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Appendix on additional (modified) articulation in Post 20 below.

While I do not watch The Mandalorian, I am happy to see that at least part of Disney's Star Wars franchise is doing reasonably well, staying truer the original Star Wars, and being replicated in high-end sixth-scale. I have gotten a Hot Toys Mandalorian Death Trooper (simply to make a pair with the earlier Rogue One (RO)-based trooper I already had) and have partly reconstituted a Hot Toys Mandalorian from lose parts and other bits from other companies. While I was not going to pick up a Hot Toys Mandalorian Scout Trooper initially, eventually I decided to do so before it became unavailable or available only at even more astronomical prices. The design (both in terms of the original design for the film and Hot Toys' action figure rendition) looked sufficiently consistent with the original Scout Trooper design from Return of the Jedi (ROTJ), although I was certain that some details had been changed. These are easier to spot with a side-by-side comparison with Sideshow's ROTJ-based Scout Trooper figure.



Let's start with the packaging. Sideshow's classic design, in part conditioned by Lucasfilm requirements, produced fairly consistent-looking packaging for their Star Wars action figures, including the color scheme of a product image over a two-shades-of-black background. The box has a magnet-closed wrap-around openable lid that allows you to look at the product without removing it, and it opens through either the top or bottom cover. The figure and its accessories are located in one of two plastic treys, which is not a big inconvenience, but can be a tad annoying to work with. I much prefer the foam used by other companies.



Hot Toys' packaging for The Mandalorian follows the precedent set for Rogue One, in adding a "cigar band" with the character's name, product number, and some extra imagery, to the shoebox-style lid, which otherwise conforms to the Lucasfilm-dictated color scheme. Inside, the product is located in a single plastic trey, under a fine color card of the action figure atop its optional accessory, a speeder bike (based on its appearance in The Mandalorian). As with the Sideshow packaging, everything is reasonably collector friendly, and here there is only one plastic trey to mess around with.



Given the trend with prior products, I fully expected the Sideshow Scout Trooper to be taller than the Hot Toys one, and was surprised to discover the opposite. Sideshow's figures were generally scaled to be 12 inches tall (with obvious exceptions for shorter characters, like Leia), whereas Hot Toys employed a more varied, and often slightly shorter height. For whatever reason, their Scout Trooper is just over 31 cm (12.25 inches), slightly taller than the Sideshow version (about 30.5 cm = 12 inches), and also taller than the Hot Toys ROTJ and RO Stormtroopers -- see comparison photo at the end. Both figures capture the appearance of a Star Wars Scout Trooper very successfully, but there are variations, largely attributable to slight changes in the design between the original trilogy/ROTJ and the character's current reiteration for The Mandalorian. This is exactly what happened with the design of Stormtroopers between the original trilogy (OT)/A New Hope (ANH) and RO -- you can see a comparison discussing these differences, carried over to the action figures HERE. Some of the differences between the original and Mandalorian designs are readily apparent (perhaps most obviously the screen-accurate heavier weathering on the Mandalorian design), but I will point them out in turn below.



The OT/ROTJ helmet (on the Sideshow figure) is a little larger, with a more rectangular visor, and a longer face/muzzle portion (perhaps Sideshow made it a tad too long). The toothed "frown," the three lines at the eyebrow, and the blacked out insides of the "ears" were all painted or decals in the actual movie helmets, but Sideshow sculpted them in loving detail, indenting the lines and teeth, and giving the insides of the "ears" a series of minuscule horizontal line indents. Technically, this wasn't screen accurate, but in hand it makes for a more compelling piece. The Mandalorian helmet (on the Hot Toys figure) is a little smaller and rounder, with a shorter face/muzzle portion. This appears to reflect a slight change in design between the OT/ROTJ and The Mandalorian accurately. Here the various details that Sideshow sculpted but were originally painted or decals are in fact painted or decals, making them more screen accurate, if much less compelling when viewed closely in hand. The shape of the goggles and their sunken frame is also a little different, reflecting the slightly altered design.



Viewed from the side, one can notice the change in the depth of the helmet's visor, which appears to reflect another slight change in the design between the OT/ROTJ and The Mandalorian renditions of the trooper type. The size of the bolts on the visor appear to be a little too small on the Sideshow helmet, even for the OT/ROTJ design, but about right on the Hot Toys helmet.



The length of the chest plate changed from the OT/ROTJ design (shorter) to The Mandalorian one (longer), and this is accurately reflected in the respective Sideshow and Hot Toys figures. The same is true for the shape and height of attachment of the pouches attached to the fabric overgarment worn over the midsection. In the OT/ROTJ design they sit higher and have a more boxy shape, whereas in The Mandalorian they sit lower and have a more saddlebag shape. Personally, I prefer the latter look when it comes to these, but both products are screen accurate.



A very notable difference involves the size and shape of the shoulder armor pieces, which are wider in the OT/ROTJ design and narrower in the Mandalorian design; they are respectively reproduced correctly by Sideshow and Hot Toys. Slightly less noticeable is the change in the length of the upper lower arm armor, which was shorter in the OT/ROTJ design. Note also the screen-accurate differences between the kneecap armor design of the two figures. The details are only slightly different, but the kneecap armor has been inverted, with the rim and band attachment placed at the bottom in the OT/ROTJ design and at the top in the Mandalorian design. This detail is also reproduced correctly in the two figures.



The "backpack" assembly on the back plate is screen accurate on the Hot Toys figure. The Sideshow figure's corresponding area is screen-accurate in having the four parallel lines, but has made the central hump perhaps a little too narrow, and it seems to sit a little too far up -- its shape and position should be closer to what we see in the Mandalorian design reflected by the Hot Toys figure. The size of the otherwise identical thermal detonators increased slightly from the OT/ROTJ to the Mandalorian design, and this is reflected accurately in the two figures.



In terms of articulation, the actual action figure bodies appear to be about equally capable of reaching and attaining poses. This has nothing to do with the costume design for the films -- although, in theory, the OT/ROTJ design's shorter breast plate and the Mandalorian design's deeper cutout in the upper back plate might be expected to provide advantages to the respective sets of armor. Independent of screen accuracy, the Hot Toys figure has an advantage in having two-piece gloves which allow for some wrist articulation (Sideshow's have practically none), and the soft (some sort of vinyl?) upper parts of the boots allow for plenty of ankle articulation (Sideshow's have practically none, although that set provides a second set of boots for placing on the speeder bike's pedals when riding it). While Hot Toys' decision with the boots is probably better in principle, in practice this could lead to excessive and unsightly creasing of the material. I came across a note in the 501st Legion's costuming guidelines that this is grounds for disqualification, so watch out.



Although it is possible for the Hot Toys body to achieve a number of poses, this is more difficult and less extensive than the effective range of the Sideshow body. The reasons for this is, as so often, Hot Toys' insistence using restrictive and largely unnecessary padding undergarments. As a result, Hot Toys' scout trooper cannot reach the weapon in his boot holster...



...in any position.



I did manage to make both figures sit on stool and have a beer break, but once again, it was a lot harder and more tentative with the Hot Toys figure, thanks to its restrictive padding. Looking at both figures, it is not apparent to me that Sideshow sacrificed appearance for functionality by foregoing this nuisance.



In terms of accessories, the two sets are very comparable. Both come with fairly elaborate bases/stands. Sideshow's (perhaps only in the second release of the trooper -- I may have lost track) comes with attachable rock, ground, and moss pieces, as well as a couple of logs. They provided similar pieces to go with the base/stand for their speeder bike. The Hot Toys base has a lunar-like planetary surface sculpt on the top, similar to what we have seen in some of their RO releases. Both sets come with the small EC-17 blaster and thermal detonators that attach on the figure -- one in the boot holster, the other on the belt -- and in both instances the Hot Toys versions are just slightly larger. At least in the case of the thermal detonator, that difference is screen-accurate. The Sideshow set includes six interchangeable gloved hands (right EC-17 blaster grip, right generic blaster grip, left relaxed, left pointing, and a pair of bike handle grip hands); each comes with its own wrist peg. The Hot Toys set includes seven interchangeable hands, with the sleeve part of the gloves as a single set of two separate pieces (right EC-17 blaster grip, a pair of bike handle grip hands, a pair of  relaxed hands, and a pair of fists); two spare wrist pegs are included. The Sideshow set features two interchangable sets of boots, one in a neutral position suitable for standing, the other bent forward for riding the speeder bike. Since they allow ankle articulation, the Hot Toys boots don't require an alternate pair, but, as noted above, they are subject to unsightly creasing of the soft material; moreover, the "dog bone" strap across the bridge of the foot seems overly pronounced.



I should point out that the design of the small EC-17 blaster is such that regular gun or pistol grip hands would not be able to hold it well, which makes the special grips provided by both Sideshow and Hot Toys particularly helpful. The blaster design is practically identical, although the Hot Toys version is slightly larger. As is often the case, Sideshow gave the weapon a more weathered, matte look, which makes it look a lot more realistic to me.



As already noted, Hot Toys' Mandalorian-based Scout Trooper is surprisingly tall, at just over 31 cm (12.25 in). By comparison, Sideshow's OT/ROTJ-based Scout Trooper is slightly shorter, at about 30.5 cm (12 in). Admittedly, some of the difference in measurements this close may have to do with the degree to which one can achieve an identical stance when measuring. But the Hot Toys Scout Trooper also appears tall next to Hot Toys Stromtroopers. Hot Toys' ROTJ-based Stromtrooper is just under 30 cm, which looks rather short in comparison. Hot Toys' RO-based Stromtrooper is about 30.5 cm, so again a little shorter than the Scout Trooper. The Stormtroopers we see in The Mandalorian have the same design as those from RO, so this last comparison is particularly pertinent. I have not picked up Hot Toys' Mandalorian-based Stromtrooper (they did the extra-weathered version), but I suspect it is identical in physical form and size to the RO version.



You can find detailed reviews on the HT stormtroopers below:
ANH Stormtrooper (HERE, by Michael Crawford)
RO Stormtrooper (HERE)
ROTJ Stormtrooper (HERE)

I hope this has been useful. What do you think?

Appendix on additional (modified) articulation in Post 20 below.

Link to another review of the Sideshow Scout Trooper here:
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t4402-sideshow-and-hot-toys-star-wars-scout-troopers-updated-comparative-review#62130

#starwars #sideshow #hottoys #imperial #biker #scout #trooper #galactic #empire #review #comparison #fiction #scifi

With the recent release of the Return of the Jedi (ROTJ) stormtroopers by Hot Toys (HT), it became apparent that the new product required additional sculpting and molding, partly intended to reflect the subtle changes in appearance between films and partly to improve any imperfections with earlier (especially A New Hope (ANH) ) versions of their stormtrooper. All this lends itself to comparison and, having promised that in my review of the HT ROTJ Stormtrooper, here it is.

At this point, HT has released three different versions of the basic imperial stormtroopers, not counting the slightly different Spacetrooper, Sandtrooper, etc. The three versions, in order of production, are those from ANH, Rogue One (RO), and ROTJ. Why a character type from the same franchise featured in films set in the same fictional era should exist in so many versions should be a mystery, but it is not: the appearance of the basic stormtroopers was altered between films. Some of this had to do with improving the actors' experience and was not intended to alter the overall look, some of it was intended to cause minor "improvements" to the appearance. A dubious rationale from the point of view of continuity, for sure, but it was done, and it gave HT the opportunity (or excuse) to produce several versions.

In the comparison photos below, the stormtroopers are arranged according to the chronology of the Star Wars fictional universe: RO - ANH - ROTJ. I realize that RO is not technically part of the Original Trilogy, but since it is set mere days (or minutes?) before ANH, and since it is intended to portray the same character type from the same era, I am including it here.

First, a side-by-side comparison of the all-important stormtrooper helmets made for each film:



Then, a side-by-side comparison of HT's stormtrooper figures; front view:



HT's first basic stormtrooper depicted the character type's appearance from ANH. It was a sharply executed, beautifully sculpted and painted figure, and an improvement on any that existed among higher-end sixth-scale models. The one serious departure from a correct reproduction of the appearance of the stormtrooper was HT perpetuating a mistake already present in the earlier Marmit and Sideshow versions. This was making the space along the nasal ridge larger between the toothed "frown" and the "mouth" than between the "mouth" and the lower edge of the integral "goggles." It should have been the reverse. Perhaps in part due to this error, the helmet also became too "snouty," extending too far down and forward. The result was a striking and attractive sculpt, but ultimately an inaccurate one. I should point out that the stormtrooper helmet is nearly impossible to get right due to its complexity, its variety (there were two slightly different types, "hero" and "stunt," from the start), and due to the fact that the original molds were based on a hand-sculpted and unintentionally asymmetrical sculpt. That smaller-scale toys and collectibles should "correct" this to a streamlined, symmetrical version (which might even be logically better grounded) is probably unavoidable. Even so, the basic error in proportions should have been spotted and avoided.

Side-by-side comparison of HT's stormtrooper figures; side view:



For Empire Strikes Back (ESB) and ROTJ, the stormtrooper helmets, though still based on molds from the original film, were altered by Lucasfilm (Mk II). The most obvious difference was the repainting of the "frown" from gray to black, and a less extensive black paint application on the sculpted "mouth" area. Because of the way the molds were produced, the helmets also assumed a slightly thinner, taller, aspect. Note that although the Mk 2 helmets were produced for ESB, they were barely used in it (most scenes were already shot, using slightly altered ANH helmets), and were mostly used in ROTJ. HT's recently produced ROTJ Stormtrooper feature a new helmet sculpt that reflected the changes in appearance fairly well, and undid the earlier mistake in the ratio above and below the "frown" along the nasal ridge -- now the length above is longer than the length below. In fact, they seem to have over-corrected, making the difference a little too large, and still ending up with a slightly too "snouty," if generally more accurate, helmet.

Decades after the Original Trilogy had been filmed and released, the stormtrooper helmet was altered once again for RO. In this instance, it was streamlined by computer design, although some of the original asymmetry was allegedly preserved. The RO helmets naturally attempted to recreate something closer to the ANH look (e.g., the gray toothed "frown"), but the slightly larger and uniformly bubble lenses did alter the appearance a little bit. HT's RO figure appears to have captured the on-screen appearance perfectly in the helmet, with a correct ratio along the nasal ridge above and below the "frown."

Side-by-side comparison of HT's stormtrooper figures; rear view:



In terms of the rest of the stormtrooper armor, changes undertaken during the filming of the Original Trilogy were largely minute and mostly undetectable, being mostly related to the way the armor was designed to fit onto the underlying body suit. The most visible external changes included adding a narrow trim along the edges of the torso armor elements -- chest and upper-back plates, abdomen and lowe-back plates, cod and butt plates -- and also inverting the small rectangular button plate in the middle of the abdomen. Both of these changes are featured correctly in the HT ROTJ Stormtrooper figures.

The RO armor design made larger departures. Generally speaking, the edges of the armor pieces receded to allow for better articulation, and also the lengths of the body armor pieces changed, presumably for the same reasons. The chest and upper-back plates became narrower but longer. All this is most easily spotted when looking at the troopers from behind. In the same area, the upper-back plate now features a long groove running along the upper edge of the integral "backpack" area, and a little circular hole just above it on the right. The cod piece, belt, and thermal detonator all received minor redesign. The small rectangular button plate in the middle of the abdomen returned to its ANH look, except that the one "stray" button was now made rectangular; also, all the buttons became recessed. All this is correctly reproduced in the HT RO Stormtrooper figure.

Finally, there is the question of holsters. In ANH Stormtroopers were usually portrayed with them (on their left hip), in ESB with them (on their right hip) and ROTJ sometimes with (on their right hip, Death Star scenes) and sometimes without (Endor scenes). Except for that last variation, HT's ANH and ROTJ Stormtroopers are correctly equipped, with the holsters on the correct sides, respectively. HT's RO Stormtrooper comes without a holster, which is also correct. Although this is not illustrated here, HT's ANH Stormtroopers came with two weapons each (or three, if you got the two-pack), but the ROTJ and RO Stormtroopers came with only one, the E-11 standard blaster rifle.

Overall, I would say HT was most successful in recreating the RO stormtrooper appearance; if you get that belt unstuck from the abdomen plate, it would also be the best-articulated of the three stormtrooper figures. The ANH and ROTJ figures are also very well designed and executed, but somewhat undermined by the errors in helmet design (especially ANH, less so ROTJ).

You can find detailed reviews on the HT stormtroopers below:
ANH Stormtrooper (HERE, by Michael Crawford)
RO Stormtrooper (HERE)
ROTJ Stormtrooper (HERE)

I hope this has been useful. What do you think?

#starwars #hottoys #imperial #stormtrooper #galactic #empire #review #comparison #fiction #scifi