The Good: Good accessory, Good balance, Generally good sculpt and coloring
The Bad: Lack of articulation, Collectible value is terrible
The Basics: The Admiral Ackbar Power Of The Force action figure is very cool and works as a decent supplemental Mon Calamari figure even for those who have the latest Ackbar figure!
Thanks to Internet memes, Admiral Ackbar has gone from one of the most obscure characters in the original Star Wars Trilogy to one of the most popular. He has a cool catchphrase – “It’s a trap!” – and is basically a big fishman who runs the Rebellion. He is also the subject of a pretty amazing Vintage Collection figure (reviewed here!). But before Hasbro created the ultimate Admiral Ackbar, Kenner had a pretty cool figure with its Power Of The Force version of him.
Admiral Ackbar appeared in the middle and climax of Return Of The Jedi (reviewed here!), planning the attack on the second Death Star. Ackbar led the space fleet against the Death Star, while Luke and his team tried to destroy the shield power generator on Endor.
The 4" Admiral Ackbar figure is a decent one that stands up well. In fact, I cannot come up with any reason not to supplement one’s collection of Rebel figures with this version of Admiral Ackbar.
Basics
Admiral Ackbar is the obscure Mon Calimari commander cast as he appeared in Return Of The Jedi. This Admiral Ackbar figure is superior to the one from the 1980s, but not quite as cool as the new Vintage Collection one that has a little bit more articulation and a slightly more neutral stance. The Admiral Ackbar figure has legs a bit apart, making him look like he is ready for action. The Admiral Ackbar figure stands 4" tall to the top of his head. This Admiral Ackbar is cast wearing his white Rebel leader uniform. The figure is made entirely of hard plastic, though his elongated fish fingers feel a little softer.
This toy is a pretty awesome sculpt, looking very much like the Admiral Ackbar. He looks mostly like he does in the movie with his brown fish head and buggy eyes on slight stalks. The uniform looks just like it did in the movie, with two shades of white and the usual rank insignia on his chest. The figure has a slightly open mouth and the hands feature fingers cast together to make them look very much like flippers.
Admiral Ackbar is well colored, though one of the few strikes against the figure is the luster. Admiral Ackbar’s hands and head are matte finish which makes the character look very dry instead of slimy. That said, Kenner got the coloring details very right. Ackbar features spots on his head and arms and that is a nice touch. The fact that Admiral Ackbar’s uniform even has the bright yellow racing stripe down the side illustrates that Kenner had an attention to detail, even when they didn’t have all the technology needed to make great figures.
Accessories
Admiral Ackbar, leader of the free Mon Calimari Revels, comes only with one accessory, his arm blaster. Unlike the Admiral Ackbar seen in Return Of The Jedi, who was more of an administrator, this action figure wants to make Ackbar into an action hero. To that end, Admiral Ackbar features a black gun that attaches to either wrist. The 1 7/8” wrist guard leads out to a firearm with two barrels that looks surprisingly good in general. Unfortunately, it is bulky and cast in a monotonal black plastic that looks unlike the rest of the figure.
Playability
The four inch toy line was designed for play and the Admiral Ackbar is fair in that regard. The figure is poorly articulated, but is fairly well balanced. This is a figure designed to stand up and look ready for action, which he does very well. The Admiral Ackbar figure has awesome balance. Like virtually every other Star Wars figure, though, he has the standard holes in the feet that allow this figure to be posed in more outlandish poses on the playsets and toys that have the matching foot pegs!
The Power Of The Force Admiral Ackbar is low on articulation. The figure has six points of articulation, all of which are simple swivel joints: shoulders, groin socket, neck and waist. This makes it nearly impossible to seat this Admiral Ackbar figure for anything remotely like the shots he was in in the movie.
Collectibility
The Admiral Ackbar is part of the Power Of The Force four-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that was incredibly common. The Admiral Ackbar figure appeared on at least two cards, one with the popular Freeze Frame action slide. The result is that while this is a very neat figure, it is by no means the most valuable action figure on the market.
Overview
Admiral Ackbar is becoming more well known, but the Power Of The Force Ackbar is a fun one recommended for those who like Ackbar or need a lot of Mon Calimari figures. This is not a figure to try to get rich with, but it remains cool nonetheless!
For other Return Of The Jedi Power Of The Force figures, please check out my reviews of:
Saelt-Marae
Chewbacca As Boushh's Bounty
Princess Leia In Ewok Celebration Gown
Gamorrean Guard
EV-9D9
Weequay Skiff Guard
Jedi Luke Skywalker
Bib Fortuna
Emperor's Royal Guard
Imperial Speeder Bike
Nien Nunb
8/10
For other toy reviews, please check out my index page!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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