Endor Bunker - TVC - Playsets

The 40th Anniversary of Return Of The Jedi is lackluster at best, but one of, should we dare call it, the “highlights” is the Endor Bunker with exclusive Endor Rebel Commando (Scout Trooper Disguise). Longtime Star Wars fans call this character Nik Sant. The last time Kenner of Hasbro attempted the Endor Bunker was in 1997’s The Power Of The Force “2” Endor Attack playset. It included a much-too-small Endor Bunker playset and some other parts to help recreate the Battle of Endor, but everything in it was not of high quality, and most collectors found it a disappointment. Hasbro added the Endor Bunker to The Vintage Collection with a much-improved and larger-scaled toy with a few new features that the previous version neglected. We still get the two layers of double doors, but this time they’re functional, and the whole structure doesn’t fall apart when you look at it funny. We give Hasbro credit for the excellent design of the new version. It’s more extensive and detailed, and although it’s still too small, it’s a world away from the 1997 version released over a quarter of a century ago. At least this time, collectors can fit multiple action figures in the doorway, and recreating certain scenes, like Han and Leia trying to open the doors, is an easier task. Plus, Hasbro added moss growth throughout the building with the new version. We initially didn’t like this detail, but it’s quickly grown on us, and we’re happy with how the final toy turned out. We believe other collectors will find merit in this new release as well.

The double doors stay closed thanks to excellent design. The structure snaps together like the previous release, but the parts fit together snugly, and pressure doesn’t force it to collapse under pressure. The Endor Bunker stays intact, thankfully, and you can work the features like the sliding doors while maintaining the integrity of the Endor Bunker. Hasbro also worked in an opening console panel, and it’s the one Han Solo busted open to hotwire the door during the thrilling ground battle on Endor. They also added a swivel lid to the datalink that R2-D2 first tried to access to open the doors. These details are much appreciated, and we’re grateful that Hasbro took the time to add some incredible detail to a playset that is technically boring by itself. The interactivity makes it interesting. The paint job of the Endor Bunker is rather excellent. It appears to be the correct color, gray, and you’ll find collections of dirt and darker shadowing to give it a natural look. Although we’re a bit bugged that it’s still too small, it’s notably more significant than the 1997 release, and we’re sure that collectors will enjoy recreating displays from the film. The Battle of Endor is one of the most exciting battles in Star Wars, and this playset allows us to host the base of the battle in our collections. You can create a diorama incorporating the Ewok Village to complete the look if you’re so inclined, but this playset holds up well. And the more action figures you display around it, the more wondrous it becomes. (We need so many more Ewoks now…. and Rebel Commandos!)

Speaking of Rebel Commandos, Hasbro gave us a nice treat with the Endor Bunker playset. They’ve included a new character for the line called the Endor Rebel Commando (Scout Trooper Disguise). Longtime Star Wars fans will undoubtedly refer to this action figure as Nik Sant. This version is a massive update to the figure offered in 2008’s TLC Shield Generator Assault Battle Packs set. This time, they took the figure from 2012’s SW [TPM 3D] Speeder Bike With Scout Trooper Toys R Us exclusive set and added an all-new portrait featuring the likeness of Nik Sant, added all-new lower legs and feet, including “rocker” ankles, and then included a new removable scout trooper helmet. The latest figure is gorgeous. The new head sculpt is stunning and nicely captures the nuances of the briefly-seen on-screen character. The figure comes with the enhanced articulation of the 2012 figure, but the new “rocker” ankles are a Godsend, and we love what they do for the figure when posing it. The Endor Rebel Commando (Scout Trooper Disguise) comes carded the artwork is passable. Hasbro doctored the image quite a bit, so it looks “fake” in our eyes. They could have used an alternate shot of the actor instead, but they chose the obvious choice here. For $59.99, we get some value here. If you subtract $15 for the exclusive action figure, that leaves a balance of $45.00 for the Endor Bunker playset. That’s not “terrible” in our eyes. It could be worse. Still, with so little to be excited about regarding Return Of The Jedi’s 40th Anniversary, there is little reason to celebrate this event.