Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi - POTF2 [R/G] - Electronic Power F/X

Interconnetcs with Power F/X Darth Vader figure for full lightsaber duel!

After R2-D2 (Artoo-Detoo), the Electronic Power F/X sub-line got progressively worse. Sure, there are some redeeming qualities with the inclusion of excellently tooled environmental backgrounds, but the figures themselves seemed to decline as the line moved forward. Take for instance Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi. This figure might be the worst of the entire lot. Instead of tooling a screen-accurate version of him for this particular “scene” on which this set is based, they followed the same approach as the 1995 basic figure, complete with a bad likeness and incorrect body shape which prevents this figure from looking remotely like the onscreen character. Add to that an incorrect green lightsaber (because blue LED lights were cost-prohibitive). Still, we have to wonder why Kenner/Hasbro didn’t include a “white” LED and a blue blade. Wouldn’t that have provided a nearly-identical effect?

On paper, the Electronic Power F/X figures should have been one of the most successful sub-lines of Kenner’s/Hasbro’s The Power Of The Force “2” era. But in execution, most of them fail because of poor sculpting. Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi suffers from the same issue. Although all-new sculpts, they decided to keep the bulky proportions of the basic figures in this line, and it messes with the entire figure’s aesthetics. When you have screen-accurate environmental displays and screen-accurate cardboard backgrounds to bring the scene together, the figures don’t interact well with them when they’re a hulking mess in the center of it all. We accept that the light-up lightsaber feature of Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi’s lightsaber was an interesting move, but the execution also fails because of how large they had to make the hilt and blade for it to function. It’s not practical in the slightest.

One thing we have to give Kenner/Hasbro credit for is that they thought ahead and ensured that multiple figures in this line interact with each other. For instance, the bases of Darth Vader and Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi interconnect to create and finish a scene from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Likewise, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker interconnect to recreate a scene from Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi. We appreciate little nods like this very much. We want to think that Hasbro developed the Electronic Power F/X line as a way to get out larger environmental pieces. They created environmental display stands, large enough to be considered playsets, to interact with the figures and recreate some of the most pivotal scenes from the Star Wars saga. But those pieces stand out more than the figures do. Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi isn’t a great looking figure, but his base is a beautiful work of art.