Recommended music: John Williams & Vienna Philharmonic – The Imperial March
Marching on this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re still looking in on the ice planet of Hoth. Today, from The Power of the Force 2, it’s the Hoth Battle playset!
After 20 whole minutes into The Empire Strikes Back, we take a break from what is happening with the Rebellion on Hoth, and finally get a full glimpse of the actual. Yes, there was an Imperial Probe Droid seen earlier, but I’m referring to full-on officers of the Empire and their boss, Darth Vader.
This scene is also the first full use of the track “The Imperial March.” While a barely audible version, played on a piccolo, technically accompanies the probe droids sent down to Hoth at the beginning of the film, this is the more familiar rendition of the theme. It’s easy to see why The Imperial March is also considered Darth Vader’s theme, as it recurs frequently when he is on-screen later in the film.
While I unfortunately don’t have the upcoming roster of Imperial officers in action figure form just yet, I wanted to touch on this scene before going into the whole Battle of Hoth. With the Imperial March booming from our speakers, we see Admiral Ozzel and Captain Piett discussing the visual information sent back from a probe droid in hopes of finding the hidden Rebel base. When Vader joins them and sees power generators on the screen, he is instantly convinced:
That’s it. The Rebels are there. – Vader
My lord, there are so many uncharted settlements. It could be smugglers, it could be… – Ozzel
That is the system. And I’m sure Skywalker is with them. Set your course for the Hoth system. General Veers, prepare your men. – Vader
The Hoth Battle playset from the POTF2 line was a callback to the vintage line, and at a bargain price point of just $14.99. It features a scaled-down version of what we see above ground during the Battle of Hoth. The set includes a rotating turret with a top hatch and a side door, a firing laser cannon, and ice bases that can be separated to change the look of your terrain depending on the size of your display or play area (as seen in the picture above).
The playset also features these undersized power generators with a large lever in front that, when pressed, makes the generators “explode.” While it’s a fun take on the scene, I really wish Hasbro would give us more points of view on the action around Echo Base.
The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old last month! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!
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