Review: 75140 Resistance Troop Transporter
Posted by CapnRex101,
75140 Resistance Troop Transporter is the largest set of the second wave based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens and also one of the most interesting. The shape of the model is reminiscent of the B-wing Starfighter which is unsurprising given that the cockpit module in the film has been repurposed from a Galactic Civil War era B-wing and this is reflected in the LEGO version as many techniques and elements appear in both this set and 75050 B-wing from 2014.
This is not a perfect model but it is incredibly detailed due to the intricacy of the construction and the design is very close to that of the craft in the movie, more so than almost any other Star Wars set in fact! The minifigure selection is also impressive but does not quite match that of 75139 Battle on Takodana in my opinion. Thankfully the quality of the transporter itself and the reasonable price point of £59.99 or $69.99 more than make up for that.
Minifigures
The most appealing of the four minifigures is General Leia Organa, mislabeled on the packaging as Princess Leia. Although Leia does not play a huge role in the movie she is an important character nonetheless and is nicely represented here in minifigure form. The hair piece and head look great, with stern and smiling expressions printed on two sides, while the torso features a purple jacket much like the one worn in the film.
I think the colour used here is a little brighter than it ought to be but there is no better shade available in the current LEGO colour palette and it works very well with the sand green arms and legs. The printing continues onto the back of the torso with some simple seams.
The inclusion of Leia's necklace is a delightful detail and she is armed with a pistol which will hopefully see some action in the next instalment of the saga!
Admiral Ackbar only appears briefly during The Force Awakens but his status as a favourite character makes him a welcome addition to the collection of minifigures based on the movie. The head mould is the same as that which appeared in 75003 A-wing Starfighter but the complexity of the printing has increased enormously. The eyes are particularly impressive and look very lifelike.
The torso printing is fairly simple but closely resembles Ackbar's uniform in the movie and I appreciate the presence of a rank indicator on his left breast. The design continues onto the legs and line up nicely across the hips as well. Ackbar also comes with a pistol and he carries a coffee cup too, perhaps in a reference to the first appearance of an Admiral Ackbar minifigure in 7754 Home One Mon Calamari Star Cruiser where he was also equipped with a trans-clear mug!
Two Resistance Troopers are included, one of whom wears an exclusive uniform which has the Resistance logo printed on the chest while the other shares a torso with figures from 75103 First Order Transporter and 75131 Resistance Trooper Battle Pack. They both have dark bluish grey legs which look a little plain to me, although there is not much patterning seen on the costumes in the film.
The troopers have different faces but both wear the same helmet which includes some printed detailing as well as a flip-up chin guard. Like the Resistance characters in 75103 First Order Transporter these two soldiers each carry a pearl dark grey blaster rifle.
Hopefully we will see some other variants of the Resistance Trooper appear in subsequent sets. Four different torsos have been used so far which is not a bad number, but more would always be welcome to facilitate easier army building.
The Completed Model
The building techniques used to form the craft are surprisingly complex for a Star Wars set and they yield a fantastically accurate model. I love the few exposed studs which give the impression of textured armour plating and the combination of dull greys with stripes of colour works well in my opinion. The entire craft is shaped beautifully and the level of detail included is extraordinary, with intricate bodywork visible from every angle.
Unfortunately this detail has come at a slight cost as many stickers are included, some of which are rather difficult to apply. I was particularly disappointed to find that the designs on the cockpit canopy are formed using three separate stickers which are almost impossible to line up properly. I do not despise stickers as some do but this was certainly an occasion when a printed design needed to be employed.
Assuming the stickers are applied accurately, the cockpit module looks fantastic. The canopy is integrated perfectly with the rest of the model and can be opened on a hinge. Due to the armour around the cockpit it is quite tricky to lift the canopy but the designer has included a feature which resolves this. By rotating the disc beside the cockpit you can pop the canopy up by a few degrees and then open it the rest of the way manually.
Inside are some control panels which make use of stickers and space for a minifigure to sit comfortably, even when wearing a bulky Resistance helmet. Curved slopes form the attractive shape of the craft and a fin is placed on top just like on the transporter in the movie. Another fin is located at the other end and both have stickers on either side.
I am equally pleased with the central section. Some large stickers are used to recreate armour plating but much of this detail is formed using tiles and jumper plates along with some curved slopes. The troop bay can be accessed by opening the roof in two halves and lowering a ramp at the front which functions just like in the movie. There is even a landing light for easy disembarkation in darkness.
The central section of the transporter can house numerous minifigures. There are four seats included but there is plenty of room for more and there are also two clips which can be used to store weapons on the wall. Two monitor stations are found at the back of the crew compartment and minifigures can be seated back to back for manning these positions. Many of the features present on the model also exist on the source material and very few details have been left out which is unusual and impressive for the interior of a Star Wars model.
The bulkier end of the transporter supports a heavy laser cannon and two targeting sensors. This entire assembly is even more complex than that which surrounds the cockpit and makes clever use of two car bonnet elements. These form a lovely curve, matching the intricate bodywork which lines the rest of the craft.
Thrusters are found at either end and these are some of my favourite parts of the model. Despite their comparatively simple structure they look very unusual and are faithful to the movie so any other details would be excessive. The angled armour panels to the side of each engine pod have also been accurately recreated here.
While the aesthetics of a model are important it is also nice to find some play features. This set includes two spring-loaded shooters which are well hidden towards the end of the hull and the entire vessel is also very swooshable due to its sturdy construction and tactile size. The large cylinder element on the back is a particularly suitable place to hold the model as it is attached solidly and the firing missiles are within easy reach.
Overall
This set is almost perfect. The level of detail is brilliant, the play value is very high and the minifigure selection is impressive, although another Resistance general or a couple of First Order Stormtroopers would have been welcome.
I think this and 75103 First Order Transporter are my two favourite sets from the entire Star Wars: The Force Awakens line, but I cannot choose between them as both are almost flawless. Other than the presence of some unwanted stickers it is difficult to find anything worthy of criticism, an impressive feat!
However, this model does not appear for a significant length of time in the film and none of the characters included are integral to the plot, perhaps detracting from its appeal if you are looking for one or two sets which best represent the movie by providing important minifigures and vehicles. Even General Leia only appears for a relatively short time on D'Qar and does not play a significant role in the events of the film. Whether or not this impacts upon your enjoyment of the set should, in my view, be the deciding factor when choosing whether or not to purchase it. If, on the other hand, you are just looking for a brilliant Star Wars set at a reasonable price then this is it.
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33 comments on this article
Thanks for the review!
Great review. I don't collect Star Wars sets, but when I saw the first pictures of this set even before I'd seen the movie, I was blown away by the level of detail on both the exterior and interior. It's funny—I don't normally think of troop transports as being the most exciting sets, but this set and last year's First Order Transporter are both exceptional!
The price is $10 more than it should e, but it's still a cool set.
C-3PO should've been included in this set, not limited to a polybag.
This is the best addition to Star Wars vehicles TFA brought us - both in movie- and lego-form. It does not only fit seamlessly into the Star Wars universe, but is so well executed, it is a real joy to build! If only as much thinking had gone into the plot, as went in creating this little gem. TFA could have been a wonderful sequel instead of a mediocre remake. *sigh*
Thanks for another great review CapnRex! This set is my favourite set of the SW episode VII line. The price is however far too high (95$ in Denmark), so I'll certainly wait for it to get on sale.
Another useful review. Thanks! Interior of ship made me think of a space version of lego campervans & caravans.
Every review of this set I have seen gives it high praise. Great review thanks.
One of my most favorite builds in a long time - a real joy!
And a great model to boot!
Another excellent review Capnrex! I appreciate the hard work involved in doing so many reviews in such a short space of time.
I picked this set up on the 1st and it is amazing! Admiral Ackbar is my favourite part as I don't have any of the older versions but the other minifigs are good too.
This set has a great level of detail from all angles. A bit frustrating to hear about the cockpit stickers, which DO sound like a bit of a pain to apply, and normally I'm a fan of stickers! But I think this set could really shine even without the stickers, even if it wouldn't be as authentic. The colors and textures really make the design "pop".
I wonder if the reason this set is so impressive is that the designers had more reference material to work with than they did for the first wave of Episode 7 sets that came out back in September.
Yeah, I'd agree that this is probably the best new ship from the film, and the model looks very cool. It is a bit pricey, but I can't argue with the construction or aesthetics and the Leia figure is great.
Great review as usual. Thanks!
I'm assuming you know this, but just in case... The minifigs from this set aren't on the database yet.
How could a cordless phone be the most exciting ship in TFA? Not to mention that flying grey submarine from the fisrt order...Thanks for the nice review anyway
It does look like a fantastic set, but it doesn't interest me much and it is too expensive. Besides, I have a lot of Bionicle to collect for this year...
But hey, if there's a sale, I would certainly buy it. Even though I have the last version of Mr. It's A Trap.
Looks like a good set, but I don't have the money for it at the moment. Too many other things to buy!
The Ackbar figure from 75003 (2013 A-Wing) had a coffee cup as well. I don't remember him saying "It's decaf!" in ROTJ. ;)
The set is good indeed, sad that the 'real' ship itself does not make any sense and is totally uninspired, just like the rest of the designs in TFA.
Nice review, built this yesterday but feeling the flaps could work smoother, I know they need to be pushed down due to slope piece but sometimes ends up on top of the other one, quick video here https://instagram.com/p/BAnp0cdRWUV/ Wondering if it's an issue with anyone else?
The list of truly iconic vehicles in TFA is so far very short, and to that end I'm still looking at collecting sets from the OT, such as Slave I, and last week's purchase, the 9495 Y-Wing, which is on its way from Russia as I type.
Yeah, I'm a few years late :)
Why is this relevant? Well, I think this set is very nicely done and about as faithful to the source as you can get, but it just isn't iconic enough for me to throw a hundred bucks at it. I'm starting to feel sorry for TFA, as it recycled the TIE fighter and X-Wing designs (both looking brilliant in black, I might add) but almost none of the new stuff has really stood out for me yet. The updated Star Destroyers got a short thrift in the film, Lego's rendition of Kylo Ren's ship suffers from an unfortunate detail change late in production, Rey's Speeder is nowhere near as recognisable as Luke's landspeeder, the new Snowspeeder is SO underwhelming.
Should we allow five or ten years for these new designs to sink into our psyche, or am I right in writing them off right now?
I too thought there wasn't enough 'new' design around Ep VII's universe, despite some great characters and action sequences. We don't really see the Star Destroyer or Snowspeeder at all, but the X Wing and TIE are pretty unchanged, as is the inclusion of the Millenium Falcon - even the Death Star isn't that different - it's just even bigger and more powerful... again (and not called a Death Star).
However, there were some standout designs that really made an impact. Kylo Ren's Shuttle, which I thought was very well represented bar the diagonal wing angle in Lego. Even though it's predominantly grey the shapes and angles are really sleek and menacing. I also have the Resistance Troop Transporter and I like the stylish flourishes of the armour plating and ample indoor room with monitors. However, I would agree though, the stickers on the canopy are an absolute nightmare!
I am the only one who thinks they are starting to get ridiculous with overdetailed prints? Akbar looked fine enough, and this one is somewhat creepy and looks weird with minifigures next to them.
"The price is however far too high (95$ in Denmark), so I'll certainly wait for it to get on sale."
The high price in Denmark is due to the very high sales tax of 25% - without that the price is USD 76 which is rather close to the US price of USD 70.
@ The Rancor - apparently it was a deliberate decision not to introduce too many new craft in TFA, Abrams wanted to make sure that the battle scenes were not too cluttered and were recognisably Star Warsy. If you have the chance to pick up the concept art book you'll see that there were no shortage of ideas for vehicles. I do agree with you though, it might have been nice to get a couple of variants on old favourites, more than a paint job at least.
Your review has gone a long way towards convincing me to pick this set up -- the craft design seems questionable to me with so much frontal area that seems especially impractical in both an aerodynamic sense as well as making for a lot of surface area that would need heavy armor plating. But as per your review, Lego did a pretty nice job rendering it. Agree with others that it and the new 75103 FO Transporter are real stand-out sets for TFA.
I just got this for $60 at my local Target, which is strange since the set just came out. I guess the people running Target realized that this set is slightly overpriced :-).
Thank you for this excellent review of a set I had overlooked till now. But thanks to your very positive review my eyes have been opened to it and I've added it to my Lego Pricewatch list, to purchase it at a good discount. :-)
Wow a really impressive model! So compare this to the awkward build of Kylo Ren's shuttle--makes me wonder if LEGO had the reference material for this much sooner than Kylo's ship. Whereas his shuttle looks rather shoddy, I think this makes up for it in design.
Mattel seemed to say as much a while back. That's why their Matchbox version was white/grey instead of black.
@cinemajay: Since this set came out later than Kylo Ren's shuttle I'm sure LEGO got more time to work on it (including time to get more detailed reference material).
Yeah, Looks OK but they should have included C-3PO, and maybe Han.
One question, Im looking to get a Gotham City chase. Whens that released? And will it get a review
@CadBane22 - It is being released in March and it will be reviewed.