Sculpt--5/5
Let's face it, sculpt is perhaps the most important category for the Unleashed line. The larger scale makes it possible to have details that could never be done on the smaller, 3 3/4" figures. So it's no surprise that this sculpt is stunningly beautiful. The pose is elegant and graceful, and there is a great sense of motion with Aayla's tentacles and belt straps. The body is well proportioned and looks realistic from any angle. At first I thought the pose was too ballet-like for my tastes, but after taking this figure out of the package and putting it on my shelf, I think it's an awesomely dramatic pose that I wouldn't change.

Besides the great pose, there's some great detailing in this figure. All of Aayla's clothing has the appropriate textures - even the belt straps have a nice leather-like texture! Aayla's body and headsculpt are also exceptionally done well and is only marred by the seams at the neck where the head attaches to the body. The base Aayla stands on is also very well sculpted with some stone steps and realistic looking rocks. The sculpting on this figure is truly the best thing about this figure!

Articulation--NA/5
There is no articulation on this figure...and it doesn't need it.

Accessories--NA/5
I suppose I could count the removable lightsaber blade...but I won't. This figure is meant to have the blade in.

Paint--3/5
Another important category when it comes to the Unleashed line is the paint category. The paint job is what brings the sculpt to life, and a bad paint job could turn a perfect sculpt into an average figure. The paint job here is decent, but far from perfect. The face looks good in terms of Aayla's eyes and mouth - very clean and defined job there. What didin't turn out so well is the purple wash they added to her blue skin. The purple wash was meant to be a subtle way to bring out the details in her skin, but in many places, it just looks like she has a few bruises. This wash will vary from figure to figure, so if you have a choice from multiple Aayla's, be sure to check this aspect of her skin tone; the other Aayla figure I saw had more purple paint than this one, and it didn't look good at all. There are other minor flubs like edges and lines that could be more defined or look a bit sloppy, but overall the paintjob looks good though unfortunately a bit short of great.

Packaging--4/5
The packaging looks good and is nice and eye-catching. The non-generic imagery on the card helps make each package unique-looking. The bubble is the thing that unifies the series together with all figures sharing the same Unleashed logo and a similar font for each figure's name. On the card back, a pretty lengthy description of the character will help anyone unfamiliar with them. A cool touch is the Expanded Universe info on the characters, like how Aayla was "deluded into joining the dark side" or how Bossk ate his own father! Great for those who have only seen the movies. Unfortunately, the graphic design of the card backs are a bit disappointing to me, mostly because they remind me of the 2002 Saga card backs...couldn't they think of something new for the Unleashed figures? One final negative to the packaging is that they don't hold up too well to shelf wear; it will be hard to find a card that doesn't have at least a few creases in it--even straight out of the case.

Overall--4/5
The Unleashed series has just got another fan and it's thanks to figures like this. Great sculpting and dramatic poses makes this figure stand out on the shelf, and eye-catching packaging will keep MIB'ers happy. The paintjob could be a bit more refined and I think the price point of around $15 is a little high, but overall this is a great figure that I'm glad I got.

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