ATTAKUS DARTH VADER Collection
- Thread starter mikajedi
- Start date
Darth Kahnt
Sr Member
Nice pieces Mika.
I had considered the Attakus Vader at one point but went with the Sideshow Premium format Vader instead, not to say that the Attakus aren;t nice because they are. Great pics. :thumbsup
I had considered the Attakus Vader at one point but went with the Sideshow Premium format Vader instead, not to say that the Attakus aren;t nice because they are. Great pics. :thumbsup
Aw man. So THAT'S where all the Stormtroopers and TIE Pilots went to... :rolleyes
Probe Droid
Master Member
And proud you should be. :thumbsup
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Zenwalker @ Apr 5 2007, 03:23 PM) [snapback]1456046[/snapback]</div>
Well obviously the laser bolt would have had to pass through three stormtroopers and BOTH Imperial Guards to reach Vader, and we all know that the Single Laser Bolt Theory is nonsense.
Jango had to have accomplices on that grassy knoll.
- k
Well obviously the laser bolt would have had to pass through three stormtroopers and BOTH Imperial Guards to reach Vader, and we all know that the Single Laser Bolt Theory is nonsense.
Jango had to have accomplices on that grassy knoll.
- k
binkleywalker
Sr Member
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(phase pistol @ Apr 5 2007, 02:08 PM) [snapback]1456035[/snapback]</div>
It looks like the start of the best chess set EVER.
Brian
It looks like the start of the best chess set EVER.
Brian
Boba Frett
Sr Member
OMG.., I can't even find one
darthvaderv
Sr Member
Attakus V2 Vader - 2004 - 1500 Pieces Worldwide
Click to Enlarge Images...
All reviews are based on 5 stars.
Packaging: ***
The packaging is fairly simplistic, nothing special here other than a big box with a sleeve cover which shows the image of the statue. It would have been better to see images of the movie Vader with a combined insert of the statue as is often featured by other companies for a better visual Look as the packaging is a little dated but it manages to carry a quality look in design with the black background and subtle graphics, the approach is less is more.
Sculpt/Outfit: ***½
Standing at nearly 18 inches (17.66 inches to be precise) the first thing that hits you other than the size of this statue is the quality from a distance. The size of the statue is just right, it’s big without being awkward and it can be displayed in numerous places. Up close the sculpt suffers in terms of accuracy in portraying Vader even though from a distance it pulls it off from certain views. The sideshow premium format Vader has richer detail in terms of the boots which other than the Helmet and Saber that’s one of the few comparisons to be drawn in reference to the 2 statue‘s regarding scuplt. The suit is amongst the best done in the way it has been wrinkled which brings a credibility to the sculpt . The cod and chestbox are passable and while some of the belt box pieces are undersized with an inaccurate buckle all of these sculpted pieces retain a good likeness to the casual Vader fan. The tusks stick out too much while in good enough proportion. The main let down with the sculpt is the cape. The cape design is just a heavy looking Batman Begins type of material instead of creating a softer look to the Vader cape. As a plus, the cape flow is nicely done in the sense that unlike the Gentle Giant ROTS Vader or the Kotobukiya version/s it’s not as ridiculous as those sculpted sweeping display‘s that aim for a dynamic transfixed pose, the cape stays by Vader enough to make the Sith Lord not look out of place to maintain his frame which also makes displaying the Attakus easier and more subtle looking. The statue is sculpted by bombyx studios.
Paint: ***½
The paint colors are well done for the most part but the attention to paint detail is lapse. One of the chestbox greeblies is unpainted. The gunmetal on the face is very sloppily applied and as for the abysmal chest armour color in person these are valid points to mark the piece down especially regarding the armour colour which is an eye sore, without those 2 main flaws the paint would be 4 stars if not more. I‘m almost tempted to paint these flaws but it would lose any potential value. The bulk colors have been done to a high enough standard to give a good contrast between the darker black colors but it could be better.
Pose: ***½
The pose is fairly simple and from a front side view the Attakus comes into it’s own. It isn’t perhaps as nice as the V1 Attakus Vader in terms of simplicity but this pose goes an extra notch in displaying some brief action, it compliments the Luke ROTJ Attakus statue which is within an approximate scale thus making the two pieces go well together. As a stand alone piece the pose is neutral enough to do enough with it, the only problem is the pose only looks great from a front side view. When viewed dead on Vader looks slightly limp in this pose, neither is he threatening or recreated especially from any specific scene in the movie that you‘ll remember. The statue also looks good without the saber blade and having Vader hold just the hilt. Some may prefer that look.
Movie Accuracy: ***
While no statue can boast complete accuracy this is actually a good effort as a whole. Most people think it lends the look from ROTJ but it’s actually a blend . The V1 is meant to be ESB and this V2 ROTJ. The differences between the two are subtle. The chestbox pieces and mold are the same from the V1 but the V1 has a longer box at the bottom with all greeblies painted unlike the V2 far left piece that is left black for some strange reason, the chestbox is more suited to ESB, it‘s quite sloppy in terms of sculpt and accuracy but it‘s better than some other Vader chestbox pieces. The dome for the V1 is meant to be ESB but the strip is too thin and while it slopes near the peak to resemble that movie more so the strip thickness is more accurate on this V2 regarding the strip for ESB, even though the V2 maintains a flatter area around the peak to resemble ROTJ better than ESB but the dome overall looks good enough for ROTJ. The dome sit’s a bit higher on the V1 version which is more accurate for ESB although not 100% ,on the V2 it sits too low for either ESB or ROTJ, the dome is also a little short looking which is further attributed because of the lack of tilt on the set up and positioning. The paint jobs are also different in the faces, the V2 is a fraction more accurate but a little more sloppily done. The rest of the statue is hit and miss from what it wants to be as the suit is more ESB than ROTJ if you had to choose although not perfect. The neck brace and chain would be considered more ROTJ even though they also featured on the supposed ESB V1. The distance on the belt boxes would be more ROTJ but again there is no bolt evident in the belt. The cod piece is good but not great, definitely too flat amongst other things. The suit would be it's strongest point or one of them if it was ESB. A good effort has gone into a realistic likeness, everything else can pass for both movie versions but nothing on this piece is movie accurate to a high degree. It’s just to a high enough standard when considered as a whole but it’s very similar to the V1 give or take very small differences.
Display Status: ****
This makes for a great display due to it’s perceived quality and size. Attakus is not cheap nor does it show it when on display. If you get the pose wrong this statue doesn’t have the same presence but get it right and it looks great. It’s often advertised as museum quality and it brings enough class of it’s own into a prop room without seeming like a cheaply put together figure. I would give the V1 ****½ based on the pose being more universal.
Next to the massive Sideshow Premium Format and the Gentle Giant.
Value: ***
Attakus Vaders are not cheap. This is the cheaper of the two versions based on the V1 being more in demand compared to this V2, it normally collects £150 less than the V1 even though both pieces are sold out. The V1’s maintain their value and often still rise where as the V2 can be seen on eBay between £325-£500 dependant on the seller, for international residents they can be between $550-800. I purchased this one second hand for £350 in very good condition apart from the odd crease to the display box from ebay. You can’t do much with it other than for it to look good but as I’m done playing with Toys a long time ago that’s all I ask for and that is for it to get prop room status based on the limited stuff I can have so it didn‘t get referred to being boxed up like most things do. The statue is fairly heavy and at 18 inches it’s taller by nearly 2 inches than the V1 which stands nearly 16 inches . It’s a well put together piece but obviously doesn’t move. It’s made out of cold cast porcelain and limited to 1500 pieces. The V1 came out in 2001 this version was released in 2004.
Overall: ****
Attakus products are still sought after and considered high end collectibles. In a display room this piece holds a higher quality to it’s look than most statue’s on the market. It goes well in a prop room that may feature high end collectibles. Some aspects of the sculpt or paint are a point of frustration. The armor color is an eye sore in person which ruins a little credibility to the final look. It does have flaws throughout. It’s based on ROTJ but it shares ESB traits which make it a Hybrid but if I had to pick one it would nudge towards ROTJ. If they sorted the suit, and chestbox out it would be a transparent effort towards Return of the JedI with a couple more added additions. Both the Attakus versions are nice to own and they are very similar apart from small differences,the pose, the addition of the ignited saber and extra height. Taking everything into consideration it’s a high quality display piece that looks like a convincing Vader at a perfect size in a good enough pose that‘s in good enough proportion. If anyone was to tackle a modification process to enhance the look then the Attakus Vader’s are a great base to start from but if you do they can lower the value.
Sideshow “Diplomatic Mission” diorama Vader/Antilles - 2008- 1250 Pieces
Click to enlarge all Images.
This review is out of 5 stars.
Packaging: ***1/2
The packaging while a little dark is well done. Sideshow continue to grab your attention with glossy visuals and design. The diorama is seen on the front and depicts 2 separate different shots of the statue for the sides, combining the back with a detailed enough summary of Vader and the statue in trying to create the scene. Further more, movie stills are shown while the statue is on display at the back so you can link the inspiration to the creation. Just the lack of colour marks this down but in essence this is meant to capture a dark scene within the movie.
Sculpt/Outfit: Vader ***1/2 Antilles ***
Darth Vader:
The sculpt for this diorama is very good in places and it shows a good balance in creating a convincing overall pose that Sideshow have aimed for. The scale between the two characters is in good enough proportion and the details in creating the pose such as the motion of both character’s bodies are convincing. This statue captures a good likeness of ANH Vader where many sculpts fail, from some views Vader really does look very good. The “circle is now complete” Diorama (which is out next month) maintains a very similar sculpt of Vader, if not the same as this one with a few tweaks. That diorama is really just in a different position with a slightly different paint job for the most part.
Back to this diorama, the details are not as sharp when compared to that of other statue’s. Both Vader and Antilles retain the details but it can also be described as “soft” in places which could be seen as a lack in quality or attention to detail and can show if you compare this to something like an Attakus piece. For Vader it’s the shins, facemask, parts of the robes/cape, belt area and chestbox side strap detailing that look softer, almost like something that was cast a few times and lost some of it‘s sharpness, the rear of the boots blending into the robes is also a little cheap looking. it‘s not drastic but a point to mention. The creases and texture of the Vader suit is very good and so are various parts of the costume details which is covered in movie accuracy below. Sideshow have stretched themselves a bit more on this sculpt than they did for the Premium Format ANH Vader but not in all areas. The dome is a tad too high for the scene it's aiming for and the facemask looks odd when viewed from some angles, especially from a dead on front view, he looks like an inspired comic book version slash movie version. I’m pleased Sideshow sculpted the costume rather than use material, as a sculpt wins hands down for me as so few fabric pieces create the right look.
Another flaw with the overall sculpt is the addition of a piece of panelling from the Tantive corridor. I understand that it’s meant to capture just a small fraction of the set but it’s been referred to as a “piece from your toilet”. It does look odd and the display could of benefited from either not having it with the downside of feeling something is missing or they should’ve added more to that section. The recreation of the panel they have aimed for is a good effort but it just looks thrown on as a random after thought, I can live with it but I know of some that have removed this section. The base while a slightly awkward shape is nicely created and you get the usual nice confirmation of your statue number in the usual elegant Sideshow format.
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Captain Antilles:
Antilles sculpt, while good suffers from one thing. Likeness. This could really be the face of any rebel officer. The face doesn‘t look enough like him. While the rest of the sculpt and the costume is not a perfect likeness it retains enough smaller details to be considered a solid effort but all round the Captain is too slender.
Paint: Vader ***1/2 Antilles****
Vader:
The paint is well applied here to both figures. Not too much slop, runs or anything like that apart from on Vader‘s chestbox, especially the coin slots. The rest of the paint job is to an impressive standard and better than some of the more expensive statue’s. The colours are replicated well for what they want to achieve but once again attention to detail drags down the end look of the product. The chest armour is not the shiny ESB/ROTJ look that so many companies go for while trying to replicate ANH Vader, so that‘s a plus. On the other hand while it’s flatter in colour and darker it fails to match the gunmetal on the facemask which shows the two don’t match as well as they should. It’s not a major thing but a mild point of frustration as is the green colour on the lights that have been used, just a tad off, same as the red light on the chestbox and the rockers being too dark. The paint scheme is a little safe overall, definitely no weathering ANH style here but I just can’t see Sideshow or anyone with a license having that artistic freedom to weather too heavy as it may spur complaints from causal fans, even though the “Circle is now complete” seems to feature a rougher weathered job from what I’ve seen. The eye lenses are off. Sideshow are at least trying to tackle the lighter lens as seen in ANH. It’s not the first time they’ve tried but they continue to fail to get the look right. It’s better than having such dark lenses though but a happy medium could‘ve been applied. These nitpicks aside, Vader is well painted and the contrast in blacks has been nicely done to compliment the piece. Parts of this statue would benefit from some paint modifications which would improve the look. The armour, eyes, nose, greens and reds could all be easily done. Add some weathering and it would look very good, even add 2 silver dots to the chestbox straps and 2 dots on the belt boxes and this could be a very quick fix in adding the finer details to make this look great but at 1250 pieces and in demand it may be a mistake to do so.
Antilles:
This overall paint job is another strong effort. While not as complex in details as Vader, Antilles is well painted in some nice colours. The badge and some small details are lacking but the paint job isn’t so clean that it looks cheap or new. Antilles face is what you'd call safe, definately no awards here but it's all strong enough in resemblance to what we see on screen while perhaps not as hard to recreate when compared to Vader.
Pose: ****1/2
The pose is simply meant to capture the iconic moment in Star Wars when Vader strangles Captain Antilles through hostile interrogation. The pose is transfixed leaving little imagination for anything else so the pose is naturally in no way versatile unlike many other statues. It would be unfair to naturally mark it down as this is the point of the diorama. As stated previously, the scale and proportions are a good effort. The body language is well created here between the two characters and nothing looks drastically out of place, the position of Antilles hands on Vader’s gloves may be open to some interpretation as they move around on screen but it’s close enough and it could be argued that Vader doesn’t have such an arch to his body on screen which exposes his suit components, as they are hidden for much of the scene by his cape, but I guess Sideshow wanted you to see the details better on the sculpt rather than the cape block them. Overall though a great job from sideshow in recreating this pose which is no doubt not an easy feat to capture convincingly.
Movie Accuracy: Vader ***1/2 Antilles ***
Vader:
Sideshow are beginning to raise the bar slowly as fans would both hope and expect from them.
Vader, like all versions always suffers quite heavily in my mind that a 5 star rating almost seems impossible to give, even while taking everything into consideration including each company’s limitations. Starting with Vader’s dome, there is no evident Y Crease features in the dome which is a disappointment especially for ANH Vader. The flange edges are too thin while a better effort than many statue’s around but it should be thicker. The height of the dome in comparison to the brows will be a sore point to many a fan as it's not dead on but it at least tries to mimic a couple of the scenes it’s aiming to create (dependant on what section of that scene you look at, including shadow in that area), it's still too high though and the original prototype looked to show it from a fractionally lower position. Why the “Circle is now complete” statue features the same excessive height of the dome to it I’ll never know as that’s a very poor effort on Sideshow’s behalf as the bulk of scenes show Vader‘s dome to be low for the duel. Back to the matter at hand the dome does try to incorporate a widows peak which is more than I can say for many versions of Vader that have come and gone over the years that insist on using more a style to ESB at the peak area. The height to the overall dome is good, the centre strip width is not dead on but it’s not bad, it’s not dead straight and over thick like many others. The rest of the dome is passable, not perfect but solid enough for ANH, the dome cap is also better than the more expensive premium format, including some nice dome tilt at the end of the flanges and it‘s also in proportion and not overly long like so many sculpts. The face mask suffers like all Vader sculpts do and this is a weak point. They have paid some attention but it’s just another run of the mill Vader likeness with a hint of a comic book Vader . The teeth slots are all U shaped, amongst other issues, the mouth wall shape is flawed, the nose is not right and overall it’s just not well designed or sharp enough in the details to maintain the correct Vader mask, it’s all an average attempt in the face for this scale of figure but it’s not near the standard of the still inaccurate Sideshow Premium Format or near the quality of anything like the Attakus, where the dome beats the Premium Format Vader the face lets it down. The tusks are also very weak, amongst the worst seen, just stumps that have been painted. The tear ducts are there but not prominent. The chin vent is of good standard and better than many and the overall proportions are nicely done. Moving onto the rest of the costume. The cape and robes are good. They aren’t fantastic but do their job, sculpted pieces such as capes and robes always run the risk of looking cheaply done and in some respects some may think that but it looks like the set from ANH. I think they should've included the cape chain as it is on show in the Tantive scenes. Again attention to detail suffers. The armour is a solid sculpt while not movie accurate it’s of a high standard and the chestbox, while a tad small isn‘t too bad. The chestbox is actually better than some other sculpts. As it‘s a small piece some details are a little sketchy but it does look like the chestbox they aimed for all in all, could be better still. The belt boxes are also good, while not the most detailed and not as close together as they should be they look convincing. As for the upturned buckle and the details of the buckle that is a major disappointment. How this was passed is beyond belief, what’s worse is that it’s the same sculpt on the “circle is now complete” Vader, just showing that statue is from the same mould more or less. What a joke! The cod is well done. Pity the right blend of the inner oval loop and thickness couldn’t be given the attention to detail as the Premium format got, but they did well to make the cod shorter, to have it bend at the end and to also create a better overall shape than the premium format with some nice texture to it, as well as raising it high ala ANH Vader (especially when he's reaching up)and no doubt inspired by the shots from that iconic ANH Vader poster. The gloves, shins and boots are all well done. Not entirely movie accurate but enough care has gone into the sculpt. Some may say the shins look cheap but they are done well. The strongest part of the statue however is with the suit. Again not entirely movie accurate but it looks like the ANH suit. Great texture with details that bring a real credibility to the look along with a nice addition of the lightsaber which is also nicely done, hanging from Vader’s belt. The best thing about this statue is that this is one of the few pieces that leaves no room whatsoever to see another movie version within that look which is a massive strong point. This isn’t ESB/ROTJ or ROTS Vader, there is no mistaking what it is. A boast that not all statues, figures and kits aiming for ANH Vader can claim. The Vader template here is nice and could benefit from a major modification process as a stand alone figure, if I had a spare I would be tempted to re-design this using what it has and I'm sure the results would look very good, but as I have only one it won't be touched.
Antilles:
Basically two main things stand out here that let the accuracy of the Captain down. His weight being one of them. This look is a little too slender for Antilles build in ANH. Add that lack of weight to a slim lined face and the problem of Antilles looking 10 years younger than he should . The look of the actor is just not good enough. His expression is there but it’s not created in the way it should be. The outfit while strong does pay attention to some details like 5 holes being in the belt and a solid sculpt of the helmet and various other suit details but the face really lets this piece down, it just looks like a random Rebel to me.
Display Status: ***3/4
Most would remember this scene, even the casual movie goer. It stands out and recreates the scene for you and isn‘t open to interpretation. It’s also well scaled and shows Vader’s size when next to Antilles. You have to be careful like many pieces not to show their “weaker” side. Display this wrong or with harsh light and it can lose credibility. Get the display right and from many angles it looks great. The size of this diorama is large enough for it to also grab your attention. It’s by no means massive, in fact if you are used to large display's this is quite small. Vader stands at just over 11 inches and the base makes the display 12 inches. when compared to something like the 21 inch Premium Format size it will be dwarfed but it’s an eye catching display and it’s also different compared to many single statues that are either in a dynamic pose or in a more subtle position by themselves. This piece is definitely credible enough to display in a select environment.
Next to the Gentle Giant Fett, The Attakus V2 Vader and the Sideshow Premium Format.
Value: ***1/2
Just before Christmas there was a few of these around but all of a sudden this display is becoming harder to find and many stores have sold out. It has risen in price due to demand and instead of a comfortable £150 price tag, expect to now pay in the region of close to £200 which is quite steep but it seems a popular display. There is a Faux-Bronze edition of 50 statues for collectors of this display which runs more than double the price of the standard version on eBay. The diorama is cast in high quality polystone, hand painted and weighs about 12Ibs so it‘s not a plastic or vinyl combo.
Overall: ****
I actually think this is a nicer display than the Premium format Vader but that’s just personal opinion and may come as a surprise. Something like the PT looks awkward and clumsy where as this piece is nicely done and looks the part, something about it looks elegant in design from a slight distance, like many of these sculpts they show flaws up close. It’s not just large displays or expensive statues that should dominant a prop room but something that you like. If you were to address some aspects such as some of the paint colours, the lack of weathering, that awful upside down buckle, the Vader face, lowering the dome and to add some sharpness in places then this would be one of the best ANH Vader’s ever produced as it has a good foundation. Sure it doesn’t have the quality of the more expensive stuff but it holds up. Antilles needs a better likeness and the add on of the corridor panel is a bone of contention but if you see past these flaws or nitpicks you should be very happy with this. The sculpt of the suit amongst some of the details put together as an overall is what sold me into asking for this at Christmas, so it‘s the newest member of my collection. When viewed from certain angles or distances the display really creates a feeling of nostalgia and I would recommend it to any ANH Vader fan if they are willing to accept the flaws that all statues seem to incorporate.
Click to Enlarge Images...
All reviews are based on 5 stars.
Packaging: ***
The packaging is fairly simplistic, nothing special here other than a big box with a sleeve cover which shows the image of the statue. It would have been better to see images of the movie Vader with a combined insert of the statue as is often featured by other companies for a better visual Look as the packaging is a little dated but it manages to carry a quality look in design with the black background and subtle graphics, the approach is less is more.
Sculpt/Outfit: ***½
Standing at nearly 18 inches (17.66 inches to be precise) the first thing that hits you other than the size of this statue is the quality from a distance. The size of the statue is just right, it’s big without being awkward and it can be displayed in numerous places. Up close the sculpt suffers in terms of accuracy in portraying Vader even though from a distance it pulls it off from certain views. The sideshow premium format Vader has richer detail in terms of the boots which other than the Helmet and Saber that’s one of the few comparisons to be drawn in reference to the 2 statue‘s regarding scuplt. The suit is amongst the best done in the way it has been wrinkled which brings a credibility to the sculpt . The cod and chestbox are passable and while some of the belt box pieces are undersized with an inaccurate buckle all of these sculpted pieces retain a good likeness to the casual Vader fan. The tusks stick out too much while in good enough proportion. The main let down with the sculpt is the cape. The cape design is just a heavy looking Batman Begins type of material instead of creating a softer look to the Vader cape. As a plus, the cape flow is nicely done in the sense that unlike the Gentle Giant ROTS Vader or the Kotobukiya version/s it’s not as ridiculous as those sculpted sweeping display‘s that aim for a dynamic transfixed pose, the cape stays by Vader enough to make the Sith Lord not look out of place to maintain his frame which also makes displaying the Attakus easier and more subtle looking. The statue is sculpted by bombyx studios.
Paint: ***½
The paint colors are well done for the most part but the attention to paint detail is lapse. One of the chestbox greeblies is unpainted. The gunmetal on the face is very sloppily applied and as for the abysmal chest armour color in person these are valid points to mark the piece down especially regarding the armour colour which is an eye sore, without those 2 main flaws the paint would be 4 stars if not more. I‘m almost tempted to paint these flaws but it would lose any potential value. The bulk colors have been done to a high enough standard to give a good contrast between the darker black colors but it could be better.
Pose: ***½
The pose is fairly simple and from a front side view the Attakus comes into it’s own. It isn’t perhaps as nice as the V1 Attakus Vader in terms of simplicity but this pose goes an extra notch in displaying some brief action, it compliments the Luke ROTJ Attakus statue which is within an approximate scale thus making the two pieces go well together. As a stand alone piece the pose is neutral enough to do enough with it, the only problem is the pose only looks great from a front side view. When viewed dead on Vader looks slightly limp in this pose, neither is he threatening or recreated especially from any specific scene in the movie that you‘ll remember. The statue also looks good without the saber blade and having Vader hold just the hilt. Some may prefer that look.
Movie Accuracy: ***
While no statue can boast complete accuracy this is actually a good effort as a whole. Most people think it lends the look from ROTJ but it’s actually a blend . The V1 is meant to be ESB and this V2 ROTJ. The differences between the two are subtle. The chestbox pieces and mold are the same from the V1 but the V1 has a longer box at the bottom with all greeblies painted unlike the V2 far left piece that is left black for some strange reason, the chestbox is more suited to ESB, it‘s quite sloppy in terms of sculpt and accuracy but it‘s better than some other Vader chestbox pieces. The dome for the V1 is meant to be ESB but the strip is too thin and while it slopes near the peak to resemble that movie more so the strip thickness is more accurate on this V2 regarding the strip for ESB, even though the V2 maintains a flatter area around the peak to resemble ROTJ better than ESB but the dome overall looks good enough for ROTJ. The dome sit’s a bit higher on the V1 version which is more accurate for ESB although not 100% ,on the V2 it sits too low for either ESB or ROTJ, the dome is also a little short looking which is further attributed because of the lack of tilt on the set up and positioning. The paint jobs are also different in the faces, the V2 is a fraction more accurate but a little more sloppily done. The rest of the statue is hit and miss from what it wants to be as the suit is more ESB than ROTJ if you had to choose although not perfect. The neck brace and chain would be considered more ROTJ even though they also featured on the supposed ESB V1. The distance on the belt boxes would be more ROTJ but again there is no bolt evident in the belt. The cod piece is good but not great, definitely too flat amongst other things. The suit would be it's strongest point or one of them if it was ESB. A good effort has gone into a realistic likeness, everything else can pass for both movie versions but nothing on this piece is movie accurate to a high degree. It’s just to a high enough standard when considered as a whole but it’s very similar to the V1 give or take very small differences.
Display Status: ****
This makes for a great display due to it’s perceived quality and size. Attakus is not cheap nor does it show it when on display. If you get the pose wrong this statue doesn’t have the same presence but get it right and it looks great. It’s often advertised as museum quality and it brings enough class of it’s own into a prop room without seeming like a cheaply put together figure. I would give the V1 ****½ based on the pose being more universal.
Next to the massive Sideshow Premium Format and the Gentle Giant.
Value: ***
Attakus Vaders are not cheap. This is the cheaper of the two versions based on the V1 being more in demand compared to this V2, it normally collects £150 less than the V1 even though both pieces are sold out. The V1’s maintain their value and often still rise where as the V2 can be seen on eBay between £325-£500 dependant on the seller, for international residents they can be between $550-800. I purchased this one second hand for £350 in very good condition apart from the odd crease to the display box from ebay. You can’t do much with it other than for it to look good but as I’m done playing with Toys a long time ago that’s all I ask for and that is for it to get prop room status based on the limited stuff I can have so it didn‘t get referred to being boxed up like most things do. The statue is fairly heavy and at 18 inches it’s taller by nearly 2 inches than the V1 which stands nearly 16 inches . It’s a well put together piece but obviously doesn’t move. It’s made out of cold cast porcelain and limited to 1500 pieces. The V1 came out in 2001 this version was released in 2004.
Overall: ****
Attakus products are still sought after and considered high end collectibles. In a display room this piece holds a higher quality to it’s look than most statue’s on the market. It goes well in a prop room that may feature high end collectibles. Some aspects of the sculpt or paint are a point of frustration. The armor color is an eye sore in person which ruins a little credibility to the final look. It does have flaws throughout. It’s based on ROTJ but it shares ESB traits which make it a Hybrid but if I had to pick one it would nudge towards ROTJ. If they sorted the suit, and chestbox out it would be a transparent effort towards Return of the JedI with a couple more added additions. Both the Attakus versions are nice to own and they are very similar apart from small differences,the pose, the addition of the ignited saber and extra height. Taking everything into consideration it’s a high quality display piece that looks like a convincing Vader at a perfect size in a good enough pose that‘s in good enough proportion. If anyone was to tackle a modification process to enhance the look then the Attakus Vader’s are a great base to start from but if you do they can lower the value.
Sideshow “Diplomatic Mission” diorama Vader/Antilles - 2008- 1250 Pieces
Click to enlarge all Images.
This review is out of 5 stars.
Packaging: ***1/2
The packaging while a little dark is well done. Sideshow continue to grab your attention with glossy visuals and design. The diorama is seen on the front and depicts 2 separate different shots of the statue for the sides, combining the back with a detailed enough summary of Vader and the statue in trying to create the scene. Further more, movie stills are shown while the statue is on display at the back so you can link the inspiration to the creation. Just the lack of colour marks this down but in essence this is meant to capture a dark scene within the movie.
Sculpt/Outfit: Vader ***1/2 Antilles ***
Darth Vader:
The sculpt for this diorama is very good in places and it shows a good balance in creating a convincing overall pose that Sideshow have aimed for. The scale between the two characters is in good enough proportion and the details in creating the pose such as the motion of both character’s bodies are convincing. This statue captures a good likeness of ANH Vader where many sculpts fail, from some views Vader really does look very good. The “circle is now complete” Diorama (which is out next month) maintains a very similar sculpt of Vader, if not the same as this one with a few tweaks. That diorama is really just in a different position with a slightly different paint job for the most part.
Back to this diorama, the details are not as sharp when compared to that of other statue’s. Both Vader and Antilles retain the details but it can also be described as “soft” in places which could be seen as a lack in quality or attention to detail and can show if you compare this to something like an Attakus piece. For Vader it’s the shins, facemask, parts of the robes/cape, belt area and chestbox side strap detailing that look softer, almost like something that was cast a few times and lost some of it‘s sharpness, the rear of the boots blending into the robes is also a little cheap looking. it‘s not drastic but a point to mention. The creases and texture of the Vader suit is very good and so are various parts of the costume details which is covered in movie accuracy below. Sideshow have stretched themselves a bit more on this sculpt than they did for the Premium Format ANH Vader but not in all areas. The dome is a tad too high for the scene it's aiming for and the facemask looks odd when viewed from some angles, especially from a dead on front view, he looks like an inspired comic book version slash movie version. I’m pleased Sideshow sculpted the costume rather than use material, as a sculpt wins hands down for me as so few fabric pieces create the right look.
Another flaw with the overall sculpt is the addition of a piece of panelling from the Tantive corridor. I understand that it’s meant to capture just a small fraction of the set but it’s been referred to as a “piece from your toilet”. It does look odd and the display could of benefited from either not having it with the downside of feeling something is missing or they should’ve added more to that section. The recreation of the panel they have aimed for is a good effort but it just looks thrown on as a random after thought, I can live with it but I know of some that have removed this section. The base while a slightly awkward shape is nicely created and you get the usual nice confirmation of your statue number in the usual elegant Sideshow format.
Captain Antilles:
Antilles sculpt, while good suffers from one thing. Likeness. This could really be the face of any rebel officer. The face doesn‘t look enough like him. While the rest of the sculpt and the costume is not a perfect likeness it retains enough smaller details to be considered a solid effort but all round the Captain is too slender.
Paint: Vader ***1/2 Antilles****
Vader:
The paint is well applied here to both figures. Not too much slop, runs or anything like that apart from on Vader‘s chestbox, especially the coin slots. The rest of the paint job is to an impressive standard and better than some of the more expensive statue’s. The colours are replicated well for what they want to achieve but once again attention to detail drags down the end look of the product. The chest armour is not the shiny ESB/ROTJ look that so many companies go for while trying to replicate ANH Vader, so that‘s a plus. On the other hand while it’s flatter in colour and darker it fails to match the gunmetal on the facemask which shows the two don’t match as well as they should. It’s not a major thing but a mild point of frustration as is the green colour on the lights that have been used, just a tad off, same as the red light on the chestbox and the rockers being too dark. The paint scheme is a little safe overall, definitely no weathering ANH style here but I just can’t see Sideshow or anyone with a license having that artistic freedom to weather too heavy as it may spur complaints from causal fans, even though the “Circle is now complete” seems to feature a rougher weathered job from what I’ve seen. The eye lenses are off. Sideshow are at least trying to tackle the lighter lens as seen in ANH. It’s not the first time they’ve tried but they continue to fail to get the look right. It’s better than having such dark lenses though but a happy medium could‘ve been applied. These nitpicks aside, Vader is well painted and the contrast in blacks has been nicely done to compliment the piece. Parts of this statue would benefit from some paint modifications which would improve the look. The armour, eyes, nose, greens and reds could all be easily done. Add some weathering and it would look very good, even add 2 silver dots to the chestbox straps and 2 dots on the belt boxes and this could be a very quick fix in adding the finer details to make this look great but at 1250 pieces and in demand it may be a mistake to do so.
Antilles:
This overall paint job is another strong effort. While not as complex in details as Vader, Antilles is well painted in some nice colours. The badge and some small details are lacking but the paint job isn’t so clean that it looks cheap or new. Antilles face is what you'd call safe, definately no awards here but it's all strong enough in resemblance to what we see on screen while perhaps not as hard to recreate when compared to Vader.
Pose: ****1/2
The pose is simply meant to capture the iconic moment in Star Wars when Vader strangles Captain Antilles through hostile interrogation. The pose is transfixed leaving little imagination for anything else so the pose is naturally in no way versatile unlike many other statues. It would be unfair to naturally mark it down as this is the point of the diorama. As stated previously, the scale and proportions are a good effort. The body language is well created here between the two characters and nothing looks drastically out of place, the position of Antilles hands on Vader’s gloves may be open to some interpretation as they move around on screen but it’s close enough and it could be argued that Vader doesn’t have such an arch to his body on screen which exposes his suit components, as they are hidden for much of the scene by his cape, but I guess Sideshow wanted you to see the details better on the sculpt rather than the cape block them. Overall though a great job from sideshow in recreating this pose which is no doubt not an easy feat to capture convincingly.
Movie Accuracy: Vader ***1/2 Antilles ***
Vader:
Sideshow are beginning to raise the bar slowly as fans would both hope and expect from them.
Vader, like all versions always suffers quite heavily in my mind that a 5 star rating almost seems impossible to give, even while taking everything into consideration including each company’s limitations. Starting with Vader’s dome, there is no evident Y Crease features in the dome which is a disappointment especially for ANH Vader. The flange edges are too thin while a better effort than many statue’s around but it should be thicker. The height of the dome in comparison to the brows will be a sore point to many a fan as it's not dead on but it at least tries to mimic a couple of the scenes it’s aiming to create (dependant on what section of that scene you look at, including shadow in that area), it's still too high though and the original prototype looked to show it from a fractionally lower position. Why the “Circle is now complete” statue features the same excessive height of the dome to it I’ll never know as that’s a very poor effort on Sideshow’s behalf as the bulk of scenes show Vader‘s dome to be low for the duel. Back to the matter at hand the dome does try to incorporate a widows peak which is more than I can say for many versions of Vader that have come and gone over the years that insist on using more a style to ESB at the peak area. The height to the overall dome is good, the centre strip width is not dead on but it’s not bad, it’s not dead straight and over thick like many others. The rest of the dome is passable, not perfect but solid enough for ANH, the dome cap is also better than the more expensive premium format, including some nice dome tilt at the end of the flanges and it‘s also in proportion and not overly long like so many sculpts. The face mask suffers like all Vader sculpts do and this is a weak point. They have paid some attention but it’s just another run of the mill Vader likeness with a hint of a comic book Vader . The teeth slots are all U shaped, amongst other issues, the mouth wall shape is flawed, the nose is not right and overall it’s just not well designed or sharp enough in the details to maintain the correct Vader mask, it’s all an average attempt in the face for this scale of figure but it’s not near the standard of the still inaccurate Sideshow Premium Format or near the quality of anything like the Attakus, where the dome beats the Premium Format Vader the face lets it down. The tusks are also very weak, amongst the worst seen, just stumps that have been painted. The tear ducts are there but not prominent. The chin vent is of good standard and better than many and the overall proportions are nicely done. Moving onto the rest of the costume. The cape and robes are good. They aren’t fantastic but do their job, sculpted pieces such as capes and robes always run the risk of looking cheaply done and in some respects some may think that but it looks like the set from ANH. I think they should've included the cape chain as it is on show in the Tantive scenes. Again attention to detail suffers. The armour is a solid sculpt while not movie accurate it’s of a high standard and the chestbox, while a tad small isn‘t too bad. The chestbox is actually better than some other sculpts. As it‘s a small piece some details are a little sketchy but it does look like the chestbox they aimed for all in all, could be better still. The belt boxes are also good, while not the most detailed and not as close together as they should be they look convincing. As for the upturned buckle and the details of the buckle that is a major disappointment. How this was passed is beyond belief, what’s worse is that it’s the same sculpt on the “circle is now complete” Vader, just showing that statue is from the same mould more or less. What a joke! The cod is well done. Pity the right blend of the inner oval loop and thickness couldn’t be given the attention to detail as the Premium format got, but they did well to make the cod shorter, to have it bend at the end and to also create a better overall shape than the premium format with some nice texture to it, as well as raising it high ala ANH Vader (especially when he's reaching up)and no doubt inspired by the shots from that iconic ANH Vader poster. The gloves, shins and boots are all well done. Not entirely movie accurate but enough care has gone into the sculpt. Some may say the shins look cheap but they are done well. The strongest part of the statue however is with the suit. Again not entirely movie accurate but it looks like the ANH suit. Great texture with details that bring a real credibility to the look along with a nice addition of the lightsaber which is also nicely done, hanging from Vader’s belt. The best thing about this statue is that this is one of the few pieces that leaves no room whatsoever to see another movie version within that look which is a massive strong point. This isn’t ESB/ROTJ or ROTS Vader, there is no mistaking what it is. A boast that not all statues, figures and kits aiming for ANH Vader can claim. The Vader template here is nice and could benefit from a major modification process as a stand alone figure, if I had a spare I would be tempted to re-design this using what it has and I'm sure the results would look very good, but as I have only one it won't be touched.
Antilles:
Basically two main things stand out here that let the accuracy of the Captain down. His weight being one of them. This look is a little too slender for Antilles build in ANH. Add that lack of weight to a slim lined face and the problem of Antilles looking 10 years younger than he should . The look of the actor is just not good enough. His expression is there but it’s not created in the way it should be. The outfit while strong does pay attention to some details like 5 holes being in the belt and a solid sculpt of the helmet and various other suit details but the face really lets this piece down, it just looks like a random Rebel to me.
Display Status: ***3/4
Most would remember this scene, even the casual movie goer. It stands out and recreates the scene for you and isn‘t open to interpretation. It’s also well scaled and shows Vader’s size when next to Antilles. You have to be careful like many pieces not to show their “weaker” side. Display this wrong or with harsh light and it can lose credibility. Get the display right and from many angles it looks great. The size of this diorama is large enough for it to also grab your attention. It’s by no means massive, in fact if you are used to large display's this is quite small. Vader stands at just over 11 inches and the base makes the display 12 inches. when compared to something like the 21 inch Premium Format size it will be dwarfed but it’s an eye catching display and it’s also different compared to many single statues that are either in a dynamic pose or in a more subtle position by themselves. This piece is definitely credible enough to display in a select environment.
Next to the Gentle Giant Fett, The Attakus V2 Vader and the Sideshow Premium Format.
Value: ***1/2
Just before Christmas there was a few of these around but all of a sudden this display is becoming harder to find and many stores have sold out. It has risen in price due to demand and instead of a comfortable £150 price tag, expect to now pay in the region of close to £200 which is quite steep but it seems a popular display. There is a Faux-Bronze edition of 50 statues for collectors of this display which runs more than double the price of the standard version on eBay. The diorama is cast in high quality polystone, hand painted and weighs about 12Ibs so it‘s not a plastic or vinyl combo.
Overall: ****
I actually think this is a nicer display than the Premium format Vader but that’s just personal opinion and may come as a surprise. Something like the PT looks awkward and clumsy where as this piece is nicely done and looks the part, something about it looks elegant in design from a slight distance, like many of these sculpts they show flaws up close. It’s not just large displays or expensive statues that should dominant a prop room but something that you like. If you were to address some aspects such as some of the paint colours, the lack of weathering, that awful upside down buckle, the Vader face, lowering the dome and to add some sharpness in places then this would be one of the best ANH Vader’s ever produced as it has a good foundation. Sure it doesn’t have the quality of the more expensive stuff but it holds up. Antilles needs a better likeness and the add on of the corridor panel is a bone of contention but if you see past these flaws or nitpicks you should be very happy with this. The sculpt of the suit amongst some of the details put together as an overall is what sold me into asking for this at Christmas, so it‘s the newest member of my collection. When viewed from certain angles or distances the display really creates a feeling of nostalgia and I would recommend it to any ANH Vader fan if they are willing to accept the flaws that all statues seem to incorporate.
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