Sculpt--3.5/5
I'm a bit torn over this category...while R-3PO actually brings something new to the basic protocol droid sculpt (most noteably the arms), it is a bit disappointing that most of him seems to be just a tweaked Deluxe C-3PO sculpt. R-3PO's a bit on the short side, and he (it?) still has that raised circle on his chest which shouldn't be there. On the plus side, Hasbro seems to have tweaked the Deluxe C-3PO sculpt just enough that R-3PO isn't posed exactly the same. For instance, Deluxe C-3PO is slightly tilted at the waist; R-3PO isn't. The arms are totally new, and while I think they are a bit on the skinny side, I do like how the little cylinders at his elbows are molded away from the arm, unlike on past protocol droid figures which had them molded against the arm with little to no space in between.

Articulation--3/5
Once again, pretty standard. R-3PO is articulated at the neck, shoulders, and hips. I'd like to see more articulation, but it's also nice that all the joints are well-hidden and the hip joints aren't totally obvious.

Features--NA/5
There are no features associated with this set.

Accessories--1/5
You get an action figure stand. While the stand is pretty decent, it's also disappointing that we aren't getting anything else. I could think of a few things that could have been included--things like a unique Hoth-themed base, computer terminals, or some random prop that was seen in the Rebel's base. On the flip side, this is just a protocol droid and I could see how certain accessories just wouldn't make much sense. Ah well, I guess it could have been worse...

Paint--3/5
R-3PO has a nice dirty paint wash which helps bring out the detail in the sculpt and also gives him a nice, weathered look. The colored wires at his mid-section aren't as clean as they could be, but they do give the figure some added color. The color of R-3PO's coverings seems a bit off from the source material; the photo of the "real" R-3PO shows a much brighter red with some silver trim. The figure would have looked much more interesting had these colors been more accurate. In the end, I don't care that much about this little inaccuracy since he is just a background character.

Overall--3/5
Another good figure for droid lovers and a nice figure for background characters in dioramas. The slightly inaccurate paintjob and lack of accessories are the only major things wrong with the figure. In the end, the set is what it is--if you want another protocol droid, then R-3PO is another choice for you.

--Photos and review by Garett Yoshimura
garett@carrotnetwork.com