LUKE SKYWALKER Death Star Escape
Power of the Force Toys "R" Us Exclusive Cinema Scenes
Item No.: No. 69737
Number: n/a
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Includes: Stand, blaster, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: Summer 1997
Appearances: Star Wars

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy room.

Bio: The Rebel Alliance has infiltrated the Galactic Empire's most powerful battle station, the Death Star! posing as stormtroopers escorting a prisoner, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca attempt a daring rescue of the captive Princess Leia. Can they escape the dreaded Death Star, or is the Rebellion about to suffer the loss of its newest heroes? (Taken from the figure's box.)

Commentary: Oh man, did Kenner go nuts with Luke Skywalker in the late 1990s. With nearly 30 figures of the hero in five years, it seemed there was no end in sight to the amount of new versions they could (or would) do. This particular version of the Rebel hero is in his Stormtrooper disguise and is very much a product of his day. He's a little beefy, his articulation isn't very good, and compared to the single carded release of the very same figure from 1996, he kinda sucks. This Luke has an awkward "dancing" pose which I guess was done to make him look like he's leading his captive through the Death Star, or perhaps blasting his way out of a bad situation. It's really hard to argue that this figure looks anything but awkward, especially now that we're over 10 years removed from its first release.

Luke has the same basic head we saw from 1995-1997, and is on the same basic Stormtrooper body which was used until late 1999. Obviously modifications were made to make the pose distinct, but it's nothing particularly special by today's standards. Yes, the helmet fits fine. Yes, the toy can be played with and does not come apart. It's a good artifact of its era, but it doesn't fit in with the current collection of action figures, and as such is probably best relegated to your toy box or any display you have of this particular style of figure.

Collector's Notes: If you want one, it's cheap these days. I can say that the set itself is not compelling by today's standards, but it is notable in that it contains the only handcuffed Chewbacca based on the Death Star sequence from the original film. There have been several Stormtrooper Luke figures over the years, and this one does not stand out as one of the finest. Actually, I'd say this is probably the least fun of all of them made from Kenner and Hasbro, and I'm including the first 3 3/4-inch figure of this outfit from around 1984.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 773: June 17, 2008