Cantina At Mos Eisley (With Sandtrooper & Patrol Droid) - POTF2 [FB/CT] - 3-D Display Dioramas

Their remote location makes the spaceports of Tatooine havens for the varied masses from across the galaxy. At the seedy Mos Eisley spaceport, this variety is more than evident at the main hangout, Chalmun's Cantina. The most loathsome of Mos Eisley's population can regularly be found there, including Imperial sandtroopers, who are deployed by the Empire to quell outbursts with brutal efficiency. In the days before the Galactic Empire, the spaceport of Mos Espa hosted a similar reputation as "a wretched hive of scum and villainy." From the outdoor markets to the junk shops – overseen by the gambling crimelords, the Hutts – Mos Espa was a place where a nine-year old boy could learn the ways of the universe.

Did you know that the mainstream released Cantina At Mos Eisley (With Sandtrooper & Patrol Droid) is a “repaint” of the 1997 POTF2 [R/G] Mos Eisley Cantina Pop-Up Action Diorama? The latter is the one that came from the coupon packed with 1997’s POTF2 [R/G] Spirit Of Obi-Wan Kenobi figure. It’s true. Although there aren’t any paint operations included with these sets, the printing differences are quite distinct and look like night and day when compared side-by-side. The 1997 version is brighter and has more colorful lights throughout its background. You’ll also notice a lighter color scheme throughout the display, especially in the seated areas, and the distillery. Kenner/Hasbro must have decided that Chalmun’s Cantina should have a glummer, dimmer, and less bright ambiance to accommodate its hive of scum and villainy clientele. The 25” wide diorama is impressive. And the setup allows you to showcase many action figures throughout its square footage in many different scenes you can recreate from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. There’s a spot for Han Solo and Greedo to spar. There’s a nook for Firgrin D’an And The Modal Nodes. And there are other areas that you can convert into different scenes in the film, like the droid detector, or when Ponda Baba and Dr. Cornelius Evazan harass Luke Skywalker at the bar. You nearly have limitless opportunities here.

The Cantina At Mos Eisley (With Sandtrooper & Patrol Droid) set is simple to put together. Hasbro provided a clear and concise instruction sheet, but as you unfold the diorama, you’ll see how the parts quickly come together and lock into place. Some of the fittings aren’t perfect, but with the proper bending of the seams, you can get the Cantina At Mos Eisley (With Sandtrooper & Patrol Droid) set to erect itself without any difficulty. Once assembled, you’ll have to tweak a few areas here and there for the perfect setup, but overall, there’s little work needed on your part here. The 25” diorama, from left to right, features the Han Solo and Greedo table and booths, then a back play area. Adjacent to that is the horseshoe-shaped bar with a center distillery. Hasbro added enough space to place a hefty action figure like 2000’s POTF2 [FB/CT] Wuher, and the character will efficiently serve the many customers that come to drink until they get their fill. Next to the bar is another table and booth. Then to the right of that is another play area which looks like the best place to put the Both musicians. Hasbro printed the back of the 3-D Display Diorama too. It features some structures outside on the streets of Mos Eisley, including the entrance into the bar, although it doesn’t seem to fairly represent the authentic look and feel of the outside of Chalmun’s Cantina, we can’t be sure on that detail, however.

The selling point here, supposedly, is the inclusion of the Sandtrooper & Patrol Droid pack-in figure(s). But their inclusion is not a selling point for us. The integration of these characters sources this set to the A New Hope Special Edition. Hasbro made significant strides in the basic figure line, so we’re perplexed about why Hasbro decided to revisit a character based on one of the original figures produced at the line’s infancy. They created a rather excellent Stormtrooper figure in the CommTech phase of the line, so why didn’t Hasbro update that figure with a pauldron, survival backpack, and blaster rifle? What makes this completely insane is that the Sandtrooper here is all-new. You’ll notice how it differs in size after comparing it to the 1996 POTF2 [R/G] Sandtrooper [Tatooine Stormtrooper] figure. It’s significantly smaller. However, instead of a survival backpack, Hasbro added an “invisible” display stand with a Patrol Droid at the end of it to give it a hovering effect. The figure also comes with a blaster rifle, but its arms and hands are sculpted so oddly that the figure holds the item strangely. If you’re not into the pack-in figure with this set, we feel it’s no loss. The main feature here is the Cantina At Mos Eisley 3-D Display Diorama. It provides a beautiful backdrop for the many action figures Hasbro has already produced for the basic figure line. As we move throughout the years, we should expect to add many more bar patrons to it.