EFX PCR Boba Fett helmet review

[superjedi]

Hi all!
As many of us did, I pre-ordered the EFX PCR helmet right after Celebration Chicago last April. I checked my records and I placed my order on April 21st, 2019.
The helmet arrived yesterday, and I was very excited to open it up!

This will be my review. I'll include both some facts and opinions. So please take my opinions for what they're worth.

First off: overall impressions.
I have to admit when I unboxed the helmet, I had a big grin on my face. Because even through the plastic "clamshell" packaging, the helmet just had the right look. The color palette that EFX used looks really great! I've done my share of staring at reference pictures, and these colors look superb. Then when I took it out and handled it, the size, shape, and proportions all looked excellent as well.
Here are some overall shots.



First impressions: 8/10.

The helmet interior is fairly basic. It's just bare green plastic with a foam disc in the crown, and some thinner sections of self-stick foam covering the ears, the edges of the visor, and the keyslot area.
From what I understand, EFX doesn't really have a costume license like Anovos, so this was never meant to be wearable right out of the box. If someone intends to wear it, some additional support will be needed. Maybe a hardhat liner or a set of ACH pads.



Interior: 5/10.

Paint app:
Since I am a painter, this was one of the things that interested me the most.
The process EFX used, however it was done, is pretty amazing. They managed to capture the shapes and proportions of just about every detail on the screen used ESB lid. There are a handful of exceptions that I'll describe further down.
As I mentioned in the intro, the colors themselves look fantastic. The colors all work together to really give it that ESB look we're familiar with.
For such a complex and detailed paint app, I'm giving it 9.5/10.

Details:
Like I said above, this is the area where I'm going to "ding" the helmet a little bit. The things I'll describe won't matter a bit to most Fett fans, but... this is TDH after all, so to be comprehensive, I'll touch on a few things that I noticed.

The first group of observations are things which EFX simply didn't include. This seems odd considering how much finer detail they did capture. Can't say whether these were business decisions, artistic decisions, or simply oversights.

White thumbprints are not present. These features are clearly visible in screen caps from ESB, so it was strange that they're not there. Likewise the "fade" below the killstripes. This effect wasn't reproduced on the EFX.



Pale gray between the upper and lower RF ear pieces is not there. They left this area red.



Dome staining. This looks significantly different than the production prototype shown in Chicago. In my opinion, it's a bit too heavy handed on the production helmets.



NOTE: I did a small mod to my helmet by removing some of this "gunk" from the rear panels. I did not touch the dome though.

"Errors:" I feel that these next items were simply errors in paint application, rather than being conscious decisions.

The biggest oops is on the bottom facet of the range finder ear. The angled part that juts out. The pattern was applied upside down.



The next area is much smaller. It's one of the little shapes around the dent. A portion that should be silver, isn't.



So, for details, even considering the "dings" I mentioned, I'll give it 8/10.

Summary:
EFX has produced what is, in my opinion, one of the nicest licensed Fett replicas available. I think it looks better than the Master Replicas helmet from years ago.
This PCR is based on a direct cast of the screen used ESB, and even though it was cleaned up for mass production, the overall size and shape looks great!
The helmet also features metal ears and range finder stalk, as well as flashing LEDs in the range finder itself.



Is it dead perfect? No, but I feel that the flaws are minor, and if someone wasn't concerned about the collectibility of the helmet by keeping it in untouched condition, they're fairly easy to correct.
I think it's well worth the price, and I'm very pleased to have it in my collection!

My final rating is a solid 8.5/10.

If you have any comments, or would like to share your own opinions or impressions of the helmet, please do!

 

[MinuteFett]

On your helmet where the silver is missing is a fault from the paint app. On some of my helmets the silver is present but on others its badly misaligned.

otherwise, I’m happy I ordered so many because I have a few Iwas able to find a few that I consider perfect.

great review though!!! Will yoube doing a side by side or possibly even a repaint of one of these?

 

[superjedi]

I won't be doing a repaint. I'll just enjoy it for what it is: my first licensed Fett helmet.

 

[TheSwede]

Great review, now I’m even more excited to get mine, pick up is scheduled for tuesday

 

[getoninja]

thanks for the review,
cant wait to get one now

 

[BudaFett]

Love the review superjedi

 

[e3kehoe]

Spot on review!! I didn’t even notice the upside down part under the right ear..

 

[Dudnotch]

My helmet needs a Lens. Mine has a crack in it smh.

 

[superjedi]

My helmet needs a Lens. Mine has a crack in it smh.

Oh no... I'd try to contact whichever distributor you bought it from as soon as possible.

 

[Dudnotch]

they aren’t going to do anything for me lol. I’m the one who cracked it lol I emailed EFX to see if I can buy a replacement. Hopefully they get back to me

 

[getoninja]

they aren’t going to do anything for me lol. I’m the one who cracked it lol I emailed EFX to see if I can buy a replacement. Hopefully they get back to me

bummer, but what did you do to crack the visor? maybe we can try to avoid it

 

[intwenothor]

superjedi , nice review. I still await mine and look forward to seeing it.

 

[Dudnotch]

bummer, but what did you do to crack the visor? maybe we can try to avoid it

A couple of the screws weren’t seated right that held the lens on so I loosened them and screw them back in and when I did I must have over tighten the one screw and it split the lens.
EFX still hasn’t gotten back to me been over a month now. Smh

 

[Strider]

Nice review! I wonder how it compares to the new Hasbro Black Series Boba lid...

 

[droidbait]

Great review! I do love the colors.

 

[intwenothor]

I’d forgotten about this thread until its recent bumps. I thought I’d add my own thoughts to Superjedi’s and expand in some other areas; I’ve had this helmet for a little while now and have had a decent chance to consider it. Superjedi has already supplied plenty of quality photo’s so I’ll not do any of my own, which would be repetitive and of lower quality. Also, it’s clear from his shots, and others I have seen, that these helmets are all pretty much the same.



First off: overall first impressions.

I was pleased when this finally arrived, but my first impressions were of a cheap and low-quality item. The box and general packing felt cheap with the heavy brown shipping box actually feeling better quality than that contained within. When I think back to the MR releases, my Tomenosuke Blade Runner Gun, or anything I’ve ever bought that was a quality item, then those things are worlds apart. Of course, a box is only a box, but it felt like a let-down. I agree with Superjedi on those colours though; they look superb and their Floquil matches, for those who are dull enough to study that kind of thing, should be apparent.

When removed from the packaging that cheap feeling continues; it creaks and it groans when handled, which is due to the method of construction. Rather than solid feel of one large piece of fibreglass as with most current helmet kits, or with the old MR, this is several pieces of plastic that have been put together with the join points hidden behind the ears.

As with any first handling the tendency is to closely examine and that tends to emphasise the negatives rather than the positives e.g. the joining seams will be more noticeable than they will ordinarily be.

First impressions: a lowly 6/10. It feels cheap but that palette saves it.



Interior:

Superjedi is right in what he says but I think he’s being overly generous. It really is very basic in the same way that the old MR CE stormtrooper helmets, now repurposed by EFX, are. When I compare the interior finish to other EFX offerings that I have owned then it’s night and day. Those are their limited-edition offerings but, again, that tends to support the fact that we’re dealing with a cheap item.

Interior:3/10


Paint app:

It’s very well done and a clear improvement on the Master Replicas helmets in a number of ways; the colour palette is simply better, the pattern is more consistent than with the mish mash of the MR and the details are, broadly speaking, where they should be. Superjedi has covered those exceptions so there’s no point in rehashing those but, overall, everything is where it should be, in the correct orientation, and in the correct proportions. To clarify; the paint job here is better than many commissions I have seen, which often have that distinct paint by numbers look. It’s necessary to put that into context and refer you to the fact that the whole helmet probably costs less than a paint commission job. Granted, it’s not perfect, and close inspection will reveal that it’s clearly a factory job but it improves over it’s nearest competitor, the old MR, by some considerable margin; remember that helmet was no slouch itself in its day.

It’s probable that the jigsaw type construction would have helped here. On the old MR each colour layer covered pretty much the whole helmet, which may have thrown the palette off e.g. the red trim colours were under the green of the dome. That wouldn’t have happened here because each part could have been painted separately. Ultimately, like SJ, I don’t know how they did it, but it does look great. It’ll never approach one of the top commission guys, but it really is a very respectable job. Those brown patches aren’t great, but they’re not a deal breaker either.


Paint app: A solid 7/10.



Details:

SJ has already covered some of the paint work shortcomings, so I’ll not cover that ground again. I’m going to consider the cast and construction features.

Let’s get the construction out of the way first: those seams, which will really stand out on first handling will not be very noticeable when behind glass in your cabinet, which is where most of these will end up. To me, the most noticeable joins and seams are the ones by the ears; that is, after all, where everything meets and is secured. The seam that sits around the dome doesn’t bother me that much and isn’t very noticeable at a few feet.

The curve of the upper cheek at the point it meets the red trim by the ears is too rounded. I suspect this may have been a forming compromise. This is more apparent by the left ear than the right as a result of the paint pattern at that point but the overall curve seems similar on both sides.

The wavy brow is a winner. It’s thinned down and pushed out over the right eye and has that gentle dip over the left. Whatever the construction compromises might have been elsewhere it seems that this was a red line for EFX and they’ve done a good job.

There’s no bulge over the right cheek and no split by the right ear. Whilst present on screen, I think most would agree that these were not intentional pieces of damage for filming. The intentional damage, the chunk under the left eye and the scratch by the left ear are both rubbish. These are virtually non-existent. I expect these shortcomings are a construction method related compromise, however; there’s no trace of lineage in either.

The dent appears to represent another red line for efx. It’s one of the best dents we’ve had. It’s a bit soft around the circumference. Conversely some of the troughs and ridges inside the dent are sharper than they should be as if some crude scoring has occurred. That said, it’s a better dent than any PP2 based dent and streets ahead of the old MR crater.

Ears: metal ears! Top RF ear piece looks a little chunky but overall these are nice. Metal stalk and rangefinder has a working light set of LEDs.

The back of the helmet is less positive than the front. The red trim orbital band is one uniform set of dimensions around the back of the helmet and it shouldn’t be. They managed the nuances with the front but, for whatever reason didn’t do this with the back. Again, I suspect construction method compromise. This is the kind of detail that many wouldn’t notice because it’s at the back.


The overall shape and size are excellent, although it is slightly smaller than it should be. We’re not in GMH territory, or anything like it, but it is noticeable to the naked eye. It’s probably 1-2% in some dimensions rather than the 5-6% we experienced with the GMH or some aspects of the FPH2. In his ESB hero recast thread, Minutefett stated that the ears from this would not fit one of his recasts; that tells its own story about one or both of these helmets. I would suspect that the ears on this would be too small for one of his casts. If they’re too big then there’s a serious issue with his recasts.

Overall, I’m going to give the detailing 8/10, which is the same as SJ’s.



Conclusions:

As far as I’m concerned, the first impressions and the interior really don’t matter a great deal. Sure, it feels cheap, it comes in a crappy box, and interior is sparse. Well, a box is a box and once the thing is out the box goes into storage. The construction feels flimsy, but I don’t really spend time handling it, so that isn’t really that important either. The MR, it’s nearest competitor, felt like it was better made, and it was, but I didn’t spend much time handling that and don’t forget; those got let out of the factory with a multitude of visor issues.

If those fields are taken off the table then we’re really looking at the paint work, the overall shape, lineage, and features. The paintwork is really rather decent and is not to be sniffed at. The lineage is more problematic. If you were to believe the efx hyperbole then you’d think you were getting a direct cast of the ESB hero; well, let me assure you that you aren’t getting that. You are getting the best licensed product to date. You’re also getting something that’s better than pretty much everything out there barring these ESB recasts that Minutefett, and now Wasteland, appear to be selling. Those appear to have better lineage than these efx helmets notwithstanding that no one is willing to divulge how many generations they are from the source; anywhere from 4 to 6 up to the sky being the limit seem possible.

As a thing judged purely on its own characteristics this item, as a finished helmet, deserves at least 7/10. It gets 8/10 if feeling generous.



There’s one other thing that’s worthy of consideration. It doesn’t speak to the physical properties of the helmet, but I think it changes the overall score considerably: the price.

This helmet retails at $379. For that you get a helmet with ESB lineage, to a degree. That helmet is painted to a decent standard and is better than a lot of commission work I’ve seen. It also comes with metal ears, and working RF LEDS.

The FPH2, which has been by far the most popular helmet kit of this decade, would cost considerably more; you’d have to spend about $300 just for the fibreglass kit and you don’t get the lineage. Add another few hundred dollars for the Machinecraft metal ears, granted they’re machined and not die cast, at least $500 and up for a decent paint commission, plus whatever the change is for the RF LED kit. All of that might cost you three to four times as much.

If you factor the price in, then you might push up to 8 – 9 out of 10.

In my view that makes this helmet a bit of a no brainer, even if you must pay international prices as I did.

 

[RamSkirata]

To illustrate the points intwenothor made about the comparasion to the Master Replicas helmet, heres the recently shot reference pictures added to the Media Gallery:

Master Replicas Boba Fett helmet

www.thedentedhelmet.com

 

[jhfagan]

Do we suspect EFX is/was holding out on the better more accurate product for their "Legends" version of it?
I've heard nothing about the Legends edition since the PCR version was announced last year.
I love my PCR version, and would be quite happy if this was the only version we got from them, but if a Legends version were to be announced, I'm sure I'd be frustrated, but probably consider it anyway. lol
I saw the descriptions about the bulge on the right cheek and crack near the right ear, the"curve" of the cheek where is meets the red color being too rounded (I assume not a sharp enough angle on the curve line?) and some other details.
Are there pictures in a thread somewhere you can direct me that shows exactly where those are?
I recently got the 4K Bluray boxset, and Empire has been in regularly to compare the now gloriously sharp and clear images of Fett, and I am not seeing these helmet defects.
Can someone point them out for me?

 

[superjedi]

Word I've heard is that EFX won't be doing a Legend edition.
As far as all the flaws and repairs go, if you check out the exhibit pics in the media gallery, you can see most of the stuff pretty readily. Some of it is hard to make out even in screen caps.

 

[RamSkirata]

Word I've heard is that EFX won't be doing a Legend edition.
As far as all the flaws and repairs go, if you check out the exhibit pics in the media gallery, you can see most of the stuff pretty readily. Some of it is hard to make out even in screen caps.

I think the challenge is trying to detect what was there and what wasnt in the ESB helmet. For an SE the exibit pics will do easily, but going for an ESB will include a lot of educated guessing, I suspect.