interior sculpted with mechanical workings and three slot-in holes. All four doors are a bit tricky to open and may need a slim tool to prise them into operation. They are also disguised so well into the main body that they are not immediately obvious.
The panels inside the opening doors are made to slot in some of the various tools included with R2 including the welder he used to fix C-3PO’s leg in Empire to the plug-in data probe, terminal probe and grasping arm. Each accessory slots into any of the six holes provided for a variety of differing looks and configurations.
We also have two scanners that fit into the top of R2-D2’s dome by way of a single blue panel that pops off and reveals a slot underneath. These scanners include the one used on Hoth to scan for life signs, and the periscope used predominantly on Dagobah. Like the tools, these slot into the hole snugly and add a level of character to R2 depending on the situation you would like to represent when posing him on display.
Hasbro’s final improvement to R2 is an internal storage functionality that allows all of these fiddly parts to be stowed away with the figure for future use. This is executed by pulling up the dome which then grants access to an internal section - sculpted with detailing to look like the innards of a droid - which includes six grooved slots that hold each of the included accessories in place. As a feature, it is hugely practical with a good level of execution and ease of use with only the Periscope part proving slightly problematic when trying to close the Droid back up with its full complement of gear.
The 40th Anniversary R2-D2 does most things really well. It is a well-sculpted figure, with crisp decor - albeit lacking a touch of real-world weathering, good articulation as expected on a droid, great accessories and a fun storage feature built in. It also addresses the sizing issue that has long since been a criticism of the Black Series Astromechs and this new sizing will go on to the new standard with an R5-D4 already in the works using the same body. The only issue the figure, and the resizing, causes are discrepancies across other Droids in the line with Hasbro unlikely to remake the likes of the Red Squadron Droids or the Imperial Forces Droid. This carded 40th Anniversary release sees the first release of this new R2 and is aimed at the majority of carded collectors. For those who don't want the 40th Anniversary release, a general Galaxy Collection release is incoming although this one will be labelled as a Mandalorian release.
Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive
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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...
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