Gungan Assault Cannon (With Jar Jar Binks) - EI - Invasion Force

Gungans produce many of their structures using a secret method that actually "grows" the basic skeletons of many of their vehicles and weapons. The Gungan assault cannon is created from this process and then fitted with electronic components to create a powerful assault weapon.

Hasbro shifted gears a bit in 2000 for the Episode I line. The new Millennium meant a revised line look style. Instead of opaquely packaged boxes, Hasbro began adding some window-box type of packaging instead. And instead of a small-sized vehicle assortment that paired action figure with a vehicle, they chose to create the Invasion Force line. The Invasion Force line was quite similar to the items featured in the vehicles assortment but contained a “dumbed down off-screen” miniature vehicle or accessory, screen-accurate or not, depending upon the release. The Gungan Assault Cannon (With Jar Jar Binks) was a screen-accurate release, but they’re screen-accurate, separately and not together. The Gungan Assault Cannon was featured in the Battle of Naboo atop some select fambaa creatures. Jar Jar Binks also took part in the Battle of Naboo, but never fired the Gungan Assault Cannon, thus making them mutually exclusive to each other. It’s fantastic to receive this accessory in the Episode I line, no matter how they get it to us.

The Gungan Assault Cannon is beautifully designed. Loaded with incomparable Gungan influence, you can find elements of the pearly textures and sacred geometry shapes, like those from a Fibonacci sequence or something similar. The Gungan Assault Cannon has a few features. There is a slide on the top of the cannon, and when you move it forward, it branches out the four arms of the front of the cannon. When retracted, it brings the arms inward. The Gungan Assault Cannon sits atop a display stand that also serves as its fulcrum. It allows the cannon to tilt up and down a little bit here and there but doesn’t provide a wealth of movement. Lastly, there is an energy ball projectile included that you place in the slot at the front of the cannon. Then a lever behind the handles where Jar Jar Binks stands activates it. It shoots pretty far. We wish the energy balls were wider. It looks a bit out of scale with the 3.75” line, but it is what it is. What’s more, you can place the Gungan Assault Cannon on top of the Fambaa that’s part of the Fambaa With Shield Generator And Gungan Warrior FAO Schwarz exclusive.

Then there’s Jar Jar Binks. It’s an interesting take on him, and it works well in this set. But Jar Jar Binks is underarticulated, and collectors are going to find him disappointing. Also, Jar Jar Binks is a character full of expression and personality. So why do so many action figure releases of him look relatively the same? Jar Jar Binks from this set doesn’t break new ground when it comes to the character’s personality. But maybe that’s not the point of this action figure at all. The great news here is that Jar Jar Binks outfits the Gungan Assault Cannon perfectly. His hands hold onto the handles flawlessly, and Hasbro gave him the necessary posture so he can see what his target is. Jar Jar Binks only comes with a swivel head, two swivel shoulders, and a swivel waist. He has no other articulation, sadly. His whole lower body is statuesque, and that’s a major disappointment for us. If there is any saving grace about Jar Jar’s lack of articulation, it’s that the price of the Invasion Force sets is set at a mere $9.99. At that price, Star Wars collectors should be able to forgive almost anything where Hasbro took a shortcut.