Commander Gree - TVC - Basic (VC43)

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Variation hunters should heed what we are about to tell you about The Vintage Collection Commander Gree release. It is a repaint of the 2008 TAC Commander Gree (08 03) figure. Yes, Hasbro has tweaked the paint operations to give us a more screen-accurate figure, and they have done a fine job in doing so. Although somewhat dated now, Commander Gree was a groundbreaking figure in 2008, if you recall. It was the first clone commander where Hasbro installed ball-jointed hips. However, the added articulation didn’t give it that much more movement. Still, the increase in articulation appeared to resonate with collectors. Gree also had the distinction of coming with ball-jointed wrists. Hasbro doesn’t use ball-jointed wrists as often as we’d like, but we admit that they were instrumental in allowing Gree to hold the macrobinoculars accessory realistically. While imperfect, Commander Gree is a generally solid figure. Regardless of how you assess this action figure, some collectors believe that Hasbro didn’t execute the helmet’s design/deco to the same standard as seen on the character in the film. It is not as bad as the 2005 ROTS Commander Gree (III 59), but the striping on the helmet is not identical. The figure still looks decent to us, at least. Functionally, however, it lacks. We aren’t claiming that another enhancement wouldn’t be fantastic. It would. But it’s unlikely at this point in the game that Hasbro would revisit this character.

Hasbro should update all five principal clone commanders from Revenge Of The Sith. They’d all be bestsellers. So, what makes the 2011 iteration of Commander Gree different from the 2008 version? At face value, you may not think much. But we’ll go through all the changes. See the comparison shots in our Photo Gallery. Starting from the top front of the figure, the visor is a lighter mint green instead of the more lime green used in the 2008 iteration. Interestingly, the diametric opposite was true for the running change of the 2005 Revenge Of The Sith Commander Gree (III 59) figure. Hasbro changed the pattern of dripping dirt on the sides of the helmet. In our sample, the brown dirt was much more noticeable. This detail could vary from one figure to the next. The straps coming down the chest of the armor are thicker and more evenly spaced. The center chest pattern is a brighter green, and they significantly darkened the area surrounding this pattern with a dark gray (almost black) wash. The original figure had a light green or brown wash. Hasbro added lots of camouflage to Commander Gree’s armor. While it’s hard to point out differences in a random pattern like this, we can say that the approach in which Hasbro applied the camouflage pattern is unique to each figure. This change is especially evident in the knee armor and codpiece. These changes are few and far between, but together, hey combine and make the figure feel newer and refreshed.

Moving to the top back of the figure, the back of Gree’s helmet, for the first time, is painted in a light gray, which most eyes would miss if not pointed out. This slight change makes the helmet almost perfect in our eyes, and it brings a new depth that we haven’t seen to date. We are so happy Hasbro caught this detail. Hasbro used a dark gray to color the center of the figure, and they added this deco to the back of the figure as well. The antenna box appears to have adopted the new camouflage pattern style as well. The rest of the figure is nearly identical to the 2008 TAC Commander Gree (08 03) figure. However, we think it’s pretty impressive that Hasbro took the time to update and correct some of the issues the previous version had. While there are still a few more deco enhancements that could benefit Commander Gree, we believe that the best option would be to revisit the figure from the ground up. An admirable candidate for The Vintage Collection, Commander Gree isn’t an exceptional action figure, but it does fit in the lineup nicely. At some point, this character deserves definitive immortalization in the fan-favorite The Vintage Collection line. We also need to add other characters from the Battle of Kashyyyk to the line. Collectors seek after all action figures of 41st Elite Corps members. Remember, the TVC release of Commander Gree differs slightly from previous releases. You may want to pick this figure up if for no other reason than the packaging!