In the Star Wars universe, the vehicles are almost as important as the characters, and no Star Wars collection is complete without some sort of vehicle representation. When the movies first hit the screen, Luke’s Landspeeder was among the first vehicles to be introduced to us, especially when considering the first waves of the Kenner toys that hit the shelves in 1977. The Landspeeder’s design was perfect — it looked like a ride a teenager would have in the ’70s, viewed through a futuristic lens — it was a space-age hunk of junk, and it was hugely important to the development of Luke’s character. So how did Hasbro do in bringing this iconic vehicle to the 1:12 Black Series line? Let’s take a look!Now, it’s important to note that this is the retail edition of the Landspeeder, not the SDCC exclusive set that was available this past July, which MattK reviewed HERE. The packaging is different, and there are a few other stylistic differences to the Speeder and Luke. But as far as this particular set goes, the packaging is pretty darn big. Like, I was shocked by its size when I saw it on a Target shelf. I guess I was anticipating a smaller box similar to the Tauntaun set, so this was surprising. It looks great, though. The illustration is striking, Luke is packed in the familiar Black Series fashion, and the Landspeeder itself is safely packed in place. Snap a couple pieces in place and you’re good to go! At the bottom of the box you can see a clear stand that is used to keep the Landspeeder at “hovering” height. It is not a ball joint; it just keeps the Landspeeder about an inch off the ground.
This Luke is an improvement over the single-box and 40th Anniversary releases. He ‘s got a new head sculpt and his shirt has a better cut, is a better fit, and is made of a more “figure friendly” material that looks a little more convincing than the previous release. If soft goods ain’t your thing, then you’ll likely still hate this, but I’m pleased to see these improvements in place. The new head is far superior too, but its likeness to Mark Hamill is questionable (though I’m willing to be it’s just falling short in the paint department, per usual).
For accessories, Luke comes with his bucket hat, which I don’t recall him ever wearing in the actual movie, but I had trading cards with him wearing it. He also comes with his poncho that he definitely did wear in A New Hope before leaving Tattooine. It’s too light a material to hang convincingly, but it works well enough, and I’m honestly pretty stoked that it’s here at all. Also included are his binoculars, his rifle, and the lightsaber Obi-Wan gives him. All of this, well, maybe not the lightsaber, add to the whole “farmboy” thing.
When it comes to displaying my “default” farmboy Luke, I’m pretty torn between this one and the S.H. Figuarts release. Both are decent, but both also miss the mark in different ways. One moment I prefer one, the next I prefer the other. I guess I’m keeping both since I’ll never make up my mind. And the farmboy accessories work with the SHF figure, in case you’re wondering. The bucket hat and poncho fit both figures just fine.
As for the Landspeeder itself, which actually is the main attraction here, it hits all the marks it needs to hit, although it IS just a touch on the small side. It’s a snug fit for more than one figure in the cockpit. Otherwise, MattK’s earlier review covers all the major points worth discussing.
This retail edition lacks the spinning turbine of the SDCC release, but I’m sure I won’t miss it. The overall aesthetic of the Landspeeder is enough to make it completely endearing to me, and I love seeing it on my shelf. The warm fuzzies abound, let me tell you.
Panels flip up for binocular storage, and there’s a small peg hole behind the seat for the Black Series R2-D2 to plug into securely, but since mine is packed away and the S.H. Figuarts Droids are my new defaults, I’ll figure out some way to make do. The Figuarts R2 doesn’t stay in place securely at all, so display with this configuration in place at your own risk.
In my opinion, if you’re a long-time Star Wars fan, this is a must-buy — either edition. This edition will be much easier to come by, so you should be able to snag one just about anywhere, like the fine retailers below:
