Haslab Star Wars Cantina Playset: Michael Unplugged - Hasbro 2024
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
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The next Haslab is the Star Wars Mos Eisley Cantina for The Vintage Collection as a $500 playset. Michael looks at the logic behind this... if any.
I had a conversation with my Father when the cantina went up, he collected SW from POTF2 till 2009 Legacy Collection. Had every figure except con exclusives and vehicles. He told me if a backer hasn't collected from POTF2 to TVC, they will spend more money populating that Cantina than on the Cantina itself because those figures are going to skyrocket. It's not worth it if you don't have everything.
THAT! THANK YOU!
Michael, keep up the great videos. You tell it like it is, and that’s what I like most about your channel.
Sure, but I think much like the sail barge the primary target for this is probably the niche group that does have all the figures and are just looking for a way to display them.
These things are targeted at the hardest of the hardcore collectors.
I have close enough to everything to populate the cantina but I won't be getting it. I have a custom cantina and I'm done with collecting anyway. But I can understand the excitement for collectors looking forward to getting this set.
I don't have them all whatsoever and I am backing it.
The Cantina is my favorite scene in Star Wars. Something about seeing the various different aliens always strikes me with wonder
Doesn't make for a great toy though. It's the literal "doll house" of Star Wars toys. "Let's play Happy Hour!" FFS...
@@retroblastingthat's the play. Why sell a set for 3 characters when you can sell a few tables for 500 and then sell 50 more figures to fill it. Hasbro act like they're on the verge of bankruptcy with all their resources and such an iconic brand.
@@retroblasting Finally Han and Chewie can enjoy there tea & crumpets.
@@retroblasting I mean, are we really calling it a toy at this point when it's half a grand?
@@retroblasting The cantina is always a fun place in the video games 😂
I wouldn’t have wanted this thing as a kid but as an adult let’s face it, we’re basically setting up dioramas for our collection, not playing with them.
As a diorama it’s a bit weird. Much like the Lego version (which at least makes an attempt at the outside) as a diorama, where do you put this thing? How do you display it? A key element of most dioramas is viewing angle. This is less diorama and more architectural model of the interior.
@@andrewtaylor940 it's modular, you display whatever way works for you
Yes, that was what i was thinking of writing in the comments as well.
Who in his/her older ages would really really play and not just put it up for display?
Most Toys nowaday are more for display than play-sets ... even Lego... wich is sad. I would have loved to play more with my son (that he has different interest is another matter).
Speaking of jabbas palace, I’m printing a massive two floor jabbas palace made by Luke Massassi, with a rancor pit, droid chamber, and throne room. As you say, the fans are doing the best work.
I dunno, the cantina scene with space aliens hanging out to get drunk and discuss selling dope was a pretty classic scene in Star Wars.
C’mon Man! This is a work of art! Did you not see the amount of detail on this set? When we were kids we had the plastic piece with the cardboard background and that was our cantina. This is what we always wanted. It’s not like anybody willing to spend that kind of money on this set doesn’t already have a tub or two filled with figures waiting to quench their thirst. Hell, Cobra Commander and Spock can join Han for a drink! This hobby is supposed to be fun, remember?
Play value... I mean, if a person wants to have their figures milling about in Castle Grayskull, Terrordrome, USS Flagg, Sewer Lair, etc. Who's going to stop them? If you wanna have bar fights, a droid uprising, alien orgies, pony invasion, or a Kylie Minogue concert in your cantina, go for it.
If a kid can take a blanket and turn it into a mountain fortress getting invaded by ninjas, you can use your imagination to come up with a play scenario for anything.
Blanket mountain for the win! Yo Joe!
If I was Rich... and I had a on going Star wars game.. I'd get this.. every Rpg needs a bar set
Pony invasion ftw.
Kylie Minogue concert is the correct answer
Some people don’t have the imagination for this stuff, instead complaining about “lack of accessories.” FWIW I did the blanket mountain thing too
There are a bazillion 3-3/4" figure lines that aren't Star Wars and I'm gonna fill my cantina with them. Indiana Jones, meet Captain Kirk... now kiss.
Marvel vs DC drunken brawl! 🤠
😂
yeah! add ET and Robbie the robot, and the one from lost in space!
that s what I d do here, add alien and predator, it s a space bar!
@@cyberfrank-bx2nv What ! no Twiki from Buck Rogers ?
Add the Muppets band as a fill in for that missing band.
1. I would agree that this doesn’t necessarily have a lot of action/play value as a “play set”. However, I don’t need it to. I’m not going to play with it, because I’m not ten anymore. I’m just going to be using it as a diorama. Which is probably what most adult collectors will be doing, and it is clearly aimed at adult collectors. I would also argue there is enough action value just as a diorama. This is after all where Obi Wan cuts off Ponda Baba’s arm, and where Han kills Greedo because he shot first. There are plenty of scenes to put on display
2. I have been collecting the aliens that populate this cantina for years. I’m thrilled to have a display to put them in.
3. I’m glad they didn’t include the cantina band! They just released a boxed set of the whole Cantina Band a year ago. I bought it then. I don’t want figure slots wasted on something already available; something I have anyway.
4. The band stand. This one I don’t blame people for not understanding, but they did include the bandstand. Sort of. The original film set of the cantina did not have the band. All those scenes were shot without them. You can tell when you watch the movie. They aren’t in a single wide shot, nowhere in the background. This is because the band was conceived of later and shot later by themselves in one of the alcoves from the cantina film set . This is also why in shots of the band, you can’t see anybody but the band. I think Hasbro wanted to be faithful to the original film set so you can set it up with all the alcoves full of furniture and patrons, or if you really want the band you can just remove the furniture from one of the alcoves and put the band in it and voila!
Disagree. The Cantina was the only dioramma display that I had back in the day when I used to collect. It was great to stick all kinds of figures in there from other lines. It was sort of an cross-dimensional watering hole. It is the one place you can stick just about any figure and it works. It's like mini Rotgut station.
Anyone could show up at the cantina, except maybe ewoks. It was where anyone could meet coming or going; Rebels, Imperials, bounty hunters, jawas, Jabba's henchmen, etc... You couldn't put just anyone at Echo Base or on the Death Star.
The cantina is one of the most iconic scenes in all of Star Wars. As you said, the collectors are getting old. Most of them probably don't sit around and actually play with the figures, they display them. This is going to be a great way to display them. Especially for those who love the cantina scene and world building alien. I am looking forward to this.
Iconic in the film. As a toy, it blows.
I would have loved this as a kid. But, I'm 52 now, and I don't want a toy to play with. I want something to display the cantina characters I have been collecting over the last 45 years.
@@stevedunford6089 And that's who this is aimed at, longtime fans with disposable income who want something they've been missing. I don't expect a lot of people who don't already have the alien figures will buy it. Though, with a few exceptions, a lot of them can be found cheaply online and at places that sell comics, collectibles, and "antiques." I'm 39, I'm not going to get on the floor and play with it (at least, not much), I want something to set on the shelf and display my figures. Without display environments, the figures are just going to be packed away in a bin.
These are adult collectables not toys. Toys are for kids and no kid pays the money that the Vintage Collection costs. These "playsets" from Hasbro are and have always been buildable dioramas for your figures
The original cantina was my first Star Wars toy. I liked having my figures stand around in it. In fact, if I still had it, my remaining figures would be displayed it. After all, even action figures need a drink now and then.
If they charge 499 for that, I would be scared to see what they would charge for Death Star playset remake or AT-AT remake
Hasbro is gonna gouge regardless, but I'd rather consider a gouged price on something dynamic than the Star Wars equivalent of a Red Lobster location.
@@retroblasting LMAO 🤣 😂
@@retroblasting I don't think the Red Lobster has as much class as the cantina....and, they went outta business.....thanks to Larry Fink.
The price is more to do with the figures
"Over 100 cups included."
I remember when my mother used to complain about having to attend friends' Tupperware parties. Who knew drinkware would be so enticing to Star Wars fans.
We're going to sell you a $500 empty warehouse (with ceilings over every alcove, so even if you look down on it, you can't see in). You're going to have to provide the no-longer-manufactured, hard-to-find inventory to stock it.
I had actually stopped collecting modern Star Wars a while ago, but this is the one item that has brought me back in for one last hurrah.
For me, there was something fun about collecting Cantina aliens. It’s just such a diverse scene that for me it makes for a very interesting display piece. I also have every single alien already, so in a way the pre-investment for this is already taken care of.
I get that this isn’t for everyone, but I’m pretty stoked about this and hope that it gets made.
It’s iconic. It allows you to display an extraordinary amount of figures. It includes grail figures collectors have wanted for decades. The argument that these are obscure figures is ridiculous as the entire toy line thrived on background characters since the 70’s. Mando was created by people wanting to bring obscure toys to life. Also, “it’s just a bar.”? Then advocating for a swamp where almost no one goes? Great playset.
I, for one, at this point in my life am over "playability." All of this stuff I display and the modularity allows you to display this several different ways. I'm excited about it.
At least I already have all the figures to fullfil the Cantina
I feel like they need to change the terms for these kinds of items. This is just a diorama for adult collectors to display their figures on a display shelf. No kid is ever going to use it as a playset. My son was kinda into Star Wars on and off, mostly collected the Galaxy squadron ships. But man, it’s sad toy shopping these days. He goes to target to wander almost empty isles when I remember going to toys r us and there were wall to wall toys everywhere.
Well yeah, most of the toys were grabbed either A. before they even hit the shelves because the employees called their buddy who has an Ebay store, or else they got rifled through two minutes after the store opened by the same guy who's there to snap up everything for either his Ebay store, or his table at the local flea market. It is virtually impossible to see anything desirable at Wal-Mart/Target/etc. these days if you just happen to stop by. I say "these days", as though this hasn't been the case for twenty plus years I've collected, my bad. Sorry about that. These days I just preorder all my toys on BBTS or Amazon. I'm done looking through all the pegwarmers hoping to find something cool.
Nobody ever said this was a toy, who pays $500 for a kids toy?
I feel the same about Haslabs. Should not be a thing in the first place, but if they’re going to do it, it should be “dream projects.” This has nothing on the Sail Barge.
It's an excuse for Hasbro to soft launch anything remotely risky and charge a bomb in the process. It's so grim.
@@Henez89 And what's sad is that the only one really successful are the ones relating around Transformers. And those are the only ones they're really putting any real effort into instead of making glorified dollhouses like with Star Wars.
And even then you have Unicron, who was a complete waste of money and space and SHOULD have bombed from the word go because of how ill-conceived he was. Size and posability alone do not make a good toy, and it's why I never upgraded past my Armada version.
I just need a place to put my $59 Cantina Band
How else would they get this out there? It would never sell enough commercially to justify the tooling costs
$500 for 3.75 playset for the cantina that people are making themselves with foam and styrene. And today, fans can 3d print it. Sisters figures…ok. But no blue snaggeltooth (which I’m sure they will announce as a 4th tier when they can’t meet their fundraising goal).
They will repack the sisters they spent the money on the tooling
It seems on pace to at least meet the base goal as of now.
@@georgeaitken2719 Maybe not. what we've seen so far are likely test-shots, not tooled figures. The tooling likely won't be made until the goal is hit. Plus, they have a commercial incentive to keep this stuff exclusive to drive FOMO among collectors.
A blue snaggletooth would have been awesome.
you buy shoes when you could fashion a pair from used tires and some paracord.
Hey! Nothin really happened?! Greedo freaking died man! R.I.P. Insignificant bounty Hunter!😂
I can recall seeing collectors asking for a cantina playset ever since I first started collecting SW myself as a young whippersnapper back around the time _Revenge of the Sith_ hit theatres. I don't understand it myself, but it seems like the cantina has always been and always will be a fixture in the minds of many OT fans (maybe because it was a big "wham" moment with the plethora of alien creatures suddenly on display in a film that had up until that point been fairly retrained in its use of non-human characters), and I don't think that there's anything wrong with that, any more than people wanting Jabba's sail barge.
...Michael look, I love your channel, and I understand your desire to take down Hasbro, but your assessment that The Cantina is not a place of significance has me bewildered a bit.. The Cantina IS Star Wars!! I was five years old when I saw Star Wars in the theater. It had spectacular action, a very frightening big baddie, and some talking robots. We learned of the mysterious Force, met our Farmboy hero, and a crazy old wizard...BUT.. When our heroes arrived in the bar, and you see that first alien headshot, followed by a pan around the room to all these magnificently designed creatures, that’s when this galaxy BECAME a galaxy far, far way. I was only a child, but I was in absolute awe of what I was seeing. Everyone was. We met, for the first time, this wretched hive of scum & villainy..It was the first time we saw a lightsaber light up and do it’s thing!!! We met a cocky smuggler with a debt to pay, and watched him take out a bounty hunter BEFORE the bounty hunter took him out!! And those
who wish to back this project, like myself, have or will have most of these characters from the modern line to populate it with..( The secondary market on some of these characters will blow through the roof I’m sure.) The Cantina, with all it’s strange creatures & renegade characters is what Star Wars was built on, and this set is a dream come true!!
with 25th anniversary of "The Phantom Menace", they could have made something for that.
Reactor room playset with Darth Maul bisecting ACTION !
Yeah, like a theater of disappointed Star Wars fans.
@@TrevorToonArt
You say this just after the re release of the phantom menace did great in theaters and at a time in which prequel fans are more vocal than ever about their love and appreciation for those films.
@@TrevorToonArtAre you sure that wasn't happening in 2015?
But thank god they didn’t, because i stG if it’s a Jar Jar anything!
No seriously, Anikans home with mom, or the parts strore arguing over credits. Maybe the market w Sebulba. Be cool.
I like it. I backed the deluxe set.
Based on your avatar, I am NOT surprised.
@retroblasting thank you. The Cantina is fantastic. We all have opinions if you don't like it. That is great. Have a fantastic day 😊😊 .
@@gerrystarchildhow dare you diverge from the one opinion that matters
@michaelwills1926 people have a tendency to follow others blindly instead of making their own decisions.
Hey! So the reason the cantina band wasn't included is because there was actually never a place for the band on the original set where the cantina scene was filmed. It was an insert shot picked up in the united states in a separate studio. The only time the cantina band has appeared on a stage was in the Star Wars Holiday Special. Adding some sort of band stand would have required changing the layout of the Cantina seen in the film, and film accuracy is always the goal, espcially with Haslabs.
And that's where the toy company needs to pick up the pieces and MAKE IT WORK.
@@retroblasting I agree it would be very nice to have a place for the band. I think given the modular design of the playset, the best case scenario would have been to add a stage as a modular piece that can be swapped out for one of the alcoves.
“It’s a diorama at best”
Well yah dude. We’re like 35-50 yo’s. I wasn’t planning on playing with it. Damn thing is 500 so im definitely not tossing it to my 4yo either. They also chose Cantina w random figs because they know you’ll buy them as they’re not available in previous releases. Plus the music. I mean getting an arm lobbed off isn’t exactly boring either. It’s actually the most violent thing in the movie aside from Uncle Owen that is.
12:56 the lights and droid detector are translucent so that you can put lights behind it.
This could have been an email.
Last time he tried to upload an email file to youtube, youtube replied to him saying, "You must be taking suggestions from idiots like _gijigsaw4077."_
@@timothyward8695 good one. that's funny!
The problem is- if it gets fully funded with all stretch goals met and you want to buy the exclusive figures ONLY, by the time you get them on the secondary market it’s probably going to cost more than if you just bought the whole thing in the first place.
I love what laserpants said that if someone slightly bumps the playset those tiny cups are gonna get lost lol
Look at the USS Flagg. It was $109.99 in 1985 and that's $318.16 today. Nostalgia is mean sometimes.
There’s no stage for the band because there was no stage for the band on the set. They were added in pickups shoots. There also was no “stage” for the pickup shots they’re in anyways, they just play in one of the alcoves
Wait, are you suggesting that this was accurately designed based on the original set?
The Cantina is a great display piece (diorama) that you can populate many figures into for an accurate theatrical effect! It is much the same as Jabba’s Palace with all the alien denizens. It is not necessary “that not much happened” in the way of action, because this was the takeaway scene from A New Hope. Everyone in the late seventies was blown away by the cantina scene!!! Great point about the band though. Hopefully Hasbro will take your lead on offering alien 3-packs to populate this thing!
One of, if not the most iconic scene/set/location in 1977 Star Wars. Man, you're sounding like a zoomer! 😂 and I thought you were one of us! 😏👌
Iconic in motion on film, yes. As a playset idea for ACTION figures, it is super static and dull.
Will look great on a shelf though. Maybe behind some glass?
I sort of understand the complaint about the Cantina as not being prominent in the film. He does also mention the plethora of figures released from the cantina scene. I think most figure collectors have enough figures to fill it out.
The cantina has always been much more interesting then could city or the emperors's throne.It's full of cool looking aliens and bits and pieces that you can pose and move around and play with.
the carboard version was perfect and still works for me.
The variety of textures in the kisluxbag pack is impressive. From smooth leather to textured suede, there's something for everyone.
I would guess it’s the most displayable playset for all the alien figures? I mean this is for collectors after all
Explain to me how you display this in a home where you can see all of the figures when they're all crowded amongst each other and there are four walls?
@@retroblastingOn the floor, of course. 😅
@@retroblasting with love? I mean we are grown ups I don’t think we’re going to get down on the carpet and play with the thing…did you take your jabbas sail barge to the sandbox when you got it? Pretty sure you displayed your figures on it!
Now the sail barge did have the panels that came off the sides so you could see IN so I agree with you there!
Because it's modular
My plan is to back this Haslab. I’ll fill it over time. No rush and I’m not paying crazy prices for figures that will get rereleased
The cantina was not my first choice, and I'm not a hasbro shill, but I understand this from a business perspective. They can make new figures and reissue older ones, like the Khetanna. Michael is wrong on this one.
I completely agree. While modern toys are not my concern, I don’t like seeing people get ripped off and if this thing gets backed, it will give Hasbro license to jack up all their prices, safe in the knowledge that there’ll be a line of people saying, “take my money, Hasbro”.
Which is something Michael pointed out awhile back with these haslab products. But still a valid point because it's happening.
I quite like the choice of environment. I'm displaying the figures, not playing with them. That being said, I'm not paying this much for this playset at that price level. It's twice the price it should be. Maybe $300 for the deluxe version with the included figures, but $500 is extreme. It's a few plastic walls with some detailed accessories.
My guess is they had overstock of beige plastic pellets for injection moulding, and had to use that up. Would make sense why it’s such a large beige playset, with very little colour variation on other parts of it. Always look to the company budget to resolve your mysteries of the toys.
The Death Star (either one), Bespin Cloud City, The Emperors Throne Room, Hoth Rebel base, even the Rebel base on Yavin IV would have been a much better choice with more ‘playability’. The stretch goals on any of these have the potential to be fantastic. The old Palitoy/Kenner Cantina was ok but passed on by lots of fans at the time. This will probably sell out and then appear on eBay for stupid money. The Cantina had one purpose and that was to set up the meeting of Ben, Luke, Han & Chewie, nothing else. They sat round a table and struck a deal. Come on @hasbro give us something worth the money and worth the wait.
I’ve been waiting for this one! 14 to 18 dollars for a 3.75 figure that at best is worth 6 dollars. Darn right Hasbro is charging way too much for this stuff.
While this is way too expensive for my tastes, I know folks who have a soft spot for the cantina. Some people have gone to the effort to 3D print their own so they can have a cool place to display their iconic cantina aliens. Hell, my favorite character is a two second cantina critter (Kabe). I personally am happy with my cardboard POTF cantina.
EXACTLY!!! The band should be included with the bar..$500. 👀 Awesome video my friend!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hi Michael, I can definitely understand some of the points you mentioned... above all, for me it's exactly the same as you think: I want to stand in front of my diorama with my cup 😊 and enjoy the view of the cantina, as soon as all the figures one day have been produced. (Of course, I'll be happy before that.)
Because I'm absolutely sure of one thing: Hasbro has also pushed the Cantina to bring more and more figures into the market... because if in the next few months (years) … approx if 15,000 people buy all the figures again, that would be - let's say - 20 new figures for $20 each... a nice $6,000,000. And money is money.
I think the Cantina is an absolute cult, more so than for example, Echo Base... but of course, it needs the figures... which Hasbro will 100% deliver.
As for the band, I just watched the sequence again... they're not standing on a stage, at least you can't see it... so I almost suspect, that they're actually standing in one of those round, hollowed-out sitting areas, although this would basically make no sense… but ultimately it's not that important.
By the way, the bar in the movie actually seems to be exactly the same size as Hasbro made it... You can see it quite clearly at one point in the movie - so Hasbro did a great job with the deluxe version.
I thought about joining or not and decided to buy a cantina almost at the last minute. I guess, that a lot of people decided to buy towards the end, because it was questionable for a long time, whether the Haslab would be successful. And how it was!!!In the end, just one extra figure didn‘t made it! So, this is a very good starter set. I think, that many of those, who thought about buying or not ended up buying it. And Michael... did you still join in at the end or did you actually not order a cantina?
I love your videos for years… You have always a clear opinion and don't follow anyone's advice! Keep it up!
$500 for beige plastic is probably how my mom sees all action figures.
I have just started rebuilding my POTF2 collection, since I still have the vehicles from when I was a teenager and, thanks to that “Last 17” bullshit, I’ve pretty much given up hope on rebuilding the vintage Kenner collection I used to have as a small child. I’m quite positive I can put together a cantina display using only toys from the POTF2 line, and it would not only be more satisfying, but also SO MUCH CHEAPER!
I love the giant lego cantina set, that comes with a lot more figures, droids and outside stuff 😝
Maybe I’m crazy but my first guess seeing this is that they looked at the expensive UCS Lego set of the cantina and that was what made them decide it was a good and profitable location to choose for this.
Difference is the lego set has about 25 figures of all the aliens in the cantina, With all the main named characters too. This has none of that and lacks even a stage for the band, arguably the most iconic part of the while cantina sequence of a new hope.
You know they did. The lay out alone.
He'll I'd be surpised if we didn't get a fallow up where they off the outside of the building.
@@diablo_wayne Absolutely right. The Lego set works because it’s a complete package. Not to mention Lego have already given more interesting vehicles and locations high price point treatment several times over before they went to what is effectively just a big tan bar.
If they are going to build a bar, they should do Cheers ! Sam Malone action figure.with his office and the pool room. And the steps to Melvills. And the other characters as well.
Lol
Looking forward to seeing more on your cloud city playset.
Thanks for all the great videos!
Great idea. With coach figure included!
Not really a fan of Cheers mostly because I only seen like a few episodes when I was bored years back.
However, I admit that it is a pretty cool idea.
I WAS BORN IN 1977 AND STAR WARS means a large part of my life, because of Return of the Jedi and Robotech I became an amateur writer.
However, I'm not stupid, I'm not going to fall into Hasbro's damn game of emotional blackmail with their haslabs. I am going to use my knowledge of model trains and with only $200 I can make the same structure, with the same 3D printed accessories and even electrical installation with lights and a horn so that the musicians can play "like a novel" by Los Acosta
Honestly, Haslab or not, your idea sounds like an awesome project to see on RUclips.
@@machineman6498 Thanks! I hope start before ends this year
was waiting for this
An Andor droid builder playset would be easy to make and have massive playability.
Let’s not forget Hasbro also “promised” to make every single character that interacted with the Razor Crest in Mandalorian as an action figure… That was over 4 years ago and nothing has been done…
They’re no different than politicians. All the promises in the world and can never deliver. 😂
Honestly a mos eisely spacetown playset would have made more sense for display or recreation of showdowns like in the mandalorian or something but that's just me 😁👌
Its another BIG (movie staring Tom Hanks) moment. "What is so exciting about a robot that turns into a building?"
Let me be the first to say Michael is truly the arbiter of truth when it comes to calling Hasbro out on their BS
Nobody does it better
Nailed it! I love your commentary, Michael. So glad I found you in my feed. Keep them coming. 😊
HasbroBlasting..
My theory on the cantina fixation is simply that it's a product that supports a lot of complimentary products. There's so many figures that have been made and remade that it's almost something people will invest in because of the sunk cost fallacy of how much they've paid for the random cantina aliens. I personally don't have the space or desire to get one, but I can see this going well for them. Certainly better than the Rancor or Reva lightsaber. I can at least see the logic and market who would want it.
I already had this playset when I was eight. Came with this blue guy and everything.
I'm happy with my precious memories of priceless toys.
The docking bay where the Millenium Falcon lands and Ben and Vader fight would have far more "play" value. If you were going that way.
Man, the Vintage Collection is in a real tight spot right now. Most of the releases are reissues and remakes of OT characters we already have oodles of figures of, any rare new media character is from 2 years ago at least, and there’s no new reveals for vintage Acolyte figures yet. Now they’re gonna focus even more on the OT, despite the fact that next year is the 20th anniversary of Ep III and fans will be anticipating new releases and updates of characters from that movie
For this to interest me, at the very least, I would like the band included on a bandstand with recorded Cantina music at the touch of a button. Perhaps some kind of action lever built into the bandstand to make all the band members appear to sway side to side.
Still wouldn’t pay $500 bucks for it though.
I might consider it if it was a bit less costly, just so I could put the Emperor behind the bar serving Joker, Voldemort, and Cobra Comander with Thanos going into the restroom carrying a plunger.
You're right on the money. And I believe that's EXACTLY what it's meant to be. This *isn't* available at retail. And while I still think there's a lot of fun value here for kids, it's FOR the hardcore collectors who have been in this for years. But if you think Hasbro won't still capitalize on it and do reissues and resculpts to help fill it out, you're crazy. There's a whole campaign supporting this haslab into 2025. Yes, it is overpriced. But knowing their focus group and trying to get as much money as they can while we're still relevant and actively buying, it makes some sense. This is being sold as the ultimate centerpiece capstone of decades of collecting and a premium product. So using the old Sideshow logic, premium product equals premium price. It's that much because it CAN be. No one is happy about the cost, but by now it's almost expected and if you want it you'll pay it.
I'll offer my two cents on why I plan on backing the Cantina: in the first movie, it's more than just a seedy dive bar where we meet Han and Chewie, and where Han shoots first(!) to show that he don't take no guff from a lizard... for the audience, it's the first real (and only) glimpse of the much wider universe that Star Wars exists in, in the first movie.
Here are all of these insanely different alien creatures from all corners of the galaxy just hanging out casually without any fuss or muss. It exemplifies the lived-in aspect of how old this universe has been around that thousands of aliens are so familiar with one another that they can dine and drink side-by-side. There's no shock at seeing a sentient bug, or a werewolf, or penis-head musicians...
As a kid, the cantina scene shows (show, don't tell, is the adage that great storytellers should adhere to) that it's a giant melting pot, where humans are just another bunch of aliens admist many -- and arguably, humans are the worst of the galaxy, given that they run the Empire! So there's a lot more to the significance of the Cantina that I feel like you're leaving out, as I think that's the real reason it's so iconic and people remember it so well.
Michael could you maybe do a short video giving your thoughts on the Indiana Jones 6” figures. I know you didn’t like them but I’d like to hear your critique even if it’s brief.
That's on the agenda
Hot take: A large amount of collectors would have preferred a podracing set over this. At least that’s an action sequence with play value, and it ties into TPM’s 25th anniversary
I know they did a fair number of the pilots ,but did they ever do any of the pod racer vehicles ?
@@troubledturtle2332 Not to my knowledge
That's indeed a hot take.
I've never heard someone asking for a Podracing Haslab until now.
people are buying two just to get the sisters in and out of the package
Mike I was in Walmart and you could by a fully articulated and a bat mobile for $21 and a speeder bike with a standard biker scout for $43 End on clearance for 37 dollars it's absolutely nuts
They released jabbas palace in tvc as three sets over a period of 5 years and only one of them is currently available and jabba isn’t included in the actual throne room
I generally agree with you on the majority of you videos. I have to disagree with you on this one.Overall, a lot of adult collectors have been wanting a large and accurate playset. I feel the majority of collectors that have been in the game since the POTF2 days, are going to have the figures to fill the cantina. The entire set is completely modular, allowing for a variety of display options. A lot of adult collectors are really excited about this. I know I am. I really want a nice cantina display set for the figures I have. I'm one of those that has been collecting since '98...and have every figure needed to populate this set. All the other measures in having a cantina have been less than half ass by Hasbro. A flimsy cardboard set, and just pieces of the bar..with no other real set. Sure, there are only two real significant events that take place in the cantina, but it was one of the neatest visuals in the movie...with all of the interesting characters and aliens. Aside from the Hasbro Haslab crowdfunding platform.........I'm kinda hyped for this set. I really hope it backs, and makes the stretch goals...(as ridiculous as those numbers are), so we can get some additional sets, like a Death Star, or Bespin.
If the display is static I want it to look alive, to pop on my shelf. Great points as always, and very well put.
I think what made the setting memorable and iconic was the lighting. Its an adult atmosphere, a rough setting. You get the thing and its all drab shadowy plastic you're going to have light it up and risk melting something.
I really don’t feel like this is a fully fair assessment. It does feel a little overpriced for sure and since I don’t buy TVC I’m not gonna get it either way. But I think a lot of these criticisms would feel more fair if this was an item intended for for kids. Children in particular would care primarily about action and action features in their playset. I feel in general that’s just a bit less significant for adult collectors. And this is clearly targeted towards them. Also the more figures for aliens that are included the more the price goes up and the more unreasonable it is for people to get it. Including aliens like the band or any of the other ones they’ve already released would discourage people who already have those figures from getting this. I know I wouldn’t want to get a 600 or $700 playset that comes with a bunch of figures. They just put out two years ago. if I got that band, I don’t care to get them again. I do think it’s a bit silly and poor marketing that they don’t coordinate their releases better. I have thought that for years it is confusing and baffling. But in general, I don’t think that undermines the value of this set. Not least because you don’t need to have every guy for the Cantina and you could certainly put other characters in it if you really wanted to make it seem full. Your complaints about band stand or stage also don’t really hold up to me. Since as I have heard circulated a lot lately in the lore, there isn’t actually supposed to be a stage. I believe it was filmed on a stage and pictures of the stage were circulated, but it was always intended that those guys were just in one of the alcoves.
You are entitled to your opinion you are welcome to not get this. I certainly won’t. But a lot of these criticisms feel like they are a bit nitpicky. Which is not inherently a bad thing it just feels a bit silly to hold these criticisms up. I think it’s fun. A lot of people enjoy. It’s a scene that made Star Wars what it is. Full of goofy aliens. I wouldn’t care to have a display of a bunch of guys standing around drinking or whatever but I totally see the appeal. Especially for people who like making dioramas.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with talking about it or criticizing it. I think there are certainly things worthy of criticism here. The price is one. The lack of availability to get some of these background aliens to fill it is partially valid. as well as I personally would criticize the fact that the entire set has an almost unfinished look. All the walls are exposed and it feels like they should have some sort of cover so you don’t just see the inside of the molding. But building out a fun and iconic scene is a lot of fun for TVC collectors and that is part of the appeal and I feel like this criticism doesn’t leave the space for fun that comes out of that. I think that is part of the appeal of the scale is the ability to re-create huge scenes like this. And this is one of the most iconic up there with Jabba’s palace. It is not overly action oriented, but I don’t think the people buying this are going to be playing out action in it. Even if Hasbro had made an echo base or Death Star 2 most people would just put their figures in it and they would stay there statically forever. At least in this case, there’s plenty of space to fill with all of your favorite figures from the scene or whatever you want to put in it.
I understand that that is not what you were looking for you seem to not care quite as much about having an entirely accurate scene or whatever which is fine. I just have seen a lot of comments praising this as speaking to Hasbro when I don’t feel like this was an entirely valid criticism. I think there are reasons people would want to pick this up. I think the reason they keep making attempts at the Cantina is because people keep getting it. I think the collecting motivation to want this isn’t altogether too different from your own.
"You have died of dysentery before reaching the end of this comment."
@@retroblasting that was also pretty funny. The long and short is different people collect differently, and I don’t think there’s anything inherently more silly about wanting the alien bar than any other scene in Star Wars. I think your critique was a little unfair in that area and a few others.
👍🏾👍🏾😂 I'm in agreement 😂
I'd buy one if i had the money. I'd just populate it with different characters, Star Wars, Star Trek, Battle Star Galactica and Reaction figures. They would all be getting smashed together XD
At least the mandalorian cantina was at retail
I’ve been waiting all week for this!
I want the next haslab to be hoth with the huge ion cannon, I want to see how big and expensive fans will go.
Oh yeah I am old. 🙂😉 Well said Michael, honestly sometimes these people at Hasbro don't have a clue. 🤔
You’re one of the only RUclipsrs I’ve seen that seems to actually care about playability.
I’ve got two sons and have been trying to collect older SW toys as cheaply as possible so they can actually experience the same joy we had when we were young… Not some horrible and cheaply made micro collection that pails in comparison.
I don’t hear enough concern from older hard-core collectors that kids don’t have good SW toys to play with.
I know most modern toys are junk but if SW can’t figure out a quality, price and playability balance, but what brand can?
I think the cantina is a great choice for a playset or diorama. Not really a fan of your suggestion of the Cloud City. I think the Cantina is more iconic.
Wouldn't a better set be -
Entrance way with scanner, bar with two tables and chairs, stage?
Throw that together and put it to retail.
Because another issue with this set is even with the potential half building offering in England our houses aren't really big enough to accomodate these kind of things.
People will usually buy one BIG crown jewel (The huge collector Lego Millennium Falcon for example) and that will be it.
I can't really see a specific Star Wars fan that is only interested in the cantina, me and my mates are always more excited by hangar bays (even generic) and such, not just for Star Wars but for Gundam and other properties as there is the possibility of using them cross franchise depending on scale.
Many Playmobil playsets outdo limited releases like this.
Hell, Playmobil brown box set re-releases for etailers and specialty stores outdo these HasLabs.
Lots of accessories and a solid set for an affordable price.
Yeah, you might have to scrounge some of the other figures from your Playmobil gold mines, but they need drinks, train tickets and get in trouble with the sheriff too... 😅😅😅
Ok now I wanna see a retroblasting SW follies or chronically online retrospective on cantina playset attempts lol but this will do too
Another awesome video Michael! 👏 💯
You bring up some good points that there are other environments that would make for a good Haslab. But I have to respectfully disagree and don't see the Cantina a confusing choice.
It's my opinion that the Cantina can be a single level horizontal display stand and not a "Play Set". It looks like the base offering will fit right on a shelf. Sets like Eternia, the Thundercats Lair, and even Castle Greyskull sound exciting but turn out to be real space hogs and don't stay out.
The idea that it's a static bar may actually be a good thing. Other environments from Star Wars (aside from the Death Star and Sail Barge) are pretty locked in for what characters go with them. Multiple Star Wars series would not look out of place at the bar. Heck, even multiple IP would be fun. Finally, we can have Buck Rogers get a beer with the Adventure People Skydiver and Micronauts.
If someone buys the Cantina, they can expand their aliens collection or put whomever they have in it. Hell, if you want to go nostalgia, it can even the metaphorical setting for childhood cross IP play.
Think Mad Magazine...
Nothing happens? When it was just a cardboard backdrop a single table and a slice of bar it was the most action-packed playset we had. I mean, I get that you want your Cloud City playset. Me too. But, this playset has tons of playability. It is definitely not just a diorama. My son is excited to play with it when it shows up, and I'm excited to put everyone back in their place when he's done.
I can agree with a lot of this video, especially the figure gauging. However, I stand in the minority of collectors who HAVE been avidly collecting cantina aliens for the last 20 years. I am excited to finally get a full bar to display them. The figure selection is what frustrates me. I think they should offer at least a few more figures if you are paying that price, even if they come un-carded, it would still be nice to sweeten the deal. There are plenty of weirdos that they could re-make or make for the first time.
100% agree
We all need an Echo Base! The command center, medical center, taun taun room, corridors, main hangar, blast doors, ion cannon & dropping ice blocks!
If Hasbro wants to make good playsets, they should stop the half-freeze chambers and soulless interior set replicas, then license the designs of LEGO from the last 20 years, and make them as non-LEGO, 3¾" figure-scale, purpose-built playsets.
Michael you did it again 🤣🤣🤣 thanks for the humor and insight 👍
I respectfully disagree with you on this one Michael. Well partially. I agree about the price. It’s definitely a bit high.
But the product itself has a lot of value. You can set up so many scenes for your shelves. Han and greedo. Obi wan and panda baba. The heroes all meeting for the first time. Bartender saying the droids aren’t welcome. Sand troopers outside with the landspeeder. Lots of potential.
And this is not mentioning for new media fans there are displays you can do with Mando in the cantina as well.
1) I don't need a declaration of agreement or disagreement. Just get to the point. 2) Tell me how you're gonna display a four-walled building on a shelf where the figures are all crowded in amongst one another in booths and seated and standing obscuring each other? How is that gonna work as a display in your home? I'm REALLY curious how you've worked that out.
@@retroblasting hi Michael. I might put it all together at first to take a few pics but I don’t plan to display it all in one all the time. I plan to take advantage of the modular build of it so I can space out scenes across my shelf/shelves. For instances maybe have the entrance on the left of my shelf with the sandtroopers and speeder outside. Then do the bar with the bartender and Sisters etc. and then keep working across. This way I could have Luke and Ben one one side but then also at a table meeting Han for example further down the display.
I think it's a cool playset. As a kid and if we go back to the original Star Wars, we were amazed of all the types of alien characters we got to see. I agree, it's dedicated to 40 o 50 year old star wars fans like me but I would love to add some other creatures and have it displayed on a table. I'm cool about that.
The design of the haslab cantina reminds me to the lego star wars cantina. Ok, not everyone likes the lego minifigs. Got it. But it’s so hilarious to see the cantina again. Keep up the good work.
I think the idea is that most 3.75” StarWars collectors already have some sort of cantina shelf or collection over the years. This is meant to give you a better place to put them. I don’t think it’s really intended as a jump off point, it’s more of a “here you can finally put them in a full cantina.” I’m not even a hardcore TVC collector and I have always had a cantina alien display of some kind.