iReckon
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iReckon's Stats
- 4.5Average Rating
- 377Helpfulness Votes
- 0Featured Reviews
- 13Review Count
- January 25, 2015First Review
- February 16, 2017Last Review
Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Posted:February 16, 2017
iReckon
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Expert LEGO builder
Overall:
4
/
5
Engineering Disbelief
" Many of the sets released under the LEGO Ideas umbrella have been exactly that - LEGO ideas dreamt to life by imaginative builders at home. They’ve uploaded their ideas to the LEGO Ideas website, gathered support, and then, upon gathering a quorum of supporters, LEGO designers have turned their idea into an on-shelf reality. However, when it comes to certain sets, "LEGO Ideas" is a misnomer. Every builder who follows "Doctor Who" has had the same impossible idea of making a LEGO TARDIS - but only one has managed to make the dimensionally-transcendental time and space machine materialise in building block form. This set is less a "LEGO Idea" and more a "LEGO Miracle".
Subject as they are to the physical laws of a non-fictional universe, I’d always failed to shape LEGO pieces into a model bigger on its inside than its out. A labyrinthine, scaled interior could easily be built inside a blue box the size of most LEGO cities, just as easily as a minifigure-scaled police box could comfortably house a brace of minifigures - but little more. This left only a bitesize version of the TV producers’ approach: shove your minifigures into a tiny LEGO blue box, suspend your disbelief and pull 'em out again, finally setting them down in a separate interior. Not much fun, and not at all marketable.
An exercise in compromise as much as anything else, Andrew Clark’s wonderful creation stretches each of the above techniques as far it can to create a stunningly detailed hybrid model. The premise is inspired: you build a police box shell and a separate console room, opening out the former and attaching its sprawling form to the latter to create the illusion of a cavernous interior stretching out from the outer shell. Deft little flourishes like the inverted police-box detailing on the reverse of two of the TARDIS doors and the late Smith / Capaldi-era TARDIS wall on the opposing pair conspire to make the brick trickery pleasing, if still imperfect.
As I expected, the TARDIS exterior is my favourite part of the set - principally because it makes for such a stunning LEGO ornament. No part of the design has been fudged; each door panel is a separate component, there are no cost-cutting stickers to be applied, and two of the doors even open. Fair dues, they open outward, rather than inward; you have to take the top off and lift up at least two hinges to get them open; and, most significantly, they’re the wrong doors. Overall, though, it’s an acceptable trade-off when considering that the fully-opened capsule clicks comfortably onto the end of the console room’s ramp, giving us at least the illusion of being able to pass through the police box doors into the ship. As I can’t suggest a better alternative, it’d be more than a little churlish to complain.
The console room itself is just as well-thought-out and detailed, though inevitably it lacks the forceful impression of the iconic exterior, which, save for the addition and removal of the odd accoutrement has remained much the same for more than half a century. Again, for me it’s the little touches that sell it: a working lever, custom pieces printed with Gallifreyan symbols. The design even reflects the current console room’s multi-level layout, with stairs leading down to the rest of the ship.
The minifigures are a mixed bag, though. Matt Smith’s Doctor is the obvious standout as not only is he the spit of Eleven, but he also comes complete with a sonic screwdriver and fez. The latter doesn’t really work on his head, though, as it makes him look bald and leaves him with his alternative-expression face showing on the back of his head. This is especially frustrating as a custom-moulded composite hair and hat piece (as seen on many of the recent Disney and LEGO Batman Movie minifigures, for instance) could have remedied this. Peter Capaldi’s Doctor is less recognisable, clad as he is in an awful shade of purple (I’d have preferred him in a dark hoodie with a guitar), and whilst Clara’s outfit is convincing, her hairpiece is anything but. The Weeping Angel, however, is sublime in its terrifying simplicity, and the Daleks are nothing short of perfection. I’d had reservations about their design before I’d built them as I’d thought that a custom mould would have been in order for creations of their calibre, but that would have been at the expense of the sheer joy that comes with putting a couple of Daleks together out of nothing but existing bricks.
Another delight of this set is its packaging. The glossy box, whilst still cardboard, is sturdy and can be opened and closed without ruining it - it’s clearly intended to be a keeper. Similarly, the instructions are far from flimsy and are adorned with facts and features about the TV series as well as the set’s designer. The only flaw is the lack of numbered piece bags, which is most unusual for a set of this size and makes the build more laborious than I’ve become used to.
Overall, this set really whets the appetite for a fully-fledged LEGO "Doctor Who" range: incarnations of the Doctor alone could sustain a decent minifigure series, never mind the various alien ships and structures which have the potential to rival the standard-setting "Star Wars" range. Watch this (time and) space...
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
My Product Recommendations
The Big Bang Theory
(85)
From:
United Kingdom
Age:
25-34
years old
Customer Type:
LEGO Parent
Building Experience:
Expert LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
01
hrs
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
3
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Challenging
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+1point
1of 1found this review helpful.
The Phantom
The Phantom
Posted:July 28, 2015
Overall:
5
/
5
" As a kid, I was regularly treated to “Battle Pack”-sized LEGO sets, but gifts from the next tier up were fewer and farther between, and all the more special for it. I have very fond memories of building police trucks and ambulances with all sorts of playable features; the relatively modest increase in price didn’t seem equal to the profound improvement in playability. Now, as an adult, it’s pleasing to see that LEGO are continuing to make sets in their £20-ish range just as crammed with value, and the Phantom is a case in point.
Larger than its box would suggest, Ezra Bridger’s separable spaceship has much more to it than meets the eye. Its spring-loaded missiles can fire to both aft and stern, its cockpit section is more spacious than you’d expect, and its aft section has double-hinged wings that unfurl for flight or fold up neatly for docking in the Ghost. I didn’t expect there to be any sort of interior in the aft compartment, but the roof lifts off to reveal a perfectly Chopper-sized space, and the rear door hides a space just large enough to stow Ezra’s Imperial helmet and blaster. It’s an attractive and solid piece of rebel kit - shining white, all that it lacks is a bit of wear and tear.
The two minifigures are both excellent too. LEGO have, by now, perfected the astromech droid, and so Chopper is vested with both the look and feel of his cartoon counterpart. Pleasingly his build differs from other astromechs that I’ve built, which I think is quite fitting for the contrary little fellow. Ezra, whilst lacking his lightsaber / blaster (which I don’t think he’d built at the time of this set’s release, in fairness), is a dead ringer for TV’s wayward orphan. I did initially question the use of “adult” legs for him, but on reflection I think they’ve made the right call - he’s closer to the surly teenage Anakin of “Attack of the Clones” than he is the exasperating infant of “The Phantom Menace”.
"
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I would recommend this to a friend!
My Product Recommendations
The Ghost
(21)
From:
United Kingdom
Age:
25-34
years old
Building Experience:
Expert LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
25
mins
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
5
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Easy
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+6points
7of 8found this review helpful.
The Ghost
The Ghost
Posted:July 28, 2015
Overall:
4
/
5
" Before Han Solo dragged his Millennium Falcon into the fight against the Galactic Empire, another weathered old freighter had already made a name for itself, and this is it: The Ghost, in brick form.
For a ship so packed with pods and bays and secret compartments, this 33cm beast is as solid as they come; it’s an almost indestructible oblong that you can really believe incited rebellion in the Outer Rim. Inevitably the interior has been scaled down - right down - to meet LEGO’s size / piece requirements for a light-heavyweight set, so there are no crew quarters for one thing, but it’s hard to grumble when every millimetre of available space has been used so creatively. There’s a space on board for every rebel minifigure included, with Hera Syndulla and Kanan Jarrus each having a cockpit apiece and Zeb Orrelios slotting inside the rotatable gun turret so that he can blast any passing TIE fighters. Even Ezra and Chopper, who aren’t included in this set, aren’t left out in the cold as their sold-separately Phantom docks neatly in the aft section (a great gimmick in of itself).
The set also boasts features to please those of all tastes. For youngsters, there are two spring-loaded missile canons which lend themselves beautifully to interstellar LEGO dogfights, as well as two detachable escape pods that each have room for at least one minifigure. For adult fans, meanwhile, there are deft little touches to be appreciated such as the hidden Holocron and working cargo hatch, not to mention two long (but shallow) cargo holds in which the set’s many weapons can be safely stowed while the minifigures are at their stations.
As to the minifigures, the three rebels are dazzling. Zeb is one of my favourite Star Wars minifigures to date. Whilst necessarily lacking the towering height of his on-screen alter ego, his headpiece especially is incredibly detailed, goatee and all, and the modellers have even captured his near-constant look of thinly-veiled irritation wonderfully. The sole human figure is less striking, obviously, but nonetheless a great likeness of the former Jedi, while the Twi’lek minifigure has caught Hera’s exotic and worldly qualities in equal measure: green skin, prehensile tentacles… flying goggles. Instead of Sabine Wren, though, the set is rounded out with a redundant standard-issue Disney stormtrooper, which LEGO have added blue rendering to in order to set it apart from its movie-era counterparts. It’s disappointing not to be able to net the full Ghost crew for the cost of two sets.
Overall though, The Ghost and its sister set come highly recommended. You can pick up both for the price of a decent heavyweight set, and you’ll probably get a lot more fun for your money.
"
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I would recommend this to a friend!
From:
United Kingdom
Age:
25-34
years old
Building Experience:
Expert LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
01
hrs
Build Time:
30
mins
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
5
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Easy
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+18points
21of 24found this review helpful.
Mos Eisley Cantina™
Mos Eisley Cantina™
Posted:March 1, 2015
Overall:
5
/
5
I Can't Decide Who Shoots First
" This set was top of my wish list for years before its 2014 revisitation finally came. There’s not a vista out there that screams Star Wars as much as Tatooine’s, and there are few scenes in the whole saga as iconic as Han’s indifferent despatching of Greedo. Having recently given Jabba’s Tatooine operation and the Jawa’s sandcrawler long-overdue facelifts, LEGO have now brought the site of Han’s infamous Rodian showdown up to spec. The 616-piece Mos Eisley Cantina now sits beautifully beside all the other recent Tatooine sets, leaving us only a homestead away from a clean sweep.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about this particular set is how expansive it is, particularly for its relatively low piece count. Beyond the eponymous “hive of scum and villainy”, builders are also treated to the most accurate representation to date of Luke’s soon-to-be-sold landspeeder, as well as a giant dewback megafigure, storm-weathered sandtrooper and all.
The landspeeder is very nearly identical to the 2009 rendition that renewed my interest in LEGO; the only (welcome) difference is that the paint scheme has been inverted back to match that of the film. As before, there’s enough room to sit both Obi-Wan and Luke in the cockpit (and, indeed, stow their lightsabers in the trunk), but there are still no back seats, so you’d be hard-pressed to squeeze the droids in there (not that they’re included here, mind).
The Obi-Wan and Luke minifigures have undergone their obligatory re-release redesign, and once again probably for the better. The “crazy old hermit” looks more haggard than ever, though the absence of an optional cape and hood is sure to annoy those who can’t just pluck them from an earlier Obi-Wan in their collection. Luke looks unreservedly excellent in his finely detailed legs and torso, and the designers have got the style of his hair nailed now, if not the shade, which in my view is closer to really light brown (as has since been acknowledged in the spectacular Ewok Village set) than the LEGO blonde generally favoured. His face is perhaps a little too detailed now, though; the extra detail and expression only serve to make him look older than he should be (at least pre-Wampa).
The dewback is one of my favourite components in the set. Fashioned with the same love and finesse that has brought us the updated Jabba and Rancor megafigures, the detail on the beast of burden is incredible. Its mouth even opens to chew - and, if required, hold and pose with - its bone. In the time-honoured style of LEGO horses, it’s up to the builder whether to brick up the creature’s back to give it a natural look, or - as I prefer - to build the saddle that carries the set’s sandtrooper and his small arsenal of weaponry. With his sand-speckled armour and flesh-coloured face, the Imperial agent is the set’s finest minifigure by far; I’d even goes so far as to say that he’s the most realistic-looking LEGO stormtrooper that I own.
Of course, the set’s real selling point is the Cantina itself which, whilst much smaller than I would have liked, has been deftly designed with a number of hinges that allow the roughly 18cm2 building to open out in a 32cm playset. Its distinctive booths, which are probably too small for even a young player to get his or her fingers into, benefit from slide-out floors, allowing even those of us at triple the maximum recommended age to get our eager protuberances in there.
The level of detail both inside and out the building is duly impressive. The distinctive-looking moisture vaporator is wonderfully redolent of Star Wars, and I love the sliding-door entrance and door scanner which, again, reek of the original movie. The set would have been better if it would’ve had a more complete roof though - one dome, however evocative, looks a little lost and incomplete.
The Greedo and meaner-looking Han minifigures make up for any minor shortcomings in the set though; both are flawless. And I don’t blame LEGO at all for giving us the hard-sell with their, “Recreate the famous showdown between Han Solo™ and Greedo™ from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope!” because it is such a seminal scene in the saga. I haven’t had such fun recreating a key moment since I finished building the Death Star. I just wish I could decide who shoots first...
The set is completed with a near-identical trio of Bith musicians with whom I can find no fault. Like Greedo, specially-moulded headpieces ensure that they are the spit of their silver screen selves, particularly when adorned with wind instruments cleverly crafted from LEGO City taps. It would have been preferable to settle for a brace of Bith, and get a unique alien barfly in place of the third, but as it is I’ve just had to draft in a few minifigures from elsewhere to fill up the place.
Overall, this set is excellent value for its price tag, offering builders at least as much good stuff as they got with the similarly-styled Echo Base and Battle of Endor sets, but for far less money and with none of the surplus. A must.
"
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
I would recommend this to a friend!
From:
United Kingdom
Age:
25-34
years old
Building Experience:
Expert LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
50
mins
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
5
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Easy
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+23points
27of 31found this review helpful.
Jabba's Palace™
Jabba's Palace™
Posted:February 1, 2015
Overall:
5
/
5
" When I fell in love with Star Wars LEGO, it really annoyed me that there wasn’t a decent Jabba’s palace on the market. Fair dues, had I been minded to throw a few hundred pounds at a few hundred-piece palace populated by a yellow-skinned Leia and a toneless Jabba, I could have procured the discontinued #4480 set, but, needless to say, I wasn’t.
The 2012 Jabba’s palace is by no means a flawless release, but it is nonetheless a momentous improvement on its predecessor. Its problems are twofold: it’s expensive, and it omits a number of fundamental components (namely the bikini-clad Princess Leia; C-3P0; and, of course, the Rancor).
What is present, however, is stunning. The palace is far sturdier than most Star Wars LEGO sets, despite being packed with more special features than is the norm. The throne room’s roof lifts off and its back wall clips open, allowing little hands easy access to its opening trapdoor; throne that slides forwards; and rotatable block of carbonite that can house the frozen Han Solo minifigure. Meanwhile, the palace’s entrance gate (which was released as a separate set last time around) is similarly redolent of Return of the Jedi, and while one would expect it to open, it’s also a welcome surprise that its distinctive ‘eye’ sentry can be easily popped out to intimidate any visiting droids. It’s also very easy to detach from the throne room if you want to broaden the playing canvas a little, as indeed LEGO do on the box’s artwork.
Those that buy the set just for its minifigures won’t be disappointed either. Salacious Crumb; Bib Fortuna; the Gamorrean guard; Oola; and B’omarr Monk will all no doubt become highly sought-after, and even the set’s Han Solo is more than just a rehash of the one that came with Boba Fett’s Slave I as its rotatable headpiece wears different expressions on its back and front that are far more appropriate than the Slave I minifigure’s vague indifference. The Princess Leia figure is even more exceptional still as the character dons her Boushh disguise for the first time, thermal detonator and all. The crown jewel though is the eponymous Hutt gangster, who has finally been done justice with a two-piece, colour-rendered, poseable megafigure. Chewie is just the same old Chewie – hard to improve upon.
Jabba’s palace is probably the most fun model that I’ve built since I tackled the Death Star. Its mini – and mega – figures are wonderful, and the feature-packed Tatooine structure, which is a welcome change from the ubiquitous grey of most Star Wars movie models, took me right back to happy childhood days spent building LEGO castles and fortresses.
"
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
I would recommend this to a friend!
From:
United Kingdom
Age:
25-34
years old
Building Experience:
Expert LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
03
hrs
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
2
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Challenging
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+7points
7of 7found this review helpful.
Millennium Falcon ™
Millennium Falcon ™
Posted:February 1, 2015
Overall:
5
/
5
" The 2011 set is by no means LEGO’s definitive take on the Millennium Falcon, but it is much more affordable than its huge, ultimate collector’s edition, and a much better model than any of its other small and mid-scale incarnations.
Despite its hull being speckled with incongruous shades of Republic burgundy, the ship is the spit of its silver screen self, both inside and out. Arguably the interior is even more impressive than the familiar exterior as it boasts a whole host of movie-authentic features, such as the holographic ‘chess’ board and under-floor hiding spaces, while offering astonishing 360° playability. Every panel of the ship’s hull opens out, offering full and easy access to the many goodies inside.
Themed around the original Star Wars movie’s ‘Death Star escape’ sequence, the set comes with a fantastic array of minifigures: Han Solo, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Darth Vader. Many of these have been tweaked for added realism since they were last seen - Leia’s face and hair are more expressive, Han’s trousers are the right colour, and Luke has finally shed his girly locks in favour of a more redolent 70s-style mop. Luke and Obi-Wan are multi-purpose too - a spin of Luke’s head and a swap of hair for helmet gives you the blind, remote-battling Jedi wannabe; a swap of grey hair for hood gives you sneaky old Ben.
Themed around the original Star Wars movie’s ‘Death Star escape’ sequence, the set comes with a fantastic array of minifigures: Han Solo, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Darth Vader. Many of these have been tweaked for added realism since they were last seen - Leia’s face and hair are more expressive, Han’s trousers are the right colour, and Luke has finally shed his girly locks in favour of a more redolent 70s-style mop. Luke and Obi-Wan are multi-purpose too - a spin of Luke’s head and a swap of hair for helmet gives you the blind, remote-battling Jedi wannabe; a swap of grey hair for hood gives you sneaky old Ben.
"
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
I would recommend this to a friend!
From:
United Kingdom
Age:
25-34
years old
Building Experience:
Expert LEGO builder
Build Time:
03
hrs
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
5
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Challenging
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+2points
2of 2found this review helpful.
Republic Gunship™
Republic Gunship™
Posted:February 1, 2015
Overall:
5
/
5
" Between 2008 and 2012, LEGO released dozens of sets inspired by the animated television series and one-off movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but comparatively few from the live action films sat either side of it. However, the premature demise of Dave Filoni’s hit series would leave the doors wide open for 2013’s first wave of Star Wars sets to be dominated by the often-underrated Episode II, with more than half a dozen sets taking their inspiration from that initial attack of the clones.
I’ve been in the market for a Republic gunship for some time now, and so was delighted to see it taking pride of place as the top-tier 2013 Attack of the Clones set. Save for the Venator-class attack cruisers, which from an aesthetic point of view I rate even more highly than I do the colourless star destroyers of the original trilogy, these gunships are my favourite vehicles from the Clone Wars, and they’re definitely one of the most iconic. Their presence was felt throughout the conflict, appearing in countless animated episodes as well as the decisive Revenge of the Sith, but I don’t think that they’ve ever had quite the same impact that they did when they first set the burnt orange skies of Geonosis alight in the Clone Wars’ opening battle depicted in Episode II’s final act. And, unlike its 2008 Clone Wars movie-inspired LEGO incarnation (set #7676), it is that spectacular cinematic sequence that this set strives to recreate.
With almost 1,200 pieces, this 18” gunship boasts more elements than the attack cruisers meant to house hundreds of its type. As a result, this set feels very much like a special collector’s edition set in the mould of Red Five, such is its detail, but of course here everything is minifigure scaled for maximum playability. The belly of the craft, which can be accessed via side doors that don’t quite close, is easily large enough to house a decent-sized detachment of clone troopers and their Jedi generals, and this is before we even consider the gun turrets and cockpits that can also be manned. The thoughtful design also contains five storage containers in which the minifigures’ weapons can be stored whilst they operate their various stations, as well as separate compartments to the aft and stern, one of which can be used to house Anakin’s swoop bike (which is admittedly a little out of place here, far from the Lars’ homestead on Tatooine) and the other either more minifigures or reserve flick missiles or lightsabers. Best of all though, the gunship is a dazzlingly clean white adorned with proud Republic red, and to a lesser extent, lime green liveries. It’s spectacular to behold, if not reflective of the grim realities of war.
The set’s minifigure complement is every bit as extraordinary, offering seven characters for the RRP, including brand new Attack of the Clones iterations of Obi-Wan Kenobi; Anakin Skywalker; and Padmé Amidala. The floppy-haired and facially-hirsute Obi-Wan is the standout; he’s instantly redolent of Ewan McGregor’s dry Episode II portrayal. Similarly, the Anakin minifigure is by far his most convincing Episode II LEGO interpretation, the added detail in the outfit and hairpiece (woefully miscoloured though it is) offering a good likeness of the troubled teen Romeo. And after years in yellow and then even longer in absentia, a flesh-tone Padmé is now cropping up all over the shop in minifigure form, but never more welcomely than here. With her tight bun and even tighter outfit, duly frayed by the Patrenaki arena’s rampaging nexu, she’s every inch the gun-toting Juliet that Natalie Portman was on screen. All three stars boast reversible headpieces, as is fast becoming the LEGO standard, allowing you to alter their expressions from mildly vexed to utterly enraged. The two clone troopers aren’t by any means as exciting, though the captain is the first of his rank to enter my personal LEGO Grand Army of the Republic, and the super battle droids are wholly dull and grey – just as they are on screen, so no complaints there.
The only real problems with this set are its overreliance on stickers and its almost amusing fragility. I’m a relatively dexterous man in his early thirties, and I managed to break off several extremities just getting the thing up into my loft, so I shudder to think what damage nine to fourteen-year-olds might wreak should the craft find itself in their age-appropriate thrall. Of course, rebuilding is half the fun of LEGO – provided you can find the tiny pieces again, that is.
A final thought is that you simply can’t buy this set in isolation. Even if you’re immune to the marketing of all the associated Episode II sets released alongside this one, the set looks distressingly incomplete with its skeleton crew of just two clones. You need at least four or five battle packs’ worth of troopers to make this thing look anything like the business, so if you are considering adding it to your empire, you’ve got to be prepared to make a few expensive trips to Kamino to boot.
A final thought is that you simply can’t buy this set in isolation. Even if you’re immune to the marketing of all the associated Episode II sets released alongside this one, the set looks distressingly incomplete with its skeleton crew of just two clones. You need at least four or five battle packs’ worth of troopers to make this thing look anything like the business, so if you are considering adding it to your empire, you’ve got to be prepared to make a few expensive trips to Kamino to boot.
"
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
I would recommend this to a friend!
From:
United Kingdom
Age:
25-34
years old
Building Experience:
Expert LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
03
hrs
Build Time:
20
mins
Play Experience (Optional):
5
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
5
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Challenging
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+50points
59of 68found this review helpful.
Jabba’s Sail Barge™
Jabba’s Sail Barge™
Posted:February 1, 2015
Overall:
4
/
5
" The last couple of years have seen Jabba the Hutt’s stock go up considerably in LEGO terms. After years of existence as only a dull green lump of plastic inside a flimsy, hand-me-down palace or absurdly-expensive second-hand sail barge, he’s finally been given texture and form inside a meticulous, sand-washed world comprised of four separate but companionable sets. The most recent of these to see release was 2013’s Jabba’s Sail Barge, which I found myself unwrapping on Christmas Day that year, having bought it in a Toys Я Us September sale and then given it to my wife to "surprise" me with on 25th December.
Whilst it boasts only around seventy pieces more than the slightly-longer 2006 superset (set #6210), which also included the Sarclaac pit and a desert skiff, this 43cm incarnation of the anti-luxury liner boasts a finish that’s much sleeker and more detailed than its predecessor, finally brining it in line with the quality of the recent Return of the Jedi-themed releases. Its Jabba megafigure is identical to the one released with Jabba’s Palace, which of course means that it impresses both aesthetically and when it comes to playability too. I was more excited about getting my hands on the elephantine musician known to Star Wars enthusiasts as Max Rebo though, as I believe that this is his first appearance in LEGO form. And with his uniquely-moulded headpiece (which has his trademark bulbous proboscis and almost cute lop ears) he does not disappoint. The three-eyed, gun-toting Ree-Yees is almost as distinctive, and again I don’t recall him ever being made available as a LEGO minifigure prior to this set’s release. Accompanying them is a bald Weequay clearly in Jabba’s employ, and R2-D2, who this time comes with a bespoke encumbrance that allows him to serve a few drinks to Jabba’s cronies before supplying Luke with his emergency lightsaber.
One of the most startling omissions from the Jabba’s Palace set was Princess Leia in her legendary gold bikini – what Dorling Kindersley’s LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia describes, somewhat playfully, as “Demure Princess Leia” – who found herself dropped in favour of a Leia styled in her Ubese bounty hunter getup. However, this set finally provides us with Leia in all her glory, her reversible headpiece having been updated to contemporary standards and even her posterior showing new definition. She also comes with shackles capable of binding her to her Hutt captor, which is a particularly nice touch as it allows young builders to restage the movie’s despatching of the vile gangster.
The vehicle itself has been cleverly redesigned to allow easier access to its innards. In this iteration, its deck lifts off and both its sides fold out, allowing even the largest of hands inside to place Jabba on his deathbed; lock Leia away in the holding cell; or even put Max or Artoo to work in the grubby kitchen. In fact, there’s so much space available above and below deck that you’ll need to draft in minifigures from sister sets to make the barge look shipshape. I’d especially recommend lining it up with the Desert Skiff set, which many contend should have formed part of this set as it did #6210.
Something that really surprised me about this model was its robustness. Equipped with well-hidden wheels that allow it to navigate the laminate as easy as the real thing could the Jundland Wastes or the Great Pit of Carkoon, the finished craft survived more than twenty minutes in the hands of my then-two-year-old, who found it far more stimulating than her age-appropriate Christmas DUPLO. Even after twenty minutes, the only breakages to speak of were the pulled-off sheet-plastic sails, which were easily reattached. Even the peek-a-boo windows (with their vulnerable stickers…) survived countless openings and closures.
A fine addition to the Hutt criminal cartel, and indeed the larger world of Star Wars LEGO, this shorter, sleeker and more detailed vision of Jabba’s infamous barge is guaranteed to light the imagination of anyone from playing child to ageing geek.
"
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I would recommend this to a friend!
From:
United Kingdom
Age:
25-34
years old
Building Experience:
Expert LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
02
hrs
Play Experience (Optional):
4
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
3
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Challenging
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+16points
17of 18found this review helpful.
Rancor™ Pit
Rancor™ Pit
Posted:February 1, 2015
Overall:
4
/
5
" Modular designs are now commonly found in most LEGO themes. From the soaring multi-storey pet shops and period fire stations of City to the set-sprawling schools of witchcraft and wizardry of Harry Potter, LEGO models are now more compatible than ever before, making purchases such as the overpriced but irresistible Rancor Pit set mandatory for Force-sensitive builders everywhere.
The set’s greatest attraction is without doubt its titular Rancor creature, who outdoes even impressive offerings like the Wampa when it comes to detail and playability. The ten-centimetre tall monstrosity has jaws that open and shut, allowing its minifigure-prey to hang limp out of its mouth, and its individually-removable claws can be broken off when it’s lost in the reckless zeal of bloodlust. With a broken shackle hanging from one hand and an ill-fated Gamorrean guard clasped in the other, all this megafigure is missing is the stop-motion slaver that burned Return of the Jedi’s subterranean set piece into the minds of two generations’ moviegoers.
The rest of the set’s minifigures really are mini in comparison, but it’s still quite apparent that the Rancor is significantly smaller than it would have been had it been accurately produced to scale. However, as the proud owner of a trilogy-spanning Death Star that has fewer rooms than my house and an open-plan Millennium Falcon that only has room for one in its cockpit, it would be a little churlish of me to grumble too much about issues of sizing – particularly when both the Gamorrean (who’s an exact replica of his colleague thrown in with the Jabba’s Palace set, albeit brandishing a drumstick here instead of an axe) and Malakili are such charming little fellows. I’m especially fond of the latter, as LEGO have captured absolutely the character’s defining hang-dog expression, if not his wobbling rolls of fat. In contrast, the blonde and conservative Luke Skywalker doesn’t really measure up. The bone that he clutches in place of his lost lightsaber is certainly movie-accurate, but it would have been nice to have both, and his reversible head is a complete calamity as his hairpiece doesn’t cover his well-defined dimples – whichever mood you choose to fix him with, the poor lad’s got a chin on the back of his head.
The pit itself matches the style of Jabba’s palace, and is fleshed out nicely with some deft flashes of finesse such as oversized keys and even festering skeletons. It’s far flimsier though, with only its gate-holding wall complete and its base and roof absent. For those that own it, the latter can be provided by the main body of the Hutt gangster’s palatial gaffe, which rests nicely upon the four small pyramids that crown the pit, but it’s worth noting that the palace’s tower annex, which can be (and invariably is, in mine’s case) connected to the throne room via a handful of interlocking pieces, cannot be attached so readily, despite what the picture on the back of the box implies. Unless you’ve a load of spare sand, grey and brown-coloured bricks, the best that you can hope for is to nestle the tower in next to the rest of the structure, and hope for the best.
Ultimately though, any gripes that I had about this set instantly evaporated the very first time that I sent young Skywalker plummeting through Jabba’s trapdoor into the pit waiting below, and I dare say that if you’re interested enough in this set to have read this review, you won’t begrudge a penny of its RRP.
"
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
I would recommend this to a friend!
From:
United Kingdom
Age:
25-34
years old
Building Experience:
Expert LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
01
hrs
Build Time:
10
mins
Play Experience (Optional):
4
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
1
/
5
Level of Difficulty:
Average
Very Easy
Very Challenging
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+9points
12of 15found this review helpful.
A-wing Starfighter ™
A-wing Starfighter ™
Posted:February 1, 2015
Overall:
4
/
5
" For me, the main attraction here is the rare and highly sought-after Admiral Ackbar. Until this Return of the Jedi-themed set hit the shelves, the high-ranking Mon Calamari had only been available in 2009’s limited edition Home One Mon Calamari Star Cruiser set (#7754), and even then at significant expense. For that reason, until now I’ve always used my Nahdar Vebb minifigure, which shares the same bespoke headpiece as the Rebel fleet’s supreme commander, to utter that immortal phrase, “It’s a trap!”, when recreating the Battle of Endor in LEGO form, but at last I’ve got the admiral in uniform, albeit relaxed enough to be enjoying a cup of space tea.
His accompanying A-wing pilot may not be quite as central to the Star Wars saga, but as admirals generally don’t fly starfighters into action, he’s indispensible to this set, and welcome in my collection in any event as my Rebel troops are woefully thin on the ground when measured against their Imperial LEGO counterparts. His appearance here marks the first time that the A-wing helmet has featured in any LEGO Star Wars set, and he also boasts a reversible headpiece bearing a terrified expression that suggests he might be intended to be Arvel Crynyd, who famously took out Darth Vader’s Executor in the spectacular, suicidal dive that spearheaded the original trilogy’s cinematic climax.
The inclusion of Han Solo, whose attire has been tweaked again just enough to warrant the block-capitals “NEW!” on the front of the box, is similarly welcome, although as he was down on the forest moon while Ackbar was leading the attack on the Death Star to which this set pays homage, he does feel a little redundant. Personally I’d have preferred to get Mon Mothma (another #7754-exclusive) or, better still, a plain-clothes Lando (rarer still). At least if, like me, you own the recent Jabba’s Palace set, you can just stick its Lando’s headpiece on this latest Han’s body, and voila!
The 177-piece ship itself impresses with its sturdiness. Save for its comparatively-flimsy landing gear, it’s 19 x 14cm frame is solid enough to survive being hurled at the bridge of my Executor repeatedly (which is more than can be said of my Executor). It also has some cool features, including the obligatory flick missiles and a more spacious cockpit than I would have expected, though how LEGO can list its “removable engine” as a feature eludes me – it’s LEGO; everything’s removable! It’s not the prettiest of starfighters either - short and stunted, it lacks the elegance of the longer and sleeker ships deployed throughout the Clone Wars or the natural beauty of X-wings.
"
I would recommend this to a friend!
From:
United Kingdom
Age:
25-34
years old
Building Experience:
Expert LEGO builder
Purchased For:
Self
Build Time:
30
mins
Play Experience (Optional):
4
/
5
Value for Money (Optional):
4
/
5
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+1point
1of 1found this review helpful.