Gamorrean Guard's brother from another mother

If Kevin Costner must be in your collection somewhere, while I'd have preferred a set of "The Untouchables" action figures, I am willing to compromise and amass the modest but stylish "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" line by Kenner instead.  The jolly, corpulent man of the cloth, Friar Tuck is his stereotypical jolly self with robe, rope belt and staff as his accoutrements.

There's nothing imho especially charismatic about the jolly Friar, he's not as whimsical looking as Milo O'Shea or with a face like a slapped turkey a la Ronnie Barker, but he's that essential character you virtually have to conceive if you're going to develop a Robin Hood action figure line.  Odd  perhaps that such a dowdy little man in a drab brown robe and sandles would make the mould and yet Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's more tantalising likeness couldn't get a look-in, but I'll save those criticisms for the full line review.

What is perhaps remarkable about this portly fellow is his mould.  Recycling is nothing new in action figures,   though this particular lineage always seems to amuse me for its total re-use of old moulds, rather than more subtle sampling.  In this context, the good Friar is apparently a distant relative of the Gamorrean Guard of Jabba's Palace, ROTJ.  So much so, that Kenner spared much expense re-tooling the press, torso paint & detail, merely popped a new head on his shoulders, called him Friar Tuck and we've got ourselves a stew.  It's devilishly simple, maybe even a tad cheeky.  I've even seen Friar being offered for sale as a "rare Gamorrean Guard variant" at an inflated price for some unlucky punter to discover that he's possibly worth less now than he was brand new, almost 25 years ago.

Inexpensive is a word that springs immediately to mind when I consider the RHPOT line, not in their construction mind you, just their residual value has plummeted (though this may rebound to some degree with the current resurgence of Robin Hood in the cinema).  Nevermore than pennies loose, maybe $5 MOC, this tubby little theologian from Sherwood Forest is (presently) a highly affordable collectible and though he may be a borrowed body of a more inspired pig-man creation, he possesses quality accessories, a genial disposition, and overall, fits into a modest though well constructed eight-figure line very nicely. 

Friar Tuck | 1991 | Kenner | Robin Hood Prince of Thieves