The Good: Good sculpt, Neat novelty, Good sound effect, Very inexpensive
The Bad: Low collectible value, Could be more articulated.
The Basics: The Nexu with Snapping Jaw & Attack Roar is a fun Attack Of The Clones figure which was underappreciated when it was released and now!
There are very few animals in the Star Wars saga that have been well-rendered as action figures. Surprisingly, even when they were well-done, it did not mean they were well-received by the fans. To wit, I was able to find my Nexu with Snapping Jaw & Attack Roar on clearance at a major toy store chain.
The Attack Of The Clones Nexu action figure is designed to be an action figure that can menace the others in the 4" toy line and this does that very well.
Basics
The Nexu is a pretty obscure creature but it is pretty neat. For those who aren't total Star Wars geeks, the Nexu is the multi-eyed wildcat-like creature that was set upon Senator Amidala when she was set to be executed in the Geonosis Arena at the climax of Attack Of The Clones (click here for that review!). The Nexu is a quadruped with sharp claws and a split tail that looks menacing. Also menacing about the Nexu - in its digital and toy forms - are the spikes on its back. This Nexu figure stands only 2 1/2" tall, but is ferocious on all fours as it is almost 7" long (almost 10" long when it is stretched out completely!).
This toy is a decent sculpt, which is pretty easy considering Nexu is a digital character with no clothing. The Nexu has its fanged mouth ready to kill any characters fool enough to mess with it and is textured so it looks like it has fur. It is appropriately colored in gray and tan with dark stripes along its back. It has the appropriate four eyes in front and they are a creepy green and red mix which is unsettling and somewhat unnatural. On the left side of the Nexu is an exposed patch made to look like it has been wounded, as Amidala did in the film.
Accessories
There are no accessories for the Nexu figure. Ironically, later it would be repackaged as an accessory for other figures.
Playability
The four inch toy line was designed for play and the Nexu is great in that regard. First, the Nexu has a jaw which opens and closes. When the jaw is open, if one pushes down the tongue, it activates the animal's growling noise and the jaw snaps shut! The Nexu features a button behind its left arm which sets off the roaring noise the animal made in the movie. As well, the tail is flexible and has a wire running through it so, it may be posed in vicious poses easily!
The Nexu is as articulated as one might expect for a figure of a wild animal from Star Wars. In addition to having a completely flexible and posable tail, the Nexu has six points of articulation, all of which are simple swivel joints. The Nexu has joints at the legs, arms, neck and jaw. This makes it as posable as pretty much any Star Wars animal. While one might always hope for more articulation, this figure is pretty much the par for the course for such things.
Collectibility
The Nexu is part of the 2002 Star Wars Attack Of The Clones collection of four-inch action figures. This series of Star Wars action figures was fairly common and the Nexu figure was vastly overproduced. This Nexu was largely clearanced and has not recovered in the secondary market since. As a result, this Nexu is a poor investment and is more ideal for collectors and children who actually want an interesting Star Wars toy to play with! It certainly didn't help the value of this figure when it was repackaged as part of the Acklay Battle multipack.
Overview
The Nexu is a surprisingly neat toy that was overlooked by far too many Star Wars fans. While one might not need an arsenal of these creatures, having more than one is certainly not a bad thing and because they may be found dirt cheap even now, it may make for a good toy for play or display!
For other Star Wars toys, please check out my reviews of:
Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot
Hailfire Droid
The Utai
7/10
For other toy reviews, please check out my index page by clicking here!
© 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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