Hasbro: Star Wars Black Series The Last Jedi Maz Kanata

“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.” Well, I am here to tell you, Maz Kanata all but proves that the happenings of the Star Wars saga were not that long ago, and actually, they might not be that far away either. Hear me out.

So, you know that theory of how in the movie E.T., the titular character seems to recognize that trick-or-treating kid dressed as Yoda, proving that they are familiar in some way? Oh, and how that is supported by the fact that E.T.s show up in the senate chamber during the Prequel Trilogy, putting them in the same galaxy as Star Wars? Well, Maz Kanata proves that Earth and our timeline are even closer to all that Star Wars stuff, despite that opening blue text. Yep. When E.T. was on Earth, he obviously got busy with Sophia from the Golden Girls and the result of their wrinkly tryst was Maz, who went on to serve drinks to Han Solo and have a crush on Chewbacca in a galaxy “far, far away.” Sure, George, you are not fooling anyone. The resemblance to E.T. and Sophia is uncanny, so you can consider that theory proven, end of discussion. Maz is from Miami by way of whatever planet E.T. comes from, and they are both in the Star Wars universe. Booyah!

Haha, yes, yes, very funny, but in all seriousness, Maz was one of the more mysterious characters introduced in The Force Awakens, but she was like the new stand-in for the old and wise Yoda, so with that, she almost seemed familiar. I mean, we don’t know how she came into possession of the most notorious lightsaber in the galaxy, but since this figure is being released in support of The Last Jedi, we will likely get some answers to the many questions set up in Episode 7. I am not sure how or when Maz will fit into the story, but the bio on the back of the figure’s box states that after the destruction of her watering hole, she has become more mobile, and she is apparently packing heat, too.

As a Black Series figure, Maz is pretty much what you would expect, but I do have to say that she has one of the better sculpts we have seen as of late. SWB as rule generally carries good sculpting, but since Maz is one of the few alien figures we have gotten as of late (Star Wars has gotten a little too overrun by humans in this Sequel Trilogy), she stands out even in a strong field. She is diminutive, as you would expect, but her costume is colorful, and there are a lot of sculpted details in the different materials of her outfit. She is dressed in the weird amalgamation of a flight crew hat and vest matched with granny pants and leg warmers. Top it off with some pretty thick bifocals (that can move up and down, just like in the movie) and costume bauble jewelry, and Maz is definitely more interesting to look at than any of the other TLJ figures revealed thus far.

Even though she is smaller, Maz carries about the same amount of articulation as most SWB figures, but I have to say the range of movement in many of those points is kind of a bummer. The articulation in the neck, elbows, hips, and knees is all pretty restricted, and while I know Maz isn’t doing any back flips (at least judging by what we have seen thus far), the figure seems pretty stiff. I suppose I have gotten used to the usual posing attributes of SWB figures, so when one rolls around that doesn’t meet that standard, it sticks out. I suppose I am glad that if that was going to happen, it happens with Maz, rather than a Jedi or something.

The paint on this figure, however, is remarkably good, and that is saying something since there are a lot of different applications in a wide variety of colors. All of the bright colors of her costume are executed well, especially on her socks and shoes. There are several metallic paint hits and the bracelets and rings, and for the most parts, all of the lines are clean. Now, I always thought of Maz as being more orange than anything else in the movie, but this figure is more of a light brown, and there are some metallic applications on her skin, particularly her face. This was pretty jarring at first, but now that I have had the figure for about a week, I have gotten used to it, and it is actually pretty effective. Now, it is not all hearts and flowers here because Maz’s eyes are just as terrible as most SWB figures, but she benefits from being an alien and the fact that I will be displaying her with her glasses on and thus, pretty much obscuring the bad paint job.

 

Finally, Maz comes with the aforementioned “Excalibur” lightsaber hilt, the trunk it was stored in, and a blaster. I believe the saber hilt is a new sculpt, as is, of course, the trunk. The trunk is a relatively large accessory for the line, but that helps to make up for Maz’s small stature. The trunk can open, close, and lock, and the assorted junk inside is painted, so that is a nice touch. The saber hilt can fit inside no problem, so you can recreate that pivotal scene with Rey to your heart’s content. The blaster is a reissue of the Lando/Death Squad Trooper model (I am positive someone will point out the name in the comments), so if this is the previously mentioned heat Maz will be packing in Episode 8, it is will be interesting to see if she is a good shot.

I like Maz, and I am glad to have her in the Black Series. There are still more questions than answers about her character in the movies, but now you can choose your own adventures with this nice figure. She isn’t perfect by any means, but man, even if she is an old lady, I am just glad to get a new alien figure in the line. TLJ merchandise has been pretty boring so far, but that is an entirely different rant, and Maz definitely helps to keep things more interesting. Maz is part of the the second wave of Episode 8 SWB, so these are hitting in stock and for pre-orders in many of the old familiar places, including BBTS and Dorkside.