Sideshow ESB/ROTJ Darth Vader

[Pixelpiper]

I look at these pix, and I just wish Vader were larger. I dont mean the fig itself, it's accurate,

It's not "accurate" at all. While the figure is very nicely produced, I can't think of even ONE thing that Sideshow got right in terms of screen accuracy. Honestly, every part has something off/wrong. I still think the whole figure looks great as produced, even though it's not screen accurate at all. My mods (in the mod thread) are just to tune him up and mostly to bring him into scale with the figure(s) I'll pose him with.

I mean in the movies! I think because that helmet is so large, his shoulders look small, he looks short in the films,

While the actor playing Vader, Prowse was fairly tall, he wasn't insanely tall and Vader is not portrayed to be freakishly tall in any movie or any any scene - that was on purpose, otherwise they would have hired someone like Peter Mayhew to play him. And his shoulders are not augmented significantly to offset the helmet, otherwise it would also have looked pretty mis-proportioned. If you look at the Sideshow figure by comparison, the shoulder are way too broad, even considering the exaggerated/wrong height of the base body.

he doesnt look tough like Maul does.

That character was nothing but a clown in face paint. He's honestly as useless as Jar Jar Binks. In the small list of most overrated characters in the entire series, right up there with the equally useless Boba Fett. Except at the very least, Fett's armor and costuming looks cool.

 

[pixletwin]

I don't know what we all did before pixelpiper was here to correct us about our opinions.

 

[trenken]

I don't know what we all did before pixelpiper was here to correct us about our opinions.

Very true. I think he just argues with my own personal opinion!

I think Maul looks like a badass, and wish Vader looked tougher. Im aware Maul is not a deep character. He has like 3 lines in that movie, but he looks like he could kick the hell out of anyone with ease. ITs just the oversized helmet (made fun of in spaceballs) that makes the rest of him look so minuscule and weak. I see that in the figure too. He doesnt look very tough. Just a small point about the character design which I blame on the helmet. I still ordered the figure though so its all good.

 

[Pixelpiper]

I don't know what we all did before pixelpiper was here to correct us about our opinions.

I don't know how I was ever able to have an opinion without someone else telling me it was OK to do so. I'm talking of course about Maul and Jar Jar, etc. IMO, Maul was created for one reason - to sell toys. No idea how that played out for Lucasfilm though.

With regards to this figure, anyone who believes that Sideshow's figure is screen accurate in any way probably hasn't watched the movies or looked at any pictures. Them's the facts and they're not able to be disputed. Unless your figure is completely different than the one I got (which is the same as the one shown on Sideshow's site). There are enough people posting in the mod thread with all manner of tweaks, many of which are inspired by screen accuracy.

Here I thought we were all big boys and girls able to have all manner of discussions, whether in agreement or disagreement.

 

[Pixelpiper]

I think Maul looks like a badass, and wish Vader looked tougher.

Yet who was afraid of Maul? Now who was afraid of Vader? It wasn't just that Maul was under-scripted, I just don't feel the character worked. Maybe as some random henchman, but that's not what the producers were going for.

but he looks like he could kick the hell out of anyone with ease.

But he doesn't. I'm not talking about what "could have been" but what was actually in the movies. The character just didn't work. Ill-conceived and poorly executed.

ITs just the oversized helmet (made fun of in spaceballs) that makes the rest of him look so minuscule and weak.

I'm not quite sure why I've never heard anyone mention that before. Character design and budgets then and now have to be taken in context. The character worked very well in all three movies, despite any costume criticisms, and remains to this day, one of the most iconic villains in all of film history. Many people will argue he's THE most iconic.

I get you don't consider Vader to look "tough" - I'm saying that's probably not the point the film makers had in mind, and regardless of how you or I perceive his appearance, it worked very well in the context of the films and their release dates. I still think the films work very well today, Vader included. Would anyone do precisely the same thing today if they were to "start over" - no, probably not. But that doesn't mean they'd do it better.

With regards to the figure, I suspect someone at Sideshow may share a similar opinion as you. The product is taller and more looming with broader and more exaggerated proportions than the on-screen character. I suppose some artistic liberties were taken, otherwise what can we chalk it all up to?

 

[PJB-1138]

Thanks! Sounds like alot for someone such as myself who never really mods things in any way, but I'm gonna give it a shot since the bunching is the only thing keeping this figure from basically being perfect for me.

Also, once you get Vader down to his bodysuit, if you pull the legs of the bodysuit down then slid them back on WITH the upper boots, you can avoid a lot of the bunching up around the crotch the bodysuit would make were you to slip those boot parts afterwards.

 

[Pixelpiper]

if you pull the legs of the bodysuit down then slid them back on WITH the upper boots, you can avoid a lot of the bunching up

Very good tip.

 

[trenken]

Yet who was afraid of Maul? Now who was afraid of Vader? It wasn't just that Maul was under-scripted, I just don't feel the character worked. Maybe as some random henchman, but that's not what the producers were going for.



But he doesn't. I'm not talking about what "could have been" but what was actually in the movies. The character just didn't work. Ill-conceived and poorly executed.



I'm not quite sure why I've never heard anyone mention that before. Character design and budgets then and now have to be taken in context. The character worked very well in all three movies, despite any costume criticisms, and remains to this day, one of the most iconic villains in all of film history. Many people will argue he's THE most iconic.

I get you don't consider Vader to look "tough" - I'm saying that's probably not the point the film makers had in mind, and regardless of how you or I perceive his appearance, it worked very well in the context of the films and their release dates. I still think the films work very well today, Vader included. Would anyone do precisely the same thing today if they were to "start over" - no, probably not. But that doesn't mean they'd do it better.

With regards to the figure, I suspect someone at Sideshow may share a similar opinion as you. The product is taller and more looming with broader and more exaggerated proportions than the on-screen character. I suppose some artistic liberties were taken, otherwise what can we chalk it all up to?

Vader was excellent in the movies. Just rly talking about how he looked which i do see reflected in the figure due to the large helmet. Dont want to get too off topic. I cant wait to get him, just always has that small design gripe with him. He doesnt need to be large to be a threat. The joker is small and weak but is a great threat. Just wish that damn helmet was smaller in the movies and on the figure. Thats all.

 

[Pixelpiper]

I think you may be pleasantly surprised by the figure in hand based on your comments. The body and shoulders have a larger presence than in the movies and you may prefer the figure to what you saw on screen.

 

[SurlyJ]

Alright well i gave it a shot and think I got moderate improvement.

Here is a before



Here is what I did padding-wise with my very high tech paper towel and scotch tape



And the results





Not a huge improvement, but it's a bit better. Don't want to take that suit off too many times, worried about the wiring and a couple of seams on the shoulders of the suit that seem like they will tear after too much stretching over the arms.

 

[wolverine_x]

Hello guys. I have been looking at this thread for some time. I was very interested in getting Darth Vader Deluxe initially, but I have been seeing many feedback in this thread saying that they have received a Darth Vader with defects. Now I am considering if I should get it. I am from Asia and I wonder if it will be troublesome or difficult to ask for any replacement if I receive a Darth Vader with defects.

 

[Jun A]

Hello guys. I have been looking at this thread for some time. I was very interested in getting Darth Vader Deluxe initially, but I have been seeing many feedback in this thread saying that they have received a Darth Vader with defects. Now I am considering if I should get it. I am from Asia and I wonder if it will be troublesome or difficult to ask for any replacement if I receive a Darth Vader with defects.

I'm from Brunei. I received my package after 5 days. The shipping package was different from the early shipping. The plastic clamshell on top of Vader was modified so it wont interfere with the tusk. The shipping box is also bigger and filled with crumpled paper padding for better shock absorption. So the product arrived intact. I believed if replacement is required, Sideshow will cooperate. Normally Sideshow will ask you to destroy the defect item before (or after?) they ship the replacement. So you don't have to spend on the shipping it back to Sideshow.

 

[LoveMinusZero]

I look at these pix, and I just wish Vader were larger. I dont mean the fig itself, it's accurate, I mean in the movies! I think because that helmet is so large, his shoulders look small, he looks short in the films, he doesnt look tough like Maul does.

I just ordered the figure (exclusive sold out), but this has always bothered me about Vader. He's all black, but doesnt look super tough or badass like many other film villains do. Still need this for my collection though.

This blew just blew my mind. How someone could feel Vader doesn't look "tough" enough or that Maul looked looked more intimidating than Vader is beyond me. I liked Maul well enough for what he was, a throwaway henchman. Lucas felt so little for this character he didn't even bother getting an actor to play him and just let the stuntman do it.

The only reason Vader's head is big is because there's an actual guy in there. I've never watched the original films and though, "wow Vader's head is huge!", it just never came across that way. The combination of the shoulder armor and the cape never really gave you a clear enough look. He was always a strong silhouette and looked like someone you would never want to mess with. The only time his head looked huge was in set or behind the scenes pictures.

 

[Blackout]

Ive been a bit worried about picking this up due to quality issues, too.

The other thing keeping me away is the fact that the ROTJ helmet is my least favorite of the bunch, and up close it looks like they got a lot of the curves and proportions slightly wrong anyway. I dont know if I want to spend the money now to get a solid Vader with my least favorite helmet, or wait and hope that down the road Sideshow or Hot Toys release another 1/6 vader based on ROTS or ESB. I dont care what others might say, I think ROTS is the best Vader has ever looked.

I guess I'll wait.

 

[wolverine_x]

Ive been a bit worried about picking this up due to quality issues, too.

The other thing keeping me away is the fact that the ROTJ helmet is my least favorite of the bunch, and up close it looks like they got a lot of the curves and proportions slightly wrong anyway. I dont know if I want to spend the money now to get a solid Vader with my least favorite helmet, or wait and hope that down the road Sideshow or Hot Toys release another 1/6 vader based on ROTS or ESB. I dont care what others might say, I think ROTS is the best Vader has ever looked.

I guess I'll wait.

Same here. After much thought... I decided to skip this. I hope that Sideshow / Hot Toys will release a basic Darth Vader, as I am not really into getting those extra stuff that the Deluxe figure has.

 

[momaw]

View attachment 97427

You put Vader in a diaper?!?! I guess he was getting on in years by ROTJ.

 

[SurlyJ]

You put Vader in a diaper?!?! I guess he was getting on in years by ROTJ.

Yup, lol. I was laughing at myself about it while I was doing it.

 

[momaw]

Yup, lol. I was laughing at myself about it while I was doing it.

He can get a job doing adult diaper commercials now. Would love to see that. After seeing James Earl Jones in Big Bang Theory he'd probably be up for it too.

 

[Asta]

"Luke... help me take this diaper off."

 

[momaw]

"Damn that was a lot of s***."