In Summer 2020, Hasbro moved to a Phase 4 packaging for their Star Wars Black Series figures, entitled the Galaxy Collection. This new design moved away from a fully uniform look for the series and introduced accent colours for each movie or show within the Star Wars Universe. The Galaxy Collection launched with two full waves - a Rebels wave with a number of repacked figures, and Wave 1 of the new Collection made up of 7 figures from across the Star Wars Saga. In this review we look at one of these, Admiral Ackbar from Return of the Jedi.
Packaging 4.0
The new Galaxy Collection packaging uses the same footprint dimensions as the previous Phase 3 boxes, although the window section is reduced and the right hand side is cut in at an angle. The base colour of the box remains black, with the Black Series logo on the top rail above the figure window. Each part of the Saga has been given an accent colour, and for Return of the Jedi this is green - a potential reference to the green forest moon of Endor. The green is used as a border under the window where the movie is named, and again as text for the character name,
This angled panel on the right is used for an illustration of the character. This is done in a grey scale with the green accent at the base of the image. Ackbar is shown with his hands clasped while a Mon Cal cruiser hangs in space over his head. Each art panel in a collection lines up with the next figure in the line to create a larger montage. When you begin to look how this works in practice then it will take up a bit more room as the figures have to be angled to create the wider panel. However, the logic of the side panel is more evident when figures are displayed side on where both the figure and the art are on display.
The green band wraps round the other box side and angles upward and round to the back. It is here we still get a numbering system for the figures - now specific by movie or series. Admiral Ackbar has the honour of being ROTJ 01, the first of the Return of the Jedi figures.
Due to the angles used for the box, there is a significant amount of tape in use which does look unsightly although they have avoided use on the front and the art panel. The figure is accessed via the top or bottom flaps - the bottom being a little easier to get at with less tape used.
The figure sits in an inner tray as normal, but now the outer window is part of this inner piece and is not attached to the box. I do wonder if that makes recycling easier where the parts can be separated more efficiently. The cardboard backing card is quite a dull grey and this is uniform on all figures. I wonder what it would have looked like if the accent colour was used as the backdrop?
Paint & Sculpt 3.5
Starting with the head sculpt, Admiral Ackbar is impressive in terms of the depth and detail of the head design and sculpt. It captures the various folds and creases of Ackbar's amphibian features as well as the tendrils around the mouth ara. The eyes are bright and vibrant with a yellow colour below the black iris. The head is cast in an orange salmon colour with darker mottled patches added and used to wash into the sculpted parts to add depth and definition.
Ackbar's head sits a little lowe in the collar of his uniform vs what we see in Return of the Jedi and an extended neck would have both looked better and given more room for the articulation in the head and neck.
The main body of the uniform is a rubberised overcoat which and a slightly variant colour, as per the movie costume. It features well painted insignia on the left and a painted belt section. The arms and legs are plain white, with the yellow stripe running down the legs and also under the arms on the exposed side of the torso.
Like the head, the arms are cast in a salmon colour with some more mottling in a darker colour on the outer parts of the forearms.
The Admiral re-uses parts from his first Black Series figure from The Last Jedi. The head is the same and if you look at the Last Jedi Ackbar you can see how much better this version might have been with some more of the neck exposed from the upper uniform collar.
The upper and lower arms are also taken from the Last Jedi figure, while the torso and legs look to be new. This makes our Return of the Jedi Ackbar taller too than his Last Jedi counterpart.
Accessories 2.5
Admiral Ackbar comes with a DH-17 Blaster, as was previously included on figures like the Death Star Trooper and Lando. The weapon is cast in black with some decent details and with a silver painted barrel. It fits into the right hand and while the trigger finger is not seperate to slot into the trigger it is sculpted outward from the other figures to sit next to the trigger when the gun is in hand.
My issue with this is Ackbar never wielded a blaster on screen. While I appreciate Hasbro felt the need to include something - the obvious choice would have been a nod to the original Kenner figure and his swagger stick. There was also an opportunity perhaps to include the panel of his command chair - or go all out and make him a Deluxe release with his rotating command chair.
Articulation 3.5
Admiral Ackbar has an impressive articulation count with 19 points of articulation in total. This includes the new butterfly shoulders, but also see's the knees downgraded to a single joint.
Head : ball joint neck with pivot, jaw hinge
Body : ball joint waist
Arms : butterfly shoulder, ball joint shoulder, single joint rotating elbow, wrist pivot
Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, single rotating knee ankle rocker
The most satisfying joint on Ackbar is the articulated jaw. It is done by fixing the lower jaw to the neck and then hinging the head and when the head is pushed back the mouth opens. The range of the jaw is much less than the Last Jedi version, another reason why the neck needed extending a touch above the collar of the uniform.
The rest of Ackbar's articulation works well enough. The butterfly joints in the shoulders are not really needed, especially when he has nothing to do with his hands. I suspect the inclusion of the butterfly joints may be more down to whatever figure loaned Ackbar the torso piece. The torso and leg joints work OK, but when moved they do start to crease the rubbery overcoat and this ends up looking odd.
Summary
After such a long wait for Admiral Ackbar, the figure we get is certainly not perfect. The head sculpt is spectacular and the uniform pretty faithfully represented - he just needed a slightly longer neck to raise the head up to show off more of the head and to allow the jaw joint to move further.
The choice of accessory is off and an opportunity missed for a nod to the original Kenner figure with his swagger stick.
I am certainly warming to the new packaging and the artwork is impressive and even as a loose collector I am looking for a way to preserve it and to see the wider collage growing as we add more releases to the collection.
I score Admiral Ackbar from Return of the Jedi a 3.0
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, galaxy collection, admiral ackbar, return of the jedi, it's a trap, battle of endor