[TAO's Note: It's time for another review from Clark, this time of an obscure Star Wars character. Continue reading to see whether or not it takes a Jedi mind trick to like this Plo Koon figure in the Star Wars: the Clone Wars line from Hasbro.]
Name: Plo Koon
Line: Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Figure 14
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Price: Retail: $7.46-$8.99, Online: $7.99-$12.50
Scale: 3.75 in. (figure is 3.75 in. tall)
Accessories: Long lightsaber, short lightsaber, lightsaber gauntlet, and removable hood
9 / 10 - From the package art, this figure captures the animated look of this character very well. The head is the most detailed piece of the figure and it is sculpted beautifully with intricate details on the goggles and the facemask. The rest of the body is rather flat, but in a good animated way, with appropriate wrinkles in the clothes. His lightsaber gauntlet fits well on either arm. It looks kind of cool but seems like a silly weapon (I can’t really decide if I like it or not).
8 / 10 - The paint is very well applied. There is a spot of white on each elbow from his gauntlets, but it seems to be caused by how the joints were bent when the arms were painted, and was probably hard to avoid. The boots are not quite the same shade, and this is noticeable in person. The head, once again, is the most complex and all paint applications are crisp and clean. Overall very good looking figure as far as paint goes.
6 / 10 - Everything above the waste is good, with ball joints at the head, shoulders and elbows, swivel wrists and waste. Below the waste he has t-style hips, and that’s it. Since he is a figure from an animated series, I suppose this lack of leg articulation is acceptable, but some knee joints, even single pin, would go a long way to making this figure have more dynamic poses. The good news is, he is sculpted to stand is a good pose already, but still this feels like a missed opportunity.
8 / 10 - With the nice lightsaber accessories, the interesting look of the figure, and enough articulation above the waste, Plo Koon is a pretty fun toy. Despite the lack of leg articulation I still much preferred the look of this Clone Wars Plo Koon over the Legacy Series Plo Koon (which is from the live action movies). I like his two lightsabers of differing lengths (almost like samurai swords). His gauntlet looks good but would be very impractical in battle (like Deadpool’s pig stickers from the movie, he was already great with the swords in hand, why severely limit his movements by putting them in his arms?). His cool design really adds character.
6 / 10 - His articulation is what is holding him back in this category too. At roughly $7.99 some Hasbro-style knees would have been a nice addition.
74 / 100 - This is a Good Toy
I don’t know anything about Plo Koon’s character, I bought him on looks alone. In the store I was not positive that his knees did not bend, but I had my suspicions. Obviously I bought him anyway and I think he looks great on display.
-Clark
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