Bespin Han Solo - POTF2 [R/G] - New Millennium Minted Coin Collection

The Star Wars Mint is officially re-instituted with this limited edition series! New gold-colored coins feature character images from the classic silver-colored coin release – all with brand new reverse-side stampings specially designed for this exclusive commemorative offering.

Kenner/Hasbro re-releases the not-so-great Bespin Han Solo figure for the New Millennium Minted Coin Collection, a series of exclusives only available at Toys R Us. Bespin Han Solo (what in the world is up with the way they named him) reenters the POTF2 [FF/TKC] line with little eagerness and anticipation. The coin is cool, but we don’t think anyone needed to see this figure again so soon. Bespin Han Solo was one of our most favorite figures in the original vintage Kenner line released in the early 80s. To see him realized as a bulky and overtly muscular steroid user is particularly disconcerting. And after our complaints about the figure’s faults, Kenner/Hasbro re-releases him as if they’re trolling collectors. Also, why does this figure look more like a ballet dancer than a Rebel hero? What’s up with the skin tight pants and the large upper body. 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, not re-release. Is it asking too much to get a fair representation of what may be the most popular hero from the Rebel Alliance?

Originally, this Bespin Han Solo was one of two new figures in a new The Power Of The Force “2” case assortment. He was overshadowed by Princess Leia (As Jabba’s Slave), but he also was a popular release at the time. Bespin Han Solo is nothing out of the ordinary. He comes with six points of articulation which include the head, shoulders, waist and hips. The figure has an excellent center of gravity, although we doubt that collectors will be impressed with his pose. He has been positioned in a “walking forward” manner which really limits how you can use this figure in displays and dioramas. Regardless, he stands upright very well. Again, his likeness is terrible. Kenner/Hasbro utilized the blueprints of the same dang head sculpt (whether or not this head sculpt differs is not something we are sure of here) so that each and every Han Solo action figure looks to be a clone of one another. That may not sound like such a bad thing, but even actor Harrison Ford looked different enough from film to film to warrant different head sculpts on the action figures. As you can see, this figure is a disappointment all around. As far as accessories, he comes with a blaster pistol like the original figure, but not the larger weapon this time.

The superhero v-shape of some of the POTF2 figures are just mind-boggling. We just 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. 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. On a brighter note, the paint operations on Bespin Han Solo are actually quite nice. But with his poor likeness and disproportionate body, do good paint operations have any weight here? After the basic figure release of Bespin Han Solo at the end of 1997, the figure was also carried-forward into the Freeze Frame Action Slide phase of the line in 1998. Now he is also part of the New Millennium Minted Coin Collection exclusive lineup. Kenner/Hasbro must revisit Han Solo from the ground up and make his body type athletic and lean. Until collectors start seeing more realism in the Star Wars line, Kenner/Hasbro is going to be hearing complaints for a very long time. We wish we could claim that Bespin Han Solo has merit. But we’re completely disappointed with this figure’s release. It needs a complete redo.