It was recently announced that JJ Abrams is headed back to the galaxy far, far way and will be Writing and Directing STAR WARS Episode IX. While I'm a little disappointed a third director won't be putting his stamp on the final installment of the Sequel Trilogy, I'm happy to have JJ back to finish what he started. I think he did a phenomenal job with The Force Awakens, using familiar plot elements to introduce us to brand new characters while also bringing STAR WARS to a whole new generation of fans. With so much STAR WARS on the brain, today I'm going to take a look at the Rey & Elite Praetorian Guard 2-pack from The Last Jedi.
It seems like a lot of the PACKAGING for The Last Jedi has been downsized from The Force Awakens and Rogue One product lines which is probably for the best. Not only does it look sleeker and nicer, there isn't a ton of wasted space inside the window box. The 2-packs and especially the Armor Up figures had an enormous amount of unused space that was only there to give you the illusion of value. This time everything is nice and trim and it looks great. I still love the red and white color scheme, and there are some great character graphics on the front of the card. The front and back of the packaging is a little cluttered up with the Force Link propaganda, but it is the main theme of all the 3.75" The Last Jedi product line.
The SCULPTING and PAINT are again fantastic in this release. Rey is a repack of the single carded figure in her Jedi Training robes. The design calls back to her Jakku costume, even more than her resistance outfit. This time with some nice darker colors and taller boots. I also like her new hair cut, and the fact she still carries the blaster she got from Han Solo. My sample had a bit of a wonky left eye, but overall the rest of the paint is fantastic.
Out of all the designs for the Elite Praetorian Guards this one is definitely the most unique which makes me think he might be some sort of Captain. The design is essentially a samurai inspired upgrade to the Emperor's Royal Guard but these guys look like they mean business. They strike a great balance between regal and lethal, and I cannot wait to see them in action. While the vast majority of the costume is red, Hasbro did add some black to the inside of the skirt and there's a small blue button on the upper part of the chest plate.
Yes, these guys still have only 5 points of ARTICULATION, You may have heard me say it before, but to me scale is more important when it comes to STAR WARS than articulation. As long as they're 3.75" I don't care how articulated they are.
Rey actually comes with all the same ACCESSORIES as the single carded figure, so you could in theory skip that release. She's got the famous Skywalker light saber, her staff, and her blaster. I'd be interested to see if at some point her staff and light saber become one. The Praetorian Guard comes with a pair of bladed weapons that actually slot together to make a double ended staff. It's pretty neat overall. I like that each of the Guards rocks their own unique weapon. That also mean I've got to track down all the different variations too.
OVERALL, these figures are a great addition to The Last Jedi line. I'd like to see Hasbro continue and expand out more and bring back the Battle packs. It's always a great way to get new and unique variants of figures. It's also a great way to make sure main characters are readily available for purchase, which is why I think Rey is a great choice for the first wave of 2-packs. I can't wait to get my hands on more.
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