SithLord229 on Blogger

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace | Collection Update

2012-02-17T14:47:00.001Z

I just thought I'd share with you all how my "Phantom Menace" display is coming along. Baring in mind I only really started collecting Episode I figures in January when The Vintage Collection TPM wave was released, I'd say it's coming along pretty nicely! The TC-14 figure I ordered around a month ago finally turned up after getting lost in the mail, and the temptation was too much & I ended up opening her... Shameful I know, but I've kept the packaging in decent shape so I can always return her to her plastic prison if I wish! Anyway, be sure to leave a comment or two below! I'd love to know what you think!

Cheers!
Steve

Seripas Review FINALLY Arrives!

2012-02-15T21:15:00.000Z

After a VERY long time waiting for this figure to arrive in my collection, Seripas is FINALLY here! Although I reviewed the wave Seripas was originally included in, way back in August 2011, this figure is just way too cool not to show off, and I also wanted to do this review as a thank you to a very generous young man by the name Dawson Wood, also known as "DarthProdigy95" on YouTube. Dawson was kind enough to help me out by sending this figure to me, all the way from Ontario, Canada & in return, Dawson will find a Vintage Collection Ponda Baba figure on it's way to him very soon! Dawson, if you are reading my friend, thank you SO much for helping me finally add this guy to my collection! He is awesome, and by far one of my absolute favourite Clone Wars figures! Thank you!

Check out Dawson's YouTube page by clicking HERE!
Check out my HD review on Seripas by clicking HERE!

New York Toy Fair 2012: Thoughts on LEGO: Star Wars

2012-02-13T19:49:00.000Z

LEGO produced a very impressive showing at New York Toy Fair. I am by no means a LEGO collector, as I've mentioned many times in blog posts & video reviews, but I am always interested in seeing the new sets that they continue to produce, and LEGO played a large part in my childhood, so I will always have a soft spot for it.

In terms of the sets shown at NY Toy Fair, amongst some of the highlights were a new X-Wing Fighter & TIE Fighter, an Escape Pod from Episode IV, complete with C-3PO, R2-D2 & some nicely weathered Sandtroopers. Also shown was a Skiff & Sarlacc Pit set, complete with Lando, Weequay, Luke Skywalker & Boba Fett minfigures. As shown in the picture, Boba was displayed in the LEGO booth taking a plunge into the Sarlacc's mouth, which I thought looked very cool!

It was also nice to see LEGO visit the Expanded Universe, with sets dedicated to new video game, "The Old Republic," featuring new minifigures, including Darth Malgus, as well as Sith & Republic Troopers. All in all, a very impressive & awe-inspiring performance from LEGO, and also worthy of a mention was their reveal of the Malevolence, General Grievous' ship from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which looked incredible. "Impressive. MOST impressive!"

New York Toy Fair 2012: Thoughts on Hasbro's Clone Wars line.

2012-02-12T15:33:00.000Z

Hasbro provided a very disappointing showing with regards to it's Clone Wars line. We've known for a long time that Hasbro only have 19 new Clone Wars figures lined up for 2012, however, as with the Movie Heroes line, the figures shown at New York Toy Fair, were, for the most part, figures we already knew were on the way, such as the repack of the elusive Aayla Secura figure from late 2009, Clone Commando "Boss," Captain Rex in Phase II Armor, and a new version of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The only new figures to be showcased were Clone Commander Wolffe in Phase II Armor & a Super Battle Droid with a new deco. Both of these figures look great, however it would have been nice to have seen the upcoming Phase II Armor Commander Fox, and even a glimpse of the Cyborg Darth Maul, although it's to be expected that Hasbro will not release images of Maul until the Season Four finale has aired on TV. The other figures from The Clone Wars that were shown in the Hasbro booth included Ahsoka Tano in her Scuba Gear, as seen in the opening episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season Four. It will be interesting to see how successful the Clone Wars line is in 2012, with Episode I 3D being a primary focus for the toy line, it would be unfortunate for The Clone Wars line to be neglected in favour of this. A little diversity in the line wouldn't go a miss either, as all we seem to receive are Clone Troopers & Jedi, with Seperatists, Sith & Bounty Hunters taking a back seat.

New York Toy Fair 2012: Thoughts on Hasbro's Movie Heroes

2012-02-12T13:57:00.001Z

Nothing much can be said regarding Hasbro's Movie Heroes unveilings at New York Toy Fair last night. The majority of products shown in the Hasbro booth were figures we already knew were on store shelves, or were set to hit retail in the coming months. Only two new Movie Heroes figures were revealed, and these were Anakin Skywalker, based on his Episode III appearance, and Darth Vader, both with Light-Up Lightsabers. Despite the negativity amongst the collector community regarding play features in this line, I personally am a HUGE fan of the light-up Lightsaber gimmick, and these two new figures look incredible. Darth Vader utilises an all-plastic cape & lower robe, which in this case, looks heaps better than the soft goods we have come to expect from Hasbro in recent years. Great showing here with these two figures, although it would have been nice to have seen some more of the figures that are to be a part of this line in the future.

New York Toy Fair 2012: Thoughts on Hasbro's Vintage Collection.

2012-02-12T13:51:00.002Z

New York Toy Fair 2012 is currently underway, and last night, various Star Wars news sites, reported in with some images from the Hasbro showroom. Each of the next few blog entries are going to focus on my thoughts on each line of figures Hasbro unveiled last night, and to start off, we're going to take a look at The Vintage Collection.

2012 is shaping up to be a great year of collecting for Original Trilogy fans. Hasbro revealed an abundance of original Vintage figures, updated in the modern style. Amongst them, Nien Nunb, Nikto Skiff Guard, Emperor's Royal Guard, an as yet, unnamed Ewok, & Luke Skywalker in Hoth Gear, also, as shown in the adjacent image, a Weequay Skiff Guard, which I am particularly pleased about, as this character was my favourite Power of the Force figure, and we have not seen a modern update of this character since the mid-1990's. Also included in the Original Trilogy line-up, are Grand Moff Tarkin, another figure who has been in desperate need of a modern upgrade for over 15 years, a Death Squad Commander, Orrimaarko, also known as "Prune Face" & Princess Leia in her Bespin Gown. A new Darth Vader with added articulation, as well as an "Emperor's Wrath" variant are also on the cards for a 2012 release.

In addition to the many Original Trilogy characters shown in the Hasbro booth, were new characters from the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO game. Included in this line-up are the villain of the piece, Darth Malgus, Bounty Hunter Shae Vizla, and a Republic Trooper. In my opinion, although I have not played the game, I have seen the Cinematic trailers, and these action figures look like they jumped right out of the screen, and onto the shelves of our collections. Also on show were the "lost wave" of The Vintage Collection, including Dr. Evazan, Aayla Secura & Nom Anor. A new wave of figures was also revealed, including an Episode II Clone Trooper Lieutenant, a Revenge of the Sith Shock Trooper, Jar Jar Binks in Carbonite, and an Episode IV Sandtrooper, which appears to be weathered, and includes an Orange shoulder pauldron & Sentry Droid. These figures appear to be included in an upcoming San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive Carbon Freezing Chamber Box Set, but also seem to be available seperately at retail.

Also revealed, was a wave of Vintage figures, inspired by animated series, The Clone Wars, featuring Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano & Obi-Wan Kenobi, sculpted in a realistic style, accurate to the Star Wars movies, as opposed to the animated series, which will surely be a hit with both young & old collectors.

Overall, Hasbro have definitley outdone themselves in 2012 with The Vintage Collection, as the line appears to cater for every kind of Star Wars collectors, with equal amounts of Original & Prequel Trilogy characters, with a few novelty items thrown in for good measure.

A new set for the Reviews?

2012-02-10T13:42:00.000Z

After coming home from the Midnight Screening of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D, with this HUGE theater display, (Read my Movie report HERE) it comes time to ask, would you like to see this as my new backdrop for my Star Wars video reviews? I've created a poll over on my Facebook Page for you all to vote on whether or not I should use this as a set, or keep using my collection as my video backdrop. All comments & suggestions welcome guys!

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D: Midnight Screening Report

2012-02-09T18:17:00.001Z

February 9th 2012. Star Wars returned to the big screen! This time in spectacular 3D. Rather than shooting a video review on the movie, I thought I'd write a blog entry about it instead. We all know the story of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, so I won't be going into detail about that, rather just talking about the special effects and 3D rendering added to the movie.

First of all, let's discuss the 3D effect. Personally, I was a little disappointed. The 3D was good, but it in no way lived up to the hype. Very few scenes felt like they were in 3D, and at times I found it difficult to tell the difference between 2D & 3D. Various scenes however, did look fantastic in 3D, mostly close-up shots however. I was very much looking forward to the Podrace scene in 3D, but I didn't get the screen-bursting feeling I had imagined. The scenes that stuck out in my mind were the scenes aboard the Trade Federation Battleship with Nute Gunray & Rune Haako, some of the "over the shoulder" shots really made you feel like you were on the set, and I was very impressed by this. The opening crawl was also fantastic to see in 3D & stood out brilliantly from the screen. The start of the film was great and the majority of it felt like eye-popping 3D, but as the film progressed, I started to notice it less & less, right up until Darth Maul's death. When Maul fell backwards down the shaft, you really felt like you were watching him fall, which was great! So all in all, the 3D, I felt could have been better, but it certainly wasn't overdone, and took nothing away from the film. Which is good, because I would have hated Star Wars to have been ruined by this new technology.

I also very much liked the addition of a CGI Yoda, replacing the puppet from the 1999 original. If you'd never seen the original Yoda puppet in The Phantom Menace, you would have been hard pressed to have noticed the CGI version was added in later, as he blended in incredibly well, and in no way looked like he had been digitally added. Very realistic.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience. Any excuse to see Star Wars back on the big screen is fine by me, but I don't think the 3D lived up to all the excitement. It was very much a 50/50 of great 3D, and barely noticeable 3D, but again, I don't think this is a bad thing, as it was not overdone, and also the scenes that I expected to look good in 3D did, just not quite as good as I'd hoped... Still, I'd highly recommend this movie to new fans & old, as Star Wars in theatres is an experience NOT to be missed. I was however, a little disappointed by the turnout to the Midnight Screening I attended. Being the first ever showing at my local Cinema, I expected a lot of people to come out for the screening, but there were only around 20 people, if that, in attendance, which detracted somewhat from the atmosphere. I fully intend to see the movie again with friends during the films wider release, in hopes of a greater atmosphere... However, I shouldn't complain. If there had been hundreds in attendance, I probably wouldn't have had the chance to walk away from the Cinema with this INCREDIBLE Cinema display, the newest addition to my Star Wars collection, which was kindly given to me by the staff at Vue Cinemas! Thanks guys!

Bring on the Original Trilogy...

SithLord229 teams up with Jedi News!

2012-01-19T19:05:00.001Z

SithLord229 & JediNews.co.uk have teamed up to bring you ALL of my latest videos! In case you're not a subscriber on YouTube, this gives you an opportunity to view my videos as soon as they're released, as Jedi News will be uploading them to their page the following day! This is a great way to keep up to date with my videos, and also gives me a fantastic chance to expand my fan base, with the UK's number one Star Wars news site backing my reviews! Be sure to check them out by clicking the link above!

"New" Darth Maul HD Review

2012-01-15T19:01:00.000Z

I continue my recent them of Episode I figures with a look at the villain of the piece, Darth Maul! This time, the sinister Sith comes complete with his "Bloodfin" Sith Speeder! This vehicle/figure set is available in stores now, at a suggested retail price of £16.99 in the UK, and $16.99 in the US. For a repack of a set from 1999 (13 years ago!) this price point seems a little high for me, but what do you think? Check out the review HERE to decide!

NEW HD Reviews!

2012-01-07T17:58:00.001Z

Hey guys, been a while since I've posted a blog entry, and to be honest with you, I actually forgot I had one! LOL! Thanks to the new Blogger layout, I don't even know how many followers I have now... So to all who have stuck around to read this, Hello! Thanks for dropping by!

Anyway, back onto topic, this is just a small post to say CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL! I've uploaded most of the new HD reviews I've been harping on about since before Christmas, so if you'd like to check 'em out, you know where to go!

Muchos Gracias! :)

SithLord229 in HD!

2011-12-30T12:04:00.000Z

"Lord Vader, the time has come!"

That's right ladies & gentlefolk! SithLord229's Star Wars reviews are FINALLY in 1080p High-Definition format! The first of my new HD videos is now LIVE on YouTube, and you can view it by clicking Here! For those that are interested, the camcorder I am now using is a Panasonic HDC-SD90! A great camera that I highly recommend!

Follow me on TWITTER!

2011-12-12T19:31:00.000Z

I'm now on Twitter! You can follow me by clicking HERE!

Show your support for Baby Leah via Facebook!

2011-12-02T22:27:00.000Z

Show your support by following this LINK!

"You may fire, when ready!"

2011-11-23T14:59:00.000Z

This upcoming weekend (Saturday, 26th November 2011), myself, Whit & Fly Guy will be joined by a very special guest on the Boring Conversation Anyway podcast, in the form of Mr. Stephen Stanton (aka Captain Tarkin, Mas Amedda and many other characters in Star Wars: The Clone Wars). This marks BCA's very first Star Wars Megastar on the show, so be sure to tune in when the show goes live in the next week or two!

Memorabilia Birmingham

2011-11-22T17:22:00.000Z

As some of you may know, I attended my FIRST Memorabilia show at the NEC in Birmingham on Sunday (20th November 2011). The show was EXCELLENT, with tons of collectables, costumed characters, photo opportunities and much more! I'll be uploading a video of the event in the next few days, so stay tuned!

New Clone Wars Figure Reviews!

2011-08-24T16:46:00.002+01:00

I've recently uploaded some BRAND NEW Star Wars: The Clone Wars action figure reviews to my YouTube Channel. These include the latest waves of the Clone Wars line for 2011, with figures including Captain Rex (with Jet Pack), a Kamino ARF Trooper & a Stealth Ops Clone Trooper (pictured). You can check out all these reviews by clicking the links below, and be sure to stay tuned for more videos in the coming weeks!

Kamino ARF Trooper | Captain Rex with Jet Pack | Stealth Ops Clone Trooper

Custom Savage Opress Mighty Mugg - By Juan Hernandez

2011-07-19T01:38:00.000+01:00

Sideshow Collectibles 1:6 Scale IG-88

2011-07-18T23:04:00.002+01:00

Check out the full Image Gallery!

Pretty cool R2-D2 Beer Mug

2011-07-17T13:19:00.003+01:00

Sideshow Collectibles 1:6 Scale Commander Gree & Battle Droids 2-Pack

2011-07-13T21:58:00.000+01:00

Check out Image Galleries of these two AWESOME 1:6 Scale Figures on Facebook:

1:6 Scale Commander Gree

1:6 Scale Battle Droids

The SithLord229 Rebranding Project: Part 1

2011-06-01T20:11:00.001+01:00

So, in my attempt to establish my YouTube Channel, Facebook page & Blog as a brand, in the sense that I would have a "mascot" of sorts, a consistent typeface & colour palette, I've called upon the services of another fellow YouTuber. Gabriel, (aka MrCorellian on YouTube) has designed his very own YouTube background... and I love it! So, I have asked Gabriel to illustrate my channel mascot, in the form of the three most famous Sith Lords, Maul, Vader & Sidious. Each of these mascots will be used in some capacity on each of my media outlets, and so to give you a taste of what is to come, here are Gabriels first three concept sketches!

Be sure to check out Gabriels YouTube channel by clicking HERE!

Froth Wars: Star Wars Coffee

2011-05-31T22:49:00.000+01:00

WIN! A FREE ROCKET-FIRING BOBA FETT FIGURE!

2011-05-30T19:42:00.004+01:00

Boring Conversation Anyway: Episode 012- "Star Tours. It's a bit good!"

2011-05-23T15:22:00.002+01:00

Be sure to check out the new episode of the "Boring Conversation Anyway" for some talk with myself & Flyguy from Flyguy.net on Star Tours 2011, Prototype Boba Fett figures, the latest offerings from Sideshow Collectibles, Big Bad Toy Store & Entertainment Earth, including 1:6 Dewbacks, Clone Wars Battle Packs PLUS so much more!

LISTEN TO EPISODE 012 HERE!

Follow BCA & Flyguy.net on Facebook!

Star Wars Wartime Propaganda

2011-05-22T21:45:00.001+01:00

Thanks to the Geekologie website for some awesome World War II-style Star Wars propaganda. Check out the other posters they have featured.

Famous Brands: STAR WARS STYLE!

2011-05-22T18:23:00.000+01:00

Thanks to the guys at flyguy.net for sharing these. More info available at their site.

"Star Tours 3D" Promo Video

2011-05-22T14:03:00.002+01:00

Star Tours "Travel Agency" Figures hit eBay!

2011-05-21T12:50:00.000+01:00

eBay seller TUNGHORI has some new figures listed on his store. With the recent hype surrounding the re-opening of Star Tours at Disneyworld, new figure packs have also been made available to commemorate the event. In one pack, the "Star Tours Travel Agency", we have a number of funky looking droids, C-3PO & a Utai-like looking Luggage Attendant (yes, this is what Star Wars figures have been reduced to). The two new droids in the set, ALY SAN & ACE-38 have popped up on Tunghori's eBay store, so if you're not keen on the idea of adding another C-3PO or an orange jumpsuit Utai figure to your collection, you can grab the two new droids loose for a reasonable price. The luggage attendant has also surfaced on the 'Bay, but c'mon! Follow the links below to get your hands on these cool new Droids!

ACE-38 ALY SAN

Darth Vader's Dinner Date

2011-05-17T12:20:00.002+01:00

Star Wars/Halo Crossover Artwork

2011-05-17T12:17:00.000+01:00

Gentle Giant Kenner 12 inch "Vintage" Star Wars Figures

2011-05-17T00:45:00.001+01:00

The Star Wars Fan Fun Day 2011

2011-05-03T21:59:00.011+01:00

As you may have seen from a previous blog entry I made, and if you are following me on Facebook, you'll know that on May 2nd 2011, I along with my girlfriend & parents, attended "The Star Wars Fan Fun Day 2011" at Burnley Football Club in Burnley, UK. The event was a huge success, with over four costuming groups from various garrisons of the 501st Legion in attendance, as well as actors from the Star Wars movies signing autographs (I'll get to that later) & finally, various booths selling tons, and I mean TONS of Star Wars memorobillia. All in all the day was an absolute blast, and the first real Star Wars convention I have ever attended.

Alan Harris & Chris Parsons pose for photographs.

I'll begin by talking about the actors who attended the event. Firstly, I got the chance to meet Chris Parsons, who played 4-LOM & K-3PO in Star Wars, Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. Chris was a really nice guy, taking the time out to chat while he signed a photo for me. The same can be said for Alan Harris, who had many roles in Episode V, such as Bossk, Bespin Security Guard, C-3PO's body double & interestingly, the body which was cast for the Carbonite block which encased Han Solo. Alan was incredibly nice & even signed a photo for me not once, but twice, as the ink he'd used to sign the first one had dried & begun to flake off so that was really cool of him to do! Finally, I met Chris Muncke, who played Captain Khurgee in Episode IV A New Hope. Chris was a very lively chap, who signed a free photo for my parents, who were chatting with him while I was talking to Alan Harris. He was very chatty, asking me which of the Star Wars movies was my favourite, and testing my Star Wars knowledge by asking if I remembered the character he played & the scene he appeared in. He wasn't happy when I told him my favourite movie was The Empire Strikes Back! Other actors at the event included Mike Edmonds (Logray the Ewok), Peter Roy (Rebel Technician), Laurie Goode (Saurin/Stormtrooper) and many more! The ones I met were incredibly nice, very approachable & overall just great, great people & I thank them for making this fanboy feel welcome!

Here I am with "Craig Vader" one of the highlights of the event!

Next up we had the costuming groups. These were real highlights of the event as various characters were walking around the Conference Centre. Stormtroopers, Emperor's Royal Guards, TIE Pilots, Sandtroopers, Republic Commandos, Wookies, Ewoks, Twi' Leks & many other weird & wonderful characters were on patrol around the conference centre & were more than happy to pose for photographs (as seen in the image above.) Amongst some of the most memorable characters were "Craig Vader" who was a combination of Darth Vader, and Craig David from UK Comedy show, "Bo Selecta". He was absolutely hilarious, performing impressions & posing for photos & videos! When I upload my video of this event, you'll be able to see him in action! Also memorable was what I like to call the "Mini RC" or Mini Republic Commando, who was a small child, around 3-4 feet in height, dressed from head to toe in replica Republic Commando armour! He was awesome, showing so much confidence walking around the convention, and posing for pictures with adults & children!

At one end of the conference centre, was a full size replica of the Death Star hallway, with full size, homemade replicas of IG-88 & a Battle Droid in position. At the other end of the convention were various booths selling Star Wars memorobillia. Some of the items on offer included action figures & vehicles, statues, 12 inch figures, posters, comic books, Lego, model kits & so much more! I got lucky & was able to purchase a new Vintage Collection Endor Capture Luke Skywalker on his Wave 3 cardback, and a Legacy Collection Captain Typho figure for my Attack of the Clones display. The booths were selling items both old & new & was an absolute "geek heaven!" I saw some very cool items that I wish I could've purchased, such as the Death Star Briefing multipack, Vintage Original Trilogy Collection 12 inch Luke Skywalker (complete with Vintage reproduction packaging), various Kotobukiya statues & much more, I just wish I'd taken more money with me!

A full sized replica Stormtrooper helmet, signed by various Star Wars
cast & crew members, on display at the Rebel Legion booth.

Overall, I had an excellent time at the Star Wars Fan Fun Day 2011. I'd like to thank Neil Livesey for organising the event, Alan Harris, Chris Parsons & Chris Muncke for being absolutely fantastic people & taking the time to chat, members of the 99th Garrison for being great sports & posing for photos, and finally, everyone involved in making this event truly spectacular & a great day out!

To view the rest of my photographs from this awesome event, click HERE!
To visit the official Facebook page for the Star Wars Fan Fun Day, click HERE!
And to visit the website of the 99th Garrison, click HERE!

Thanks for reading!

New Deluxe Figure & Vehicle Pack Images

2011-04-23T15:11:00.000+01:00

Just the other day, new images surfaced on Sandtroopers.com of the new 2011 Clone Wars figure & vehicle packs we saw at the New York Toy Fair back in February. These new images show the figures & vehicles in their packaging, and I have to say, I like 'em! These are some of the coolest Deluxe sets that Hasbro have released so far, as most of them feature both new vehicles AND new characters. My favourite pack that is shown in the new gallery is definitley the pack containing the Bounty Hunter, Castas & his Speeder Bike, as seen during the Boba Fett trilogy in The Clone Wars Season 2. The images seem to show the European packaging variants of these sets, and the packaging seems to have been changed slightly, as the image of the individual character on the right side of the packaging seems to have disappeared & the packaging itself seems more squared off. Whether or not this is something we will see permanently or whether this is just how the European packaging looks, remains to be seen, but these new packs look incredible, and I can't wait to get my hands on them all! To view the other images of these awesome packs, visit the gallery at Sandtroopers.com!

Star Wars Posters by Olly Moss

2011-04-23T11:55:00.000+01:00

After finding the Star Wars style PSA posters over at Collegehumor.com, I was reminded of some other cool Star Wars artwork that I thought I would share with you all if you hadn't already seen it. These posters were created by artist, Olly Moss. Each one using abstract imagery to cleverly represent the happenings of each of the three original Star Wars movies. My personal favourite is the Empire Strikes Back poster, featuring Cloud City forming the shape of Boba Fett's helmet. Very clever.
To see Olly's work, visit www.arturban.co.uk.

Star Wars PSA's

2011-04-23T11:47:00.007+01:00

Awesome Star Wars PSA posters, found at http://www.collegehumor.com/

Replica Helmet Reviews

2011-04-22T20:15:00.001+01:00

I decided to do something a little different for my most recent videos. It's been over two years since I last reviewed a product by Master Replicas, who used to create prop replicas from the Star Wars universe. Unfortunately, "MR" no longer hold the license to create such products, and the license for helmet replicas now rests with Gentle Giant, while the license for Lightsaber replicas is in the hands of Hasbro. Since my last review of one of these incredible pieces, I've picked up two more scaled replica helmets, those of Boba Fett from Episode V & Commander Gree from Episode III. Since I don't have too many new Hasbro products to review at the moment, I thought I'd dig these old treasures out from my displays & give you guys a look at them. The detail on these pieces is absolutely amazing. The battle damage & wear & tear on the exterior, right down to the inner workings of the helmet itself are incredibly life-like & perfectly represent what is seen both on & off screen in the movies. While Master Replicas no longer create these products, some can be found rather cheaply on eBay, particularly in the UK, such as Luke Skywalker's X-Wing Pilot helmet, Commander Gree & Boba Fett plus many others. Below, I have provided a few links to such eBay sales, so you yourself can purchase some of these brilliant items!

Toys for Eli.

2011-03-29T20:30:00.001+01:00

The following copy is from the Action Figure Empire Blog & is a story about young Eli, a passionate Star Wars fan & collector who has a very rare, life-threatening condition.

"Today I want to turn this blog's attention to the story of a young Star Wars action figure collector named Eli. Eli is madly passionate about all things Star Wars and Star Wars toys. He's an outgoing little guy with a great big smile and he's also into arts and crafts, and World War 2. Eli is has been diagnosed with a rare life-threatening disease called Severe Aplastic Anemia, a disease of the bone marrow. Severe Aplastic Anemia also affects the immune system making it difficult for those who have it to be out in public. You can imagine how this makes it hard to get out and do things, visit with people, or even shop for Star Wars toys. We here at Action Figure Empire call for your support for young Eli, a fan, and a collector who needs all the support he can get right now. We ask that you donate one or more, Star Wars toys of any kind to Eli. You can Include a message of your own to Eli if you wish as well. Eli will be delighted to receive your generous donations. Please send them to:

Action Figure Empire
114 Oak Street Apt. D
Maybrook, NY 12543

From there we at AFE will then forward your generous donations to Eli. AFE is proud to create and participate in the official Toys for Eli Toy Drive. Please take a moment to contribute to Eli's Star Wars action figure collection. Every donation you give helps!

We give the Official Action Figure Empire Salute to Eli and his family.

Thank you for reading this and thank you so much for your donations!
May The Force Be With You All! "

A Long Awaited Review...

2011-03-11T07:53:00.005Z

While waiting for my loose R5-D4 to arrive from Hong Kong, who is the last figure to be reviewed from the Vintage Collection wave 5, I decided to review a few pieces that people have been demanding for quite a while. It's no secret that Sideshow Collectibles 1:6 Scale Figures are amongst some of the most popular & sought after Star Wars collectibles on the market today... And I'm lucky enough to own some of the best ones available! If you're familiar with my reviews, you'll have seen the large IKEA display cabinet behind me in my videos, that is filled to the brim with 1:6 Scale figures. I don't think a review has gone by where I haven't received a comment asking me to review said figures, so that's what I've done! You all know I'm a massive Clone fan, so it's only fitting that my first Sideshow reviews in almost 2 years were of the Trooper variety. Perhaps the most highly demanded of the figures seen in my display is the 212th Attack Battalion Clone Trooper, seen on Utapau in Revenge of the Sith, so I saved the best till last. I reviewed three Sideshow figures in total, and you can check out the others HERE & HERE!

Out with the old. In with the new!

2011-03-03T18:33:00.002Z

The Saga Collection 2006 R5-D4 (left)
& Vintage Collection 2010 version (right)

This blog entry was brought about by a comment left on my Vintage Collection Stormtrooper review over on YouTube, made by user "Collector1970" (check out his channel HERE). Bringing up the claim that the new Vintage Collection Wave 5 R5-D4 is inadequate when compared to the previous incarnation of the Droid from the Saga Collection 2006. While I am one of the people who does indeed agree with this statement, I was moved to create this blog entry (and respond to Collector1970's comment), regarding how collectors of this line really need to make up their minds when it comes to making requests to Hasbro for figures they wish to see. Take R5 for example, the new version utilises the Legacy Collection's "Build-A-Droid" concept, using the same parts used to create various droids that everyone went gaga for in 2008-2009. Back then, an R2-D2 & R5-D4, easily the Star Wars Saga's most recognisable Astromechs, that used this "B.A.D" sculpt, were at the top of every collectors wants list, quite why that is I have no idea, as I personally think the 2006 release of R5-D4, and most of the previous releases of R2-D2 were far superior to the sculpt used for the buildable droids. So fast forward to 2010-2011, and we now have an R5-D4 figure, sitting on store pegs, using the very same Build-A-Droid sculpt that collectors were raving about 2 or 3 years ago. The reaction? "Why do we need a release of R5-D4 using this sculpt when the Saga 06 version was better. Hasbro should have simply repacked that figure if they intended to re-release R5 on a Vintage card." This sort of response irritates me. Particularly in todays day & age when Hasbro (as useless as they are here in the UK), are constantly receiving grief for not giving collectors what they want, yet when they do (albeit a couple of years too late), they receive even more negative feedback. Make up your minds & open your eyes collectors! Is it any wonder the big "H" don't bow to your wishes, when they continue to fulfill them, and are met with the same criticism they receive when they actually ARE in the wrong?... C'mon guys! Rant over.

New Look Packaging for 2012!

2011-02-27T16:57:00.000Z

starwars.com recently revealed the new look packaging designs for Star Wars products in 2012. As we all know, Episode I: The Phantom Menace will see a 3D release in movie theaters next year, and it seems that will be the driving force behind the brands new look. As you can see, TPM's most prominant villain, Darth Maul is featured heavily on the packaging, putting a heavy focus on the "first" movie of the Star Wars saga. Many collectors see this new line look as awful, as most of us want to forget all about The Phantom Menace, but there is no denying that Darth Maul looks extremely cool on the cardback. Personally, I love it. The combination of colours really sets this new packaging aside from all the others & in my opinion, looks far better than the current "Shadow of the Dark Side" design we are seeing on shelves today. It appears this packaging will replace the one used for current Saga Legends & Clone Wars figures, while the Vintage Collection will be staying right where it is as the bearer of the realistic line of figures. So will we be seeing a few Episode I figures in 2012's Saga Legends line-up? Will the use of Darth Maul on the new packaging confuse collectors of the Clone Wars line? What are your thoughts?

Star Wars Fan Fun Day 2011

2011-02-22T14:39:00.000Z

This is something I'm really looking forward to (that is if I definitley attend). It's very rare that the UK receive anything that resembles a Star Wars convention, so I'm jumping at the chance to go to this one. Here's the article I found regarding this event, over at jedinews.co.uk...

The event is a not for profit Star Wars fan event and will attract both fans and families.
Last year over 1300 people attended the event!

The show will feature:-
TEN CONFIRMED AUTOGRAPH GUESTS!
Alan Harris (Bossk / Bespin Security Guard)
Chris Parsons (4-LOM / K3P0)
Chris Muncke (Captain Khurgee)
Peter Roy (Rebel X-wing technician / Major Brit Orlander)
Laurie Goode ( Stormtrooper / Saurin)
Nick Gillard (Stunt Co-ordinator / Cin Drallig)
Mike Edmonds (Logray)
Katie Purvis (Maternal Ewok)
Michael Henbury (Ewok)
Paul Markham (Imperial Officer)

Dealers stalls selling Star Wars and other sci-fi memorabilia
Costumed characters (bring your cameras)
Star Wars model displays
Droids
Arts & Crafts activities
Lazer Tag Maze
Face painting
Charity raffle and tombola
& much more!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU ON MAY THE SECOND!

Sounds interesting right? If you've currently no plans for Bank Holiday Monday, May 2nd, you might want to consider attending the Star Wars Fan Fun Day 2011 from 10.30am - 4.00pm, at Burnley Football Club, Harry Potts Way, Burnley, Lancashire BB10 4BX

"Luke we're gonna have company... AGAIN!"

2011-02-19T16:23:00.000Z

Ok guys & gals, it's time for some more Star Wars chat! I received another message this past week, from Stephen over at flyguy.net, asking if I'd be up for another chat on the "Boring Conversation Anyway" Podcast! Since we're all excited over the great products we saw unveiled at Toy Fair 2011 this past week, the guys at BCAW have asked me to return to the show, to talk about all the goodies that Hasbro are giving us for the year ahead. It should be another great episode, and if you haven't already listened to this podcast, I highly reccomend you do so! I'll be doing the podcast at the beginning of next month, and I even have a new & improved mic, so sound quality from my end should be even better this time round! See you then!

MORE New Reviews!

2011-02-18T20:01:00.000Z

Once again, I'm back with another blog entry. Yes, it's been almost a month since my last post, but I've been up to my eyeballs in College work & University preperations that I haven't had time to post updates here. I've also been up to my eyeballs in reviews, and if you've visited my channel this past week, you'll know I've uploaded THIRTEEN brand spanking new Star Wars action figure reviews, all from the ever popular Clone Wars line! So if you haven't already had a look, check 'em out & be sure to thumbs up/thumbs down, comment & subscribe!

New Reviews!

2011-01-27T21:44:00.000Z

So, it's been a while since my last actual review so I thought I'd treat you all with a few new ones today! Since they've been on store shelves for quite a while & I haven't gotten round to reviewing them yet, I thought I'd kick off with Wave 2 of the Vintage Collection, looking at characters from Revenge of the Sith... Although quite why a Sandtrooper meets that criteria & was thrown in amongst this wave is quite odd. Regardless, this wave is a pretty solid one for the most part, a couple of the figures are a little disappointing, but we'll get to those later. First up, we have the Clone Trooper, which I did a brief write-up on here on my blog not so long ago, then we have the misplaced Sandtrooper & finally the Magnaguard, who in my opinion is definitley one of the better figures of the bunch. I picked up a carded Commander Cody too, but since I reviewed a figure practically identical to him back in the Legacy Collection, I saw it silly reviewing a figure while it was still wrapped up in it's plastic prison, just for the sake of a painted antenna & correctly attached belt. (The figure looks awesome on card though!) I still have Grievous, Anakin & Sidious to get through so they'll be coming in the next couple of days. I've shot the reviews, just not entirely sure I want to upload them due to the lighting, I may end up reshooting over the weekend. After that, it's onto Clone Wars & I'll be kicking things off with a few Battle Packs; ARC Troopers, Hidden Enemy & Mandalorian Warriors. Let the anticipation commence...

"Master Qui-Gon, more to say have you?"

2011-01-20T17:02:00.001Z

I just covered this over on my Facebook page, but I can't express how excited I am to hear this news. Liam Neeson, one of my personal favourite actors & the man who played Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, is set to reprise his role as the wise, yet controversial Jedi Master in an upcoming 3-Part story arc in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This is the first time in 12 years that Neeson has portrayed Qui-Gon, and I personally can't wait to see (or in this case, hear) him back in action! According to Entertainment Weekly, Qui-Gon appears to his former Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi in a vision regarding Obi-Wan's former protege, Anakin Skywalker & his destiny as the Galaxys "chosen one." The episodes featuring Neeson are set to air on January 28th & February 11th 2011. This is HUGE news for the Star Wars universe, and perhaps marks the Clone Wars' biggest name to lend their vocal talents to the series. Not long ago, I stumbled upon a rumoured episode guide for Clone Wars Season 3, and if memory serves I remember seeing a listing for an episode linked to Qui-Gon, as well as numerous other Star Wars icons such as the Millenium Falcon, so this announcement can only fuel these rumoured episodes, which personally, I would love to see.

To read the full article regarding Liam Neesons return to the role of Qui-Gon, visit Entertainment Weekly.

All hands on deck for Sideshows latest 1:6 Scale figure!

2011-01-18T18:57:00.000Z

Speaking of Sideshow Collectibles, the company have just revealed their newest addition to their 1:6 Scale figure line-up. Another Clone Trooper, the "Attack of the Clones" or Phase 1 version of the Clone Trooper Sergeant comes with all the bells & whistles that a Sideshow 1:6 Scale figure should come with, including DC-15 Rifle & DC-15S Carbine Pistol (as standard), a vast range of interchangeable hands, perhaps the largest amount ever included with an SSC figure, plus interchangeable boots, so you can place this fella in as many action poses as you like. Estimated to begin shipping in the 2nd quarter of 2011, you can pre-order what looks to be one of Sideshows most impressive Clone Trooper figures to date, right now at Sideshowtoy.com. This figure is a must have & will go along nicely with the standard Phase 1 & San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Lieutenant Clone Trooper figures!

Who's better? Kenobi or Vader? There's only one way to find out...

2011-01-18T18:01:00.002Z

Here's something cool I should have featured a long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away... Sorry, couldn't resist.) DeviantArt member oldredjalopy has created a series of Star Wars inspired posters, which I would personally LOVE to own! Who would want to miss out on the "Hooha on the Death Star!" or the "Brouha on Mustafar?" Oldred has also created other posters from movies such as Harry Potter, American Beauty plus numerous takes on the Star Wars franchise, incorporating elements of other movie posters into his work! DeviantArt is one of my top websites to visit when looking for inspiration for my YouTube channel banners & there are a ton of talented artists on the site, so be sure to check out oldredjalopy, plus many, many more great artists!

Cooler than Carbonite... Well, it IS Carbonite!

2011-01-18T17:40:00.005Z

Wow! This looks TOO cool! We all know Sideshow Collectibles are well known for their 1:6 (or 12 inch) scale figures, but we sometimes forget, the quality gets upped in their Premium Format range! We've seen some awesome "PF" Figures from Sideshow; Clone Troopers, Aurra Sing, Cyborg Maul just to name a few. In this exclusive Production Peek video, Sideshow gives us a look at their newest Premium Format figure, Han Solo in Carbonite. This looks like an awesome piece, whether or not this will just be the Carbonite block itself, or whether an actual figure of everyones favourite Correllian Smuggler will be included has yet to be seen, but I do know that this is gonna be a piece that NO ONE will want to miss out on! Check out the video HERE!

Vintage Collection Wave 5... A mixed bag?

2010-12-22T19:44:00.002Z

As with most of Hasbro's case assortments, the newest wave of Vintage Collection figures features a few leftovers from previous waves. However, there is no doubt that the focus for this wave is on the six "new" figures that are available as the Vintage Collection, Wave 5. This wave is Hasbro's first to feature characters from different movies, as opposed to being movie specific as previous waves of "TVC" have been (i.e ROTJ, ROTS & ESB). Included in this wave are a Utapau Clone Trooper & Commander Gree from Revenge of the Sith, and Luke Skywalker, Stormtrooper, Han Solo & R5-D4 from A New Hope. Looking at these figures, it appears this is another one of Hasbro's famous "repacks & repaints" waves, as most of the figures in this line-up are repacks or slightly altered repaints. The Utapau Clone, while a nice addition, is a simple repaint of the previously released Clone Trooper from wave 2, Commander Gree is a straight repack of the figure from 2007's 30th Anniversary Collection, Han Solo is a repack of the 2009 Legacy Collection figure, this time with a new belt & added medal, R5-D4 seems to be a step-down from the last version of him we saw in 2006's Saga Collection, as this particular figure uses the Build-a-Droid sculpt, which in my opinion is a lot less sturdy than the 2006 release. The Stormtrooper appears to be the Vintage Collection wave 2 Sandtrooper, minus the backpack & pauldron, however it has been over 3 years since we have seen a standard Stormtrooper on a basic card & finally, Luke Skywalker is a modified version of the "Resurgance of the Jedi" Battle Pack release of everyone's favourite Farmboy from 2009, this time it looks like Luke has been given a Stormtrooper belt, to resemble his appearance whilst on the Death Star.

Overall, I'd say this wave looks almost promising, there are a few figures in this wave that I would love to add to my Vintage carded collection & there are some strong army builders aswell. In summary, I'll probably be picking up 2 of each of these figures so I can keep one carded & open the other. However, I'll be completely skipping the Han Solo figure... They could have re-released the VOTC Han Solo figure with a medal, as opposed to this big-headed piece of crap. It's also interesting to point out that this case assortment appears to include the elusive Yoda figure, which should have been a part of the ROTJ wave, but for some reason was left out... Let's see if Hasbro keep to their word & actually release him this time...

"Luke, we're gonna have company!"

2010-12-20T22:59:00.003Z

Some of you may be familiar with my fellow YouTuber & Star Wars reviewer, Stephen (aka flyguydotnet), what you may not know, is that Stephen co-hosts a Star Wars podcast, entitled "Boring Conversation Anyway", named after Han Solo's infamous line in Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope.

Stephen hosts the show with his friend Whit, from the website "Distracted By Star Wars" (DBSW.net). Recently I was contacted by Stephen, asking if I would appear on the show as a guest, which was a HUGE honour & I am really looking forward to taking part in my very first podcast. Topics I will be discussing on the show, at the suggestion of Stephen, will include Star Wars in general, my YouTube videos and, as Stephen puts it "YouTube mega-stardom!" I'll also be giving the EXCLUSIVE rundown of my upcoming 400th Video, which will be hitting the net on 1st January 2011 (providing all goes to plan).

I'll be appearing on the show on the 27th December 2010 at 10pm UK time. More details on my upcoming appearance coming soon, so be sure to stay tuned to my Facebook fan page & YouTube channel for more information.

Many thanks to Stephen & Whit for asking me to take part in the show, I CANNOT WAIT!

Check out the official Flyguy.net website by clicking HERE!

Below are the links so that you can tune in to the BCAW Podcast...

BCAW RSS Feed
iTunes
Facebook fan page