Sideshow ESB/ROTJ Darth Vader

[steveo]

Yeah, it's a shame those Vader Marmits never got produced. They were beautiful and leaps and bounds ahead of what SS is currently producing.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Having purchased one of the prototype armor sets of the Marmit ANH Vader I spent a lot of time studying the pieces and know where their inaccuracies lie, but when all put together, they are negligible as the finished piece just looks right. It has THE LOOK... even though it's not prop accurate - I would call the Marmits movie accurate.

 

[McHaleyArt]

Having purchased one of the prototype armor sets of the Marmit ANH Vader I spent a lot of time studying the pieces and know where their inaccuracies lie, but when all put together, they are negligible as the finished piece just looks right. It has THE LOOK... even though it's not prop accurate - I would call the Marmits movie accurate.

Any pictures of your own? Would love to see more than what's on the maker's page.

 

[r3dPyramid]

^^

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Here are a collection of pictures of my pieces. It's an early prototype stage, seeing as several details are missing on these that are on the more completed prototypes. And there's a bit of damage and warping to some of the parts.

And here is the face mask compared to the Kaiyodo face mask.

 

[Niltusk]

this is because you have been hypnotized by your avy and now complacency is the norm...........

OBEY.................CONSUME

Anyone who has been in threads where I rant about inaccurate figures would probably disagree.

Vader is just one of a few figures I can't see most of the inconsistencies people talk about. Kind of the same on Stormie helmets, although my eyes can usually capture a "nicer" looking figure, I usually don't get the subtleties people are talking about. Now if it just has blatant nasty crap like the piss poor paint apps on Medi Vader 2.0, then yeah, i can see that stuff, but Vader nose angles and shoe sizes, no, I'm lost.

 

[barryo]

Anyone who has been in threads where I rant about inaccurate figures would probably disagree.

Vader is just one of a few figures I can't see most of the inconsistencies people talk about. Kind of the same on Stormie helmets, although my eyes can usually capture a "nicer" looking figure, I usually don't get the subtleties people are talking about. Now if it just has blatant nasty crap like the piss poor paint apps on Medi Vader 2.0, then yeah, i can see that stuff, but Vader nose angles and shoe sizes, no, I'm lost.

I hope you know I was kidding...........

And believe it or not I don't look at the nit noid stuff like you mention but if I can improve a figure on a bigger issue (whether a helmet mod, height mod or whatev) relatively easy and economically.........I will do it.
As far as what others can and can't live with............I know of some that it must be a special kind of hell they grapple with when figures don't come out to the last nose hair accurate. In the doll world ya' win some......ya' lose some......

 

[punisher1974]

I think the new Vader will be awesome. I like my ANH version also but he is just a little too big. He towers over my predator figures. Although I guess that could just add to his awesomeness

 

[Niltusk]

I hope you know I was kidding...........

And believe it or not I don't look at the nit noid stuff like you mention but if I can improve a figure on a bigger issue (whether a helmet mod, height mod or whatev) relatively easy and economically.........I will do it.
As far as what others can and can't live with............I know of some that it must be a special kind of hell they grapple with when figures don't come out to the last nose hair accurate. In the doll world ya' win some......ya' lose some......

Ya I know.

And you're right, it really is a double edged sword.
Sometimes I see more to it then there probably is, then other times I'm like....

 

[jkno]

Wish Marmit was still around...

 

[anwe]

I have said it before, Sideshow or Medicom should really hire the "marmit-guy" Seichi Takahashi. Apparently he did work or consulted on the Bandai die-cast C3PO and I not many people have found much wrong with that one except the price of course, but that's another issue entirely.

 

[bruce_brucee02]

Looks great! What material did you use to sculpt/mold?

Here are a collection of pictures of my pieces. It's an early prototype stage, seeing as several details are missing on these that are on the more completed prototypes. And there's a bit of damage and warping to some of the parts.

And here is the face mask compared to the Kaiyodo face mask.

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

It's not about being literally perfect. It's about being about as good as it can get for the scale/price (think SSC Tusken Raider, Tamashii C-3PO, HT Luke). Everything is going to have some flaws given the limitations they're working with. That's not the same thing as just accepting mediocrity because you simply don't care about details.

Some folks are fine with a certain degree of accuracy.. others are very particular.

I'll go without till someone makes a Vader I WANT to buy.

 

[Leon 911]

Some folks are fine with a certain degree of accuracy.. others are very particular.

I'll go without till someone makes a Vader I WANT to buy.

Exactly. Some people here just try to push stuff down their throat and others throat saying bla bla , that they accept minor imperfections etc, peanut head that they are, everyone understands nothing is perfect, its just that it has to have a trigger value for the obscene cost its for. For me the more iconic a figure the more perfect it needs to be, the more expensive a figure, the more close to issue free it must be. This thing is huge $$ not to point out issues and express disdain. But some are i think stuck in their own, i collect whatever at whatever price so should everyone.


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[Leon 911]

Yeah, it's a little tiring to hear the 'good enough/it's not a prop replica' arguments. Fact is for the price it should have a very high degree of fidelity to the source (Tamashii 3PO is a great example in this regard - not a so-called prop replica and with some inaccuracies that collectors can overlook because overall they nailed it -- it's not that hard to understand). I'm still on the fence with this figure until we see some updated photos with the correct dome. Apparently the current photos up on SSC's site were not using the final, tweaked helmet and it did look a lot better to me on the SDCC video I saw (which did have the updated helmet).

Exactly. Well said.


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[jra81984]

Exactly. Well said.


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I think this figure is a wakeup call for Sideshow. Their offerings are headed into Hot Toys price territory. With that the bar needs to be higher.

After all how much did we pay for ANH Vader? Somewhere in the $100 ballpark? This figure is twice that at least. Quality and attention to detail should be increased.

That being said I am a fan of any Vader with a removable helmet.

 

[Leon 911]

I think this figure is a wakeup call for Sideshow. Their offerings are headed into Hot Toys price territory. With that the bar needs to be higher.

After all how much did we pay for ANH Vader? Somewhere in the $100 ballpark? This figure is twice that at least. Quality and attention to detail should be increased.

That being said I am a fan of any Vader with a removable helmet.

Yea. We all are fans and we deserve much better at this price. They really are charging a premium for this. They better get their act together. The fact that vader ex, is yet on sale, could be only 2 things - either its being made in millions (i doubt that) or people really know this is a bit off. The latter being true. 250 plus is not a small amount by any means to accept something mediocre or slightly over mediocre. So etimes its better if top 2 companies have licences for same products... Look at terminator, joker, godfather, all of these turned out to be marvelous when two companies had the licences. Leaving all that aside, there is still much to be desired from this figure and its no way just to the cost that its being sold at.


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[TheBlytheOne]

What a curious affair.

If I do not like how something is made, I do not buy it. I may comment upon my reasons for disliking a piece once, maybe twice. But I can not identify with some of you fellow posters who feel as if you are entitled to receive more than what a company is willing to produce.

Speaking of which, I am aware of the problems with the helmet, but I seem to recall a picture or a video where an employee at Sideshow replaced the helmet with something more akin to what we will get in production and that this piece was generally looked upon with favor.

Anyone else recall this?

 

[Leon 911]

What a curious affair.

If I do not like how something is made, I do not buy it. I may comment upon my reasons for disliking a piece once, maybe twice. But I can not identify with some of you fellow posters who feel as if you are entitled to receive more than what a company is willing to produce.

Speaking of which, I am aware of the problems with the helmet, but I seem to recall a picture or a video where an employee at Sideshow replaced the helmet with something more akin to what we will get in production and that this piece was generally looked upon with favor.

Anyone else recall this?

Thats the power of complains / feedbacks / praises they keep checks and balances in place and should in reality encourage these companies to do better and better. and yes people do have the right to express desire for a product as close to perfect as they want. The companies have a choice to make it or no. And then the buyer has the choice to buy or no. So whether you agree or not how does it matter people will praise what they like and will complain about what they dont. Thats what forums are for! ... If they get this improvised further, these are the first people who will come back with praises and appreciation. Its 250 plus tax bro! ... Not a small amount.


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[abake]

Vader is probably my favorite cinema villain ever.
When I first saw SW back in '78 (at the movie theater in Piracicaba, Brazil) I was mesmerized by the sheer awesomeness of Vader. I actually wanted Vader to win, so cool was he.
In my child's imagination I hoped that in the end he would turn out to be the good guy somehow. ESB tantalized me with the possibilities, only to be somewhat let down by ROTJ. He did become the good guy, but not really in the way I wanted.

Anyway, Darth Vader is the epitome of the tragic villain, and will always be at the top of my list when it comes to wanting a perfect figure (right along with Giger's alien).

When Medicom first released their ROTJ v1.0 Vader I didn't think twice about it and shelled out the 200 bucks it cost, no questions asked. I did see the flaws, but it was just a dream come true.

When Sideshow released their ANH Vader, once again I shelled out the 120 bucks, despite the flaws. I did some of the mods and nowadays I think my Vader looks pretty awesome. Not perfect, but awesome.

Now, when I look at this new Sideshow offering, it just leaves me cold. I know it's better in plenty of ways, but it just fails to capture the image I have in my head, which strangely enough the Marmit prototype does capture so well (just like their Stormtroopers, despite their many flaws). I simply don't feel the urge to buy it.

I guess a lot of people who are huge fans of Vader have similar stories and feelings regarding this, which probably explains why it hasn't sold out yet.

Having said that, I look forward to seeing in hand pics. And the inevitable customizations.