Jabba’s Palace (Adventure Set) - TVC - Playsets

Hopefully, collectors will be dumbfounded by The Vintage Collection’s Jabba’s Palace (Adventure Set). A set like this is something we’ve wished seeing in the line for years, and now it’s a reality. For years, Hasbro has been skittish about producing playsets of any kind for the 3.75” line, but for years we’ve been pining for them, or cuts of various environments to help set up a relevant display for the action figures they produce. Jabba's Palace (Adventure Set) succeeds on many levels. Hasbro not only beautifully sculpted the pieces that created the alcove where Jabba The Hutt hung Han Solo as his favorite decoration, but they also made it interchangeable so we could create different angles and display area sizes, thanks to the modular approach of the set. Granted, the interchangeability isn’t ideal, but it is present, and collectors will love what it offers them. As rumors abound that another set like this is on the way, we hope this release and possibly future ones will interact seamlessly with each other. And we hope they'll continue to add new carded figures in The Vintage Collection packaging so we can finish off that “Collect All 92!” suggestion called out on every figure in Kenner’s 1985 The Power Of The Force line. Jabba's Palace (Adventure Set) isn’t exactly a classic playset, but there is no doubt in our minds that collectors will refer to it that way for the foreseeable future. And based on the approach to 1979’s Star Wars Creature Cantina (Action Playset), Jabba's Palace (Adventure Set) does similar things. It offers a background for the action figures to mingle and interact with each other, providing a beautifully executed recreation of the habitat where we fell in love with so many aliens from different worlds.

Hasbro manufactured Jabba’s Palace (Adventure Set) from solid plastic parts. Three walls (a main front panel and two side walls) are included to recreate this portion of Jabba’s Palace. The design of the parts are stunning. Hasbro should be proud of what they accomplished here. Although this set is missing a few key components like the table with clay vases and other props, they added an incredible amount of other detail that will assuredly make collectors very happy. The main wall sports the mounted trophies of a tauntaun and jerba. Hasbro designed these mounted heads beautifully. And believe it or not, they appear to be in 3.75” scale, perhaps just a tad smaller. But the paint operations employed throughout the set are nothing short of amazing work. Mostly light tan/beige, Jabba's Palace (Adventure Set) also has a wash on it that picks up more detail that would be seen if it weren’t there. You’ll be impressed with the design that frames this set at the top, and you’ll also be impressed with cracks, grates, textures and other things that give this set its beauty. Han Solo (Carbonite) (VC136) is one of the featured pack-in figures here. Although it comes with a unique sequential number in the line, it doesn’t have its own UPC or Assortment Number on it. Hasbro gave the figure a new paint job, but sadly they didn’t employ “photorealistic” technology, and for us, the figure fails because of it. Also, this version of Han Solo is based on what we saw in The Empire Strikes Back, and not Return Of The Jedi. Originally featured on a 1985 The Power Of The Force card back, Hasbro opted for a Return Of The Jedi card back release here. It looks nice, but we expected more. Also, the carded figures in this set don’t get enough protection in our opinion, and they arrived curved and slightly bent.

Although Han Solo disappointingly doesn’t come with “photorealistic” technology, we must confess the figure’s paint operations are slightly improved when compared to the 2015 release. Most important, the carbonite block is now magnetized and hangs properly within the center of the main wall of Jabba’s Palace. And it looks fantastic hanging there. There is also a switch on the back of the playset to lower and raise it as seen in the film. Ree-Yees (VC137) is markedly improved, as far as our opinion is concerned. For us, the eyes look better than ever, and his coloring is more saturated and deeper like the onscreen character appears. By comparison, the 2014 release is very pale. We must face the fact that were it not for the release of Jabba's Palace (Adventure Set), we may have never received Ree-Yees packaged in The Vintage Collection. There is something to be said of retailer exclusives like this. What’s more, both figures tremendously enhance this set and help to make the $49.99 MSRP completely palatable to swallow (for us at least). As far as the packaging is concerned, Hasbro did a wonderful job keeping the Kenner spirit alive and featured various dioramic scenes across the box’s six sides. The box might be a tad smaller than you’d expect, but it’s packed to the gills with great stuff inside of it, and they made the most of the space inside of it. We took our time selecting the best alien characters from Jabba’s Palace and created various displays based on inspiration from the film as well. Jabba's Palace (Adventure Set) offers collectors the opportunity to elevate how they display their action figures. And we thoroughly hope that this set isn’t a trial and that plans for more are on the way to collectors instead. We’re thoroughly impressed with Jabba's Palace (Adventure Set). We can’t wait for the next one.