Mynock Hunt - POTF2 [R/G] - Cinema Scenes

Fleeing the fierce Imperial assault on the frozen planet Hoth, the Millennium Falcon and the Rebel crew fly into the midst of a waiting Imperial war fleet. Unable to engage the Falcon's malfunctioning hyperdrive system, Han Solo steers recklessly into an asteroid field. Solo maneuvers the Corellian freighter through the deadly storm, missing large rocks by mere inches before locating sanctuary in the cave of a huge asteroid. Inside the cave, it becomes apparent that the Falcon is in danger of being ravaged by mynocks. Large, winged parasites with an appetite for the mineral and energy-rich hulls of starships, mynocks can cause critical damage to star-freighting vessels. Forced to hunt the creatures before irreparable harm is caused to the Millennium Falcon, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, and Han Solo don breathing gear and venture outside. But the mynocks become a secondary concern once the Rebel crew discovers that the cave they're parked in is not a cave at all, but something large and very alive.

If there is a point in the Kenner/Hasbro Star Wars timeline where we can pinpoint where case assortments took a very wrong turn, it likely would be the Cinema Scenes line and Mynock Hunt set specifically. Cinema Scenes were an instant hit for the Star Wars brand, and it appeared that collectors couldn’t get enough of them. And with each successive release, the set became more and more collector-friendly. And first-time offered figures included in the sets because something collectors sought after feverishly. The Mynock Hunt Cinema Scenes set gave us three scene-specific versions of Chewbacca, Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo in addition to a first-time-ever Mynock creature. Fans were extremely excited to see this set produced by Kenner/Hasbro, but by the time 1998 rolled around, there was already a backlog of product which stalled the arrival of this set’s case assortment. But that was't the only issue. The set was short-packed making it one of the most sought-after sets of 1998 which made it feel rarer than it was. Collectors were paying a premium for it on eBay and at Toy Shows the prices dealers were asking for could make you wince. Like so many other products released by Kenner/Hasbro, they made up for the initial shortage down the road, but too many of them arrived too late, and ironically they became part of the “Great Purge of 1998” along with many other new products. Distribution is a problem for the Star Wars brand. It’s a shame it kills the line the way it sometimes does.

On a more positive note, the Mynock Hunt set looks great. Kenner/Hasbro moved away from the bulky proportions of what we saw on so many of the basic figures. All of the figures in this set have a more streamlined look, and their silhouettes are faithful to the actors in the film, albeit still a bit imperfect. All three figures possess a slight action stance. Whether they’re walking down the ramp of the Millennium Falcon into the space slug’s interior, or running back into the Millennium Falcon once Han Solo realizes what it is, all figures show some form of movement. Chewbacca, Princess Leia Organa, and Chewbacca all come with fitted breathing masks perfectly designed for their portraits. We are thrilled to see these accessories included here and we love how they change the look of these characters to a particular part of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. We prefer to see more of a static pose for all three included action figures, but the set works. From the slimmed-down frames to the nice sculpting, to the better than average paint operations, the Mynock Hunt Cinema Scenes set forever captures an essential part of Episode V in toy form. It’s collector proof. And we hope this format lasts a very long time in the Star Wars brand. If you don’t mind the action-oriented positions of these action figures, they easily are the best versions of each to date.

Also included with the Mynock Hunt Cinema Scenes set is a Mynock. It doesn’t come with any articulation, but Kenner/Hasbro sculpted it beautifully, and it has an incredible amount of detail for such a small creature. From its bat-like shape to its sucking mouth, Kenner/Hasbro captured every important detail of this creature and it our opinion it looks perfect to scale with the other figures in this set. We should probably also mention the display space. It’s the interior of the space slug’s stomach, and Kenner/Hasbro did a great job at recreating a “squishy” terrain that resembles what the interior of an exogorth might look like in "real life." Still, we wonder, how can mynocks survive inside of an exogorth’s stomach? That’s a discussion for another day. When compared to other Cinema Scenes sets, the Mynock Hunt set has one of the greatest values for your dollar. The figures come with the most accessories, and you get a special additional “creature” to interact with them. Also, because it is based on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, the Mynock Hunt Cinema Scenes set will likely remain a popular item for years to come. Just don’t overpay for one. Although the Cinema Scenes line started as a retailer exclusive, we’re delighted to see it transition to a mainline item. Putting figures together to recreate a scene is fundamental to Star Wars collecting, and if they keep up executing popular scenes like this, the line will remain a fan favorite for years to come.