Ree-Yees - POTF2 [FF/TKC] - Basic

Even with a court full of conspirators, Jabba the Hutt never suspected Ree-Yees as a potential assassin. Ree-Yees cut a deal with the Empire to destroy Jabba, but fate would save that role for Princess Leia.

After three solid years since the debut of the neo classic Star Wars line, collectors were treated to a plethora of characters from across the Original Trilogy. But true to our form, Hasbro could never make enough action figures for us. We still wanted more. By the time The Power Of The Force “2” Freeze Frame line came around, Hasbro’s well was far from dry and they continued to produce incredible (and a few not so incredible) action figures for the Star Wars brand. On top of improved updates to previously released characters, Hasbro kept the ball rolling of first time offerings and first time modern updates of the original Kenner line. It seemed as if there was no end in sight, and there really wasn’t. After much begging from the collecting community, Hasbro made a stellar version of the popular Jabba’s palace alien Ree-Yees. The Gran drunkard was a staple background alien in Return Of The Jedi who was more prevalent in stills and source materials than he was in the actual film. It didn’t matter. He was part of the 1983 vintage Kenner lineup and that made him a highly desired modern release. We’re glad to say that Hasbro did a remarkable job on this POTF2 release. Some of the figures haven’t aged well, and they still struggle with human likenesses, but we feel that Hasbro can really knock the alien sculpts out of the park. Ree-Yees is no exception.

Ree-Yees is truly a miniature masterpiece. The first aspect of the figure that will grab you is his head sculpt. The tooling is borderline astounding. it’s one of the most impressive head sculpts he have seen on any figure to date in the modern line. What makes it fantastic is that it’s large and it gives the impression that it’s a mask with a human head underneath. This approach may not strike you as important, but it’s accuracy that cannot be denied. And the finishing deco (like the red encircling his black soulless eyes) is a marvel unto itself. What’s perhaps more impressive is the equally well tooled hands. They are chunky and large but can still hold the included weapons. And the texture of the skin is just gorgeous. Ree-Yees in general is an excellent sculpt, but keep in mind that this figure only comes with six points of articulation. Hasbro didn’t update the articulation in any way for this figure. This probably shouldn’t bother you that much because he is a character that primarily just stands around in Jabba’s palace getting drunk and not much else. His backstory claims that he conspires against Jabba the Hutt, but of course this action is never seen in the film. The point here is that the rest of Ree-Yees’ sculpt is equally impressive. His leathery purplish ribbed outfit has a wonderful texture and his high boots and shin guards complete his outfit awesomely. You have a great deal to celebrate here.

Ree-Yees comes with two blaster pistols, but both have been used in different ways with previously released figures. Specifically, the larger blaster pistol was cast in a different color plastic and included with 1997's POTF2 [FF/TKC] Bossk figure and the smaller blaster pistol was originally included with 1996's POTFs [R] Greedo figure. There almost unrecognizable with Ree-Yees, so that's a good thing here. Though these accessories are not screen accurate, they add extra play value which is great for both kids and collectors. We don’t mind the addition of these accessories, whether the characters used them in the films or not. Heck, look at the 1983 vintage Kenner Ree-Yees figure. He certainly didn’t have a gold blaster rifle in the film. It’s all for play value and showing the diversity of these aliens. Part of the “Galactic Assortment”, more commonly known as Collection 3, of basic action figures, Ree-Yees shipped alongside the Death Star Trooper which was the only other new figure in this final case assortment. Both proved to be very difficult to find at retail and it wasn’t until Hasbro made them available through the Star Wars Fan Club that they started to become more readily available. We truly believe that Hasbro did a splendid job on Ree-Yees. It may not have come out exactly how everyone would have wanted to see him done, but we’re hard pressed to think of a better way who could be approached. In short, Ree-Yees should impress you.