The Razor Crest vehicle from Star Wars: The Mandalorian was finally put into collectors’ hands starting in February 2022 after going into production in late 2020 . As I write this it’s now June 2022 and there are plenty of in-depth reviews that were done when the vehicle was delivered. (What can I say, it’s been a busy 2022). Rather than go into a long review I will just point out some of the issues with the set and move onto why the Hasbro Pulse Haslab Razor Crest from The Vintage Collection is arguably the best Star Wars action figure vehicle ever. Take a look at the extensive photo library and see for yourself.
There are legitimate complaints about some of the features of the Razor Crest including flimsy removable panels, an almost inaccessible weapons locker and lack of electronic features. These are fairly important issues but beyond them the vehicle is just a joy and pleasure to look at and interact with.
There were times during the nearly 16 months of waiting from order to delivery that I questioned whether I should have cancelled my order. First of all as a Canadian it set me back $550 after shipping/US-CAD exchange rate and Ontario HST tax; making it my most expensive Star Wars collectible. The second reason was that although I had a spot picked out in the Star Wars room to display it, it is an enormous vehicle and adding it to the collection meant giving up a large chunk of real estate in that 12×12 room. The third reason was the fear that something would happen to it. This was a new emotion for me to feel when it comes to my Star Wars toys. I have no problem bringing my action figures and vehicles outdoors for photography, after all they ARE toys. That means best case, my garage floor or backyard patio. Worst case is packing them up and setting them up in the forest or on rocky beaches and outlooks in some of Ontario’s beautiful Provincial Parks.
But the Razor Crest is different.
As much as I want to “play” with it, I’m resisting because it’s just…so…beautiful (said in Anakin’s Ep 3 voice).
It’s the largest piece of Star Wars merchandise I own but it has an elegance to it. The design itself recalls WW 2 bombers so there’s an antique, old world feel about it. It reminds me very much of airplane replicas one would find at say, The Bombay Company. The paint job on the vehicle is outstanding. It isn’t vac-metalized but its silver paint has such a shiny sheen to it that it actually reflects colour. In the photo below I have the vehicle sitting on top of a storage bin with a yellow lid. That yellow you see is a reflection of the lid, not the actual colour of the Razor Crest. (You can just see the lid at the bottom of the photo).
In fact taking photos for this review became difficult because I couldn’t always get an accurate colour of the vehicle. (Building an XXL photo box wasn’t feasible). In many of the photos I’ve chosen to leave the tint in the photograph and as you browse through you’ll see where the vehicle’s colour is actually silver/grey.
Hasbro has added a ton of great weathering to the Razor Crest . As elegant as it looks, it still has that “used universe” feel that Star Wars is known for. The weathering is well done in almost every part of the vehicle except for one. Removing panels from the ship’s engines reveals pipes, conduit and molded control panels; basically the inner workings of the engines. But instead of highlighting some of these details with different colours the effect is very monotone, very “single-coloured.” Still, it’s not a deal breaker and a few minutes with a paint pen could solve the issue.
The cockpit looks like it does on The Mandalorian and allows for 3 figures to fit into it. The door at the back of the cockpit is only sculpted and doesn’t open which is fine considering that a working door would mean a much bigger vehicle design overall. The control panels in the cockpit are full of great detail and grime to make it look well used. One really fun detail is a shifter that is missing it’s knob, implying that Grogu is playing with it again. The seats are similarly detailed and look very realistic. The clear removable canopy allows for a good view into the cockpit.
The detailing extends into the Razor Crest as well where the cargo hold, cubbies, cargo netting and weapons locker look incredibly realistic. One of my favourte features are the side and rear ramps that lower and extend. Very cool. Oh and there’s a “refresher.” Yup, we have a toilet folks!
The Razor Crest features multiple removable panels ranging from small pieces to the entire wall of one side of the vehicle. The idea behind them is so fans can recreate the scene from Season 1 of The Mandalorian where Offworld Jawas strip the ship during Mando’s absence. They also come in handy as a way to create a scene where Mando is repairing his ship. It’s an effect that works wonderfully and reduces the Razor Crest to a wreck. The panels are fairly easy to remove although we found a small flathead screwdriver was sometimes needed to pry the panels off easily. Each removed panel reveals detailing as mentioned. The sections of wall that are removable leave the vehicle looking like a derelict but also allows for light to enter the inside. It’s great for photography, which leads us to our huge gallery of photos below!
What do you think of the Razor Crest? Let us know in the comments!
CLICK on any image for full-size viewing
CLICK on any image for full-size viewing
CLICK on any image for full-size viewing
CLICK on any image for full-size viewing
CLICK on any image for full-size viewing
Mike Tarkin.com 