Phantom Attack Shuttle, The - R - Vehicles (Exclusive)

The Phantom is an attack ship used by the Rebels for short-range missions. Twin laser cannons provide defensive firepower in case of attack.

The Phantom Attack Shuttle held its own as a quality Class II vehicle when it got released in the mainstream vehicle assortment. So you can expect all of the same great thing to be carried over as well into The Phantom Attack Shuttle TARGET exclusive which is packed with Kanan Jarrus. These simple but nice Class II/midsize vehicles in the Rebels line impress us. Although we feel they’re slightly overpriced, the quality has returned. They no longer feel flimsy, and they have more features and detail than the vehicles Hasbro produced in the “dumbed down” vehicle assortments. The only complaint we have is that Hasbro released these TARGET exclusive vehicles alongside the mainstream versions. There is no point in having two versions of the same vehicle at retail at the same time. Had they packed a truly unique/exclusive action figure in with the vehicle it would make more sense. But the way they did it is plain silly. The Phantom Attack Shuttle may not have the magnitude of features or the relative size of the standard midsize vehicle assortment products, yet this vehicle is not one that you can easily blow off either. With extra compartments, storage areas and seating for multiple action figures, The Phantom Attack Shuttle should be a vehicle all Star Wars fans should own. It’s that good. We will be shocked if the new vehicles don’t interest all Star Wars collectors. While some are inspired from the Original Trilogy (as well as concept art from the films), even the ones that don't still feel very much like they would belong in Episode IV, V or VI without much consideration at all. And that’s how we feel about The Phantom Attack Shuttle.

The Phantom Attack Shuttle has some pretty cool features. Its wings fold in and out twice. Each side sports double hinge-jointed articulation. What’s more, each side has a sliding cannon (non-firing) for extra play value. But what’s more impressive than the articulation added here is the detail tooled into the sculpt. It is our opinion that Hasbro added detail here that we don’t even think was needed. And it is this very detail that completely elevates the quality of this particular sculpt from almost anything Hasbro has offered us in the 2013/2014 general product era. The Phantom Attack Shuttle has two opening compartment areas. The first is the cockpit area. There is enough space here to accompany a sitting pilot. And once again Hasbro has tooled so much detail that it’s almost unnecessary. There is no way anyone will be able to complain about the amount of work Hasbro expended here. An accompanying decal sheet helps add some color to this particular area of the vehicle, and it dramatically brightens it up. The back half of The Phantom Attack Shuttle also opens up with a hinge-jointed canopy and gives additional space to seat another figure. And if you’re clever we’re sure you can maximize the space to add more things than just another figure. The front of the vehicle contains a sliding double-barreled cannon (for extra play value) and a swivel cannon on the top fires a projectile as well. The vehicle is simply colored. Cast in an off-white colored plastic, the vehicle also has yellow and gray color block paint operations, which make the vehicle pop. The Phantom Attack Shuttle should appeal to your collector senses in every way possible. Be sure to bask in its glory.

The Kanan Jarrus action figure included with The Phantom Attack Shuttle is a slight repaint of 2014’s R Kanan Jarrus (SL04) figure. There are some differences between the two different versions, but for all intents and purposes, it’s the same figure. He comes with the standard five points of articulation, but for five points of articulation just isn’t enough for a character who is full of action. The sculpt is great, and the paint operations are a far cry from where they were just a year ago. The details in the costume are wonderful. And although we find it frustrating to see a spectacularly sculpted blaster in his holster that will stay there as it’s all one mold, we admit that the detailing is impressive and certainly exceeds our expectations. The sad thing is that no one (kids and collectors) will be able to achieve the dynamic poses this character displays in the Rebels television show. There aren’t that many ways to display this action figure without giving him a very robotic stature. But as a display piece, Kanan Jarrus meets all of our expectations. And he complements The Phantom Attack Shuttle beautifully. Well sculpted, well painted and properly outfitted with a lightsaber accessory, there is honestly very little to complain about outside of the obvious desire to see more articulation. For $24.99 you get a wonderful vehicle and a decent pack-in figure. You could do a whole lot worse with $25. Still, Hasbro could have made this “vehicle and figure” set a little more appetizing by including an exclusive pack-in figure available nowhere else in the line. Until they start doing that, these exclusives are going to have difficulty moving at retail for full MSRP.