Sideshow Life-Sized R2-D2

[PHArchivist]

Been watching this...

But am curious why, for nearly eight grand, Sideshow cannot add an aluminum dome or an optional two-legged pose ability?


I mean - their multiple piece, chrome-plated endoskeleton is less than a thousand more...

Would it be cynical to say this is merely an R2-shaped fiberglass model of R2-D2, with only a head that rotates (manually) and lights up?


Cost savings / profit preserving?

Licensing restrictions?


Thoughts?

 

[Halliwax]

You can build a real nice replica for 8k

 

[Treadwell]

The way the status display LEDs have a hard on/off blink instead of fading in and out (duplicating the analog way the originals were done) really shows how small things can make or break a replica.

 

[3Dsf]

Heck, it's not just the construction - it's also the accuracy. At a quick glance the Sideshow full-sized product deviates from all screen-seen R2-D2s in at least 8 different respects!

I get the argument that there was no full consistency between the different R2s built for the different movies, and so people usually make composite droids melding all the different versions. But it's another story when they just make crap up and design a detail that doesn't line up with any movie R2 ever.

Sure, most people don't know or care about the differences. But it does boil down to how you separate toys from models.

 

[PHArchivist]

Heck, it's not just the construction - it's also the accuracy. At a quick glance the Sideshow full-sized product deviates from all screen-seen R2-D2s in at least 8 different respects!

I get the argument that there was no full consistency between the different R2s built for the different movies, and so people usually make composite droids melding all the different versions. But it's another story when they just make crap up and design a detail that doesn't line up with any movie R2 ever.

Sure, most people don't know or care about the differences. But it does boil down to how you separate toys from models.

That much I hadn't noticed. At least not yet...

Any good / clear examples?

 

[Halliwax]

That much I hadn't noticed. At least not yet...

Any good / clear examples?

The dome shape, the body panels, a lot of the greeblies, if I get home in a reasonable amount of time I’ll do some comparisons for you here

A good friend of mine almost bought one until I pointed out we could build one for half the price

If you buy a 3d printer I bet it’s even cheaper now…

 

[3Dsf]

Well I just glanced at their promo photos, and it's pretty crummy. The obvious things that jump out are, and this is just eyeballing a couple photos without referring to blueprints or anything:

- The two front vent grilles have the wrong corner radiuses and incorrect details, and are upside-down.
- The battery box internal surfaces have grooved recesses which are an obvious misinterpretation of what the RC R2 from ANH had.
- The battery box harnesses (clip things) are way too wide, and absurdly thick, and have the wrong proportions and details.
- The front foot side details are a mix of ANH and ESB styles.
- The battery box curvatures look wrong to me.
- The shoulder buttons have large bumps instead of flattened cones.
- The shoulder hydraulics are lacking the knurling.
- The rear dome logic light surround is too thick.
- The lower front dome logic light sticks out too far.
- The ankle L-shaped details are proportioned wrongly - too tall.
- The holoprojectors are totally wrong. The surrounds are thick and incorrect, and the "nozzles"/grasps have too many/too fine knurlings.
- The side vents are proportioned wrong and stick out.
- The radiuses of the corner recesses of the panel next to the coin slots are too large.
- The front data slot recesses are shaped incorrectly.
- Middle ankle shape is wrong.
- The battery box hose sockets are wrong.
- The octagon box recesses have rounded corners.
- The shoulder hub interiors are proportioned wrongly and resemble the fibreglass ANH R2, not the hero aluminium ones or the ESB ones.
- The radar eye surround looks a bit flat to me.
- The under shoulder details look too large in diameter to me.
- The lights do not flash in ways that look screen accurate. They're programmed like a cheap toy.
- The rear dome bumps are too closely spaced.
- The rear dome panel that's taller than the others isn't.

Blah blah. Okay, this is getting boring - I think I'll stop now.

Each of those things is a teeny detail, but cumulatively...

 

[Leeway]

I have one that I got for "steep" discount and I'm happy with it for what it is. It's a display piece that I keep in my office and break out for halloween. It's a licensed piece so most of the money goes to the licensing fees. I just wish the lights and sound were powered by a wall socket instead of batteries.

 

[3Dsf]

A good friend of mine almost bought one until I pointed out we could build one for half the price

That is true. But at the same time, you're not charging for your labour! The amount of work in building a quality full-sized R2 is significant.

I'm neither defending nor attacking Sideshow's product pricing here - just pointing out that the cost of design, manufacturing, shipping, etc, is going to be a ton for something as big as an R2.

I am, however, deriding their sloppy research, painting, and sculpt! But, as Leeway says, if it's a fun background prop that makes you happy, then all is well. It just could have been so much better with almost no extra effort...

 

[Halliwax]

Wicked wicked true

 

[3Dsf]

One other amusing aspect is how De Agostini copied a number of these errors – notably the incorrect inner battery box details, octagon box slot details, and the holoprojector surrounds – and built them into their R2 product.

It's funny when you can see the lineage of an error by people not going back to the original source material! It's like a blurry photocopy of a photocopy...