Hello, what have we here?
What? Like I wasn’t going to use that one after waiting so long for a Black Series Lando Calrissian figure. I mean, it seems to have taken an inordinate amount of time to get this smooth-talking baron administrator of a small mining operation on my shelf, but this old card player brings some much-needed Empire Strikes Back representation, and I am definitely glad for that. I know we are now in an almost vicious cycle of a new Star Wars movie every year, so I appreciate it when we actually get a chance to fill in some needed action figure spots for the classic movies. Lando is part of a very strong series of figures starting to trickle in now that also includes Qui-gon Jinn, a Tusken Raider, and Imperial Guard figure. Don’t get me wrong, I am really enjoying the new movies, but I have been dying for these figures since they were first shown off at SDCC last year.
There were really only two options for a Lando figure in terms of looks for the SWB series, and while I still very much want a figure of his General attire from Return of the Jedi (even though he pretty much just stole Han’s clothes), I am glad they went with his most iconic look from ESB. Sure, if you leave off the cape, Lando is pretty much just dressed for the office in the 1970s, but since he had a whole mining colony to run, it is good he was always dressed for business. This figure has done a nice job of bringing that look into plastic overall, but if you are familiar with SWB in the least, you will see that it enjoys the strengths and definite weaknesses of the line.
Like most Black Series figures, Lando has a very solid sculpt. As I said above, the outfit is not the most exciting thing in the world, but the slacks and deep-neck semi-puffy shirt are accurate to the screen. Even though the original Star War trilogy was mostly shot at the end of the swingin’ 70s, I find that most characters escape the stereotypical look on screen. Lando is probably the most obvious exception to this, and even in an galaxy far, far away, Lando carries a bit of the “disco sect” look with him. It’s not too bad, and really, the movie goes a bit out of its way to state and restate how “smooth” Lando is (because it is true), so the outfit still works.
The two most interesting parts of the outfit are definitely the belt and the cape. I say the belt because, in the movie, I never really noticed how intricate and large Lando’s belt is, but this figure really shows it off. Due to the closeness of the color of the black in the belt, and the dark blue in pants, the two tend to blend together on screen, but here you can easily see the ornate patterning and triangular shape. It is certainly fancy enough to be befitting of such an important man about Cloud City, but I know why Lando is never shown doing crunches on screen.
The other interesting part of Billy D.’s costume is the cape. The cape is important because it is really the only thing about Lando’s look that give him that otherworldly appearance. That is not to say that people on this planet don’t wear capes to their administrator jobs, but it’s not overly common. The cape has some story behind it, and as explained in great depth at the SW panel at SDCC last year, the Hasbro design team went into the Lucasfilm archives to find the patterning for the inner lining of cape. The design shown in the slideshow presentation was definitely intricate, but in production, much of the detail was lost, unfortunately, and the lining just looks like golden orange peel. It certainly doesn’t look bad, but it is one of those cases of “A” for effort, but probably a “B-” for results.
The reason I mention this is because the lining was primary reason Lando’s cape was rendered in plastic over soft goods. In a line that I feel uses too much cloth (99% of the time, I hate it on action figures, especially at this scale), I am personally glad they went in this direction. The cape obviously looks better that cloth ever could, and for those of you worries about it hindering articulation due to the way Lando wears it, I have to say, it is not that bad at all. The cape is very soft, so that helps, but it also sits on the shoulders and arms pretty well in a variety of poses. I was surprised by this, so while Lando cannot over extend his arms, he definitely poses better than I expected. More plastic, less cloth in Black Series I always say.
Lando comes with two accessories: his communicator and his blaster, but he also has his little control watch sculpted onto the arm. The latter is, of course, not removable, but it is an important “accessory” and I am glad they did not overlook it. The communicator is well done, too, and Lando can hold it in his left hand just fine (the grip on the right hand is too wide). I have always been a fan of Lando’s blaster as I think it is one of the most interesting of the series, and with the silver tip, it is certainly unique.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this, even though I am BEYOND tired of it, but the paint, as always in this line, is mediocre at best. As much as I don’t like soft goods, I would take them if it meant they would just get the paint down in this line. The sculpts are typically very good, but paint, and again, especially in the face, just doesn’t let the form shine. There isn’t a whole lot of paint needed on this figure, but the black on the cape collar, v-line of the shirt, and belt is pretty sloppy in places. The face is where it hurts the most though, and even though it isn’t sloppy it is just so, well, basic, to put it in the parlance of our times.
I KNOW there is a great Billy D. Williams sculpt lurking under there, and the eye paint hides it more than anything else. The skin tone is flat, and the eyes brows are pretty blunt, so that doesn’t do the likeness any favors either. It is not like Lando looks horrendous, he doesn’t, but when Hasbro puts out a line like Marvel Legends (I know, different line, team, factory) that, while not perfect, is miles ahead in paint, it can get agitating. So I will be hoping Benty will be casting and painting Lando heads. Please, Hasbro, FIX THIS. Do not make me a broken record. Put some more care into the paint applications and take your line to the next level. The line, property, and collectors deserve it.
“Why you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler. You’ve got a lot of guts coming here, after what you pulled.” I will never get tired of my Lando figure saying that to my Han Solo figure, so hooray for Lando! It took a long time to get him, but he is here, and even though he suffers from Black Series paint, overall, he is a solid figure. I know that, by summer’s end, we will be neck-deep in The Last Jedi merchandise, and that is cool, but figures like Lando are always appreciated when we can get them, so be on the lookout for this ol’ smoothie soon!
