Ambush At STAR TOURS - ST - Exclusives

The Star Tours Agency strives for relaxing getaways, but you never know when your journey might be delayed by Imperial entaglements with Darth Vader or Boba Fett.

Disney’s STAR TOURS and the corresponding collectibles that are inspired by it have a very niche audience. But it’s a faithfully niche audience and these collectibles seem to fair well every year. (They sometimes command unbelievable premiums on the aftermarket as well.) Not everyone is into them wholeheartedly, including us, but sometimes the multipacks that do get made are just too cool to overlook. That can be said of the Ambush At STAR TOURS Disney exclusive. Surprisingly, this is a set that grabbed our attention completely. Right off the bat you may be fooled into thinking that this is some lost The Force Unleashed set. In fact, the whole setting of this set and the design of the Sky Troopers may have been inspired by that. Inside the box you get two of these said Sky Troopers, another stab at 2006’s The Saga Collection Darth Vader (SAGA 038) figure (although it’s really a repaint here) and a slight repaint of 2004’s VOTC Boba Fett figure. Together, this ensemble is a “bad guy” multipack dream come true and may even possess the potential to appeal to the Original Trilogy only fans as well. (Maybe. Maybe not.)

You should know however that this set doesn’t contain just simple repaints. Hasbro did some retooling for the Sky Troopers (of which you get two of in this set) figures in particular. Hasbro retooled the helmets and they now include breathing tubes as well as a chest box permanently attached to them. They’ve also tooled an all-new belt that stows a permanent and non-removable thermal detonator on its posterior. The color flashes that decorate the figures utilize gray paint and make these stormtroopers look more like clones quite honestly. (Think how the Stormtrooper Commander looks.) This is mainly the reason why they look like they’ve been ripped right out of The Force Unleashed video game. Lastly, Hasbro tooled new jetpacks for the Skytroopers and they fit nicely in the slot carved into its back. Most of this figure’s parts have been recycled from 2006’s TSC Sandtrooper (SAGA 037) figure. While it’s a decent likeness, the legs are so close together that it makes posing the figures a very difficult task. You’re really only left with one option for the legs: don’t pose them. This isn’t ideal of course. Stormtroopers need ball-jointed hips. Enough said.

As previously mentioned, Darth Vader is a repaint of 2006’s TSC Darth Vader (SAGA 038). This version of Darth Vader has become a little bit too aged for our liking by today’s standards, but he does pass for this multipack. For the first time we get a newly tooled “hover platform” that assembles from two pieces: the main platform and a control panel on a stem. It’s described on the packaging as belonging to Darth Vader, but we’re at a loss to describe how he uses it in the STAR TOURS attraction. It a very cool piece and although we’re not so sure how well it befits Darth Vader, it seems like it could be used in other capacities in your collection, like a great companion piece for any of the Senate characters from the Prequel Trilogy. (It fits into that vane very well.) Darth Vader comes with his lightsaber, but it barely stays in his hands. Will Hasbro ever give us the correct hand attachment to this figure? Lastly, Boba Fett is a slight repaint of 2004’s VOTC Boba Fett figure. Apparently Boba Fett and his Slave I play an important part during the new STAR TOURS attraction so it makes complete sense why he is included here. Ambush At STAR TOURS isn’t for everyone, but you should at least check it out because it’s a lot of fun.