Hasbro's TIE Interceptor upgrade is a hybrid.....
Written: Apr 30 '04
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Pros: Redesigned wings, no wimpy electronics or stickers, TIE Fighter pilot figure included
Cons: Hasbro used the old TIE molds, kept "handhold" on rear. Break-apart feature was kept.
The Bottom Line: If you like Imperial fighters and don't mind the compromises Hasbro made when upgrading this Star Wars action figure accessory, TIE Interceptor is a nice collectible.
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| alexdg1's Full Review: Star Wars Tie Interceptor With Figure |
Swift, heavily armed, and even more menacing than the more numerous basic TIE fighter, the Empire's Twin Ion Engine Interceptor is the fastest one-man craft in Imperial service. Introduced into service after the Battle of Yavin, it saw action in many engagements during the Galactic Civil War, including the Battle of Endor, where squadrons of TIE Interceptors inflicted serious losses upon the Alliance fighter wings in a failed attempt to defend the Emperor's second Death Star.
Part One: The TIE Interceptor's first iteration....
Kenner (now Hasbro) first released the TIE Interceptor vehicle for the 3.75 inch scale action figures in 1983 for its Return of the Jedi product line. Like the first (and unsatisfying) version of Darth Vader's TIE fighter, it was essentially a standard TIE sphere with the new bent-wings. Of course, this is not a design cheat (as was Darth Vader's first TIE fighter), and at least the coloring was more or less Imperial gray rather than the 1978 "white" TIE, and it was accurate as far as the proportions to the figures went. It retained the front "transparisteel" cockpit window and the top "clam shell" hatch of the standard TIE fighter vehicle (again, not a problem), and you could accomodate a TIE Fighter pilot figure inside the cockpit. As in all existing TIE variants, battle damage was simulated by separating the wings from the "ball" using two hidden buttons that activated springs in the "gripping tubes."
The TIE Interceptor's authentic look was marred by three other holdover features from the basic Kenner TIE: the laser "cannon" light, the battery pack on the back end of the sphere, and the labels used to simulate the small wafery solar panels that line the dagger-like bent wings that give the TIE Interceptor its distinctive look.
The laser light was simply a carry-over from the basic TIE Fighter. You placed two AA batteries in the battery pack on the back -- which added a flat protruberance to the otherwise spherical TIE body -- and the laser light at the centerpoint of the TIE's "chin" lit up. There was a sound effect added as well. Not the blood-curdling scream of the Imperial fighters, nor was it the distinctive sound of laser cannons. Nope. It was the same wimpy whine associated with Kenner's X-Wing and other TIE fighters of that era.
The TIE Interceptor's first version did not have molded and painted solar panels on the wings. As in all the TIE variants released between 1978 and 1985, the wings were solid gray plastic; the "wafered solar panels" were on sheets of stickers, with all the inherent flaws and problems attendant to such add-ons. You had to be careful applying the stickers, otherwise they'd be crooked, creased, or with unsightly bubbles where a pocket of air had formed between label and plastic surface. Worse still, even in the unlikely event that the stickers were perfectly placed, the glue eventually dried up and the wings shed their now-brittle labels. Vehicles shielded from sunlight often lasted longer, for obvious reasons, but the labels eventually did peel off no matter what precautions were taken.
When Kenner/Hasbro resumed production of the Star Wars action figure lines in anticipation of the 20th Anniversary and the subsequent prequel trilogy, apparently the decision was made to dispense with the stickers. The new version of Darth Vader's TIE X-1 Advanced not only had the actual fighter's distinctive fuselage and bent wings, but it also had more realistic detailing, including molded solar panels.
Part Two: Return of the TIEs....
The TIE Interceptor was reissued a few years back as part of the Power of the Jedi line that encompassed figures, vehicles, and other collectibles from not only the Classic Trilogy but also Episode I as well. It was a Toys R Us exclusive, but I was very fortunate because my best friend Rogers Perez is also a collector and was keeping a close watch for the new shipments, so I now own one. I opened it -- a rare case of not caring if it lost value because it's not in the box -- and can therefore make a few observations.
First, it's a bit of a hybrid, a mix of the old Kenner toy vehicle design and the new, advanced Hasbro-produced TIE variants (Vader's, the TIE Bomber, and the 2003 TIE Fighter remake). The wings are now fully factory-detailed, with the solar panels molded and painted. The wings also still have the classic spring-activated "Battle Damage" feature that lets you simulate catastrophic events such as an encounter with an asteroid or a blast from a Rebel laser cannon.
However, rather than cast new molds for a total upgrade, the TIE Interceptor "ball" is just the 1980s design with no electronics. Where the red laser light once was there is now an orange "bump" between the chin blasters. The battery pack is no longer a battery pack; it's a handhold, but it looks identical to the storage compartment from the old vehicles. The cockpit is still the top-loading clamshell design that opens so you can place the Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot figure (included in the package) in the crew compartment.
The figure itself is a better, more articulated version of the original TIE Fighter pilot. Whereas the 1980s version just sat there (or stood there) staring fixedly to the front, the 21st Century upgrade can move his head from side to side and has bendable knees. The costume (basic black flightsuit with silver belt buckle and Imperial insignia on both helmet and shoulder patches) is also rendered with a tad more detail than the original figure. As a collector, I appreciate the added value of a figure that once came separately.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 29.99
Type of Toy: Action Figure
Age Range of Child: 9 Years or Older
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alexdg1
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Member: Alex Diaz-Granados
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Rest in Peace, Mrs. Barbara Axler Fields. I will miss you lots!
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