Replaced By Superior Sculpts, The Power Of The Force AT-ST Driver Is Not Worth The Buy.

The Good: Good accessory, Generally good sculpt and coloring
The Bad: Lack of articulation, Collectible value is terrible, Poor balance, Accessory scale
The Basics: The AT-ST Driver Power Of The Force action figure has since been done better than Kenner did it, making this one easy to pass by . . . even if it isn’t horrible.


When Kenner first began producing Star Wars figures again in the mid-1990s, they had two fundamental problems. The first problem was that their sculpts followed a ridiculous notion that children and toy enthusiasts wanted buff, muscular characters, as opposed to realistic representations of character as they appeared in the work that originated them. The other big problem was that many of the new figures lacked significant articulation and/or were cast in ways that made them not fit the vehicles they belonged to. The AT-ST Driver suffers from both of these issues, making it one of the easiest Power Of The Force figures to pass by.

The AT-ST Driver appeared at the climax of Return Of The Jedi (reviewed here!), on the forest moon of Endor. As the Rebels and Ewoks attacked, two-legged “chicken walker” vehicles assaulted them. Those were AT-STs and the AT-ST Drivers were seen briefly in shots, usually before they got killed.

The 4" AT-ST Driver figure is a poor figure that does not stand up all that well and has since been recast much better.

Basics

The AT-ST Driver is one of many essentially faceless Imperial troopers working for the Galactic Empire. The AT-ST Driver figure stands 3 7/8" tall. This AT-ST Driver is cast wearing his gray uniform and giant, gangly helmet. The figure is made entirely of hard plastic and is one of the least-detailed Star Wars figures in the Power Of The Force line.

This toy is a poor sculpt, especially for a figure that is supposed to be a pilot of a vehicle. Cast with super-wide shoulders so he cannot actually sit in the Kenner AT-ST (much less side by side with another one!), the AT-ST Driver is also problematically cast in the legs. With his legs spread wide apart, the AT-ST Driver looks more like he is ready for a bar fight than piloting a giant chicken walker. That said, outside of the proportions, Kenner got the basic sculpt right. This is a very simply dressed Imperial officer with a big helmet and goggles. As far as molding details go, that Kenner included seams on the character’s uniform and pockets molded onto the pants deserves some credit.

The AT-ST Driver is poorly colored though. This is a figure without any coloring for badges and the entire figure is monochromatic with the gray uniform, gray helmet, black boots and gloves and peach flesh tones for the portion of the face that is actually visible. The most detailed this figure gets on the coloring details are the silver highlights on the belt buckle and the similar detailing on the helmet. Kenner cheated the lack of coloring detail on the face by molding the goggles as opaque, like massive sunglasses. Still, the lips have no shading or coloring, making this a very underwhelming figure on the coloring front.

Accessories

The AT-ST Driver, driver of the clunky AT-STs, comes with two accessories. The first is the very basic Imperial Blaster, which is a 1” pistol that comes with any number of Imperial action figures.

The AT-ST Driver also comes with a full sized blaster rifle that is different from the one that comes with, for example, the basic Stormtrooper. At 2 7/8”, this black plastic gun looks more like something from G.I. Joe than Star Wars! It features only one grip and a very long barrel, so it is mostly ideal for supporting the figure. This has more molded detail to it than the entire AT-ST Driver!

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and the AT-ST Driver is pretty poor in that regard. The figure is poorly articulated and badly balanced as well. Moreover, for a figure designed to sit in the cockpit of a vehicle, the fact that the AT-ST Driver cannot because of his super-wide shoulders and overly spread legs, is hugely disappointing. The AT-ST Driver figure has poor balance, probably because of the wide stance and he falls over if his feet are moved even slightly out of a flatfooted position. 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 AT-ST Driver 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 AT-ST Driver figure for anything remotely like the shots he was in in the movie.

Collectibility

The AT-ST Driver is part of the Power Of The Force four-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that was incredibly common. The AT-ST Driver figure appeared on at least two cards, one with the popular Freeze Frame action slide. The result is that this remains one of the easiest, cheapest figures of the line to find. It is a terrible investment.

Overview

The AT-ST Driver is a poor figure from the Power Of The Force line that can be avoided, even if you find it in a dollar bin!

For other Return Of The Jedi Power Of The Force figures, please check out my reviews of:
Lando Calrissian in General’s Gear
Admiral Ackbar
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

3.5/10

For other toy reviews, please check out my index page!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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