Sideshow C-3PO review, People's Picks voting

[Michael Crawford]

I've gotten hit hard with sixth scale shipments in the last couple weeks (and my bank account is NOT happy about it), so I'm going to dedicate this whole week to the format. I'm starting tonight with a look at the new C-3PO by Sideshow, based on his look in A New Hope. You can find the review here:

Review and photos of Sideshow Star Wars C-3PO sixth scale action figure

or with the rest of the reviews at the usual:

Captain Toy, Michael Crawford's Action Figure and Toy Reviews

Also, don't forget that the People's Picks voting is winding down - only a few more days to get your ballot cast! Vote here:

Here is the The People's Picks Ballot for 2015 - vote now!

Thanks for reading - and voting!

Michael

 

[Wor-Gar]

Did I read correctly -- there's no mention of the improperly positioned thumbs...?

Just so you know, I love this figure, but to be fair I think the problem should be pointed out.

 

[SpaceCrawler]

Did I read correctly -- there's no mention of the improperly positioned thumbs...?

Just so you know, I love this figure, but to be fair I think the problem should be pointed out.

Yeah. IMO, the thumbs and generally large flat hands (with the thumb joint seeming to be a engineering mistake) ruin an otherwise good figure, and plenty of people have voiced similar opinions. I'd say that's a really important thing to mention in a review, if the review is serious.

Sean

 

[FlyAndFight]

Did I read correctly -- there's no mention of the improperly positioned thumbs...?

Just so you know, I love this figure, but to be fair I think the problem should be pointed out.

Agreed.

What I don't agree with are the following:

Box - 3 out of 4 ?!
Accessories - 3 out of 4 ?!

The box and packaging are boring and not well protective of the figure. Check out the C3PO thread for the number of broken arm pistons.

As for accessories, if you got the exclusive, you got the arm stump as an extra to the two restraining bolts and the communicator. The boring stand could be included, I guess.

Not sure how these could be just one point shy of perfect.

At least you got the value (2 out of 4) correct. What little there is, is done well, but at an over-priced value. Love the figure but there are some frustrating issues that keep it from being a 4 out of 4.

 

[Creighton]

Nice review.
My favorite part is "The HT release would cost the same amount." Yes, but safe to say the end products would be a lot different.

 

[SwedishHeat]

If I got this figure for free, I'd think it was pretty good too.

 

[galactiboy]

The chocolate milk on his is some of the best I've seen. Thins are still screwy, I'm sure it's possible he just didn't notice.

 

[PJB-1138]

Yes, considering all of the problems people have reported here about this figure, I can't believe Michael is overlooking the poor paint applications, the fragile pistons, the flimsy shipping carton, and the issue with the thumbs, which he's even illustrated in one of the close-up photos in his review!

 

[JacktheRipper]

Is that a scratch on his right cheek?

 

[Michael Crawford]

No scratch on his cheek - I double checked. Seems like it was either something on his cheek I didn't notice when shooting that ended up brushed off (I always shoot close ups first) or a weird hot line caused by the angle of the light. It showed up twice, both times when he was looking upward at the same angle.

I really like the paint ops on mine, and I review the one I have, not the one someone else is complaining about. As to the thumbs, they don't bother me. Never even noticed the issue.

 

[Lejuan]

... As to the thumbs, they don't bother me. Never even noticed the issue.

Michael I've always been a fan of your reviews, but on this I'm surprised. As PJB pointed out, you have a pic of 3PO holding the comlink and you've managed to not notice that the thumbs are whacky. I wonder if buyers outside of this forum are equally untroubled by what in this place has been a major talking point.

 

[Tinman2000]

Michael I've always been a fan of your reviews, but on this I'm surprised. As PJB pointed out, you have a pic of 3PO holding the comlink and you've managed to not notice that the thumbs are whacky. I wonder if buyers outside of this forum are equally untroubled by what in this place has been a major talking point.

 

[Michael Crawford]

Sorry, but again - I didn't notice it. I do wish the fingers would turn - which I mentioned, and which would have made the issue non-existent - but the position of the thumb wasn't something that jumped at me.

I reshot the photo that had the weird line. There isn't even any sort of odd imperfection in the paint in that area, so I suspect it is actually a hot line reflection that ended up looking weird because of the spot. I swapped in the new photo since it could be confusing.

 

[PJB-1138]

I really like the paint ops on mine, and I review the one I have, not the one someone else is complaining about. As to the thumbs, they don't bother me. Never even noticed the issue.

Michael, as always, your presence on these forums is greatly appreciated. And, having read your reviews for so many years has shaped my collecting habits more than any other online resource, so it really surprises me how you managed to overlook this figure's flaws in your latest review.

After getting the wonderful Tamashii Nations Threepio figure, I really wasn't sure if I needed to add Sideshow's version to my collection. But the prototype photos featured some really nice painted weathering detail, as well as more accurately-sized elbow pistons and articulated fingers, that the Tamashii figure is lacking, so I decided to place a pre-order anyway and see what Sideshow could do now that Hot Toys 1/6 Star Wars line is in full swing.

While I understand the final production figure will always differ from what's seen in a prototype, the poor paint application on the Sideshow figure compared to what was promised is just as disappointing as the awkward-looking thumbs! Sideshow didn't have this problem with their previous R2-D2 and IG-88 figures, yet it's troubling to see the asking price for Sideshow's figures increase while the quality of their products decline. And they're just hurting their cause by shipping what is arguably their most fragile 1/6 figure in the flimsiest shipping carton of the dozens of their products I've had delivered to me!

 

[SwedishHeat]

I wonder if buyers outside of this forum are equally untroubled by what in this place has been a major talking point.

We've been told for years that SSF represents a small percentage of Sideshow's customer base. That must be accurate considering how long the active posters here have been savaging SSC and they're still going strong.

 

[Lejuan]

We've been told for years that SSF represents a small percentage of Sideshow's customer base. That must be accurate considering how long the active posters here have been savaging SSC and they're still going strong.

I'm simply wondering whether buyers outside of this nit-picky forum might have a problem with the whacky thumbs or whether, like Michael, it's not something that they notice.

 

[Matt S]

Nice review, Michael! Its a great figure; yes, the thumbs are wacky, and the paint weathering is heavy handed, but its a solid figure all the way.

 

[devilof76]

No, this figure is a crime against humanity. Poor. Flimsy. Fraudulent. And it has bad breath.

If I got this figure for free, I'd think it was pretty good too.

Que?

I've gotten hit hard with sixth scale shipments in the last couple weeks (and my bank account is NOT happy about it)

 

[WWEJedi]

I wonder if buyers outside of this forum are equally untroubled by what in this place has been a major talking point.

They probably don't care at all. Seriously.

 

[SwedishHeat]

Que?

This product was provided for the review by the manufacturer

At the end of the reviews, MWC writes if the product was provided to him, or if he purchased it.