The Good: Fun, Good conceptual playability, Easy to assemble
The Bad: Play function age incredibly poorly, Ridiculously bad structural integrity, Low collectible value
The Basics: The Episode I Collection Motorized Theed Hangar Playset seems cool, but is poorly constructed, making it not worth buying.
Sometimes, I wish that I had reviews to read when I was first shopping for playsets for the Star Wars toys. I remember when I picked up the Episode I Motorized Theed Hangar Playset. My mother actually bought it for me as a gift. It was something of an impulse purchase around my birthday and it was an expensive impulse. Had I known how poorly constructed the Motorized Theed Hangar Playset was, I never would have ooh-ed and ahh-ed about it in front of my mom the way I did. This is a problematic toy with accessories that do not work the way they are supposed to.
The Theed Hangar is part of a key scene in The Phantom Menace (reviewed here!) where Anakin Skywalker flees in a fighter and Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi pursue Darth Maul out of it into the Theed Generator Complex.
While the Theed Hangar may have only been seen briefly in The Phantom Menace, it is the location of the iconic reveal of Darth Maul. The 1990 Hasbro Motorized Theed Hangar Playset toy is supposed to be a versatile Star Wars playset and is intended for the 3.75” scale toy line!
Basics
The Motorized Theed Hangar Playset playset is a multi-level playset that is essentially the floor, wall and walkway of part of the Theed Hangar.
Measuring 15” long by 9 1/2" wide by 10 1/2” tall, the Motorized Theed Hangar Playset is molded with a ridiculously flimsy base. Throughout the floor, there are grooves that allow the play function – the remote control for the exclusive Qui-Gon to move around the floor. This makes the whole playset – floors, walls, and balcony entirely unstable. Figures that are pressed onto the pegs on this playset fall over easily when the joystick device is moved.
The Power Of The Jedi Motorized Theed Hangar Playset playset is colored, but also includes decals for lights and panels on the doors and walls.
Accessories
The Motorized Theed Hangar Playset comes with three accessories: a Qui-Gon Jinn with lightsaber, a battle droid that gets hacked in half, and the joystick for the Qui-Gon Jinn figure. There are also a couple of hollow yellow crates that may be moved anywhere around the playset.
The Qui-Gon figure is a pretty standard Jedi figure. This version has the character with a wide stance and very loose arms. This allows them to swing easily for a hacking motion when using the joystick.
In a similar way, the Battle Droid is a standard Battle Droid, save that it is severed in the middle. On the playset, it is held together by a magnet that is barely strong enough to actually hold the figure up.
The joystick is a lightsaber-shaped device that one manipulates the Qui-Gon Jinn figure when it is properly threaded through the floor. The joystick is battery power and it basically allows Qui-Gon to spin when it works properly. It almost never works properly, though.
Playability
Usually, in this section, I detail extensively each and every piece of a playset. I’m not going to do that here. The Motorized Theed Hangar Playset is supposed to have opening blast doors, a collapsing catwalk, and blow open walls. The only one that actually works are the blast doors. The rest of the play functions, even the mobile missile launcher do not work. Instead, because the base of this playset is so flimsy, the blow open doors constantly jam, the catwalk almost always falls unbidden and figures seldom remain standing.
Collectibility
The Motorized Theed Hangar Playset was not overly produced and yet never appreciated much in value (and never seemed to be around in quantity to be clearance). I suspect because it was so poorly made few fans actually bought them and many remain boxed and mint, their owners unaware of just how crappy this toy actually is.
Overview
The Motorized Theed Hangar Playset is just a mess and not worth buying because it is too poorly constructed.
For other Star Wars playset and vehicle reviews, please check out my takes on:
Power Of The Jedi Carbon-Freeze Chamber Playset
Power Of The Force Hoth Battle Playset
Vintage Collection AT-AT Imperial Walker
2/10
For other Star Wars toy reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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