Review – Sideshow 12″ Endor Rebel Commando Sergeant

This post marks the final review of Sideshow’s Endor Rebel Commando line. I’m pretty glad because it can be a rather jading experience going through 3 similar figures. And who these commandos take after in the movie is still dubious to me. I hardly noticed these guys when I watched The Return of the Jedi! It just cannot compare to say… reviewing Medicom Bruce Lee today and the Hot Toys Endoskeleton next. And I questioned my decision to buy all 3 commandos after going through them. The dollars spent could have gone into some other figures on my target list.

Anyway, I do expect a Endor version of Leia sometime down the road. The lifespan of the Endor helmet could still be extended for one more figure! And this time it would be a more recognisable one. I do hope the sculpt would be better than the Boussh sculpt though. It would definitely take more than a Carrie Fisher face to make me plonk my dough on Endor stuff again. I’ve enough time to examine the quality of the 3 commandos, seen what was re-hashed, slightly modified to demonstrate difference between products. I don’t need a fourth A-280 blaster rifle!

But on hindsight, I may need that fourth blaster if it is the standard issue weapon for other military types in the Rebel Alliance. But you get the idea. Nevertheless, the “Militaries of Star Wars” line started off with much promise. It removed the fog on background characters in Star Wars. It is really something that I appreciate. However, as a consumer, I am kicking myself for buying the first 3 figures from this line. It should not be the case but somehow it really is.

On to the review…

Bottomline:

The Endor Commando Sergeant is largely similar in construction as with the Pathfinder and Infantryman. As such, you can expect the same level of quality in the paint work, materials used and sculpting. The notable differences are the head, clothes and the occasional backpack. If you are on a budget and shelf space is scarce, choose any one from the three that you fancy most. This advice is reinforced by the fact that these figures supposedly resemble casts from the movie that most would hardly know.

What’s good:

• Collector friendly box.
• Decent sculpt of a sarge.
• Good overall construction and details.
• Some difference in clothes from the Pathfinder and Infantryman.
• Stable and poseable figure.

What could be better:

• Box art could be better.
• Largely similar to what the Pathfinder and Infantryman have.

Review Details

Packaging

The Endor Rebel Commando Sergeant comes in the same box design as the Pathfinder and Infantryman. Yes, the grey and black colours are there. Only the picture of the figure is different. While the box art is as uninspiring as the previous two from the ‘Militaries of Star Wars’ line, the box design is as collector-friendly as ever. Magnetic strip on the flap, no twist ties, easy slide out trays for the figure and accessories. You get the picture.

 

Headsculpt/Resemblance

The Sergeant’s headsculpt is pretty decent. Sporting a crew-cut hairstyle and a neatly trimmed circle beard, the Sergeant looked every bit the military man except… the ruggedness. I would consider the Hot Toys Rambo III face rugged. The expression is the ‘staring into a campfire’ look. Definitely relaxed, void of any battle stress. Nevertheless, it is still a very sarge look. Anyway, platoon sergeants are always at the back of the fighting force in a supporting role. That may explain the lack of stress.

Here’s how the sculpt looks with the helmet on.

Quality of Product

The previous two Endor Rebel Commandos have so far sported good qualities in construction and tailoring of clothes. The Commando Sergeant is no different in this aspect. In the clothing department, the familiar undershirt, camo pants and gaiter wraps are present again. The high-pocket pants should be them same garment found on the Infantryman. The noticeable difference is the duster. This piece of clothing is well-tailored and is fitting on the figure. The high slit at the back of the duster usually caters for horseback riding to allow the duster to shield clothings from…well…dust. I wonder what Taun Taun-like creature they could possibly ride on Endor to need that.

Camouflage patterns on the clothes are subtle shades of green and grey. Nothing as contrasting as some of the contemporary military uniforms.

There are no extra hands in this package. The hands molded as well detailed gloves.

 

Stability

The Commando Sergeant is reasonably stable as with his other two counterparts. No problems standing upright. The well articulated Sideshow nude body underneath is capable of doing cross-leg sitting positions, kneeling positions. Poses requiring some bending of the knee are possible but require more effort to get the balance right. But they require both feet to be flat on the ground.

Accessories

Assessing the accessories that comes with the Sergeant made me wonder whether Sideshow wanted prospective buyers select their favourite figure from the 3 Endor Commandos as opposed to attracting them to buy all three. Well, at least make more effort to make the decision to choose harder. I’m saying this because there’s really little differences in the accessories department between the 3 man squad.

Here’s a list of the accessories for the Sergeant:

• Helmet
• Bandolier
• Soft-pack backpack
• A-280 blaster rifle with sling
• Wrist communicator

Let’s examine each of these items. The helmet, A-280 blaster rifle and bandolier are common to all 3 Endor commandos. The soft-pack backpack is common to the Pathfinder and Sergeant. Only the brick-like wrist communicator is unique to the Sergeant. Draw your own conclusions.

It’s really a pity that all 3 commandos came with the same A-280 blaster rifle. I know the Rebel Alliance is cash-strapped but certainly when fire-fight with Stormtroopers and Biker Scouts are everyday possibilities, you could spare more budget for a secondary weapon. With regards to standards, we have SOE and SOP, this is really SOW (Standard Outdoor Weapons).

The direction of the accessories for the first 3 figures from Sideshow’s ‘Militaries of Star Wars’ is mind-boggling. What’s the draw here to get all 3? Maybe if they have full face helmets(think Stormtroopers) it will make a difference.

However, to be fair to this review for the Sergeant, the construction of the accessories are really good. Details on the blaster rifle is sharp and it’s every Star Wars fan’s dream to have that 1/6 Endor helmet. One funny aspect of the Endor Rebel Commando line is the fact that the helmet strap does not seem to be able to be fastened. It’s too short and I cannot figure out the fastening mechanism(if there is one!). As the accessories are similar, please refer to the reviews on the Infantryman and Pathfinder for more details.