Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Action Figure Review: Offworld Jawa from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

  Despite the number of movies we've had lately, The Mandalorian really feels like the first Star Wars thing since The Force Awakens to really make an impact on pop culture and it's a real shame that Hasbro didn't seem to be prepared for it. I haven't even been able to track down the Mandalorian himself yet! Hasbro really offered about the minimum of what they could for The Mandalorian, which feels like another instance of Hasbro not having the opportunity to see much of the show in advance and thus having to stick to limited publicity stills and such to craft the toyline. For the Black Series we only have four figures: Cara Dune, who is excellent, The Mandalorian, who is impossible to find and outdated by the second episode, IG-11, who is a repaint with a new bandolier, and the Offworld Jawa, who is a repaint of the 40th Anniversary Jawa with a new cloak. Does that seem to be a lineup that gives the impression Hasbro had enough time or the confidence to craft a full lineup for The Mandalorian? Today I'm checking out the Offworld Jawa, one of the transplants from Tatooine who now dwells on Arvala-7. The Offworld Jawas appeared in Episode 2: The Child (one of my favorites of the season) and were part of one of the best action sequences on the show. Let's check out the Offworld Jawa after the break...



 The Facts:

Height: 4 1/4 inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, swivel hinged knees, ball jointed hips, ball jointed abdomen, swivel/ hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, a hinged neck, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: Ion blaster, non-removable ion blaster.

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars


 Comparison:

*On the left is the Offworld Jawa while the standard Jawa is on the right. From the waist up these are the same figures although the Offworld Jawa has an extra cloth robe over the sculpted robes of the original figure. The sculpted plastic robe hanging over the legs is missing on the Offworld Jawa, replaced by the cloth robe. This actually allows for much better articulation.
 The Positives:

* The cloth robe really gives this guy a different look from the standard Jawa. I liked the sculpted robes of the standard Jawa when it was released but, looking at this guy, I think the cloth robe turned out pretty nice. It makes for a very complex looking figure.

*The bandolier is even nicer on this figure than on the standard Jawa. It's the same bandolier (still not removable) but with a better and more realistic paintjob this time around.

* Also like with the standard Jawa, the headsculpt is excellent. The hood is is a separate piece attached to the head, meaning it both adds depth to the figure's appearance as well as allows for better head movement. The interior looks like it's covered in strips of black cloth (this seems film accurate) and features the unusual red eyes of the Offworld Jawas.



* Here's a look at how the robe looks hanging down from the back. I think it looks really fantastic, particularly when posed. It does have some fraying on the edges but I believe that is entirely intentional to give this guy a worn, rugged appearance.



* While his arms are still a bit limited, the cloth robe now allows for full lower body articulation, making this guy a lot for more fun to play with than his Tatooine brethren.

* Hasbro didn't change the weapons up much, so they're still based on the Tatooine Jawa weapons: This ion rifle looks like the one a Jawa uses to shoot R2-D2 in A New Hope. The sculpt is nice and it features a variety of paint applications to call attention to all of the details on it. It is attached to a cord that is attached to a battery pack on the Jawa's bandolier, meaning it is not removable. More on that in a moment.


* The second ion blaster is the model I always think of first (probably because the POTF2 version included one like it) and it's always been my favorite. The paintwork is nice; it looks even more distressed and rugged than the blaster included with the standard Jawa. 
 The Negatives:

* Just like the previous release, the back of the bandolier has a battery pack for the attached ionization blaster and a holster to store it in. The holster looks decent, but the fit of the blaster in there is really, really tight. I'm kind of nervous to stick it in and pop it back out considering that the barrel of the ion blaster is a rubbery.

* The non-removable battery pack/ blaster also is just awkward with a cord that gets in the way.
 



* My Jawa has eyes in the back of his head! Just kidding. But really, he does have this random red paint on the back of his hood. Since he only has red on his eyes, that's gotta be where it comes from, right?
   Thanks to the addition of the cloth robe, the Offworld Jawa is definitely the better of the two Jawa releases in The Black Series thus far. The cloth robe just feels better and it allows for better articulation which is greatly appreciated. The Jawa is still a small figure, though, and including the egg from the second chapter of The Mandalorian would have been nice. It's doubtful Hasbro knew that much about it, though. This guy's a Good and a 1/2 figure and while he's a glorified repaint, he's a better glorified repaint than his predecessor.




   If Jawas are your thing make sure to check out my review of the 40th Anniversary Collection Jawa
and the Micro Machines Jabba/ Mos Eisley Spaceport Transforming Action Set which includes a Jawa riding a Ronto.

For more Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III figures check out the following:

0-0-0 (Triple Zero)
442nd Siege Battalion Clone Trooper, 212th Attack Battalion Utapau Trooper, Coruscant Guard ---(Phase II), and 501st Legion Clone Trooper 4 pack
4-LOM
Admiral Ackbar and First Order Officer
Admiral Piett
Ahsoka Tano 
AT-AT Pilot 
Battle Droid
Baze Malbus
BT-1 (Beetee)
C-3PO
C-3PO & Babu Frik
C-3PO (Resistance Base) 
Cal Kestis
Captain Cassian Andor (Eadu) 
Captain Phasma
Captain Phasma (Quicksilver Baton)
Captain Poe Dameron
Cara Dune
Chewbacca (Target Exclusive)
Chewbacca (The Force Awakens)
Chirrut Imwe 
Chopper (C1-10P)
Clone Captain Rex (HasCon Exclusive)
Clone Commander Gree
Clone Commander Fox
Clone Commander Obi-Wan Kenobi
Clone Commander Wolffe 
Constable Zuvio
Darth Revan 
Darth Vader (Emperor's Wrath)
Death Star Trooper
Dengar
Dewback/ Sandtrooper
Director Krennic 
DJ (Canto Bight)
Doctor Aphra
Dryden Vos
Elite Praetorian Guard
Elite Praetorian Guard (with Heavy Blade)
Emperor Papatine and Throne
Enfys Nest's Swoop Bike/ Enfys Nest
Ezra Bridger
Finn (First Order Disguise)
Finn (FN-2187)
Finn (Jakku)
First Order Flametrooper
First Order General Hux
First Order Jet Trooper
First Order Snowtrooper
First Order Snowtrooper Officer
First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter
First Order Stormtrooper
First Order Stormtrooper Executioner 
First Order Stormtrooper (with Gear)
First Order TIE Fighter Pilot
Gamorrean Guard
General Grievous
General Leia Organa
General Veers
Grand Admiral Thrawn (SDCC Exclusive)
Grand Moff Tarkin 
Guardians of Evil 4-Pack
Guavian Enforcer
Han Solo (Exogorth Escape)
Han Solo (Mimban)
Han Solo (Solo)
Han Solo (The Force Awakens)
Hera Syndulla
IG-11
Imperial AT-ACT Driver
Imperial Death Trooper
Imperial Death Trooper, Captain Cassian Andor, and Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) 3 pack
Imperial Hovertank Pilot 
Imperial Jumptrooper
Imperial Patrol Trooper
Imperial Shock Trooper 
Imperial Royal Guard 
Inferno Squad Agent
Jaina Solo (Legends)
Jango Fett
Jannah
K-2SO
Kanan Jarrus
Kylo Ren 
Kylo Ren (SDCC 2016)
Kylo Ren (The Last Jedi) 
Kylo Ren (Starkiller Base)
Kylo Ren (Throne Room) 
L3-37
Lando Calrissian (Solo)
Lando Calrissian (The Empire Strikes Back)
Lando Calrissian (Skiff Guard)
Luke Skywalker 
Luke Skywalker (Death Star Escape)
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight)
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master) 
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master)- Ahch-To Island
Luke Skywalker (Skyalker Strikes)
Luke Skywalker (Yavin Ceremony)
Mace Windu
Maz Kanata 
Moloch
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Force Spirit)
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Padawan) 
Obi-Wan Kenobi (SDCC 2016) 
Padme Amidala
Phase 1 Clone Trooper Commander, Phase II Clone Trooper, Imperial Stormtrooper, and First Order ---Stormtrooper Officer four pack
Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron and First Order Riot Control Stormtrooper
Porgs 
Princess Leia (Bespin Escape)
Princess Leia Organa 
Princess Leia Organa (Hoth)
Qi'ra (Corellia)
Qui-Gon Jinn
R2-A3, R5-K6, and R2-F2
Range Trooper
Rebel Trooper
Red Squadron (R2-D2, R5-D8, and R2-X2)
Resistance Tech Rose
Resistance Trooper
Rey (Island Journey)
Rey (Jakku) & BB-8 
Rey (Jedi Training)
Rey (Jedi Training)- Crait
Rey (Starkiller Base) 
Rey's Speeder (Jakku)
Rio Durant
Sabine Wren
Sandtrooper Sergeant, Crimson Stormtrooper, Lieutenant OXIXO, and R2-Q5
Scarif Stormtrooper
Scarif Stormtrooper Squad Leader 
Second Sister Inquisitor
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Eadu)
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha)
Snowtrooper 
Stormtrooper (Mimban)
Stormtrooper (With Blast Accessories)
Supreme Leader Snoke (Throne Room)
Tobias Beckett
Tusken Raider 
Val (Vandor)
Vice Admiral Holdo
Wedge Antilles
X-34 Landspeeder & Luke Skywalker (SDCC Exclusive) 
X-Wing Pilot Asty 
Yoda (Force Spirit)
Zuckuss

2 comments:

  1. Cool Jawa saw it about a week ago... would like to add one to my collection

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He is definitely a pretty cool figure. The Mandalorian based figures are getting tougher to find for sure. I still don't have Mando yet.

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