Han Solo - TSC - Basic (SAGA 002)

It sure took a while for Hasbro to bring us a good modern update to the 1985 The Power Of The Force classic Han Solo (In Carbonite Chamber) figure. But thankfully Hasbro created a stellar figure for us as part of the first wave of The Saga Collection. The 2005 release of Han Solo with his partially melted carbonite chamber is one of those welcomed sculpts where Hasbro’s gotten a lot of things right and made some huge improvements. Despite this, it also has a couple little flaws that might leave some people a bit disappointed. A figure that has great proportions and a nice sculpt, he is only inhibited really by a lack of needed extra articulation. It’s a pretty decent figure that without a doubt renders both its POTF2 and TRU multipack predecessors completely obsolete and there’s a lot of really cool things to like about it. Although a price increase coincided with the beginning of this collector-focused line known as The Saga Collection, it’s still a bit of a stretch for the average collector. Thankfully, Han Solo seems to make it worthwhile.

One of the best things this new version of post-hibernation Han has got going for it is the cool accessories. Packed with our favorite space scoundrel is a brand new block of carbonite that we think will be a stunning addition to everyone’s Jabba’s Palace displays. The bright red “thawing” effect looks very good, and the Boushh disguise Leia figure looks awesome standing next to it preparing to free Captain Solo from his carbonite captivity. Also included with this figure is the staff from the skiff battle that our temporarily blinded hero accidentally used to bring an untimely end to the galaxy’s most notorious bounty hunter. “Boba Fett! Where?” And lastly this figure also includes a neat looking personalized display stand and of course the boring randomly inserted 2-inch hologram figure; which is just not too exciting especially if it’s partly responsible for the price increase. But there is no doubt that you are getting a quality product hewre otherwise.

Enough about the accessories! Let’s move on to the actual Han Solo figure. Overall, he’s a really nice update. He’s got quite a decent, movie-accurate paint job, with some very good “muck” (for lack of a better term) applications on his shirt and some sand stains from the desert fighting on his pants. If there’s one flaw in the paint job it’s that the skin tone is slightly different in the neck than in the plastic color of the head. The sculpt is also mighty impressive from head to toe and includes what might be the best likeness of Harrison Ford in the line to date, so no complaints there. What's really bothersome, unfortunately, is the articulation. This is where this figure really falls short of perfection. He’s got only 10 points of articulation, which is not enough for a character who was involved in as much action as Han was. Knee articulation is essential for optimal playability and seeing more of it in the Star Wars line would definitely be appreciated (by collectors and kids alike). So in conclusion, is the new Han Solo (in carbonite) figure worth adding to your collection? We say absolutely YES, despite the fact that there was a little room for improvement here. He’s far superior to the previous versions of Captain Solo in this outfit, that’s for sure.