Saturday, April 30, 2011

Super-Articulate, Amazingly Detailed, The Star Wars Legacy Collection AT-AT Driver Is Close To Perfect!





The Good: Amazing poseability, Exceptional detailing, Awesome balance, Decent accessories!
The Bad: Disproportionate head sculpt.
The Basics: The Star Wars Legacy Collection AT-AT Driver is an essential Imperial shock troop which can be bought in quantity; so long as one isn't taking the helmets off!


As one might guess from my recent review of the Saga Collection General Veers action figure (here!), for our two-year wedding anniversary, my wife bought me the brand new (2010) AT-AT toy! This was hugely exciting for me and it has inspired me to go back and finally review several integral Star Wars action figures I've been holding onto for a while. Chief among them, now that Veers is reviewed, is the AT-AT Driver from the Legacy Collection. This figure is more articulated than the one that comes with the new AT-AT, which makes it easy to recommend. In fact, the only real problem with this figure comes with the gimmick: the removable helmet. The head beneath is disproportionately small and that is irksome for an otherwise excellent figure.

For those unfamiliar with the AT-AT Driver, they are the Imperial Stormtroopers at the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!) who pilot the four-legged AT-AT walkers during the Battle Of Hoth. The usual white outfit is accented by a gray jumpsuit and support belts. As well, the AT-AT Driver helmet has more color to it than the standard Stormtrooper. The AT-AT Drivers piloted the AT-ATs as they led the Empire to victory over the Rebels on Hoth!

The 4" AT-AT Driver figure is another generic shock troop which may be stocked up on and because this is such a good figure, it is worth doing so.

Basics

The AT-AT Driver figure stands 4" tall to the top of his helmet. He wears the gray outfit and white armor of the Imperial AT-AT pilot. This toy is a great sculpt, save when it has the helmet off. At that point, the AT-AT Driver is revealed to have a pinhead and a set of sideburns that make it look like disco never went out of style. The head looks nothing like Temuera Morrison, who one assumes is supposed to be the subject given the figure's complexion and curly black hair (and the insinuation that all of the troopers in the Empire are now clones), which makes it even more unfortunate that they got the sculpt wrong. But the coloring is also troubling; the lips are colorless and the hair lacks any realistic highlights to it.

That said, the AT-AT Driver is an amazing sculpt otherwise. The figure's jumpsuit includes such realistic details as molded pockets and the armored shoulderpads. The armor on the AT-AT Driver's outfit looks strong and clean, which makes sense given that the AT-AT Driver works in the relatively clean environment of the cockpit of the AT-AT. The coloring details on the AT-AT driver's armor are also pretty wonderful and this looks exactly like the AT-AT Driver's in the pictures (and in the movie).

Accessories

AT-AT Driver is an Imperial stormtrooper and comes only with one accessory: an Imperial blaster! The blaster that the AT-AT Driver comes with is the standard Imperial blaster remolded for the Legacy Collection figures. The 1 1/8" long gun fits in either of AT-AT Driver's hands and looks entirely proportionate. The monotonal black weapon is generic, but looks appropriately mass-produced. The blaster has the little scope molded to it and it looks like an efficient weapon for the trooper.

Like all of the 2009 Legacy Collection figures, the AT-AT Driver features a droid part. The AT-AT Driver features the torso to HK-50, a humanoid droid that looks like a Terminator Endoskeleton. The torso features articulation just under the bust and it has a segmented look that makes it seem almost insectoid.

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and the AT-AT Driver is exceptional in that regard. The AT-AT Driver has great balance and even better poseability, illustrating the latest in molding technology. The AT-AT Driver is articulated at fourteen points, not all of which are simple swivel joints. The AT-AT Driver is articulated at the ankles, knees, groin socket, bust, shoulders, elbows, wrists and head. The head is on a ball-and-socket joint, inhibited only by the helmet's air tubes which connect to the chestpiece control panel. The knees, ankles, shoulders and elbows are all hinge joints on the ball-and-socket, giving them exceptional poseability and playability. The wrists and torso having simple swivel joints do all they truly need to do.

Collectibility

The AT-AT Driver is part of the Legacy Collection with the build-a-droid figure that was released in 2009. The AT-AT Driver is 2009 Legacy Collection figure BD49. The AT-AT Driver was fairly common and demand for it was easily met, though with the release of the new AT-AT, demand is rising again. Given how this is more poseable than the AT-AT driver that comes with the 2010 AT-AT toy, it makes for a great supplemental figure for that playset. It still, however, is not molded in a way that allows it to ride the speeder bike which comes with the AT-AT!

Overview

The AT-AT Driver is an essential Imperial figure and this sculpting is certainly one worth stocking up on to beef up one's Empire . . . so long as you don't intend to do much with the figure while the helmet is off!

For other Legacy Collection figures, please check out my reviews of:
BD17 Princess Leia (Slave Leia)
BD34 Leesub Sirln
BD39 Jawa with Security Droid
BD41 The Utai
BD42 Jeremoch Colton
BD43 Agen Kolar
BD50 Wing Guard
BD52 R2-X2
BD54 Zuckuss
BD55 Snowtrooper

9/10

For other Star Wars toy reviews, please check out my index page by clicking here!

© 2011 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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