Haslab Star Wars Cantina Playset: Michael Unplugged - Hasbro 2024

#retroblasting #haslab #starwars
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.

[LoveOfMoney]

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.

[kyleholder]

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.

[shootermcgavin]

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.

[VictoriasCantina]

I’m surprised you don’t feel more strongly about the cantina. As you said, it’s not an “action environment” in terms of people killing each other (mostly), but it is one of the most famous scenes in Star Wars, and one of the most well-known scenes in films in general. Even folks who don’t know Star Wars too well are aware of it. It was that moment during the original film where we see the Star Wars galaxy is far richer than just humans, robots, and masked tuskens and Jawas. A bunch of random, crazy looking aliens standing around drinking and getting into fights is what the scene is loved for, and which translates well into a great display and conversation piece.

The modularity is ideal in terms of making it work for your display space. I’d also expect they’ll support it with more cantina characters and reissues next year around the time the cantina comes out.

There was no stage for the band. This was done in reshoots in LA. They were filmed in a regular alcove like many of the other aliens, and they do fit as demonstrated in today’s Pulse upload.

At the end of the day, they have made many cantina characters over the nearly 30 years of the modern line, and it’s nice to finally give them a home. And it’s nice to finally have access to the Tonnika Sisters after all this time.

[droiduseruserdroid]

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.

[cjxps]

"It's a bar/restaurant." Just imagining Han and Chewie ordering mozzarella sticks

[clonegeek]

The Cantina is my favorite scene in Star Wars. Something about seeing the various different aliens always strikes me with wonder

[mr.revrac]

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.

[spurnd]

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.

[jamesgonzalez]

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?

[AaronPoston]

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!

[stevedunford]

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.

[Tim-yq]

It's a display piece. If you have the figures of all the (dozens of) cantina aliens (and realistically, most people who would be buying this probably do), it gives you a way to display them in context.

As for the band, in the movie, they were just shot in one of the alcoves, so the playset allows they to be displayed exactly how they were in the film. There is no "stage" in the actual set.

Realistically, I think the fact that they can produce the entire locale more or less to scale probably helps.

[branmichael]

Looks like a great set! I ordered 2. One for me. One for my kids to play with. I will sell the extra set of Tonnika sisters.

[TheFearOfMissingOut]

Remember: Wuher and the Tonnikas are only available with this Haslab. They will be some of the rarest Star Wars figures ever and command top dollars on the aftermarket.

[holden]

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.

[benhopper]

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.

[armlesswalrus]

When I saw Star Wars in the cinema in 1978 aged 5, my favourite location was the Cantina - we first meet Han Solo, he blasts Greedo, we first see a lightsaber in action. I loved my Greedo, Walrusman, Hammerhead and Snaggletooth figures. The Cantina has been the most requested large playset for years, certainly since HasLab became a thing. There are some major issues with this, i.e. the lack of an exterior, it looks so unfinished. But this has been my dream item for decades, so I'm in. Many 3.75" collectors are very happy to getting a Cantina, despite its issues.

[Stucknthez]

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

[Necron-ezcc]

The only reason I'm buying this cantina set is to recreate the Bea Arthur scene from the Star Wars Holiday Special.