Tatooine With Luke Skywalker - POTF2 [FF/TKC] - Complete Galaxy

Far from the center of the galaxy lies the twin-sunned, desert planet Tatooine, homeworld of Rebel Alliance hero Luke Skywalker. Geographically, the rocky Jundland Wastes span a vast area of the planet and include sights such as the Dune Sea and craggy Beggar's Canyon, where the young Skywalker maneuvered his T-16 skyhopper. Tatooine's native lifeforms include the peaceful, droid-scavenging Jawas; the nomadic and aggressive Tusken Raiders; and various creatures including womp rats, banthas, and the enormous krayt dragon. One of Tatooine's most menacing lifeforms lies hidden within the Great Pit of Carkoon, in the heart of the Western Dune Sea. The Sarlacc is an omnivorous beast that anchors itself at the bottom of the pit, using its tentacles to trap unfortunate prey and digest them over the span of a thousand years.

Tatooine's remote location makes it an ideal refuge for some of the galaxy's most notorious criminals, mercenaries and bounty hunters. The most infamous of this questionable population, crime lord Jabba the Hutt, keeps residence in his palace here, presiding over his far-reaching operations from within its fortress-like walls.

Kenner/Hasbro created the Complete Galaxy in an effort to draw attention to the many environments that the characters from the films inhabit. By creating a globe of a related planet and pairing it with an action figure also found on that planet, they’ve managed to create an interesting albeit imperfect sub-line of Star Wars toys that received mixed reviews by the people for whom they’re intended. Sadly, Kenner/Hasbro neglected some of the most popular worlds in this line. It feels like Bespin and Hoth should have been added to this format, but they didn't for the shortlived line. Kenner/Hasbro opted to go with themes of worlds heavily based on Return Of The Jedi. Not all of the executions worked, and not all of them are screen-accurate, but one thing the Complete Galaxy line brought collectors were revised approaches to some of the saga’s most beloved characters. In the case of Tatooine With Luke Skywalker, we get a new version of Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker with a diorama that focuses on the Battle of Carkoon. This kit-bashed version of Luke Skywalker turned out better than expected, but it still needs some tweaking before we’ll be delighted. Still, it’s a significant upgrade to previous versions.

The included “world” is a plastic sphere (globe) that splits in half at its “equator” and opens up to introduce collectors to a whole new world of collecting. Inside of the globe, you’ll find some scene-specific details in three-dimensions to help create a diorama of sorts, while the outside of the “world” shows its terrain and places of supposed interest. Some of the Complete Galaxy sets are more aggressive than other as far as what Kenner/Hasbro tried to squeeze inside of them, but from a gimmicky standpoint, most of the sets in the Complete Galaxy line possess some charm. You’ll find a portion of a desert sail skiff in the top portion of this release, and then you’ll find the “Special Edition” version of the Sarlacc's maw with tentacles surrounding it to be as screen-accurate as possible. Aside from appearing too light in color, the tooling executed here is very well done. Everything is squeezed inside of the sphere, so the scale is significantly off. These aren’t meant to be normal size, so don’t expect too much from the environmental perspective. The paint operations are very nice here. And the outside of Tatooine shows various points of interest while visiting Tatooine, or that’s what anyone who looks cat can be led to believe.

Of special note, Kenner/Hasbro surprisingly tooled some articulation on the sail skiff’s plank. It slides in and out (slightly) and contains two separate foot pegs to secure the Luke Skywalker figure on when you’re looking to set up this display. Between the striking colors added here to the fine details of the Sarlacc beast and Luke Skywalker, this set shines as one of the brightest of the entire line. Again, Tatooine With Luke Skywalker might be one of the strongest Complete Galaxy sets in the lineup. Luke Skywalker is one of the nicest “Jedi Knight” versions to date, and the set focuses on one of the greatest battles in the entire Star Wars saga. Luke Skywalker comes with a swivel right wrist. This additional point of articulation allows for some significant extra positioning, and make wielding a lightsaber all the more believable. The head sculpt we’ve seen before, but it looks terrific on this release. And the streamlined body is such a blessing to see implemented in the Star Wars toy line. Fans love so many of the scenes in Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi, so this Complete Galaxy set should go over well with those in the collecting community buying this line. For $14.99, this sub-line has a steep MSRP, but when you itemize the parts, we’re probably getting a pretty good deal when all is said and done.