Sideshow's 12" Clone Wars: GENERAL ANAKIN SKYWALKER

[JeffSaylor]

Move over Luke, it's time for Anakin Skywalker to steal the show...

---

The 12" General Anakin Skywalker action figure is in-stock and available now at Sideshow Collectibles priced at $89.99.

For a great selection of film, comic and TV action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, PastGenerationToys.com, Urban-Collector.com, MonkeyDepot.com, HobbyLinkJapan.com, and Sekaido.com.

To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with our sponsor Collectibles Insurance.

---

If you've been living in a cave for the past few years, you might not realize that CLONE WARS, the popular animated program on Cartoon Network, is the current face of Star Wars. Move over Luke Skywalker, it's time for the young Anakin Skywalker to steal the show. Sideshow Collectibles has already moved in on Clone Wars territory for a while now with some notable releases and many, many Clones Troopers, but we're finally getting to star of the show, General Anakin Skywalker.


Unlike Hasbro, Sideshow has taken the cartoon properties and kept them entirely in the same design and continuity of the live action films. It's a smart move since it's the older collectors who are purchasing these and it allows them to keep everything unified. It also means Sideshow can sell double of the Clone Troopers, one to film purists and one to the Clone Wars fans.

For those who are interested in getting into the 12" Clone Wars line, General Skywalker is still available on Sideshow's site priced at $89.99. The exclusive version was $10 more, but included the super exclusive pack-in: Rotta the Hutt, as seen in The Clone Wars theatrical release. The exclusive is now on wait-list.

The box for General Skywalker (and any other 12" Star Wars release) is very much the same as it has been for the last few years. The glossy box with magnetic opening flap is attractive and features full-color photography and film grabs on all sides (although the side of the box used to feature unique art, now they're both identical). There's a lot of text provided with each Star Wars release and I’m thankful for that. It happens time and time again where you pick up a fancy toy but don't have a lot of knowledge on it. Sideshow does your homework for you and also spills what the contents of the toy are.

The sculpt for these Clone Wars human characters can be tricky as Sideshow is basing them on real actors that have never donned these particular hairstyles or costumes for reference. For Anakin, they've done quite a job capturing the likeness of actor Hayden Christensen, although I'm not too positive about the hairstyle. If this is intended to be the realistic version of the cartoon, they didn't fully embody his signature hairstyle from the toon. His expression is more of a neutral/serious expression and it works.

The body used is the Prometheus body that features over 30 points of articulation. I didn't have any issues with loose joints or overly tight ones so that's a relief. I'm surprised Sideshow didn't use a taller body for the would-be Vader but I suppose they're staying accurate to the actor.

The paint really is all about the head and they've learned so much since the start, which all of fans can be happy about. The skin tone is a tad orange-ish with my eyes but then again, so is the cartoon. The eyes are painted well and straight and edges around the hair are neat.

The outfit for General Skywalker probably wouldn't have been designed this way if it was for a live-action feature but for the animated shows, colors are changed and outfits redesigned. If you don't like it, you can't blame Sideshow as they did a remarkable job recreating it. The one element that I find a tad on the goofy side is the armor (resembles Vader's) and it doesn’t sit as low as I'd like. In some angles, it gives Anakin the illusion of having no neck so be prepared to futz around if you feel inclined.

On the accessory front, Sideshow never disappoints. Always a given is the Star Wars logo display stand. Also included are two sets of interchangeable hands (these swap out very easy for me), wrist guards, belt with pouches, lit and unlit lightsabers. The outfit is removable so you can count the Shoulder Armor and Vest too if you like.

For those who are already into Clone Wars, picking up General Skywalker should be a no brainer. If you're into it and haven't begun, this would be an essential first step. May the Force be with you.


Review and Photography by David Yeh

Review Sample Courtesy Sideshow Collectibles

---