The Good: Fine articulation for the subjects, Good sculpts, Fine accessory, Some decent coloring detail.
The Bad: Poor collectible value
The Basics: The Power Of The Force Ugnaught two-pack contains two figures that are still pretty decent for collectors today!
Sometimes, I encounter a toy that has terrible collectible value, but reflects a decent price for those who want to actually enjoy the figures they are buying. There are very few figures from the Star Wars Power Of The Force line I continue to recommend, mostly because they are found dirt cheap and have been recast in subsequent toy lines. But for some of the figures, Kenner got them just right and the 2-pack of Ugnaughts is one such release! Unlike the Legacy Collection Ugnaughts (reviewed here!), Kenner actually sold their Ugnaughts together and they look real good, even now, especially for background aliens!
For those unfamiliar with the Ugnaughts, they were the diminutive, pig-nosed technicians working in Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back (click here for the review of the film!). The Ugnaughts were seen walking down the hallways on Bespin and also in the Carbon Freeze Chamber which was used to seal Han Solo in Carbonite.
The Power Of The Force Collection casting of the two Ugnaughts, the Engineer and the Technician are two distinct figures with completely different sculpts, packaged together for the Freeze Frame line of Star Wars figures.
Basics
The Ugnaught Engineer is slightly taller than the Technician and it is differentiated by the apron the figure wears, as well as prominent canines protruding from the character’s underbite. The small, snouted humanoid stands 2 15/16" tall, which puts him in proper scale to the other Star Wars action figures. This toy is a fairly impressive sculpt, capturing the Ugnaught's serious but somewhat witless expression and cheek flaps that cover the sides of the character’s lips. The sculpt is good, featuring the Ugnaught's gray hair brushed back and his stocky frame covered by a rubbery apron. The apron features tools in the pocket which are sculpted incredibly well and pockets that almost look functional. The Ugnaught's hands are easily - and appropriately - cheated by heavy gloves the Ugnaught Engineer wore. Even so, Kenner colored the gloves to look worn and dirty. They are tan with brown smudges that make the figure look like he is working in an unclean environment! Oddly, the rest of the character’s robes are not as detailed for realism, but the figure still looks incredible, especially for the time it was produced.
The Ugnaught Technician stands 2 13/16” tall and is cast with monotonal coloring. The gray outfit is simple and unadorned and the skin tones of the Technician are uniform in their coloring as well. Oddly, Kenner got the hair more detailed, both in terms of the sculpting and the shading; the Technician’s red hair is darker in the back than on the face and front! Despite looking very clean, the Ugnaught Technician is molded with wonderful facial detailing for the lines and wrinkles of the character, as well as the coloring for the teeth.
Accessories
The Ugnaughts, workers in the gas mines that they are, comes with only a lunch pail or tool kit. The lunch pail is a very simple 1 1/16" long white box with a handle that fits in either of the Ugnaught's left hands (their right hands are molded flat with the thumbs unavailable. This is not the most extraordinary accessory, but it fits both the characters and the sculpting of these figures.
This figure was part of the Freeze Frame line of the Power Of The Force Collection figures and it came with an Action Slide of an Ugnaught. In the slide, the Ugnaught Engineer works the controls on Cloud City to freeze Han Solo. This slide is enough to convince the naysayers just how right Kenner got the figure!
Playability
The four inch toy line was designed for play and the Ugnaught Engineer is very good in that regard. The Power Of The Force Collection Ugnaught figures have exceptionally good balance! Because the Ugnaught Engineer is built with a solid base and the Technician’s legs do not move, both stand perfectly in any number of permutations for their upper bodies being posed!
Both Ugnaughts comes with only four points of articulation, all of which are simple swivel joints. The Ugnaughts have joints at the shoulders, neck, and waist and they twist at any of those points. The Technician is fully poseable with its flexibility, while the Engineer is inhibited at the waist joint by the apron.
For added support, should one wish to make improbable poses with the figure, there are playsets with foot pegs which fit into the holes in either of the Ugnaughts’ feet.
Collectibility
The Ugnaught Engineer is part of the 1998 Power Of The Force Collection four-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that was exceptionally overproduced. The Ugnaughts have not appreciated at all in value and may be easily found even now at depressed prices in the secondary market. Rather than lament that, I say that’s a great value and encourage fans of the figures to buy them for play and display while they remain inexpensive!
Overview
The Ugnaughts are surprisingly wonderful, despite their very limited poseability, making them very easy to recommend.
For other Power Of The Force figures from The Empire Strikes Back, please check out my reviews of:
Princess Leia Organa in Hoth Gear
Snowtrooper
C-3PO with removable limbs
2-1B Medic Droid
Zuckuss
Bossk
Captain Piett
Hoth Luke Skywalker
Yoda
Luke Skywalker In Dagobah Fatigues
4-LOM
Hoth Han Solo
Dengar
R2-D2
9/10
For other 3” Star Wars toy reviews, please visit my Toy Review Index Page!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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