Bespin Han Solo - POTF2 [R/G] - Basic

HEIGHT: 1.83 meters
STATUS: Smuggler, Pirate, Rebel Pilot
CLASSIFICATION: Human
AFFILIATION: Rebel Alliance
WEAPON OF CHOICE: BlasTech DL-44, Heavy Blaster

Let’s get something off our chest right away. We can’t stand the naming convention of “Bespin” then character name. What is up with that? It breaks down the established Kenner approach that listed the character’s name, followed by a subtitle. Bespin Han Solo should not exist. It should be Han Solo (Bespin Outfit). Perhaps there is a reason for the oddly-named action figure. With a bulky body frame and a head sculpt that doesn’t favor Harrison Ford at all, perhaps Kenner/Hasbro wants collectors to assume that this is a different version of Han Solo (Bespin Outfit). The fourth Han Solo basic figure in the modern Star Wars line, Kenner/Hasbro, isn’t creating a catalog of figures that will hold up well, especially when it comes to the adored Han Solo. Bespin Han Solo enters the POTF2 line towards the end of 1997, and although there were eagerness and anticipation, the final figures leave collectors wishing for more. We have to be honest and express that we’re disappointed with the way he turned out. Han Solo (Bespin Outfit) was one of our most favorite figures from the 1980s. To see the character reinvented into a bulky and overtly muscular gym rat is particularly disconcerting. Also, why does this figure look more like a ballet dancer than a Rebel hero? What’s up with the skin-tight pants boasting muscular thighs and an enormously large upper body strong enough to lift female dancers above the head?

Much is awry with Bespin Han Solo. And because of that, we want to see Kenner/Hasbro go back to the drawing board and make a version of Han Solo (Bespin Outfit) that isn’t as offensive as this one. Is it asking too much to get a fair representation of what may be the most popular hero from the Rebel Alliance? Bespin Han Solo is one of two new figures from a new The Power Of The Force “2” case assortment. In all honesty, the release of this figure was overshadowed and made insignificant by the Princess Leia Organa (As Jabba’s Slave) figure that shipped with it. The latter figure must have broken hoarding records for the POTF2 line. So it’s a fair assessment to state that collectors were like ‘cool, a new Han Bespin, now where is Slave Leia?’ when they entered stores looking for that hot action figure. Bespin Han Solo is nothing out of the ordinary, aside from the dramatic and caricatured features. The figure comes with six points of articulation, which include the head, shoulders, waist, and hips. Bespin Han Solo has an excellent center of gravity, although we doubt that collectors will be impressed with the strange pose. Kenner/Hasbro designed the figure in a “walking forward” manner, which severely limits how you can use this figure in displays and dioramas. The likeness is once again ‘bad.’ It’s the same old head sculpt on a new body, and that leaves us feeling deflated and uninterested.

The superhero v-shaped bodies of some of the POTF2 figures are mind-boggling. We don’t understand how Kenner/Hasbro would think for a moment that this is what modern collectors wanted to see in this new era of collecting. And because we’re a couple of years into the line, we’re surprised to see them not changing their approach all that much. If you look at Bespin Han Solo from the back, his torso is gigantic. It is like one huge square. Then his bowed out arms make for awkward posing with his included guns. Still, we must give credit where credit is due. On a brighter note, the paint operations on Bespin Han Solo are quite nice. But with his poor likeness and disproportionate body, do good paint operations have any weight here? Bespin Han Solo comes with two weapons, one screen-accurate, and one not screen-accurate. The POTF2 figures all come with a larger (and exaggerated accessory) for extra play value. And while that is appreciated, we know that collectors want to see more screen-accurate action figures instead. Kenner/Hasbro must streamline the bodies, develop beautiful head sculpt, and shorten the scale of these figures a bit, so they stay in line with Kenner’s original vision for the Star Wars action figures lineup. Bespin Han Solo is without question another disappointment, but we hope that the tide changes for this line and that they produce some amazing products in the future.