HAN SOLO The Search for Luke SkywalkerThe Legacy Collection Target Exclusive Gift Set
Item No.: No. 33237
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Pistol, helmet, Hoth Rebel Trooper figure and Tauntaun
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: October 2011
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back
Bio: When Han Solo orders a deck officer to locate Luke, C-3PO tells him no on can find Commander Skywalker anywhere. Han realizes that Luke is still outside and leaves to find his friend, even though the nights on Hoth are perilous. Han rides a native tauntaun into the icy night, a daring search that saves Luke's life. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)
Image: Adam's photo studio of sorts.
Commentary: If this Han Solo has his hood up, it would be your new favorite figure. Unfortunately, it doesn't. Han is a mix of new and old parts, combining the previous Vintage/Saga Legends/etc. releases from the waist on up with a new set of legs and a new waist piece with cloth so he can better sit or ride his steed. The blue color is a definite nod to the Vintage collectors and children of the 1970s and 1980s, although I've heard a lot of complaints that it should be a different color. (I hear what you're saying but to me, Han wears blue on Hoth so tough.) Some of the cloth got stuck up in the figure's guts, so if you tug his coat down a bit it gets to be a more consistent length. Thankfully, the cloth frees up his hips so he can easily sit on large snow-dwelling reptomammals.
This figure will essentially do what you need him to do, and if Hasbro stuck it with the hood up on a vintage cardback you'd probably happily pay ten bucks to buy him again. I'd say the set is well worth the asking price, as Han is a well-executed design. His holster holds his blaster. He can ride the Tauntaun. His hands hold the reins. It's everything you could want... minus the hood. Oh, and the Thermal Hat? Still sucks. I don't get why they didn't just leave it out, it fits awkwardly and doesn't add much to the figure. An alternate hood-- or no hood at all-- would probably be more welcome.
Han does sit on the Tauntaun, but it's going to take some degree of futzing to get it right. The figure's feet are difficult to place properly, but it does look pretty good once you get it right. Unlike some earlier releases, he has no problems grasping the reins, so it's a decent pairing.
Collector's Notes: Arguably, to date anyway, this is the most pressing reason to buy this gift set. That, and it's a good deal-- all 3 toys in one box for $25, or a Tauntaun in a retro box by itself for $25. This isn't tough math.
Other: I've been asked if it's easy to swap this head with one of the hood-up heads on other Hoth Han figures-- the answer is yes. The other Han Solo figures which share the same body also use the same ball joint, so you could pop on a Droid Factory, Saga Legends, or Legacy Collection Battle Pack version of the figure's head with the hood if you're so inclined. The Droid Factory release from 2008 seems to match the color the best, but it's not perfect and you'll probably want to paint it anyway.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 1,676: November 16, 2011
Just picked this up today. Right next to the vintage one, too. I'll take the extra figures over a pretty box any day.
ReplyDeleteI do like the figure but my sample has one leg slightly longer than the other. Is this the case with all of them? I did buy both this version and pretty box version as if you're going to have Luke along for the party you want the slightly less horny Tauntaun.
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