The Good: Decent sculpt, Good accessory, Decent balance, Great coloring detail, Fair collectible value, Neat playability function.
The Bad: Limited poseability, Severe wear issue
The Basics: The C-3PO with the removable limbs from the Power Of The Force collection is an amazing figure that is only brought down by its key selling points!
The more times I rewatch the Star Wars Saga (reviewed in its entirety here!), the more I understand why George Lucas included Jar Jar Binks in the prequel films. After all, he had a pretty similar character in the original trilogy with C-3PO and the droid was popular with fans. He had no way of knowing that Jar Jar would not resonate the way a golden robot did. Go figure. And it’s not like C-3PO hasn’t been merchandised, either! The Phantom Menace version exploited the droid’s appearance without “skin” and the Attack Of The Clones release even had a deluxe version of the figure (reviewed here!). But arguably the coolest C-3PO figure yet to hit the market is actually the Power Of The Force version from the Freeze Frame line. This represents C-3PO nearly destroyed!
For those unfamiliar with this version of C-3PO, he is the droid who got curious exploring Bespin in The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!). Unfortunately, this led to C-3PO getting shot by stormtroopers and having to be carried by Chewbacca for most of the climax of the film.
The 4" C-3PO figure is an awesome figure that can come apart, which is a neat function but also lowers the overall value of the figure in the long run!
Basics
The C-3PO is the protocol droid who is shot into several pieces in The Empire Strikes Back. Chewbacca carries him on his back as the Rebels flee Cloud City and the golden droid editorializes. The figure stands 3 3/4" tall to the top of his head. C-3PO is as robot, so he has no costume and is cast in hard plastic.
This toy is a decent sculpt, looking precisely like the droid. Thinner than the initial release from Kenner for the first Power Of The Force line (reviewed here!), C-3PO looks just like the protocol droid and even has a more neutral stance than the initial release. As well, this C-3PO is very impressive in his coloring detail. His version is bronze and dirty, instead of the shiny gold he initially appears as. Looking dirty and weathered, this version of C-3PO reflects well the character’s journey through the slagheap on Bespin! Both hands are molded open, which makes some sense as this is a character that did not do much, as much as stuff was done to him . . . especially in this version!
Accessories
C-3PO, simple protocol droid that it is, comes with only one accessory. This C-3PO figure comes with a cargo net. This allows C-3PO, when disassembled, to fit onto the back of a figure like the Chewbacca figure by putting his various pieces into the net! This actually works surprisingly well and the strap on the nylon net on mine shows no wear even after years of use!
As part of the Power Of The Force toy line, C-3PO was given a Freeze Frame action slide. This is a very simple slide (like for a slide projector) which features a frame of C-3P0 in pieces!
Playability
The four inch toy line was designed for play and C-3PO is pretty amazing on the playability front. The figure is articulated almost as much as the character in the movie and the figure has decent balance. Flatfooted, C-3PO is well-balanced and manages to stay up even on surfaces that wobble. This is a very stable figure, and it has the additional benefit of holes in the soles of its feet that may be stuck in pegs on various playsets. With those, it may be posed better.
Outside that, though, C-3PO lacks significant articulation to make him interesting. In addition to low articulation, C-3PO is barely poseable. The figure comes with only five points of articulation, all of which are simple swivel joints. It has joints at the groin socket, shoulders, and neck. The elbows do not extend, and the arms are cast slightly bent.
The real playability issue comes with the removable joints aspect. The figure’s limbs and head may be removed and that is very cool. However, the more one does that, the looser the joints are and the harder it is to get the figure to stand or pose after a while. As a result, the key selling point of this figure quickly lowers its value.
Collectibility
The C-3PO is part of the Power Of The Force four-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that was incredibly common. Even so, this version of C-3PO only appeared on a single card with the Freeze Frame action slide, making it one of the more sought after droid or Rebel figures. While subsequent releases have made similar figures, this one remains quite popular and is one of the few Power Of The Force figures to appreciate in value.
Overview
The C-3PO with detachable limbs is a pretty cool figure that fleshes out the whole Star Wars collecting experience well. This version of C-3PO is a great one that helps make the argument that you can never have too many protocol droid toys! Unfortunately, it is so cool that it encourages play, which makes it less payable or poseable. Given that, you might want to pick up two!
For other Power Of The Force figures from The Empire Strikes Back, please check out my reviews of:
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
8.5/10
For other toy reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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