Sideshow Collectibles 1/6 Star Wars 12-inch Infantry Battle Droids Review III "Roger Roger"

continued from previous post...

Because ONE is the loneliest number - that's why Sideshow Collectibles decided to sell the 1/6 scale Infantry Battle Droids as a two-pack set. And for that, I say "Thank you, Sideshow" because these two droids look so much better together :)

During the process of writing the original Star Wars, George Lucas reportedly realized that the story he had written was too vast in scope to be covered in one stand-alone film, and thus, the original film was meant to be the introduction to a much wider story arc that could be covered by sequels if the first film turned out to be successful. The original movie eventually evolved, from being the first movie in the sequence, to a film actually belonging to the second trilogy in the saga. So when Lucas began production of "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" in 1997 after he had concluded that the science of movie special effects had advanced to the level of what he wanted for his fourth film in the Saga (16 years after the 1983 premiere of the previous film in the saga, "Return of the Jedi" and 22 years after the first ever Star Wars film), a lot of people (including yours truly) were really excited, to say the least.

The Phantom Menace received mixed reviews from film critics. Some aspects of the scripting were criticized, especially the character of Jar Jar Binks, who was regarded by many members of the older fan community as purely a merchandising opportunity rather than a serious character in the film. I was looking out for the precursor to the Stormtroopers but saw none of that. Instead, these Trade Federation Infantry Battle Droids were the main enemy force in the film. Not really impressive (too thin to be intimidating or threatening) although the Droideka, or Destroyer Droid were a delight to see. The destroyer droids can transform, appearing first in a "wheel" state allowing rapid movements and easy storage, then unfold into insect-like attack-robots with a slow three-legged gait. In their walking state, droidekas have powerful twin blasters on each of their arms, extreme accuracy at close range, and a personal shield generator.

But I digress. Battle droids are designed to win through overwhelming numbers, even though a swarm of battle droids can be cut down by only a few Jedi Knights, as shown several times in the prequel films. Despite this, enough droids can take down many Jedi, as seen in the Episode 2 Geonosis arena battle. So George Lucas' idea is for people to buy a lot of battle droids (great merchandising potential) to build their own droid army ;p

Having already seen this Sideshow Collectibles Militaries of Star Wars Series 1:6 scale Infantry Battle Droid 12-inch Figure in its packaging and the contents therein (reviewed HERE) as well as the nice detailing and great articulation that comes with this battle droid figure (pictures HERE), the next best thing is to put the two of them side by side :)

As already mentioned, this Sideshow Collectibles 1/6 scale Star Wars 12-inch Infantry Battle Droid two-pack boxed set contains: Two (2) Newly Developed and Fully Articulated Battle Droid Bodies with over 20+ points of articulation each. Authentic and hand painted deco application with detailed weathering deco. Two (2) Detailed Backpacks with droid identification numbering and extending antennae and Two (2) E-5 Blaster Rifles.

I like that Sideshow actually painted different droid identification numbers on the detailed backpacks with extending antennae but this will not work if I decide to buy another two-pack to increase my droid army to four :(

I have to say that I really enjoyed "playing / toying" with these 12-inch battle droid robot figures. There are a lot of possibilities with their pose-abilities because of the amount of articulation one can get out of these 1/6 scale battle droid figures, with the clever ways in which the Sideshow designers worked in the articulation joints (see the previous post for a list and types of articulation one can get out of the battle droid figures)

Most importantly, these Sideshow Infantry Battle Droids are built with very sturdy legs (especially at the ankles) and stiff joints to allow them to hold their poses and stay in them forever, if you like :) No falling over and taking dives off their display shelves, which can happen with the Sideshow Clone Troopers if you are not careful. That's why no 12-inch figure display stands are included - you don't need them.

I prefer all my figures to be free standing as much as possible because it adds a certain level of realism to them. Putting them with figure stands make them look even more toyish. They create a much bigger impact when they can stand on their own two feet while holding their poses.

Scroll down for close-up pictures of these 12-inch droids from the Sideshow Collectibles Militaries of Star Wars Series 1/6 scale Infantry Battle Droid two-pack boxed set. They have different paint schemes so that they don't look identical to each other. They are droids after all, not twins ;p

Interestingly, the word "droid" is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. Droids are basically robots: mechanical beings, often possessing artificial intelligence. They were used in a variety of roles and environments, often those considered too menial or too dangerous for humans and other species.

The most famous pairing of droids / robots ever would have to be C-3PO and R2-D2. Check out my earlier post HERE for pictures of 1:6 scale C-3P0 and R2-D2 figures.