The Good: Decent sculpt, Good accessory
The Bad: Limited poseability, Terrible collectible value
The Basics: The 2-1B Medic Droid from the Power Of The Force collection is not a bad addition to the line and has some traits that the resculpt does not.
I’ve been enjoying going through the boxes of toys I have kicking around that are filled with Star Wars toys. What surprises me most about them is that there are several figures from the older Power Of The Force toy line that I just cannot bring myself to part with. So, while the Revenge Of The Sith Collection produced a 2-1B Medical Droid (reviewed here!), I still cannot bring myself to part with the 2-1B Medic Droid from the Power Of The Force collection. Sure, it is less flexible or poseable, but the Power Of The Force 2-1B Medic Droid has a cool color and looks good alongside even some of the newest Star Wars action figures.
For those unfamiliar with 2-1B Medic Droid, it was the silver-blue robot that administered medicine to the wounded Luke Skywalker near the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!). The droid actually shows concern for both Luke and the Rebels who want to flee Hoth, which is pretty cool (and means it had more dialogue than some of the other, more popular, droids to be merchandised!). The 2-1B Medic Droid also appears as a prop in Return Of The Jedi (reviewed here!) in the briefing room scene!
The 4" 2-1B Medic Droid figure is a good support droid, but not an overly playable figure.
Basics
The 2-1B Medic Droid is the medical technician who tests Luke’s robotic hand at the end of The Empire Strikes Back as well as running the medical facility on Hoth at the beginning of that movie. The figure stands 4" tall to the top of its rounded head. The 2-1B Medic Droid is as robot, so it has no costume and this one is cast in hard plastic.
This toy is a decent sculpt, looking precisely like the droid. 2-1B is fairly impressive in his coloring detail, as he is clear in his trunk and has a metallic blue head, groin area and legs. The silver arms are thin and end in claws that make this droid look just like the one in the movie. In fact, the only thing Kenner could have done better on the sculpt and coloring would have been to find a way to give the toy “glowing” eyes like they did for the Jawa figure released around the same time! This sculpt even includes the mouthpiece that connects the head to the figure’s chest.
Accessories
2-1B Medic Droid, simple medical droid that it is, comes with only one accessory. The 2-1B figure comes with a Medical Diagnostic Computer and while that sounds like it might be pretty cool, it is essentially a handheld protoplaser that fits in either of the droid’s claws. The medical diagnostic computer is 7/8” long and while it is the same blue shade as the figure, it lacks the metallic sheen of the figure, which is a little disappointing.
Playability
The four inch toy line was designed for play and 2-1B Medic Droid is a little better than fair in that regard. The figure is poorly articulated, though it has decent balance, arguably because it cannot move all that much. Flatfooted, 2-1B Medic Droid is well-balanced and manages to stay up even on surfaces that wobble. This is a very stable figure, and it has the additional benefit of holes in the soles of its feet that may be stuck in pegs on various playsets. With those, it may be posed better.
Outside that, though, 2-1B Medic Droid lacks significant articulation to make it interesting. In addition to low articulation, 2-1B Medic Droid is barely poseable. The head has a limited range of motion because of the breathing apparatus. The figure comes with only six points of articulation, all of which are simple swivel joints. It has joints at the groin socket, shoulders, neck, and waist. The elbows do not extend, so all arm posing is straight-armed. The leg articulation is oriented such that the legs rotate, which is very weird and make the figure tip over when the joint is used!
Collectibility
The 2-1B Medic Droid is part of the Power Of The Force four-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that was incredibly common. 2-1B was overproduced, appearing on at least two different cards as an identical sculpt. As a result, the 2-1B Medic Droid is a poor investment and it may often be found inexpensively and might well be better for fans looking to play than make money eventually off it.
Overview
The 2-1B Medic Droid is a decent support droid, but it is hardly the most exciting Star Wars figure ever produced.
For other Power Of The Force figures from The Empire Strikes Back, please check out my reviews of:
Zuckuss
Bossk
Captain Piett
Hoth Luke Skywalker
Yoda
Luke Skywalker In Dagobah Fatigues
4-LOM
Hoth Han Solo
Dengar
R2-D2
6/10
For other toy reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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