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The second in a one-two punch of Target Star Wars exclusives, Hasbro brings us the Demise of Grievous figure. Oops, did I spoil it for you? Well, if you're visiting this site and haven't seen Revenge of the Sith, I think you're in the wrong place. Big surprise: General Grievous dies. And he doesn't just die, either... he kind of goes out like a punk.
Much of this figure's mold is the same as the Sneak Preview General Grievous, and in a fairly short time this mold has seen quite a bit of mileage, also finding a home in the new Saga line as well as the Clone Wars Jedi Vs. Sith Battle Pack (despite the fact that Grievous is neither Jedi nor Sith). Thankfully, this time around the mold sees some fairly substantial retooling in the interest of accuracy.
Since this is a scene-specific figure depicting Grievous in one particular moment of the film, Hasbro has done what nerds wish all toy companies would do: they changed a few things that fans would have otherwise bitched about. The arms below the elbow are new, and reflect the damage inflicted by Obi-Wan Kenobi during his lightsaber battle with the General. Thus, two of his four hands are missing. Additionally, two of the four armor plates (one on each arm) are missing from Grievous's forearm. This is odd, because I don't really remember that happening in the movie, but after checking my references, that is how Grievous looked in that specific scene. So, well done, Hasbro.
His upper torso has been modified a bit as well, in that the peg holes that normally accommodate his cape have been filled in, since this figure has no cape. Also, his head seems to be new, featuring not only peg holes where the eyes once were, but some subtle sculpt difference in certain areas (compare the mouth parts in particular).
The figure also has some paint differences to reflect that we are indeed witnessing his demise. He's mostly white, gunmetal and silver, but he has some extra orange-ish airbrushing on his torso, arms, legs and face. It's also worth noting that, like the most recent Grievous in the Saga line, this figure's paint is much truer to the film Grievous than the previous figures that utilized this mold. They were more of a light brown/beige, whereas the film Grievous was actually much paler in the lighter areas.
The flames that surround the figure's chest and burst from his eye sockets are cast in translucent orange, and airbrushed liberally with orange. Although the chest flames are separate from the figure and don't attach anywhere specifically, they are not removable. The eyeball flames do pop out, however, leaving the previously mentioned peg holes to serve as some gross hollowed-out eye cavities.
In addition to the flames,
the figure comes with an electro staff and a blaster. The electro staff is the same one seen with the Saga Grievous, which is an unpainted version of the staffs that came with both versions of Grievous's Bodyguards. It's pretty difficult to get him to hold it, but it can be done. His blaster is the same we've gotten with just about every Grievous figure, though it really makes no sense for him to hold it, since being shot with it is the reason he's bursting into flames. It fits nicely in Obi-Wan Kenobi's hand, however.
The figure has the same
articulation as the other Grievous figures that use the mold it's based on. It stands better than most other Grievouses because it lacks the cape to get in the way, so the legs can be posed in such a way that the figure doesn't fall forward. Overall, he has a balljointed head, shoulders, and knees, peg elbows and torso, and t-crotch hips. With a little bit of tinkering you can get him balanced leaning backwards in the throes of death.
This is a nifty little figure, but the $12.99 pricetag (standard for Target Exclusive figures) is painfully high. It's almost twice the price of a basic figure, and what you're getting is a retooled, repainted Grievous with some flames. It will look mighty cool posed next to your RotS Obi-Wan, and certain Target exclusives have been known to fly off the shelves, but at the price point, only hardcore Star Wars collectors need apply.
Can anyone get a Shadow Trooper for yo go re? He keeps pestering everybody. Tell us on our message board, The Loafing Lounge.
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