Oh, No! The Rancor!

Back when I devoted three whole shelves and the top of a dresser to my gargantuan Star Wars collection, the centerpiece of it all was my Millennium Falcon, Kenner's 1995 "Power of the Force" re-issue of the original 1978 toy with some minor upgrades. I amassed a sizable fleet of Kenner/Hasbro Star Wars vehicles in the 1990s, from Luke Skywalker's X-wing Starfighter to the still-amazing AT-AT, but the Falcon always had the spotlight in my bedroom display. It was the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, after all.

That all changed when a chance trip to KB Toys in the summer of 1998 introduced me to this guy: Jabba the Hutt's prized pet from Return of the Jedi, The Rancor. Immediately, this creature took center stage in my display, banishing the Falcon to the junkyards of Ord Mantell (a.k.a. my closet).

As a Deluxe Beast Pack, The Rancor came with a Luke armed only with an oversized bone to save him from the monster's maw. The Luke figure was pretty forgettable, but The Rancor was, to my 14-year-old mind, one of the coolest toys I'd ever seen. I definitely wasn't playing with Star Wars action figures at that point in my life, but if someone were to accuse me of occasionally making monster noises while "feeding" this guy Gamorrean Guards in the middle of the night, I might have a hard time denying it.

I dug this monstrosity out of a box of Star Wars toys the other day, and I'm convinced now more than ever that he warrants being displayed out in the open. Now, where are those Gamorrean Guards?

An Awkward 'Star Wars' Family Reunion

I'm even more obsessed with Star Wars than usual after the teaser for The Force Awakens broke the Internet for real (sorry, Kim), so I was inspired this evening to take a deep dive into one of the plastic bins housing a large chunk of my Star Wars collection.

Amidst the laughable assortment of Geonosian Warriors I amassed back in 2002 and no less than THREE different Jar Jar Binks figures because I needed those for some reason, I stumbled upon this gem: a toy based on Ralph McQuarrie's early concept for Chewbacca. It's a rad figure, and I definitely plan on finding a place to display this guy. 

Here he is alongside Star Wars Rebels' Zeb Orrelios, who owes much of his design to this proto-Wookiee. Uncanny resemblance, no?

Check back later this week for more unique finds from the collection!

Marvel Legends Groot Build-A-Figure Completed!

‘Transformers 4’ on the Way?

Wait, what? Didn’t Michael Bay say everything he had to say about robots fighting other robots in Transformers: Dark of the Moon? Well, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and the rest of the gang might be transforming and rolling out in yet another installment in the blockbuster series.

Reportedly, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner is in talks with Bay, studio partner Paramount and franchise executive producer Steven Spielberg about a fourth Transformers film. Now, even though thought Dark of the Moon was pretty good for what it was—mindless metal-on-metal explosion porn—I think we’ve reached our quota on Transformers movies for at least the next decade. Then again, there are tickets and toys to be sold, so it’s not like I’m all that surprised that Hasbro is pushing to continue the series.

Other Hasbro films in the works include Micronauts, Ouija, Candyland, Risk, Stretch Armstrong, Clue and Monopoly. And to think, some people believe that cinema is dying!

Another Star Wars Cartoon?

To quote several Star Wars characters, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

IESB reported on March 17—citing an unnamed source—that Lucasfilm Animation is in pre-production on a Star Wars cartoon aimed at pre-school and kindergarten-aged children. The show, apparently, would be based on Hasbro’s Galactic Heroes line of kid-friendly Star Wars toys, which feature squat bodies and oversized hands, feet and heads. If you’ve seen The Superhero Squad Show on Cartoon Network—based on a similar line of Marvel Comics toys—this series would pretty much be exactly like that. Ugh.

The MTV Movies Blog reached out to Lucasfilm for comment and received confirmation that one of the projects Lucasfilm Animation is working on “is for a younger audience but it’s in very early development and too early for any details.” Hopefully the Lucasfilm rep is referring to that CGI fairy musical George Lucas is reportedly producing, which has absolutely nothing to do with Star Wars.

Since I consider Star Wars: The Clone Wars to be an excellent all-ages Star Wars cartoon series, with plenty of appeal for younger and older fans alike, I’m baffled as to why a series based on the Galactic Heroes toyline would be at all necessary. Sure, this would probably help Hasbro sell more product, but since when has Star Wars been motivated by merchandising? Wait, don’t answer that.

Tony Starch Steals the Show at Toy Fair 2010

Iron Man 2 hits theaters on May 7 and, as one must surely expect at this point, it’s going to be accompanied by a veritable tidal wave of merchandise based on the film and comic books. At Toy Fair 2010 in New York, Hasbro debuted a wide variety of Iron Man 2 action figures, accessories, games and other playthings, but the most bafflingly incredible item in the lineup is surely Tony Starch, who is lovingly staring at you from the top of this post.

Yes, Hasbro is releasing an Iron Man Mr. Potato Head, who joins the ranks of Darth Tater, Optimash Prime, Spider Spud and other licensed side dishes-turned collectibles. Did I say collectibles? I meant toys. Yep. Toys are for kids, right? Why would I, a 26-year-old man, have any interest in buying an Iron Man-themed Mr. Potato Head? That’s just dumb…

Oh, who am I kidding? I’ll take two.

Head over to MTV’s Splash Page for a look at Hasbro’s entire Iron Man 2 line.

Hasbro Debuts Rocket-Firing Boba Fett at Toy Fair

If you’re not a hardcore Star Wars geek or an avid action figure collector, news that Hasbro will be releasing a vintage-style rocket-firing Boba Fett toy this year probably isn’t all that exciting. But for the rest of us, the figure is a pretty cool bit of fan service. Well, it’s probably not “cool” in the conventional sense, but you know what I mean.

At Toy Fair 2010 in New York, Hasbro debuted the rocket-firing figure as part of its product lineup commemorating the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. In 1979, Kenner (a company later acquired by Hasbro) advertised a rocket-firing Boba Fett as a mail-away offer, but the company eventually scrapped the spring-loaded missile feature citing safety concerns. Children of the 1970s never got their rocket-firing bounty hunter. Heartbreaking, I know.

More than three decades later, those kids—now grown-up fanboys and fangirls—can send away for a rocket-firing Fett (pictured) with the purchase of five specially-marked Star Wars action figures this fall. The toy is nearly identical to the 1979 version.

For more on Hasbro’s Fett-centric offerings—including a Boba Fett helmet you can wear—check out the Official Star Wars Blog.

Transformers 3 Set for 2011

This may not necessarily be the most awesome news for those of us who sat through the barely coherent (albeit pretty) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, but director Michael Bay announced October 1 on his Shoot for the Edit site that he has a “great Transformers 3 story,” and that the release date of the sequel has been moved up to July 1, 2011 from 2012.

According to his blog, Bay has already had a five-hour meeting with visual effects powerhouse Industrial Light & Magic in San Francisco, and is in talks with Transformers toy manufacturer Hasbro about new character designs.

Bay ends the post with a shot at franchise star Megan Fox, who has described him in the press as being “like Hitler on the sets” among other widely publicized insults. Despite this apparently rocky professional relationship, she will be returning in the next installment.

He writes:

P.S. Megan Fox, welcome back. I promise no alien robots will harm you in any way during the production of this motion picture. Please consult your Physician when working under my direction because some side effects can occur, such as mild dizziness, intense nausea, suicidal tendencies, depression, minor chest hair growth, random internal hemorrhaging and inability to sleep. As some directors may be hazardous to your health, please consult your Doctor to determine if this is right for you.

Ouch.