STAR WARS Hot Toys Director Krennic (updated with Deleted Scenes)

Krennic was a pretty good character, his blind obendience and faith in the empire where his downfall. I do love that final scene with him as he looks up and finally understands that in the empire it's "Eat or be eaten." and that loyalty and obedience are basically meaningless, specially if all you want is power.

The deleted scenes are nice, specially the death trooper bringing him some pretty well known red boxed fries, I guess everyone likes those fries including evil men in a galaxy far far away.

Asta wrote:Further to the issue of Imperial ranks, Wookieepedia noted the inconsistency between the films:

According to Pablo Hidalgo, the rank badges "only mean anything in Empire Strikes Back".[40] In A New Hope, the plaques look different than in The Empire Strikes Back, despite many officers holding the same rank. In Return of the Jedi, all of the plaques were mistakenly made as commander plaques[41] due to a costuming error,[42] even those of Admiral Firmus Piett[4] and Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod.[42] Both Rogue One: A Star Wars Story[16] and Star Wars Rebels feature both styles of plaques.[34]

Glyn Dillon, costume designer for Rogue One, released the following chart created by David Crossman for the film

Thanks for the extra resource. I'm glad Rogue One tried to be systematic (though they did make some unforgivable mistakes in terms of continuity in costuming). However, the received opinion is that insofar as the badges were consistent, it was in A New Hope, and that Empire began the process of introducing inconsistencies. And that seems correct, if nothing else, because A New Hope introduced all this in the first place (and any inconsistencies may be due to retcon -- e.g., retrospectively naming and titling characters not actually named and titled onscreen).

Ovy wrote:Nice, I think they made some good choices, that hat for example and the two outfits. He really shines in the right surroundings.

Not a fan of the stand with the portrait, he will be standing on his own face? But looks better among his fellow Planet destroyer friends anyway. Speaking of, I like the pics in front of that space window the most, like the one were he feels the power of evil running through his veins. They really cast this actor often to play the bad guy. (Duh.)

Never got a look at the pistol, looks very unique and kind of sixshooterish.

Regarding rank, never gave it much thought, but I always had the conception the empire takes the 'longer/bigger the better' kind of approach. Like: 'I have more squares I outrank you!' 
but now he could add: 'But I have more blue squares!'
What are these silver cylinders anyway, some kind of ball point pen?

I'm glad we agree and that you liked the images. The code cylinders, if I remember correctly, have to do with automatic access (clearance) based on rank and status.

Stryker2011 wrote:Looking at all those rank charts gave me a headache. Oh the mistakes made by the Script Supervisors over all these films (it happens all the time, even in the same movie, so I don’t know how much stock I would put into any chart made by Fanboys).

It seems to me that much about what we "know" about these is essentially retcon. As in fans (and later filmmakers) apparently trying to make sense of what was already becoming inconsistent by the second film.

Theboo-bomb wrote:Krennic was a pretty good character, his blind obedience and faith in the empire where his downfall. I do love that final scene with him as he looks up and finally understands that in the empire it's "Eat or be eaten." and that loyalty and obedience are basically meaningless, specially if all you want is power.

The deleted scenes are nice, specially the death trooper bringing him some pretty well known red boxed fries, I guess everyone likes those fries including evil men in a galaxy far far away.

Yep, everyone like fries. Greasy food is supposed to be comfort food, and Krennic was still smarting from being told off by Tarkin. Speaking of which, a clear glass might have been an appropriate extra accessory for the set.

GubernatorFan wrote:Thanks for the extra resource. I'm glad Rogue One tried to be systematic (though they did make some unforgivable mistakes in terms of continuity in costuming). However, the received opinion is that insofar as the badges were consistent, it was in A New Hope, and that Empire began the process of introducing inconsistencies. And that seems correct, if nothing else, because A New Hope introduced all this in the first place (and any inconsistencies may be due to retcon -- e.g., retrospectively naming and titling characters not actually named and titled onscreen).

The ANH ranks are pretty confusing, and I don't know whether much thought went into them, but as you say the retrospective naming and titling has only made it more difficult to rationalise them.

I looked at the behind the scenes info for the ANH characters named in Glyn Dillon's chart, to see how much original intent there was in relation to the rank bars on screen. It's apparent that there wasn't much set in stone from the beginning:

Motti...was played by Richard LeParmentier, who was credited as "General Motti".[4] Motti was originally intended to be an admiral, but as LeParmentier proved to be too tall for the uniform that he was to wear, he was fitted in the uniform of a general and Motti's rank was changed.[12]

Wullf Yularen first appeared as an unnamed background character in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, whom the fan website Aveleyman claims was portrayed by Robert Clarke,[36] and he was given the name Wullf Yularen by the Star Wars Legends card game Star Wars Customizable Card Game.

Chief Bast...was portrayed by Leslie Schofield and credited only as "Commander #1."[2]

The character of Romodi [Hurst] first appeared in the novelization of the 1977 movie Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, released several months prior to the film. Attending a meeting aboard the Death Star, he delivers a line[10] that is instead given to Admiral Motti in the movie.[1] Although his appearance in the novel rendered him a part of Expanded Universe continuity, it was unclear if Romodi actually appeared in the film until 2012 when author Jason Fry confirmed that he was the "bald guy" present at the meeting;[11] a character whom the fan website Aveleyman claims was portrayed by Ian Selby.[12] In that same year, Fry and Paul R. Urquhart provided the first name of "Hurst" in the reference book The Essential Guide to Warfare.[13]

General Tagge was created by George Lucas for the 1977 film Star Wars, in which he was portrayed by Don Henderson. The character is credited erroneously as General Taggi in the film's end credits. In early drafts of the film's screenplay, Lucas swapped the names of General Tagge and Admiral Motti, which had repercussions in the film's various adaptations. Early dialogue for Tagge revealed that he, like Motti, has reservations about Darth Vader's capacity to recover the data tapes of the Death Star plans. This version of the script is reflected in the first part of Marvel Comics' adaptation of the film, although the character's appearance more closely reflects that of the actor playing Admiral Motti, Richard LeParmentier, rather than Henderson.[2] The comic issue also gives Tagge the rank of commander rather than general. Alan Dean Foster's novelization of Lucas's screenplay further confuses the issue, giving Motti's lines to Tagge, and as a result it is General Tagge who is strangled by Darth Vader in the scene.[2] Foster's novel also gives Tagge his earlier line regarding Darth Vader, and features him arguing with another character, Romodi. The novel also features dialogue from Tagge that concerns his opinion on Tarkin, which does not appear in the film.

Trech Molock...reached the rank of High General, he acted as the first Death Star's Army Operations Chief under Cassio Tagge....

Although he appeared in the 1977 movie Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope,[2] Molock was only identified as such in 2013 in The Death Star Coup, an article written by Jason Fry for the Special Edition 2014 of the Star Wars Insider magazine. The article, however, does not precise whether Molock died in the destruction of the Death Star over Yavin 4 or not.[1]

It's in my nature to try and make sense of these things, but over the course of the Original Trilogy it's just not possible. By contrast the system in Star Trek is much more satisfying, whether it's sleeve bands or collar pips you can tell a character's rank.

Good point about the notorious fluidity of Lucas' drafts, which appear to have confused things even more. Here are a couple of links from a site that tried to make sense of it, in case anyone is interested:

https://www.theforce.net/swtc/insignia/badges.html

https://www.theforce.net/swtc/insignia/empire.html

https://www.theforce.net/swtc/insignia/cylinders.html

https://www.theforce.net/swtc/insignia/uniforms.html

I don't know enough about Star Trek, but from what I do know, I would imagine they were far more systematic about this.

GubernatorFan wrote:Good point about the notorious fluidity of Lucas' drafts, which appear to have confused things even more. Here are a couple of links from a site that tried to make sense of it, in case anyone is interested:

https://www.theforce.net/swtc/insignia/badges.html

https://www.theforce.net/swtc/insignia/empire.html

https://www.theforce.net/swtc/insignia/cylinders.html

https://www.theforce.net/swtc/insignia/uniforms.html

Those are some good links.  

GubernatorFan wrote:I don't know enough about Star Trek, but from what I do know, I would imagine they were far more systematic about this.

In the original series they were like naval cuff bands. The more solid bands on the shirt the higher the rank:



In the Next Generation it was the pips on the collar:




These series, of course, portray Earth's future.

I think Lucas wanted to create something that was more alien, yet also something that the audience would identify with. So, while the uniforms recalled Nazi and Imperial Japanese authoritarianism, the ranks themselves were alien and indiscernible. Reflective maybe of the great faceless power behind the bureaucracy of the Empire. Faceless, not only due to Vader's mask, but also the Emperor that isn't seen in the first film. Alan Dean Foster's novelisation even wrote:

Once secure in office he declared himself Emperor, shutting himself away from the populace. Soon he was controlled by the very assistants and boot-lickers he had appointed to high office, and the cries of the people for justice did not reach his ears.

So we get this great variety of coloured rank bars, but we don't know what they indicate. To me it implies the intricacies of a great bureaucratic nightmare. Imagine a Kafkaesque world where departments have very specific duties, and if an officer therein lacked a certain coloured bar he would have to direct a task to an officer who was entitled to deal with it.

Gene Roddenberry was former Navy, based Star Trek’s ships and crew ranks around his experience. He was a stickler for details.

Edit: cross posted with Asta.

Supposedly the costumes for ANH, at least, can be expected to be more consistent and believable, since they were under the overall direction of John Mollo, a military history expert. But stories like swapping uniforms between actors due to fit, and reassigning lines to different characters (or effectively reassigning characters' names) may have contributed to confusion since early on.

The cream uniforms used by the Imperial Security Bureau (and that very identification may be a retcon) were actually Russian officers' uniforms from WWI or before.

GubernatorFan wrote:Supposedly the costumes for ANH, at least, can be expected to be more consistent and believable, since they were under the overall direction of John Mollo, a military history expert. But stories like swapping uniforms between actors due to fit, and reassigning lines to different characters (or effectively reassigning characters' names) may have contributed to confusion since early on.

The cream uniforms used by the Imperial Security Bureau (and that very identification may be a retcon) were actually Russian officers' uniforms from WWI or before.

The uniforms themselves remained pretty consistent through the films. But the ranks that went on them don't appear to have been high on Lucas' mind, causing inconsistency throughout the original trilogy and no doubt headaches for comic book artists and costume designers thereafter. Costume designer Dave Crossman's chart created for Rogue One is probably the canon version now, or at least until some new film messes up again!

The prerequisite for the appearance of the Imperial officers was probably on the lines of, 'severely militaristic and authoritarian Space Nazis'.

I always thought the caps were inspired by another strict militaristic regime, Imperial Japan, which would've been popularised in films such as Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and Battle of Midway (1976)

Asta wrote:The uniforms themselves remained pretty consistent through the films. But the ranks that went on them don't appear to have been high on Lucas' mind, causing inconsistency throughout the original trilogy and no doubt headaches for comic book artists and costume designers thereafter. Costume designer Dave Crossman's chart created for Rogue One is probably the canon version now, or at least until some new film messes up again!

The prerequisite for the appearance of the Imperial officers was probably on the lines of, 'severely militaristic and authoritarian Space Nazis'.

I always thought the caps were inspired by another strict militaristic regime, Imperial Japan, which would've been popularised in films such as Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and Battle of Midway (1976)

Yes, the uniforms are pretty consistent, to a point -- ANH and ESB showed more variety and consistency (except for some of the rank badges). In the original ESB a number of shots are mirrored, with the rank badges appearing to be on the wrong side of the chest. This was corrected digitally later, leading to a controversy among those who are trying to restore a pre-Special Edition version of the film. Moreover, the ordering (top or bottom) of the red and blue tiers of ANH and ESB badges on the one hand and ROTJ badges on the other differs -- red over blue in ANH and ESB, blue over red in ROTJ. RO matches ANH, which is a sensible choice. With my dogmatic attachment to the original film trilogy, I'm somewhat divided on how far I would personally consider RO to be canon (it would have been easier had it not included inconsistencies and contradictions).

Outliers to the use or consistency of uniforms across the original trilogy include:
- Security Bureau officer uniforms (cream-colored tunic with black cap and pants with rank badges but no code cylinders) appear only in ANH -- until resurrected for Krennic in RO (but with code cylinders added).
- higher-ranking army and naval officer uniforms (olive tunics and trousers with black belts and boots and usually olive caps, with badges and code cylinders) (all films)
- naval, pilot, and stormtrooper officer uniforms (black tunics and trousers with black belts and black caps, with or without badges and code cylinders) (all films)
- naval technical specialist (scanning crew) is also only seen in ANH (grey jumpsuit with black cap);
- medical (?) officer uniform (olive tunic with black cap and pants) only in ANH;
- another officer (?) uniform with regular trousers and shoes rather than boots also only in ANH;
- communications (?) officer uniform (olive tunic with black samurai-style helmet) only in ANH (it inspired the original Kenner 1:18 version of the naval guards, with an inaccurate officer's badge and misnamed "Death Star" or "Death Squad" trooper/commander);
- naval crew technicians (grey jumpsuit with olive cap) only in ESB (in ROTJ these are ignored or all turned to naval officers in semi-formal uniform -- black jumpsuit with black cap);
- ground crew (dark blue jumpsuit with black talker helmet) only in ROTJ (revised for Jyn Erso's disguise in RO);
- naval guards appear in either formal (black tunic) or semi-formal (black jumpsuit) uniform (with the black samurai-style helmets) -- both looks in ANH and ROTJ, formal only in ESB;
- gunners appear with full (quilted black leather top and motorcycle-chest-protector over black jumpsuit) or semi-formal (just black jumpsuit) uniform with black gunner helmet in ANH; semi-formal only in ROTJ; both in RO but missing their imperial crests at the shoulders of the jumpsuit.

Pilots and trooper types are a separate thing in my head, but may be listed for convenience --
- regular army (= AT-ST drivers in ROTJ, commanding officer/AT-AT commander = General Veers in ESB; "mud troopers" in Solo);
- stormtroopers (standard version found in all films, with minor variations), also with specialized gear variations -- "sandtroopers" in ANH (with a less distinctive recreation in RO), "spacetroopers" in ANH only, "snowtroopers" with distinctive winter gear in ESB only, "Mimban stormtroopers" in Solo only;
- TIE fighter pilots (all films);
- AT-AT drivers (winter gear of what should otherwise appear like the AT-ST drivers?) in ESB only;
- scout troopers in ROTJ;
- emperor's royal guards in ROTJ only (not counting last prequel);
- "shoretroopers" in RO only;
- "death troopers" in RO only;
- patrol troopers in Solo only;
- range troopers (a steroids variant of the scout troopers or shore troopers) in Solo only.

"The Imperial caps were inspired by German forage caps and were all manufactured for the film"; "George wanted the Imperial people to look very efficient, and totalitarian, and Fascist" (John Mollo); "Beyond the manufactured officer tunics and the police-style Imperial guard tunics, the forces were supplemented with cream-colored Imperial Russian officers' summer tunics..." -- B. Alinger, Star Wars Costumes: the Original Trilogy, San Francisco 2014: 21.

I think Michael Crawford forgot to post his own HT Krennic review on our site. If you are interested in reading a different take and seeing a set of more professional photos, you can find it here:

http://www.mwctoys.com/REVIEW-060120a.htm

Value is questionable. It is a Hot Toys figure, and they are the top of the 1/6 game. I always feel Hot Toys about knock $50 off most pieces, if they wanted to.

ukshaun wrote:Value is questionable. It is a Hot Toys figure, and they are the top of the 1/6 game. I always feel Hot Toys about knock $50 off most pieces, if they wanted to.

I'm not sure what you mean. If it is that value is subjective, I couldn't agree more. Hot Toys were the top of the 1/6 game for a while, and are maintaining a precarious foothold on that spot. But other companies are getting as good, if not as consistently or as frequently, and Hot Toys continues to make unfortunate (and arguably erroneous) choices with alarming frequency. This figure is on the better side of their current practice. The price inflation, which is clearly their own doing, is much worse than that.