I like the previous Wampa figure, although a lot of people online seemed to bash it compared to prototype photos that showed up online. Since I never saw the photos, I can't form an opinion. I still hold that I liked the prevoius Wampa for what it was. I also like this new one.
Clearly inspired by the Special Edition footage, the newest Wampa features roughly 7 points of articulation, which lend to a variety of poses. These include hunched over eating fresh Taun Taun, standing and getting surly with a Skywalker, or rearing back in pain after getting an arm lopped off.
The body has shaggy fur sculpted all over it. The feet and hands have insoles painted dark gray, with claws painted black. I'll get to the head later. The fur is colored with realistic yellow/browns, that are true to the movie. (Also true to polar bears and other white animals that rarely stay white
)
The arms and legs are made of a rubbery material, which surprisingly make it easier to balance. The mid-torso has three layers of overlapping fur, where the figure is jointed. Neat sculpt. Upon opening my figure, I immediately popped him in half acidentally. It turns out there is a large ball-joint in there, and is easy to snap back together. I wouldn't recommend doing htis frequently, as it would pobably loosen the joint.
The left arm can be severed, and attaches itself to a socket mounting in the torso. It has a hint of guts sculpted onto it, and a little bit of blood painted. (Not too much though, lightsabers automatically cauterize wounds
)
On to the head. Lots of detail on the hair and how it hangs around the face. This Wampa has some ears, and the horns are separate pieces of plastic glued on. The best feature is the open mouth, with individually sculpted teeth.
Since the mouth is open, or Wampa can actually eat the Taun Taun flesh it comes with. Ther appear to be teeth marks on the edge of the meat. These would correspond to teeth in the mouth, and help hold the meat in there for display. Lots of detail to the Taun Taun femur, right down to the muscle striations. Mine is still attached by clear a rubberband. You probably need a rubberband for it to stay in the Wampa's hand, but otherwise seems like it could be held from many different angles.
Next, the base. The base is molded out of a clear blue plastic that resembles ice. It's painted on the surface with blues and whites, making it a very accurate representation of packed snow. It has some stalagmites, and one large icy column that attaches to Luke's base.
There is a partial Taun Taun skeleton on the floor, as well as Wampa footprints. A hole in the floor holds Luke's lightsaber. Detail: there is an extra piece of plastic glued under the hole so that the lightsaber can't fall out if you pick up the base. On the other hand, the hilt is so big that it couldn't slip through the hole in the first place. I give em an A for effort though.
Additionally, the base is shaped in a manner so it fits around the Wampa's feet, rather than interfereing with them. That way, the Wampa can stand within the diorama, not next to it.
When Luke is attached, he hangs nicely, and looks good reaching for his saber. The ice column is surprisingly sturdy, supporting the weight of the figure. Overall, it looks great on it's own, and would be even better in a custom diorama.
