Kylo Ren/Holographic Maz Kanata/Rey (Island Journey)/First Order Snowtrooper/Captain Poe Dameron - SW [S] - Exclusives

Sometimes you have to wonder how some multipacks are cobbled together. For example, how did the Kylo Ren/Holographic Maz Kanata/Rey (Island Journey)/First Order Snowtrooper/Captain Poe Dameron Toys R Us exclusive (now an Entertainment Earth exclusive for USA residents) came to be? Why bring together some of the easiest figures to find in stores (along with an all-new take on a previous figure) and then repackage them for more money than the first time Hasbro released them. But this is what happened with this retailer exclusive. The Kylo Ren/Holographic Maz Kanata/Rey (Island Journey)/First Order Snowtrooper/Captain Poe Dameron might have worked better with some additional newness added. A new General Leia Organa in her white infirmary recovery gowns would have been a welcomed addition. Or how about a battle-damaged Captain Poe Dameron unconscious from Leia’s set-for-stun blast? That would have worked well too. Still, we must give credit where credit is due, and Hasbro gets small accolades from us for the inclusion of the screen-accurate Holographic Maz Kanata – although we don’t think another version of her will do anything to improve the line. Sadly, the rest of this five-pack is redundant and unnecessary. It’s almost painful that Hasbro released the same old figures here once again.

Let’s talk a little bit more about Holographic Maz Kanata. Hasbro took 2018’s SW [S] Maz Kanata Force Link 2.0 figure (the one with the jetpack) and recast it all-blue plastic. This is standard practice for holographic figures. Sadly, the figures lose definition with this approach. We’d love to see Hasbro return to the methods they employed with 2004’s OTC Spirit Obi-Wan (OTC #03) figure where the figures remain transparent, but multiple elements of color get included to offer more definition and accuracy. Interestingly, all collectors can see what’s involved with the Force Link 2.0 technology. Hasbro added the chip to her jetpack, and since it is now see-through, we can now see the shape and size of it. Surprisingly, it doesn’t look all that different from the Episode I CommTech chip used back in 1999. We have to admit that this detail perplexed us quite a bit. We suppose the Force Link technology isn’t that revolutionary when the same ideas from the past are implemented into modern action figures. Again, it’s nice to get a “screen-accurate” version of Maz Kanata from Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, but we don’t feel collectors should have to pay $39.99 to get it. Hasbro may have done better by releasing this updated version of her as another basic figure release. At the same rate, it’s also comforting to see them add newness to retailer exclusives to ensure their success.

The rest of the Kylo Ren/Holographic Maz Kanata/Rey (Island Journey)/First Order Snowtrooper/Captain Poe Dameron multipack is quite boring. The same figures released just a short while ago are once again combined to form a set that not too many collectors will want. If we’re stretching things a bit, perhaps it is accurate to say the First Order Snowtrooper is new too (from a certain point of view). Because it’s a Force Link 2.0 figure, it’s accurate to state that he is a repaint of the figure from 2018’s SW [TLJ] Battle On Crait with updated Force Link 2.0 technology. (It’s beginning to get very confusing when assessing modern action figures’ statuses.) But the other three figures are simple repacks of their previous Force Link releases. Sadly, the Star Wars [Solo] line hit a wall after its inaugural line look launch at the beginning of the second quarter of 2018. And the distribution of anything released after this is suffering. It’s hit or miss if something arrives and retail or not anymore. This multipack was a Toys R Us exclusive. But since the Toys R Us collapse in the USA, retailer Entertainment Earth has graciously picked it up and is set for a December 2018 release. Again, it is the only way to secure the Holographic Maz Kanata figure. However, we wonder if she will be enough to ensure this set’s success. It will be interesting to see how everything pans out.