Tag: The Legacy Collection

Recommended music: Huey Lewis and the News – Workin’ For A Livin’

“All right! That’s it.” For this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re back inside Echo Base on Hoth. Today, from The Vintage Collection, it’s Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit)!

As alarms begin to sound and rebel soldiers rush to their battle stations, Han rushes to do some last-minute repairs to the Millennium Falcon, so he and Chewie can escape Hoth as well, very similar to the last film if you think about it.

Released in the first wave of The Vintage Collection figures back in 2010, I can still remember this beautiful assortment of action figures swinging from the pegs. In fact, I can remember taking a picture of the display at Toys R Us with my (flip?) phone at the time, and staring at the screen while sitting in the best seats of my life behind home plate at Coors Field for a Colorado Rockies baseball game.

Even though I wanted them all, I don’t remember the circumstances of when I actually acquired this Han figure. It must have been a loose purchase, as I have no memory of owning his welding mask. A unique accessory to this release, I had to use a different accessory to stand in for the picture. He also came with a welding torch, but that was a repacked accessory from a previous Chewbacca figure.

The standout item from this figure, however, was not Captain Solo’s welding tools but rather his COAT. You see, Han wears this brown jacket very briefly in the film, and it should not be confused with the heavier brown (but remembered as blue) jackets seen elsewhere on Hoth. The Harrison Ford likeness is decent on this figure, comes with 14 points of articulation, and good gripping hands for working on the Falcon. While Hasbro missed a small detail of putting Solo’s rank badge on his jacket, the rest of the paint applications are great.

The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!

#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45
#ToyPhotography

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!

#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45

Recommended music: Rush – By-Tor & The Snow Dog

On this blazing hot #StarWarsSaturday, we’re dreaming of chilling on the ice planet of Hoth. Today, from The Legacy Collection, it’s Chewbacca!

During The Empire Strikes Back, Han and Chewbacca head out into the snow to investigate the source of a strange signal. When Chewie’s growl causes them to be discovered by an Imperial probe droid, it immediately fires upon the pair. It only hits snow, but Han briefly returns fire, and the droid self-destructs. Unfortunately, this is just after the droid signals back to the Empire with the location of the Rebellion’s secret base.

This is the version of Chewbacca that was included in the Recon Patrol 5-Pack with Han and three droids. While the figure is a repaint of a great Chewy sculpt that debuted in the VTSC Early Bird Kit in 2005, it included a light amount of snowy deco in this release three years later. Hasbro did release a snow-covered Chewbacca a full decade earlier during the Power of the Force 2 line. That POTF2 release has a bit too much snowy deco and can’t really be used in any other scenes. Also, this TLC version is a superior sculpt with nine more points of articulation. It also features a much more accurate two-piece bowcaster as an accessory.

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!

#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45