Princess Leia in Boushh Disguise is what we like to call in toy terms, a "Butterface" as in the body is nice, BUT HER FACE...!

Princess Leia in Boushh Disguise... We all know who Princess Leia is and why she is in this outfit. But is the toy any good?

Meh, Could be worse.

Leia figures have been tough to do. Nobody has really captured Carrie Fisher's likeness well on figures of this size. She's practically un-sculptable.

The Boushh disguise is another matter. I love the design of this costume, and I typically pick one up each time it is issued. When the 30th anniversary collection came out, and Leia as Boushh came out, I jumped right on it.

Leia as Boushh comes with a helmet, weapon and thermal detonator. The weapon is too soft and comes bent out of shape in the package. The thermal detonator attaches to the left hand but I wouldn't recommend removing it - it is so small you will probably lose it.

Articulation is great from the waist down, with articulated hips, knees and ankles.

The shoulder are ball jointed, but the elbows only have swivel joints, pretty much guaranteeing that the pose she is in will be the only pose she can do.

The neck is articulated and of course the helmet is removable.

The face on this figure is atrocious. Leia looks as if she had her oxygen supply cut off coming out of the womb. Its just horrible really. Keep the helmet on this one. She is what we like to call in toy terms, a "Butterface" as in the body is nice, BUT HER FACE...!

Aside from the face, its an OK figure with a fair amount of detail.

I had sat on this kit for many years as it was filed away in my “Sci-Fi: Other” bin and I would simply forget that I owned it. I had worked on it off and on over the years but in the last few months I had made it a priority to finish the kit for CollectionDX so I can be ready to build the new Fine Mold’s 1/48 T-47 kit when it is released later next year.

Empire Strikes Back T-47 Snowspeeder

Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back will always be my favorite Star Wars film and I will never forget watching it on the big silver screen when it was first released back in 1980. One of the best aspects of the film besides the wonderful direction by Irvin Kershner, the expanded characterizations of the Star Wars ensemble, beautiful lighting and one of the best endings ever, were the vehicle designs.

It is hard to imagine the Star Wars universe without the AT-AT, AT-ST, Slave 1, the Tie Bomber and my personal favorite Luke Skywalkers’ T-47 Snowspeeder as used in the Battle of Hoth sequence in the first act of the film. With the impending release of Fine Mold’s Snowspeeder in 1/48 scale I thought I would revisit MPC classic Star Wars Model kit of the T-47 Snowspeeder.

MPC’s Snowspeeder kit has been around for nearly 30 years and it still holds up quite well. The scale of the kit has been debated over the years and it seems that most modelers have settled on the box scale of 1/22 scale, just a bit larger than the automotive scale of 1/24 scale. I purchased this kit at the gift shop at the end of the Star Tours ride at Disneyland back in the early 1990’s for around $10.00 but you can still easily pick one up today on Ebay between $10.00 and $20.00.

The boxed Snowspeeder includes: 4x sprue, 1x clear sprue, 1x water slide decals, 1x instruction sheep, 1x “Blueprints” ATM/MPC club sheet.
Options include raised or closed speed brakes. Keep in mind MPC/ERTL plastic is softer than most types of plastic used by other manufactures so you should be careful in fitting and sanding seams as you can easy chew through the plastic with little effort.

I had sat on this kit for many years as it was filed away in my “Sci-Fi: Other” bin and I would simply forget that I owned it. I had worked on it off and on over the years but in the last few months I had made it a priority to finish the kit for CollectionDX so I can be ready to build the Fine Mold’s kit when it is released later next year.

The molding features raised panel lines and details, some experienced modelers usually rescribe the panel lines but I opted to leave them as is, as the raised panels wash quite well when the kit is weathered. The fine details in the cockpit and braking flaps also dry-brush quite nicely when they are weathered. I added details in the cockpit area including a new ribbed floor with sheet plastic stock and handles and other small details for the rear gunner area. I especially love the armor plating details above the gunner’s seat.

The pilot figures that are included with the kit are just plain awful, the arms of the pilots nearly being as long as the body of the figure like some weird ape. These figures are best left off the kit as the pilot figures of these old Star Wars MPC kits are some of the worst ever to be included in a model box.

What makes this kit great for beginners is that there are only three seams to fill: The seam that connects the bottom of the hull to the top and the seams on the laser cannon halves. Most of the assembly is component, which means if you do not have an airbrush you can spray paint these parts separately and assemble them after the parts are dry. Also it is suggested to cut the cannon holders on the front of the hull off with an x-acto saw as they are not on any of the filming models and are not seen in the film.

The kit comes with an option to build the T-47 with open or closed speed flap brakes. I chose to model my Snowspeeder with moveable brakes that can be positioned open or closed. Take care in fitting the parts to the body of the T-47 as they should be nice and trimmed to avoid any fitting problems in final assembly.

One of the worst features of the kit is that it does not come with any landing gear and the clear display stand that it does come with is very flimsy and does not hold the weight of the Snowspeeder well. I plan to purchase a new stand at a later date to properly display the model but scratch building a new set of landing gear should not be that much of a chore and I highly suggest it to anybody who is going to build this model kit.

The Snowspeeder was painted dark grey in the interior and a 70-30% mixture of Tamiya’s flat white and light grey. Even with that mixture I believe it came out a little dark. Tamiya paints are a bit opaque and I had originally painted the kit with another Tamiya grey that dried too dark. I believe that undercoat is still peaking through the lighter topcoat.

I modeled and painted my kit after Luke’s Snowspeeder in Empire Strikes Back. Please take an afternoon out to paint all the stencils as it is a time consuming process but when done properly it will look beautiful. Most of my references were found on Starshipmodeler.com and various Internet photos of the Lucas Films Masterworks limited edition model of the Snowspeeder that was released a few years back. The decals went on great although I would sand down the details on the vent on the side of the cockpit, as it is difficult for the decals to set on the heavy detail contours of the vent and they are not on the original film model.

The only shape issues I noticed was the rear box braking area of the kit. They should be of equal sizes but as produced the panel with the steps on it is longer than the rest. While this is not an issue most viewers of the kit would notice, it becomes an issue when you are painting the square stencils on the parts. I was able to paint the stencils on equal size but because of where they are positioned they are not film/production model correct.

I had a great time weathering my Snowspeeder. I used Wilson black oil paint wash, but I suggest a grey oil wash if possible as it would not look as dark and blend better with the color of the Snowspeeder. I used an airbrush to spay exhaust and other minor damage around the edges of the fuselage and applied silver paint throughout the kit for wear. The raised and recessed details give the modeler a lot to work with and weathering the kit was one of the most enjoyable steps in building the kit.

What is nice about many of these older sci-fi kits is that the Model producers were not ashamed to manufacture large model kits. The T-47 is a nice large size and is a standout kit in the display case. Most model companies these days like to manufacture small kits that fit in the palm of ones hand so it is great to build a large sized kit of a design that I have always appreciated.

This is a fun kit to build and I highly suggest it for beginners and experience modelers alike. Beginners will not have any problems assembling and painting the kit and experienced modelers will want to super detail the interior and flap area of the kit and scratch build a set of landing gear.

©2008 article and photos by Leonardo Flores & CollectionDX

"Chewie, let's see what this piece of junk can do."
-Han Solo piloting the Tydirium Shuttle to Endor

The Imperial Shuttle Tydirium is a Lambda-class shuttle used by the Imperial Fleet to transport cargo and passengers. Many government officials prefer them because of their combat-worthy construction and large interior space. The shuttles are outfitted with weapons, which allow them to travel without the need for military escort, thus preventing Rebels from determining whether a shuttle is transporting mere cargo or important officials. Equipped with hyper drives, Lambda shuttles are capable of transporting passengers or material between different fleets or star systems.

Today I will be reviewing Hasbro's 2002 ROTJ release of the Imperial Shuttle. This particular release was an exclusive only available through F.A.O. Schwarz toy stores.

To start off with, the box is just plain huge! It is an almost a perfect 24" cube, give or take a few inches. The box has a great photo of the actual toy set in a diorama of the Death Star's landing bay. What really makes this diorama cool is all the 3 3/4" action figures lined up next to the ship with the Emperor and Darth Vader exiting the vessel.

The ship requires some minor assembly once removed from the box. The ship is made a precision fit high quality plastic making assembly a snap, taking only a few moments. Once the ship is assembled you are rewarded with a huge an imposing toy, towering at almost 22" tall with its landing gear down and wings up.

The Imperial Shuttle is highly armed with cannons located at both ends of the ship. Along with being armed to the teeth this ship features some truly realistic weathering. If the guns and weathering detail weren't enough, this toy also has a few surprises. Check out the landing gear, notice the front center looks like a trigger/handle? Well it is, and you need this handle to steadily hold this very heavy toy. The trigger, when pressed, lowers the side wings. Other features shown are the extendable boarding ramp and realistic rear thrusters. Just check out the next 4 photos to see what I mean.

The last 2 photos show the cozy detailed cockpit and the spacious passenger cabin. The cockpit is accessed by simply flipping forward the windshield hatch and the cabin is accessed via removing a side panel.

The likeness to 4-LOM is phenomenal. The detail in the sculpt and paint is really fantastic. The finish looks like weathered metal and 4-LOM looks like he could come alive at any moment.

4-LOM, as you may or may not know, is one of my obsessions. Ever since I got that little Zuckuss toy as a kid, I have been smitten with his design. It should be only natural then that I would find my way to Kotobukiya’s Bounter Hunter Series Kit.

Behold - Evidence of my obsession:

Koto’s kits are known throughout the world for their craftsmanship, quality, and insane amount of detail. Each piece is treated with such reverence – nothing feels cheap or shoddy.

The box on this thing reflects the level of regard that this toy is held in. Thick, solid, glossy cardboard with beautiful printing all around. There is a small window that allows for a peek inside at the figure within.

The box separates at the bottom and slides up, revealing the clear plastic tray. Each piece is wrapped in plastic and held in place with twisty ties.

Like all of these larger character kits from Kotobukiya, they are really statues that require minor assembly. For this release you have to attach the arms, legs and head to the torso. The gun adheres to the hands, completing the statue.

The completed figure rests in a base where there are deep holes for the feet. One of my gripes is that the feet have a ton of plastic at the bottom to go in these holes that make it virtually impossible to stand up without the base. Don’t want to display it with the base? Too bad.

The likeness to 4-LOM is phenomenal. The detail in the sculpt and paint is really fantastic. The finish looks like weathered metal and 4-LOM looks like he could come alive at any moment.

Each piston on the droids arm is faithfully recreated.

The head is the perfect realization of this character.

4-LOM is part of the Bounty Hunters series from Kotobukiya. Each bounty hunter includes a piece of Darth Vader, that when completed, sits in the circle of bounty hunters.

I don’t know where in my house I can fit a display like this, but now that I’ve seen the quality of this one I most definitely have to track down the others. And yes, that includes Sheila’s husband Dengar.

I guess even I am not immune to the charm of Mighty Muggs!

What can I say? I thought they sucked at first, but these stupid little things are growing on me. After the Mola Ram one, I grabbed a few more.

C-3PO, as we all know, is one of the two droids who have been in every Star Wars movie. This effeminate protocol droid is fluent in over six million forms of communication, meaning if you ever get lost in Mos Eisley he's the droid you want to have with you.

The Mighty Muggs are what they call Platform Figures - identical figures that get different paint applications and accessories. Its Hasbro's attempt to tap into the designer toy aesthetic, and honestly, I think they did OK. I mean, really, what's the difference between this and a Quee?

C-3PO rocks, but how will they pull off an R2 Mighty Mugg?

The Rebel forces make do with whatever vehicles they can obtain, and the sturdy Y-wing is a good choice.......

Y-wing starfighters are powerful vessels in the Rebel Alliance fleet, with ample firepower that includes laser cannons and proton torpedoes. The Rebel forces make do with whatever vehicles they can obtain, and the sturdy Y-wing is a good fighter for them because it can withstand heavy attack and still remain space-worthy. During the Battle of Yavin, Y-wing fighters fend off Imperial fighters to clear a path for the Rebels to reach the Death Star's vulnerable exhaust port. Rebel pilot Lieutenant Lepira flies Gold Four, the point Y-wing for Gold Squadron at the Battle of Yavin, but is shot down during that pivotal battle.

Today I will be reviewing the Toys R Us exclusive 30th anniversary Y-wing fighter. The Y-wing fighter comes packaged in an attractive window box. As you know, assuming you've read my other Star Wars reviews, I gripe about Hasbro not being consistent with the style of packaging they use. However, I must admit that I like Hasbro's choice in using the window box. The packaging gives you a great view of the ship and included figures. The included figures are Lieutenant Lepira and his trusty astromech R5-F7.

After removing the Y-wing from the box its ready for play, no assembly is required! This will be the very first Star Wars ship that I've bought/reviewed that you can actually enjoy right out of the box.

The ship is comprised of quality plastic and feels sturdy with the exception of the flimsy parts that are located directly behind the engines (this is shown in the 3rd picture below).

The first 3 photo's give you a quick view of the nicely detailed weathering on this cool Rebel fighter/bomber.

Bombs away! This next photo gives you a view of the bottom of the Y-wing armed with its bomb in the center. I'll show you the button that drops the bomb further along.

The next picture gives you another view of the bomb nestled neatly underneath the Y-wing's space frame. You also get a good view of the landing gear and R5-F7 astromech droid.

Here's a good closeup of the included R5-F7 astromech droid. Please note that the astromech shown in the photo above is non-removable. I know this stinks, but look on the bright side, at least Hasbro included the actual figure.

You should get a laugh out of this next photo if you saw the movie Napoleon Dynamite. Get down and boogie, Lieutenant Lepira!

These next three photo's give you a few good views of the action figures with the Y-wing ship.

Looks like a very detailed user friendly cockpit for Lieutenant Lepira to pilot from.

This next picture gives you a great view of the cockpit's canopy mounted laser cannon and the non-removable astromech. In case your wondering, the astromech's head can swivel.

The final shot shows the button to drop the bomb located directly behind the R5-F7 astromech droid. Notice the other button located further back, that button lowers the landing gear.

Luke Skywalker bravely piloted the X-wing into the Death Star's trench while being pursued by Darth Vader......

Incom Corporation's T-65 X-wing Space Superiority Starfighter was made famous by pilot, Luke Skywalker during the Battle of Yavin. Luke bravely piloted the X-wing into the Death Star's trench while being pursued by Darth Vader's Advanced X1 TIE fighter and two regular TIE fighters. Luke was able to make the direct hit to the Death Star's vulnerable exhaust port without using the X-wing's advanced targeting computer, Luke trusted himself and used the force to deal the fatal blow.

Today I will be reviewing Hasbro's Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back 2002 release of the X-wing fighter. Hasbro's version of the X-wing is larger, greater detailed and more accurate to the movie than the original Kenner version.

Hasbro's has packaged this version in a window box. is it just me or do other people wish that Hasbro would just pick one style of packaging? Anyways, the box lets you get a good view of the detailed X-wing inside.

Removing the X-wing from the box and assembling the wings with outboard laser canons is a snap. Once assembled the ships plastic construction feels very sturdy and has good heft.

As you can see in the next few pictures, they kinda went a little overboard with the weathering detail. I don't remember the X-wing being that dirty looking...do you? Another pet peeve of mine about the X-wing's design and not this toy, is that the rear landing gear....Just how does it retract to the same space as the lower engines? hhhmmm?

At the rear of the ship you will locate the lever that activates the wing opening feature that gives the X-wing its namesake.

The next two photo's show the nicely detailed X-wing cockpit.

The last two photo's show the astromech socket and the included R2-D2 riding in the socket. I'm not going to include a review on the R2 unit because its a very basic figure with no special features to speak of.

To conclude, I like this version of the X-wing and feel it is the best representation of this ship in toy form to date. My only gripe is the excessive weathering detail. It is just to overboard in my opinion. Less is more Hasbro.

Tie Bombers are the prime assault bombers of the Empire. In traditional attacks, Tie fighters first soften up the target, and then the Tie Bomber's come in and finish the job.....

Tie Bombers are the prime assault bombers of the Empire. In traditional attacks, Tie fighters first soften up the target, and then the Tie Bomber's come in and finish the job. Their sophisticated targeting sensors enable them to hit specific targets without damaging surrounding area. This allows them to disable vital areas so that Imperial forces can take control of the crippled vessel or space station. Tie Bombers carry a heavy and diverse payload that allows them to not only attack ships and stations but also perform ground bombing and mine planetary orbits. In The Empire Strikes Back, Tie Bombers are deployed to locate the Millennium Falcon when it hides in an asteroid field.

Today I will be review Hasbro's 2002 release of Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back Tie Bomber.

As you can see, the Tie Bomber comes in a window box letting you get a good look at the bomber inside.

To start off with, Hasbro has made this toy out of really nice plastic, ABS and PVC. these materials married together really give the Tie Bomber a nice heft and sturdy feel.

The first thing you will notice about the Tie bomber has an unusual twin pod spaceframe. The left side pod houses the pilot's cockpit. The right side is the Ordnance pod which holds all ammunition and has a missile port on the front. Note the bomb chute at the bottom of the Ordnance pod (More on that later). I am hoping the following 8 pictures will give you the reader, a virtual 360 degree view of the ship. Please note the paint wear details. I think these pictures really give a sense of just how cool this ship is.

The next 4 pictures I want to show you the bombing action feature.

The first picture is the 3 High Yield Proton Bombs that are supplied with the ship. The bombs are kinda strange, they are a clear casing with a visible orange center.

This second photo shows a hole located at the rear of the Ordnance pod. This hole is where you load the the 3 supplied High Yield Proton Bombs.

The third photo shows the button located on the front of the Ordnance pod. By pressing this button you can release one bomb at a time.

Great vintage-style figure or Greatest Vintage-style figure? You be the judge.

Bossk is one of the 6 Bounty hunters seen on the bridge of Darth Vader's Star Destroyer in "The Empire Strikes Back". While Boba Fett gets all the glory, the other Bounty Hunters get no love. That is, until Hasbro included them in their Vintage figure line.

This may be one of the greatest Star Wars action figures ever made.

Now I am no Bossk fanboy. I love the bounty hunters as much as the next guy, but Bossk never did it for me. The vintage version just looked lame. But I ended up reading Tales of the Bounty Hunters, a 1996 anthology of short stories based on the characters tasked with finding Captain Solo. It fleshed out each of the characters so much that it renewed my interest in those lesser characters, even Dengar.

So why is this figure so great?

First, the vintage card back. Hasbro included Bossk as part of it's vintage collection, a line that brought classic characters and packaging to the new era. The card back is the same as the vintage toy, but the figure is all new. It takes advantage of all of the recent advances in Hasbro figures.

The sculpt is awesome. Every scale stands out, every button on his outfit. Paint application is flawless. His outfit is molded out of several different pieces, with the breathing apparatus and parts of his flight suit being separate.

Articulation is amazing for a figure this size. I count 17 points of articulation in this little guy. He just looks amazing.

It's really too bad that Hasbro doesn't do all their figures like this. I'd gladly pay $10 a figure for improved articulation and detailing.

Cute little bounty hunters - Does it get any better?

As has been shown previously, I have an unnatural love of 4-LOM. That insectoid bounty hunter who gets only .002 second of screen time but has lasted a lifetime in my heart. You can take your C-3P0, your EV-9D9 - Give me 4-LOM.

This little bugger came out as part of Medicom's Star Wars Series 1 Kubrick Line.

4-LOM even comes with a cute little blaster rifle.

Not too much else to say about this guy - what an adorable robotic death messenger!