Wow, it feels like I just wrote this review. Oh, wait... no, that was a late review for the Sneak Preview series of figures for the upcoming movie. This write up is for the actual toy launch for the movie. Or at least the first wave as I'm sure there'll be more toys released once the film hits. That's not to say that Hasbro is trying to keep any secrets back as the initial series of toys paints a solid picture of what to expect.

So, what's to be said about the new lineup of figures that wasn't said before? Not much. The Sneak Preview line gave you a minor taste of what was to come. The lineup released featured a whole slew of characters from all the main players (Anakin, Kenobi, Yoda) all the way down to people who probably will get one whole scene. But, you have to give Hasbro credit for launching with everything they can muster. As stated with the Sneak Preview line, one of the best things about the Star Wars figures are that they prove to be both collectible and sturdy enough to be played with. Accessory-wise, the figures tend to come with a weapon, helmet or some other item that's sure to be lost in the hands of a young child.

When it comes to modeling and the paintwork for the figures, most look pretty good. Some, like the pregnant Padme Amidala figure, just don't look close to the actress and disappoint. On the other hand, most of the variations on the Clone Troopers look really good and show off the transition between Episode 2 and 4. Fans of the movie series are sure to find more than a few characters they like here. And if you don't, just wait until after the movie when Hasbro is sure to push out a few more groups of figures to fill out the set.

Along with the action figures are assorted vehicles, noise-making guns and lightsabers. Anyone who has seen a Star Wars movie toy launch pretty much knows what to expect. There are deformed Force Battlers of Darth Vader, Anakin, Kenobi and General Grievous, each with oversized limbs and action attacks. The Star Wars Unleashed series (which I've always felt features excellent sculpting in place of playability) shows off Anakin, Kenobi and General Grievous. Probably one of the nicest part of the toy launch is the 12" series, which includes General Grievous, Barris Offee, Clone Trooper, Darth Sidious, Shaak Ti and Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, all of which show off an excellent level of detail and depth.

I'm sure that by the time the movie has seen the end of its run in the theaters, we'll have more variations of figures, board games, collectible cards and every other thing imaginable. As it is, this series seems far less akin to fall into the "cuteness" that plagued previous series. Revenge of the Sith is supposed to be a darker, more violent film. So, hopefully that will give this line an edge over the last two films.

For more info and images, check out the official site.

- - Vane