BB Units

 BB Units

Galaxy’s Edge Trading Outpost

Target Exclusives - Hasbro

While I’m probably never going to get to visit Galaxy’s Edge at Disney World (due to admission price, travel time/distance, excessive crowds, TSA hassles, Coronavirus, etc) the overlords at the House of Mouse (Barf) have graciously allowed everyone’s favorite exclusive retailer, Target (Double barf), to bring park merchandise to their loyal subjects in the flyover states.  Now you can buy the same, 2008 large Millennium Falcon for over twice the original price!  Or maybe some BB Units?  If you can find them! I found all three two-packs of BB Units.  Missing in the same assortment were three Astromech Droids.  What does that tell you about the sequel trilogy?  

Anyhoo, more droids is more droids.  They’re cute, colorful, and non-offensive (that sass-bot from “Solo” is another story).  Also, 3.75” figures in this day and age are becoming more rare and rare...

There are apparently more body/ball designs than there are head models.  With heads you only get dome or cylinder.  Hey, sequel trilogy, what happened to the more triangular heads?  Disney was probably afraid sharp angles might be deemed too aggressive or something...

I wish there was more color variation among these six.  I mean, two share an orange deco, and two others share black and white.  They are made so you can swap heads, but that can only take you so far.  The old Droid Factory Astromechs had, what, five swapable parts?  Sigh...

That’s a lot of complaining for something that doesn’t quite break the bank.  Still, priced at $10 a set, I would have liked to have paid at least $2 less for what you get.  But, hey, more background fodder for play as I re-write the further adventures of Luke Skywalker and company with my action figures.

Jawa Sandcrawler

Jawa Sandcrawler

Droid Factory Disney Exclusive

Disney managed to do something right post-Lucas buyout after all!  They have delivered one of my most wanted vehicles in a large-format, low-price (relatively) exclusive.  The Jawa Sandcrawler was an RC toy in the original 77 Kenner line, later repainted as an online exclusive...both have eluded me. It has been long overdue for an overhaul and, thankfully, the Dis delivers!

You get a pretty massive vehicle/playset for $100.  It rolls, has cockpit and headlight lights, and has multiple sound buttons with every Jawa scream and droid bleep imaginable.  The front panel of the ship drops down to act as a ramp and access for the droid crane.  There is a top-hatch access for the cockpit, which features decaled control panels and has enough room for at least three Jawas.  One full side of the ship opens so you can access the furnace, overhead catwalk, trap door/droid compartment, and motorized elevator.  The elevator has an up and down button on the outside and moves appropriately slow and mechanical.  It's gear-grinding sound is something you don't hear much in toys anymore.  Ah, nostalgia!

Lift demonstration:

You also get a decent Jawa figure (not as articulated as some Hasbro releases) and a Gonk droid.  The Gonk has moving legs and a removable headpiece to view his bot innards.  There is a hole in the top (standard for Droid Factory's interchangeable hat features) of his head so you can attach him to the moving crane feature at the front of the ship.

This is the best executed, most exciting Star Wars vehicle release since Disney's Star Tours Speeder in 2010.  My army of Jawas that I have amassed over decades of collecting finally have a home.  Maybe Disney can do the same for my Rebel Troops waiting aboard the Star Tours Speeder?  They've been waiting so long to taxi to the Tantive IV...please beat Hasbro to it before they try to bleed fans with another long-desired vehicle with a ridiculous price tag.  Help us, Mickey...you're our only hope.

Disney Vinylmation Indiana Jones

Disney Vinylmation Indiana Jones

 

 

Another rare Indy find, second-hand at a local comic shop.  But is it a welcome find? It's creepy and pointless as all get out, but it was only three bucks.  The clerk asked "Is that Nicholas Cage?"  I said," Close, if you're a "National Treasure" fan. 

 

But I understand...this Disneyana crossover is confusing.  I know there isn't exactly a glut of Indy product out there, but was anyone asking for their favorite action hero to be grafted onto the body of Mickey Mouse? 

 

 

I guess they make the best they can with the ears, painting them to blend into a key location or suggestion of the film it is from.  Here we get some Egyptian hieroglyphics as featured in the Tanis Dig/Map Room scene from "Raiders of the Lost Ark.

 

 

The figurine is about three inches tall and has three points of articulation.  The paint is pretty solid, and is as accurate as any toon caricature can get with Mickey cheeks as your base, I reckon.  He comes with one accessory: the Staff of Ra.

 

I think that these are blind box figures and, to make things worse, Disney parks and stores exclusives.  So if these things are your bag and you don't live on the coasts, good luck with your Ebay hunting!

 

Just for fun, I dug out the old Kenner Map Room playset and all of the variations of that Indy I have collected.

 



Whoops...forgot one!  Original Map Room Indy is upset he wasn't invited!