Saturday, August 11, 2012

There’s Not Much You Can Ask Of A Coruscant Guard Figure, Save That It Stand And The Power Of The Jedi Version Barely Does That!


The Good: Good sculpt, Adequate articulation for the character, Cool accessory
The Bad: Low playability/poor balance
The Basics: The Power Of The Jedi Coruscant Guard is a mediocre support figure that is not at all essential or worth picking up at this point.


Some of the support figures for the Star Wars action figure line do not need to be able to do all that much. Instead, many of the background characters look cool in the background and provide limited support for play or display purposes. One of the ones near the top of the list for support figures would have to be the Guards from any point in the Star Wars Saga. The blue-clad Coruscant Guards that first appeared in The Phantom Menace are distinctive, but little can honestly be asked of a figure based upon one. That’s a good thing because while the Power Of The Jedi Coruscant Guard figure looks pretty neat, it has trouble standing up, which makes it a much tougher sell than it ought to be.

For those unfamiliar with the Coruscant Guard, they were the security forces used by Supreme Chancellor Valorum in the scenes on Coruscant in The Phantom Menace (reviewed here!).

The 4" Coruscant Guard figure was actually the first version of the character made, but it has since been improved upon in new lines like the Vintage Collection, though this represents one of the only all-plastic versions of the character (for those of us who loathe the half-plastic, half-cloth figure combinations!).

Basics

The Coruscant Guard is a humanoid defender of the political elite working on Coruscant. This figure has the Coruscant Guard in its fairly familiar blue robes that eventually evolved into the more familiar red-robed Imperial Guards under Palpatine’s rule! The figure stands 4 3/8" tall to the top of the plumes on his helmeted head. This Coruscant Guard figure is coifed in his dark blue robes and glossy blue helmet with a rooster-like plume on it! The figure is made of a fairly soft plastic, except for the helmet. He is very simple and comparatively unadorned.

This toy is a decent sculpt, which is pretty easy to do given how the character is basically intended to be inscrutable. Hidden in voluminous robes, the character is barely recognizable as humanoid under its helmet and the most molded detailing really comes from the plumes on the helmet, which make those look flexible as opposed to like spines. It is cool, however, that Hasbro so precisely molded the exceptionally long sleeves of the character onto the figure.

In a similar fashion, the coloring of the Coruscant Guard is entirely simple as well. His outfit is a matte blue, his helmet a glossy blue that is just a few shades lighter. The portion of the Coruscant Guard’s face that is visible beneath his helmet is monotonally colored. The character’s eyes are barely painted on, though they are brown with tiny black pupils, even if there is not much in the way of the character’s whites of his eyes.

Accessories

Ironically, the Coruscant Guard has an accessory more detailed than the figure! The Coruscant Guard's comes with a large blaster rifle. Cast in blue/gunmetal plastic, the Coruscant Guard’s blaster rifle is accented with a black strap that looks entirely detailed, from the molded details of buckles to the coloring accents. The main gun even has buttons that are accented with more realistic color, which is a nice touch.

As part of the Power Of The Jedi toy line, the Coruscant Guard comes with a Jedi Force File. This is a tiny fold-out magazine which describes the Coruscant Guard, his species, natural enemies and allies and offers ideas for play with the figure. This is a pretty cool idea and appeals to trading card collectors as well.

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and Coruscant Guard is generally good in that regard. The figure is well-articulated, in fact, more than is actually necessary for a character like the Guard. This version of the Coruscant Guard comes with even points of articulation. He has joints at the groin socket, shoulders, right bicep, left wrist, and neck. All of the joints are simple swivel joints. The head articulation is minimal because of how the helmet protects the character’s neck and shoulders.

Sadly, the legs cannot be spread far apart because the Coruscant Guard will tip over when not in a flatfooted position. However, he has holes in either heel to make him stand on the pegs that adorn some of the Star Wars playsets. Balance is the real issue with this figure, though his stiff robes may allow him to lean on himself when not in a flatfooted position. Sure, he looks ridiculous, but he stands.

The Coruscant Guard is designed with his articulation centered entirely around him holding his blaster rifle in a two-handed grip and he looks pretty badass (assuming you can get him to stand) when he is posed like that!

Collectibility

The Coruscant Guard is part of the expanded saga Power Of The Jedi four-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that was fairly common. The Coruscant Guard was one of the most overproduced of the line and as a result can still be found dirt cheap. In other words, the Coruscant Guard is a poor investment as it may often be found selling lower than its original issue price. Even so, this Coruscant Guard is an easy sell, despite the figure being recast; one cannot have too many Coruscant Guards.

Overview

If the Coruscant Guard stood on its own easier, the Power Of The Jedi version would be a much easier sell. As it is, it is a completely average figure, not one that is at all bad. For those who like the consistency of all-plastic figures, this is a worthwhile support figure. But for those who have no problem with the cloth and plastic combinations Hasbro now produces, there is a Vintage Collection version of this same character that may fit your style better.

For other Power Of The Jedi figures, please be sure to check out my reviews of:
Aurra Sing
Bespin Escape Princess Leia
Amanaman with Salacious Crumb
IG-88
Tessek
Deluxe Princess Leia with Sail Barge Cannon
Dagobah Darth Vader
Bespin Escape Lando Calrissian
Bespin Capture Han Solo
Tatooine Patrol Sandtrooper
Saesee Tiin
Ketwol
FX-7
Bespin Guard

5/10

For more "Star Wars" toy reviews, please check out my index page!

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