Cylon Commander

The original Battlestar Galactica ran from 1978-1979 (I have blocked out the 1980’s episodes, as hopefully you did). The Battlestar Galactica movie and later series, released on the heels of Star Wars, broke ground and inspired a generation. It was easily in the top ten of my favorite childhood shows and I gravitate towards anything that bears its name and/or design. Majestic Studios released a 12″ inch figure; however, this review involves Amok Time’s release (I believe the cloth materials and the skirt are the only main differences I could find when researched).

The doll comes in nicely designed box which flips open to enable a viewing of the figure and accessories. In addition, it is covered with nostalgic graphics from the TV series. The Cylon Commander lies in a plastic tray with a stand, dagger, blaster, and blaster rifle. You may notice my blaster has a worn, grey, and scratched look. Honestly, I loath a weathered look if not universal (notice only on one of three pieces is used looking). Also, until I noticed it was on both sides of the blaster, I thought it was done during shipping and not by the manufacturer.

The doll is tied down to the bare plastic tray with black twist ties, which in my opinion, creates a flawed packing system for chrome painted plastic. The Cylon seemed to rub around in transit, which left sublime and random marks/scratches on various aspects of the chrome.

The stand snaps around the waist with a thin wire and does hold the figure in place. However, be wary, when you pry the figure out of the U shaped wire, it may (did with mine) snap a blaster pack off the belt.

The Cylon Commander’s only difference from the (silver) Centurion is the gold chrome (obviously) and a flimsy black leather skirt instead of the cool metallic disco skirt. You may be able to sense my disenchantment and sarcasm. I find this figure to be a stiff doll, poorly constructed, and deserving of a blind date with Barbie in her dream house instead of a place in my collection.

Both blasters sit very poorly in its molded hands and fail to create an aesthetic of functionality. The gauntlets and leg/arm sleeves (the cheap plastic parts you can see near knee and elbow joints) make posing the 1/6 ball jointed doll (BJD) frustrating and tedious. The dagger fits into the belt with a questionable peg design, so having it held by centurion looks…oblique to be kind.

I paid 38 USD including shipping on Ebay and while that was a deal compared to Amok Time’s web page…I would like to go back in time and [ahem] slap myself. The figure is a doll wrapped in black cloth with little bits of chromed plastic velcroed to it. Check out the silver version review, it is a bright shiny day next to my dark cloud. For the record, Sanjeev’s review is informative, enlightening, and distinguished (he is an all-star reviewer and I am a novice at best). I just disagree on the inherent value of this figure…I created this review as a yin to his yang for perceptive collectors.

Thereby, forgive my diatribe and bias…it does look “cool” from far away and to other collectors it may be a “gem” in their collection. I will endeavor to end on a positive note. I liked the box.