The Good: Great balance, Awesome accessories, Wonderful articulation
The Bad: Overproduced for investors.
The Basics: An amazing improvement over the Power Of The Force figure, the Star Wars Vintage Collection action figure of Admiral Ackbar is the ultimate Ackbar figure!
A few weeks back, I decided what I really needed to do was order another of the mail-away Boba Fett (with launching missile backpack) action figures. To that end, I had to pick up a Vintage Collection Star Wars action figure from the store shelves and, to date, the only one I had bought was the (Twin Pod) Cloud Car Driver (reviewed here!). I chose the new Admiral Ackbar figure because that was the only one that had the offer that I was still interested in. The new Sandtrooper was too clean and there's no telling if the new Stormtrooper would discolor after a few years out of the package, so I picked up Admiral Ackbar on a lark. And I am surprised by how impressed with the figure I am!
For those unfamiliar with Admiral Ackbar, he is the Mon Calamari Rebel Leader seen in Return Of The Jedi (reviewed here!). One of the leaders of the Rebel Forces who takes a squadron to assault the Death Star, Admiral Ackbar is a fish-like Rebel who is characterized as a cunning strategist.
The 4" Admiral Ackbar was completely recast from the late-90's Power Of The Force figure in the 2010 Vintage Collection and despite being overproduced, it is a perfect figure!
Basics
The Admiral Ackbar figure stands 3 7/8" tall to the top of his curved, fish head. He is a character who wears a white Rebel uniform and stands like a biped, but has a head like a crustacean or the Creature From The Black Lagoon!
This toy is an amazing sculpt, having seen Return Of The Jedi many, many times and being unimpressed with the Power Of The Force figure that was released years ago. This figure features incredible detailing from the sculpt to the coloring. The fish head features slight stalks for the eyes and the forearms have what appear to be barbed shells which make the character seem more like an undersea creature! Moreover, the thin frame and build is definitely sculpted for realism, not some form of parody of Ackbar's frame!
Admiral Ackbar is outfitted in a clean white uniform that fits the character perfectly. This is a fishman who thinks for a living, not one who works with his hands! This is an officer, not a fishman of action! As such, Admiral Ackbar's simple outfit is adorned only with rank insignia on his chest and a simple belt which looks more like a fashion accessory than a utility belt. The white uniform is accented by a simple yellow stripe up the sides.
As for the character's flesh coloring, the Vintage Collection Admiral Ackbar captures a wonderfully realistic amount of coloring and shading. Admiral Ackbar's primary flesh color is brownish and while the figure is not colored with a glossy sheen to him to make him look moist or mucus-covered, he is detailed with the appropriate dark spots on his head and forearms.
Accessories
Admiral Ackbar is a simple leader and his two accessories reflect that. Admiral Ackbar comes with a high-tech data pad and a stylus. The datapad is a 1" tall square plastic block on a thin cylinder which fits into either of Admiral Ackbar's hands, though it looks more organic in his right hand. The white block is detailed with surface lines which imply controls, battery access points and a dark area that insinuates a screen. The pad also features what appears to be a microphone antennae, which is accurate to the photo on the front of the figure's package.
The stylus is a simple, segmented silver cylinder which fits nicely in Admiral Ackbar's left hand. The stylus is little more than a 1" long pointer which is a refreshing change from the usual weapons Star Wars figures usually come with.
Playability
The four inch toy line was designed for play and Admiral Ackbar is surprisingly good for it. First, the figure has decent balance. The holes in the bottom of his feet allow him to stand tall on any number of playsets in outlandish poses or in more dignified, administrative poses.
Admiral Ackbar also holds up exceptionally well in the articulation department, which is a distinct improvement over the earlier model of the figure. He has hinged ball and socket joints at the knees, elbows and shoulders, as well as a ball and socket joint which allows a great range of motion for the head. The forearms, groin socket and waist all have simple swivel joints that provide the figure with more than enough posing options to make the figure worthwhile!
Collectibility
Admiral Ackbar is part of the Vintage Collection line that was released in 2010 and remains overly common on shelves as I write this. Admiral Ackbar is Vintage Collection figure VC22. Admiral Ackbar was overproduced, but replaces the far less impressive Power Of The Force Admiral Ackbar, which encourages fans to bother with the upgrade. Even so, this is probably not a worthwhile investment figure.
Overview
Despite the lack of collectibility, the resculpted Vintage Collection Admiral Ackbar is a great addition to any Star Wars action figure collection and is well worth picking up!
For other figures from Return Of The Jedi, please check out my reviews of:
Princess Leia As Boushh
B'Omarr Monk
Nien Nunb
10/10
For other Star Wars toy reviews, please check out my index page by clicking here!
© 2011 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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