Hot Toys DX Bespin Luke Skywalker

[Platty]

Damn PERS.

That is probably what it is you know. The Helmet sculpt without the pers can only be the same sculpt and it looks a lot more like him than the standard one.

 

[Cap'n Cook]

Precisely.

 

[Darth Waller]

I've never owned any HT figures with PERS, but it just seems like a novelty to me. Does anyone really use this feature?

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

It's definitely good for taking cool photographs, but it's delicate to operate.

A lot of folks just test it out then leave it alone for the most part from what I've read.

 

[Khonsu70]

I've never seen Jedi Luke in person, so maybe I should've included the caveat that this release is the best ESB version of Luke I've seen yet. The main point I meant to convey is that for a 1:6 attempt I think this one is highly credible, considering some of the problems even at 1:4 scale.

Oh wow, it's like the HT Indy thread all over again...!

 

[T.E.D]

One thing Hot Toys should start doing is using different coloured irises for the PERs system, all the DXs have had brown eyes even when the actor doesn't. Like here, Mark Hamill and therefore Luke has blue eyes and they obviously know this cause they have painted the one in the Vader helmet with blue eyes. I know its not a big deal but it could be effecting the likeness by making the eyes too dark.

 

[qbomb71]

SSC has taken flexpay 2 of 3 now. I really hope we don't have to wait until Aug/Sept for this guy, but if it is delayed because of improvements - I can wait. With that said, I really like both sculpts and look forward to seeing what type of packaging and overall presentation HT's comes up with for their first Star Wars release.....

 

[Invictus Sol]

Oh wow, it's like the HT Indy thread all over again...!

Haha, I've only heard about the back and forth in those threads but I'm pretty much done discussing this. I just don't understand the hatred for this figure when every past 1:6 Luke release has been a total POS by comparison. I could see people being so nit-picky if there were a ton of great Hamill likenesses already produced. I've read a lot of the old threads on the previous SSC releases and I don't recall people being so _____y about those figures and they looked like ____. So yeah, don't get the hate.

Can understand the dislike of PERS, though. I actually quite like it on this figure but think it did ruin Ford's likeness with the Indy figure and to my eyes seems to be a problem with HT's Terminator, too. Didn't realize that all the PERS eyes are brown, regardless of the actor's actual eye colour... That's definitely not good.

 

[MarfMaster]

I hate the HT Indy sculpt, and am mostly pleased with the two Luke sculpts. They are a bit idealized, but that's Hot Toys' MO. I definitely think PERS is hurting the sculpt, if only a little, but if you look at the color of HT Luke's irises, they are indeed blue...

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

They are a bit idealized, but that's Hot Toys' MO.

Can you please explain your reasoning behind that?

They've matched the likenesses of actors pretty close almost every time, with the exception of a few. They just need to improve it before release. There's always a disclaimer at the bottom of their promo shots to say that the final product may differ.. you sure you don't mean Medicom?

I think this sculpt will be fixed. It's frigging Luke Skywalker.. not the latest fad movie character. If the likenesses for their future SW releases are kinda close - like this.. what's the point of even trying then?

Invictus Sol - I don't think there's 'hate' per se in here.. just frustration, because this company is renowned for uncannily great portaits. Lots of Luke fans in here though - me included, & we just want this already great set to be as good as it should be, that's all.

 

[MarfMaster]

Can you please explain your reasoning behind that?

They've matched the likenesses of actors pretty close almost every time, with the exception of a few. They just need to improve it before release. There's always a disclaimer at the bottom of their promo shots to say that the final product may differ.. you sure you don't mean Medicom?

I think this sculpt will be fixed. It's frigging Luke Skywalker.. not the latest fad movie character. If the likenesses for their future SW releases are kinda close - like this.. what's the point of even trying then?

I didn't say stylized (Medicom), I said idealized. ESB Luke is not that "pretty" and neither are a lot of the actors HT puts out sculpts of.

And not that I think Luke needs much fixing, but you must be kidding me with that last part...after all this Indiana Jones talk? I mean, it's friggin Indiana Jones...

 

[Deak Starkiller]

I've never owned any HT figures with PERS, but it just seems like a novelty to me. Does anyone really use this feature?

Sort of, to bring out "the look" of a character. I don't like it myself but yeah...it's a novelty.

In this shot I was going for the scene with Indy & Marion at her bar.


Hot Toys Indiana Jones DX:05 1/6th scale figure by Deak Starkiller, on Flickr


And here I just think it helps with Batman since he can't turn his head.


Hot Toys DX BATMAN (1989) by Deak Starkiller, on Flickr

 

[Jaymas]

I hate the HT Indy sculpt, and am mostly pleased with the two Luke sculpts. They are a bit idealized, but that's Hot Toys' MO. I definitely think PERS is hurting the sculpt, if only a little, but if you look at the color of HT Luke's irises, they are indeed blue...

I actually agree with this. Idealized is the right description of the Luke sculpts and I am fine with them as is. Of course I am not against "improving" them- but I do worry they could get worse and not better in such an effort.

To me the sculpts, even the regular one, are Luke Skywalker- the way I remember him from my childhood- the hero on Bespin. Yes, if I compare every detail side by side to the likeness of Hamill I can find some flaws- but that is why I think we can say the the likeness is idealized; he actually looks slightly better than the actor who played him in real life does without looking like a completely different person.

I did not get the same feeling from the Indiana Jones flaws- they did not convey to me an idealized version of the character. The sculpt just seemed off in conveying Indiana Jones to me.

Now this is of course completely subjective- but I think it is more about what the likeness conveys in terms of character rather than the actual accuracy down to every last detail that can make the difference in how we perceive how good a sculpt is.

 

[jedijim3002]

I want doc brown to hop in the delorean, go back to 1980, chop off mark hamils head, shrink it down to 1/6 scale, and put it in the box that gets shipped to my house from sideshow. Then I'll be happy. LOL

I may be in a select few here but I like both sculpts the way they are.

 

[SpaceCrawler]

Haha, I've only heard about the back and forth in those threads but I'm pretty much done discussing this. I just don't understand the hatred for this figure when every past 1:6 Luke release has been a total POS by comparison. I could see people being so nit-picky if there were a ton of great Hamill likenesses already produced

Because it's $300. And it's a poor likeness of Hammil.

The fact that this hobby is so absurdly overpriced these days demands that the quality be absolutely top notch. This sculpt of "Luke" is far from being top notch.

Asking that these companies, who do read these boards, improve their overpriced products is something we should all be on board with rather than calling well warranted critique "nit picking".

Sean

 

[Jaymas]

Because it's $300. And it's a poor likeness of Hammil.

The fact that this hobby is so absurdly overpriced these days demands that the quality be absolutely top notch. This sculpt of "Luke" is far from being top notch.

Asking that these companies, who do read these boards, improve their overpriced products is something we should all be on board with rather than calling well warranted critique "nit picking".

Sean

See, I am one of those who don't think it is such a poor likeness of "Luke". Again, not that I think it is perfect, but I am happy enough with this idealized likeness to pick it up even with the high price.

In fact, now that I have already per-ordered it based on my satisfaction with the likeness I worry that I won't like any of the "fixes" they might do to the sculpt before its release. Seriously HT- please don't mess this up trying to "fix it" for all those who haven't per-ordered it.

I should say though, especially if anyone from Hot Toys is listening, that the tension here is the price. While I picked this figure up despite the price it is only because it is a bit of grail figure for me. I really wanted to pick up the new HT Indiana Jones, but the price combined with a likeness I wasn't 100% happy with kept me from doing it. I have the Sideshow Indy, and while I think the HT version is better it just was not that much better considering the price to make it worth the upgrade. I obviously felt different about the Bespin Luke (which I also had a SS version), but I also have the option to recoup some of the money by selling one of the HT Luke figures in the set- probably the BD one.

So the problem here is the price more than anything because what makes a particular sculpt (and over all product) worth the price is largely subjective. You are right that everyone is free to nitpick an expectation of a product as part of the evaluation of whether it is worth the price or not. I would suggest to HT that lowering the price some would make many fans less nitpicky and may increase sales- I would have gotten the Indiana Jones and you might pick up this Bespin Luke despite not being perfectly happy with the likeness.

But HT will have to decide this based on the sales data what they want to do- the question for them is how many more figures do they need to sell at a reduced price to make more money selling the same figures at a higher price, and will reducing the price mean they will be able to sell that many more figures? If they can make more money selling fewer figures at a larger price than they do selling more figures at a slightly lower price they will keep on doing what they are doing now.

So again I agree with you about the problem with the inflated price of these figures, I only disagree with the expectation that everyone willing to shell out that amount of money will agree every likeness is "top notch" enough to be worth it. I don't think it is a realistic expectation that HT can produce a top notch home run likeness that almost everyone likes every time out the gate. Lowering the price is the only thing that will broaden the appeal for these figures where the quality of the likeness is often subjective and debatable. The question is, is it worth it to Hot Toys?

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

I didn't say stylized (Medicom), I said idealized. ESB Luke is not that "pretty" and neither are a lot of the actors HT puts out sculpts of.

And not that I think Luke needs much fixing, but you must be kidding me with that last part...after all this Indiana Jones talk? I mean, it's friggin Indiana Jones...

Fair enough - stylized & idealized are different, point taken.

I also get your point about IJ - HT may not change the Luke sculpt, who knows. That said - of all the characters to tackle & get right, Luke is one they should be committed to doing the proper justice. He embodies the original saga, & especially this being their first SW piece, there's additional note attached to it.

Again - it's a great set, but the clean head just doesn't look enough like Hamill.

 

[Eamon]

I think Mark Hamil is a tough likeness to get right.
I see even the best artists getting a certain likeness but rarely nailing it like they might do some ones else.
Understandable too as his face does change quite a bit from movie to movie. Heck I think even from scene to scene in the case of Empire.

I for one am quite happy with this likeness as I think it gets much of who the character is.

 

[Jaymas]

I think Mark Hamil is a tough likeness to get right.
I see even the best artists getting a certain likeness but rarely nailing it like they might do some ones else.
Understandable too as his face does change quite a bit from movie to movie. Heck I think even from scene to scene in the case of Empire.

I for one am quite happy with this likeness as I think it gets much of who the character is.

I think you are right- it is a tough likeness- not only does he look different from movie to movie, but you're right, he can look a bit different from scene to scene too. I think he has one of those faces that change a lot with various expressions and can look different from different angles. I don't think anyone will be able to nail down the "perfect" sculpt of him.

I am also happy with the sculpt as is as it seems to captures who the character - IMO.

 

[Invictus Sol]

Because it's $300. And it's a poor likeness of Hammil.

The fact that this hobby is so absurdly overpriced these days demands that the quality be absolutely top notch. This sculpt of "Luke" is far from being top notch.

Asking that these companies, who do read these boards, improve their overpriced products is something we should all be on board with rather than calling well warranted critique "nit picking".

Sean

All in the eye of the beholder, I guess. I really like both sculpts and HT's captured Luke for me, even if the likeness is not 1:1 Hamill (I would use the preview pic of SSC's Neyo as an example of a sculpt that to me is unacceptably off).

As for price, $300.00 is not bad for 2 complete figures, 2 stands and the weather vane prop. Compare that to the only other Luke offering -- Medicom's single figure $300.00 figure whose likeness, IMO, is seriously flawed. I think HT's offering is more than fair by comparison, but may as well agree to disagree.