Friday, September 28, 2012

The Action Fleet Imperial AT-AT Toy Is Fun, If Under-Articulated!


The Good: Good sculpt, Great balance, Good detailing.
The Bad: Light on articulation, No collectible value, Basic coloring
The Basics: One of the most basic Star Wars toys, Galoob’s MicroMachines Action Fleet AT-AT is fun, but average!


I am, I’ve learned by comparison, quite the fan of AT-ATs! I have a decent AT-AT collection and one of the ones I am surprised I have not reviewed before now is the Galoob MicroMachines Action Fleet AT-AT. This is a very basic AT-AT toy that is one of the more affordable and basic AT-AT toys and, unlike the MicroMachines, is a little larger and actually has some articulation.

Fans of the Star Wars Trilogy will easily recall the opening sequence to The Empire Strikes Back (click here for my film review!) where the Rebels were discovered by the Empire on Hoth, a frozen wasteland. The Empire launched a ground assault using massive, four-legged vehicles called AT-ATs, which forced the Rebels into retreat. The AT-ATs were slowed down by Snowspeeders, small, fast flying vehicles that attempted to trip the machines and destroy them after they fell.

The MicroMachines Action Fleet AT-AT is the fearsome Imperial Walker with a small base. It is remarkably cool and deserves a prominent place in anyone’s AT-AT or Star Wars vehicle collection!

Basics

The MicroMachines Action Fleet Imperial AT-AT was released by Galoob and it is a basic toy. Cast only in plastic, the AT-AT is 4 7/8“ tall, 5 5/8“ long and 2“ wide.

The MicroMachines Action Fleet AT-AT looks good. It is cast detailed with such fine work as the gun flaps on the side guns jutting out and the tiny laser cannons on the front of the vehicle's "head" looking menacing and accurate. The paint job is very basic with the gray body of the AT-AT that does not have any wear or weathering marks. The color scheme for the AT-AT is pretty monochromatic and Galoob kept it very basic.

Accessories

The MicroMachines Action Fleet AT-AT comes with two mini-figures and a base accessory. The Imperial AT-AT comes with an Imperial Driver and a Snowtrooper. The AT-AT Driver is detailed and colored with black, gray and red highlights to look like what it is supposed to. The Snowtrooper is molded with a gun in its right hand. Both figures are articulated at the waist (to allow sitting) and at the arms for movement that moves both arms and both legs in unison. The legs are molded to a base each that allows them to fit into the base. The AT-AT Driver fits in the cockpit head. And the main body can house both mini-figures or they plug into the base.

The base is a black plastic, textured piece that fits the front two feet. Intended for display, the base holds both mini-figures and has the silver Star Wars Action Fleet logo on the front. The AT-AT fits perfectly into the base.

Playability

The MicroMachines Action Fleet has pretty limited playability, though it is designed to look excellent in many different poses. The “head” of the vehicle has about 10 degrees of movement, left and right. The legs move at the top joint, but do not bend or have any other articulation. The AT-AT is virtually untippable.

The gun ports on the cockpit head rotate as well.

Both figures are able to fit into the cockpit or the main body of the AT-AT, because the side of the AT-AT has a flip-down door that gives access to the center portion of the AT-AT.

Collectibility

The MicroMachines Action Fleet is part of a now-defunct line of die-cast vehicle toys that Galoob produced. The AT-AT remains one of the most popular and sought after in the line, but the original Special Edition release actually had a collector’s number. Mine, for example, is number 0873, but it is unclear what that number is out of.

The Imperial AT-AT toy’s price continues to rise. Finding it at a store may net a decent deal, but unless one finds it that way, it is not a great investment piece.

Overview

Fans of The Empire Strikes Back and AT-ATs will find this to be one of the essential Star Wars AT-AT and vehicle toys, though it is only really worthwhile if one can find it on the cheap.

For other Star Wars AT-AT toys reviewed by me, please check out:
Vintage Collection AT-AT
Titanium Collection AT-AT Imperial Walker
2006 AT-AT ornament

5/10

For other ornament reviews, please visit my index page!

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