Review of Tusken Raider - Star Wars sixth scale action figure

Introduction

Fans have had very different reactions regarding the purchase of the Lucasfilm licenses by Disney. Me, I'm thrilled. Not so much for Star Wars, although it is nice to hear that we'll be getting additional movies and they won't have George's hands all over them. But I'm even happier that the first three Indy films won't get any new rewrites, re-edits, re-imaginings, or any other foolishness.

What changes for licensees that may come from this are yet to be seen. Right now, Sideshow continues to crank out the sixth scale action figures, especially the non-humans. One of the latest releases is the Tusken Raider, an iconic alien that deserves some love.

Sideshow did a regular and an exclusive this time around. The regular can be had at most online retailers for around $125, while the exclusive (limited to 1250, and coming with an extra accessory) runs $135 at the Sideshow site. Check the Where to Buy section for more info.

Packaging - ***1/2
These boxes set the standard a decade ago. Other companies have moved things forward though, and they are starting to feel a bit...dated.

I still love the wrap around lid and magnetic closures though, and it's completely collector friendly of course. Maybe with the new owners, they can negotiate a new design.

Sculpting - ***1/2
I love the work on this guy's head - the bandages are very realistic, with cool frayed edges and a rough texture, which contrasts with the sharp, metallic-like edges and smooth texture of the goggles and spikes.

They could have also gone with this look for the wrists and feet, but instead they used an actual cloth wrap. It's a testament to the quality of the head sculpt that it looks almost identical to the cloth coverings, at least in terms of this category.

The various hands are also well done, and can grasp the various weapons pretty well. The rifle is a bit hard to hold properly, but it's a minor nit.

Paint - ***1/2
Very nice work by Sideshow on this head, hands and accessories. The wrap around the head is particularly realistic and well done, with just the right amount of weathering.

There's a few smudges and missed edges on the silver - very minor, but enough to hold it back slightly. Still, it's much better than average, and fans should be very pleased.

Articulation - **1/2
The underlying body is great, at least in terms of the number of joints. Ball joints everywhere, with excellent shoulders that also allow the arms to fit tightly to the body.

The hands swap easily, with very thick, sturdy posts. I also love the fact that they are including a post with every hand, making it much easier to switch between hands.

And even with the respirator and wrapped head sculpt, the ball jointed neck can tilt and lean with the best of them.

So why the low score? Because an old problem is back - floppy joints. It's not as bad as it was back when this body was first released, but the hips and ankles are simply too loose to hold stances for long periods. I had a very frustrating time keeping him standing, and regular readers know how much the lack of that basic function bugs me. Let's hope this is just a fluke.

There's one other issue to mention, although it's not as important as the loose joints. It does seem as though the arms are a little too stubby. It may be that this style of clothing makes it more obvious, but it is a bit odd.

Accessories - ***1/2
As always, there's a healthy contingent of extras.

The regular release has two weapons - the classic Gaffi stick, and the all important rifle. The exclusive includes a third weapon, advertised as a 'Gaffi weapon with gun stock'.

All three look terrific, although it's the sculpt on the regular release rifle that I really like. There's also a metal barrel on this gun, always a nice touch.

I mentioned that the hands are easy to swap, and he comes with five hands - two he comes wearing, plus three more. They are designed to work with the accessories, and can add a bit to any pose. 

I'm adding in the respirator here, although you would have to pop off the head to remove it. The sculpt is great, and they used a metal wire for the piece that wraps around his neck, making it much more sturdy than it otherwise would have been.

Finally, there's not one but two bases. He has the usual black Star Wars logo base, to remain consistent with the rest of the series, but he also has a desert sand base for a more character specific look. This is one of those times, due to the loose legs, that you may need to use one of the bases.

Outfit - ****
I really like this outfit - an underlying brown stretchy body suit, several layers of robes, and cloth wrapped hands and feet all look great and are made from excellent material.

Of course, the foot wrappings don't make standing any easier, but his topple-itus is due more to the loose joints.

The outer robe has a gauzy, breezy look that is very realistic, and the weathering and dirt look great.

I'm also putting the great leather belt with leather pouches and double bandoleers in this category. These are extremely nice - we're talking Hot Toys quality here. Sideshow has always done a great job with accessories like these, but they really stand out this time.

Fun Factor - ***
While this is very high quality, and clearly a high end collectible and not a toy, it retains enough of that DNA to make it a fun action figure. I do wish he was a little less floppy, but there's pills for that sort of thing.

Value - **
You'll probably get this guy for around $125, depending on the retailer of course. After the big jump in price for Boba Fett, this is a bit more in line with other recent Sideshow Star Wars releases.

I'm going to admit that I was a bit too hard on the Hot Toys Bespin Luke - I should have upped that value score a bit more. It wouldn't have changed my overall, but he did deserve a bit more love in that category. And yes, I went back and upped his value score.

I realized that as I looked at this figure, and compared him to the top (Fett at $150) and bottom (Figrin D'an around $90) of the price range of recent Sideshow releases. 

The exclusive isn't as good of a deal this time, since you're paying $10 - $15 for the one extra accessory. It's not a terrible deal, but it's weaker than the regular release.

At around $120 - $125, you're getting a great sculpt and paint, and a very solid costume. You won't be jumping up and down over the price of this guy, but it's a solid value compared to other figures in this market currently.

Things to Watch Out For -
Make sure you don't snag or damage the outer robe when you're popping the hands off and on.

Overall - ***1/2
I haven't been a fan of most of the Star Wars figures with human likenesses that Sideshow has done. There's been a few winners, but most have fell short.

It's a very different story when it comes to aliens, robots, and dudes in armor. The Tusken Raider comes in with that group, with a terrific sculpt and paint and a great outfit.

I do wish the body wasn't exhibiting the loose joint issue again, but you'll be able to get him to hold a pose with a little effort.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - **1/2
Accessories - ***1/2
Outfit - ****
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- the exclusive is available at Sideshow for $135.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've had plenty of sixth scale Star Wars reviews - 

- just a couple days ago, I looked at the Hot Toys Luke.

- most recent from Sideshow was the Boba Fett.

- before that was the very cool Droids.

- I love the big Dewback and Trooper, but it's a lot of cash.

- late last year I checked out Figrin D'an.

- speaking of Troopers, there's the Sargeant Clone Trooper.

- just before that was the diminutive Jedi, Yoda.

- I also liked the recent Gammorean Guard.

- it was awhile before that for the previous review, Admiral Thrawn and his command chair.

- prior to that was Lando Calrissian, and the Shock Trooper.

- Darth Vader was perhaps Sideshow's best Star Wars release.

- then there's the Utapau Trooper, the Imperial Stormtrooper, and Captain Antilles.

- I wasn't as thrilled with Ki-Adi-Mundi, but Obi-Wan in Clone Armor is easily one of their best. Then there's Aayla Secura, Tatooine Luke and Han Solo.

- Sideshow had a strong year in 2008 with Commander Praji, the exceptional Palpatine/Sidous and ANH Obi-Wan, and the not quite so exceptional Ilum Padme.

- also in the sixth scale line, I've reviewed Leia and Bespin Luke, the Holo-chess set, Sideshow's Asajj, a terrific figure, Yavin Luke, the Endor Troops, Jabba the Hutt and his throne, Bib Fortuna, Jedi Luke, Darth Maul, Obi-Wan, Bespin Han Solo, regular Anakin Skywalker and Kit Fisto.

- I also have guest reviews of the SDCC Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu, Emperor Palpatine and his throne, and Qui-Gon Jinn.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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