Review: 75244 Tantive IV
Posted by CapnRex101,
Several vehicles are considered representatives of the Star Wars galaxy and the renowned CR90 Corvette is frequently categorised among these icons. 75244 Tantive IV definitely seems worthy of its popular subject matter and appears more accurate than past renditions, incorporating an exceptional level of detail.
Furthermore, several interesting minifigures are included, the most remarkable of which are probably Bail Organa and an updated version of his adopted daughter, Leia Organa. This set costs £179.99 or $199.99 so the model should be quite substantial and will hopefully improve upon any shortcomings of both 10019 Rebel Blockade Runner and 10198 Tantive IV.
Box and Contents
The packaging for LEGO Star Wars sets has attracted considerable praise during 2019 and this design looks superb, uniting past Ultimate Collector Series models with the current retail assortment. I love the texture along the top and the Tantive IV certainly stands out against the arid surface of Tatooine below. Another image appears on the reverse alongside smaller shots that demonstrate some functions.
Opening the box reveals thirteen numbered bags and a single instruction manual, including 260 pages. Short interviews with César Soares and Madison O'Neil, the set designer and graphic designer, occupy the first few pages before construction actually commences. These features are always enjoyable and I appreciate the Tantive IV references images too.
The set also contains twenty stickers. Printed elements are usually preferable and the cockpit stickers may present a challenge given their curved application surface, although these designs appear faithful to the source material. Moreover, the majority of these stickers represent details that could not actually be constructed at such a small scale.
Minifigures
Numerous versions of Leia Organa have been produced but those wearing her white gown from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope seem particularly popular. This minifigure is unique, featuring a printed skirt component which reflects her onscreen appearance along with a standard pair of white legs that enable her to sit down. The creased fabric looks realistic and matches similar details on the torso, although the latter piece has appeared twice before.
The metallic silver belt looks brilliant and continues onto the back of the torso alongside Leia’s folded hood. Her double-sided head captures remarkable personality, including a smile on one side and a determined expression on the other, while her dark brown hair piece is exceptionally detailed. The minifigure wields a pearl silver blaster rifle which is attractive but does not accurately represent her sporting blaster pistol from the film.
LEGO has produced more than a thousand Star Wars minifigures since 1999 but Bail Organa has not appeared before, wearing his attire from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. This looks appropriate for the Tantive IV but the instructions reveal that consideration was given to a Prequel Trilogy variant instead. Nevertheless, this minifigure is excellent.
The colour scheme is somewhat muted but corresponds with the film and I like the metallic silver belt buckle, featuring the Crest of Alderaan. Bail Organa's head includes two facial expressions along with some simple facial hair and he wears an olive green cape. This is not made from the typical soft fabric which is interesting, although the stiffer material is a reasonable alternative. The minifigure carries a pearl silver blaster pistol.
Captain Raymus Antilles appeared in 10198 Tantive IV and that minifigure has been updated quite significantly for 2019. The tan jacket looks marvellous in relation to the onscreen character and I love the medium nougat highlights around his shoulders. In addition, the jacket features a small command insignia which denotes rank along with some pockets and realistic creasing on the reverse.
An expressive face appeared on the previous Captain Antilles minifigure, representing the moment of his demise at the hands of Darth Vader. This minifigure includes a similar panicked expression beside another that appears more relaxed. He is accompanied by a Rebel Fleet Trooper who also appeared in 75237 TIE Fighter Attack, wearing the same detailed combat vest with a sand blue shirt underneath.
Both minifigures include white helmets. These were introduced in 2008 and are ingeniously designed, featuring black visors which connect to each helmet and appear reasonably accurate when compared with the movies. The intricate communication equipment on the left side looks superb and I appreciate the printed chinstraps too. Each minifigure wields a pearl silver blaster rifle.
C-3PO has become increasingly common during recent years and this minifigure looks great when compared with the movies. I love the colourful powerbus cables across his torso and the intricately detailed plating is wonderful, featuring some lovely shading which creates the illusion of texture. In addition, the droid includes metallic silver printing on his right leg so matches the source material precisely.
Unfortunately, this design does not continue onto Threepio's foot. Using a dual-moulded component would have solved this issue so hopefully that will taken into consideration for future minifigures. The head, on the other hand, looks perfect and I like the yellow circles which highlight each photoreceptor very clearly.
Threepio is almost invariably accompanied by his droid counterpart, R2-D2. This figure has not been altered since 2016 and features some accurate dark blue panels alongside a lavender processor state indicator. However, the dark blue bands around Artoo's domed head are not printed evenly here which is slightly disappointing and printing on the back of the cylindrical body would be a welcome addition.
The Completed Model
Corellian Corvettes are readily adaptable so numerous variants exist within the Star Wars universe, featuring different armaments and engine capabilities. The famed Tantive IV appears comparatively sleek and this version captures those proportions with outstanding fidelity, representing a departure from previous designs which looked closer to the Tantive III from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
75244 Tantive IV measures almost 62cm in length so is considerably larger than 10198 Tantive IV, as demonstrated below. The engines and central crew compartment are similar in size but sections of the fuselage have been elongated, especially towards the stern. The resultant craft looks far more accurate than its immediate predecessor and represents an advance over the rendition from 2001 as well in my view.
The model is constructed around a robust Technic frame which runs for almost the whole length of the vehicle. This is vitally important here as the Tantive IV is rather narrow and its substantial weight is not evenly distributed, although the enormous engine assembly feels absolutely secure and looks fantastic when completed.
Some large cone elements were introduced in 2017 and return here, forming the cockpit module. This shape looks magnificent in relation to the films and I love the dark red highlights, even though they are formed using stickers. The cockpit viewport is very attractive, consisting of two stickers which surround trans-black plates in the centre. These stickers also include deflector shield projectors and the docking signal receiver is an exceptional detail, although there are no docking hatches underneath the cockpit.
Two seats are located inside the cockpit. These are reasonably detailed and do not obstruct the large helmets worn by the Rebel Fleet Trooper. I like the printed control panels mounted in front of the seats but think they could have been attached more securely as interior space remains available. The vacant archway between the pilots might be improved as well, potentially housing the main computer which is mentioned during Episode IV.
Spring-loaded shooters are situated beneath the cockpit and these can be activated by pressing two buttons on the underside. The mechanism is hidden quite effectively so its presence does not detract from the appearance of the craft in my opinion. However, the launchers could be removed very easily and replaced with some inverted curved slopes from your own parts collection, if you prefer.
The fuselage appears incredibly streamlined, incorporating several curved slopes and a beautiful dark red stripe along each flank. Stickers form the rearmost section of the stripes but I think the result looks brilliant. Intricate mechanical details are visible here and its shape is quite faithful to the original vessel, except for the slope between the cockpit module and the primary armaments which is slightly too steep.
Diplomatic craft are generally outfitted with weapons for defence and the Tantive IV is no exception, including two twin turbolaser turrets alongside four smaller laser cannons. Stud shooters are attached beneath the heavy weaponry on this model which may disappoint those hoping for absolute accuracy, although they do provide some play value. Unfortunately, the stud shooters also hinder rotation of the dorsal turret so you can only direct rearward fire from those underneath the corvette.
Four additional laser cannons surround the main crew compartment. They rotate on turntables so their motion is not restricted but I appreciate the ratcheted movement of the main turbolaser, ensuring that it will remain firmly in position during flight. I am equally impressed with the mechanical detail along each side of the model, making good use of some inverted studs that generate interesting texture.
Dark red tiles are placed along either flank and these appear below the fuselage too, along with eight small escape pods. These are actually among my favourite details across the entire set as two escape pods are missing from the port side while one has already been launched on the starboard side. These correspond precisely with the vehicle in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, where the same pod bays are shown to be empty!
The dorsal armour is only attached using three studs so can be removed with ease, revealing a white conference table with control panels at either end. This takes inspiration from the CR70 Corvette that appears during Revenge of the Sith and offers plenty of space for minifigures. Furthermore, you can store their equipment on clips around the sides of the chamber and a round holographic projector is located in the corner.
Bright light yellow and sand blue highlights are distributed across the exterior, providing some further detail which looks superb. Unfortunately, the fuselage shape becomes quite complicated towards the rear of the Tantive IV, featuring braces that connect the central crew compartment to the engine block. The designer has attempted to replicate this shape using stabiliser fins and that is somewhat effective, although room for improvement remains.
Moreover, there is a slight gap between the curved fuselage and the central area. This seems slightly awkward but enables you to remove a section of the armour, revealing storage for additional trans-red missiles inside. Two cylindrical structures are situated on either side and can be disconnected from the model, as exhibited below. These are airlocks on the original craft but form escape pods here, matching 10198 Tantive IV from 2009.
The uppermost panels can be removed to reveal an exceptionally basic interior. Nevertheless, enough space is provided for two figures, including R2-D2 and C-3PO. These escape pods lack engines which is not surprising given their small scale. However, the vacant Technic pin holes could provide a position to mount engines once the pods have been detached.
An impressive sensor array is situated near the engines and appears faithful to the movie, although its most important role is actually as a carrying handle for the Tantive IV! This has been cleverly disguised and can be retracted, leaving only the sensor dish and some Technic pieces visible. It feels very sturdy and the model is nicely balanced around this point, tipping only slightly towards the front. Furthermore, the communications array is fitted below the fuselage.
Eleven ion turbine engines provide power to the vehicle. These are arranged in three layers and look absolutely spectacular in my opinion, closely resembling the enormous structure from the films. I love the exposed mechanical details which are visible from every angle and they are neatly integrated with some stickers. A few gaps are found between the engines, corresponding with their appearance in the films without compromising their stability.
The engines appear particularly attractive when viewed from above, exhibiting exposed conduits and four printed heat exhaust panels. Light bluish grey paint rollers form the power feed manifold for each engine and another sticker is applied here, replicating a marking which appears on the original studio model. Slight colour variation is also visible as some engines include dark red highlights while others are entirely white and grey.
Pearl dark grey wheels form the thrust nozzles. Their colour appears considerably lighter in the movie so pearl silver or light bluish grey elements would be more accurate, although I think the darker colour scheme looks quite appealing. Trans-orange 2x2 sliders are placed inside each engine so their shade is certainly appropriate and they stand out against the surrounding muted colours so look fantastic.
Overall
75244 Tantive IV is an outstanding set. The entire model is extraordinarily detailed and looks almost perfect when compared with its source material, representing a great improvement over past renditions of the Rebel Blockade Runner. I am particularly satisfied with the slender fuselage and the engine block, both of which are ingeniously constructed so feel robust, especially when supported by the carrying handle.
The only feature that could be significantly enhanced are the curved brace structures towards the rear, although creating a more accurate shape would be extremely difficult without producing new elements or increasing the scale. I think the cockpit could also be more detailed and would have preferred those conical pieces to be printed, despite the excellent design of the existing stickers.
Nevertheless, the Tantive IV looks marvellous on display and the accompanying minifigure selection is brilliant, lacking only another Rebel Fleet Trooper. I would therefore recommend this set and the price of £179.99 or $199.99 seems quite reasonable when its considerable size is taken into consideration, almost matching 10019 Rebel Blockade Runner in length.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your opinion of the set in the comments.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review is an expression of my own opinions.
182 likes
59 comments on this article
Now there’s some excellent photography. Next time though I expect background more accurate to the source material. Aka space.
You could arrange that right Captn?
Excellent review.
Our photography budget doesn't stretch to a trip to the ISS, unfortunately...
good review
Regarding your note about the possibility of C-3PO getting dual molded legs, it made me realize that no fig so far has had one leg dual molded and one not (or two dual-molded legs in different colors). I wonder if the molding process would even allow for that sort of variation—it's possible that the molds for those legs produce them as a left-right set, in which case Lego might not be able to produce a single dual-molded leg (at least not without finding a use for the unused gold and silver left legs that would result). And of course, even if they found a way to do so, there'd still be a noticeable color mismatch between the silver ink used to print on the gold part and the silver plastic used for the rest of the leg.
@Huw.
That’s when you build a spaceship to get there. If you use your own bricks, it would be free. Free fits in the budget right?
Is the C3-P0 figure unique to this set?
Still on the fence, but it's getting wobbly. It is a fantastic set.
Wow, the engine greebling looks really good.
@Lyichir Mad-Eye Moody from the Harry Potter Collectible Minifigs had two different dual-molded legs, one in tan to silver, and one in tan-blue, but I believe you are correct in that there have not been any figures with one leg solid color, and the other dual-molded
Grr... I am down to my old issue of a set that's too expensive but brilliant... I mean, it's good value for money, but where can we find that money in this expensive hobby?
No display stands? Any reasonable spots to add our own?
@Lyichir
Clumsy Guy from CMF series 15 had one dual molded leg and one standard leg, so it can be done.
great review, was not expecting it so soon :)
I do wish it had a black base stand and ship details like the UCS sets, it would make it a perfect addition otherwise :(
(not trying to start a "is it a UCS set or not" conversation)
This looks great. Just hate stickers in a set of this detail/size/price
I like this set, and the minifigs especially princess leia and the droids,
So detailed and would look great on display if i had room for it..
Hmmm, still firmly on the fence. Not a Day 1 purchase for me like with the Y-wing or Snowspeeder. The lack of a stand and info card put it firmly in a nice-to-have category.
A great set and a great review.
I came out of my dark age in 2011 and missed the last one. I've waited 8 years for this. *Sheds manly tear* <3
Excellent review and what a fantastic set.
Also I laughing so hard at Huw, I can imagine him saying with a straight face, “Unfortunately our budget does not stretch to a trip to the ISS”
Thanks for making me laugh.
Thank you for the review! It looks good but I feel not too convinced about the cockpit stickers. They should have gone the Mustang route here and included some printed bricks. It is a 200€ set, it should be feasible. If the 10€ Brickheadz and the 15€ A-wing can include several new printed parts, they could have at least printed the canopy parts. I have a hard time accepting stickers here.
@Echolord: Right you are! I must have forgotten about that one. In that case it shouldn't be any problem, since even if the production lines did require both to be dual-molded, the left leg could just be molded in gold on gold.
I like it very much, it just doesn’t have the presence of UCS 10019. But it looks very accurate to the source material. Maybe if it had a stand and plaque it could go toe to toe with 10019.
Other problem is the stickers. Would much prefer printed or building based details. The cockpit on 10019 is fine without stickers.
Still, I haven’t owned a tantive iv and 10019 is £600 second hand. I’ve still to buy UCS millennium falcon so that may have to take priority over this. I’ll probably buy it anyway. Lego sets usually look better in person than on screen.
Excellent photos and I may get this down the line, such an iconic ship (first ship in the SW franchise) and we get Bail Organa to boot.
@Your future president & @Huw
"Now there’s some excellent photography"
The outdoor shots are lovely, but I think the studio shots are over-exposed, losing details of a lot of the white bits of the set. Photoshop Lightroom shows lots of highlight clipping.
@Your future president - Perhaps I visited Alderaan to take these outdoor photographs! Any similarities to Earth are purely coincidental.
@kerf - No, this is the same C-3PO minifigure which has been used since 2016.
@omnium - I have updated a couple of images, hopefully reducing the exposure. I will try and retake some more this evening.
This was a solid review and has made me more excited for the release of the Tantive IV. Hopefully I’ll be one of the lucky winners of the contest. If not, I’ll still be getting this.
It's always difficult photographing white models. If you expose correctly for the white the grey background and darker parts often look underexposed.
As others have said, the only disappointment for me is the lack of a stand/plaque to go along with it. Otherwise, it looks fantastic, and the review was quite good too. Now just crossing my fingers that I win one of the free ones...
The stickers alone disqualify this set. By now I refrain from buying sets where the stickers have to be applied for the model to look complete. At this price point I am not willing to make compromises.
Nice review. For instance, the stickers at this price range are ok. If LEGO had to produce new cockpit pieces, the set could have been more than we bargained for
I own the original Tantive set and the stickers have all gone loose leaving the bricks sticky and dirty. I know printing bricks is expensive but it's worth it.
@Fizyx "...the lack of a stand/plaque..." - I'm sure Wicked Bricks will come up with one soon!
Why ruin one of the most important parts of the ship using stickers?WHY?
Wait... how has LEGO not made Bail Organa yet? Waaat?
"R2-D2 has not been altered since 2016 but there is little potential for improvement"
How about some printing on the rear? Can't believe we still don't have any after 20 years!
Well, this purchase will be a Bail-out. Sort of. :D
Sliders. One of my favourite parts ever ever since some of the boat and Sea-Doo kits of my childhood. Always great to get more. Happy they now are in trans color options.
As much as I like this ship I much prefer the Vader busting in scene, the back area where R2 got the plans, and the hot tub escape pod from the video games. Beach Troopers!
Great review. Funny picture of Leia. With the background the same color as the “blackouts” for her curves it looks like she has wings or handles under her arms.
I think they’re hitting it out of the park with the recent OT releases. Might go and pick up an X-Wing or Tie Fighter today.
Can't wait for tomorrow :-)
With that volume and importance of stickers for me it is way over priced.
@coenstegeman: I suspect it's more a matter of both a) sets this size being produced in smaller numbers, and thus having a harder time offsetting the cost of new elements, and b) sets this size having a lot more minifig parts and/or recolors eating up the new elements budget than a 4+ set does.
And for what it's worth, I actually DO enjoy applying stickers, so long as they're not as obnoxious to line up as the tail fin stickers of 70816-1 and 60103-1.
Good review overall! Definitely nice to see a new and improved take on this vehicle ten years later!
It's actually the 'main reactor' that is referred to in Ep IV, not the 'main computer'.
https://www.quotes.net/mquote/91037
@Grimlock - Both subjects are mentioned. I was referring to the following quotation which is spoken by a Stormtrooper: "The Death Star plans are not in the main computer."
Outstanding would feature a printed cockpit - at £180 major detailing should not be a sticker. The lesser stickers don’t bother me, but at the very least there should be a spare sheet.
I am very disappointed, It doesnt match close to 10019...
Regarding AFOL's opinions on stickers vs. printed parts: Once upon a time (maybe 10 years ago), the interwebs were flooded with AFOL's saying how they hated printed parts and would Brasso them clean upon receipt, so that the parts could be used freely in whatever MOC's they happened to create. They didn't mind the stickers because they were never going to use them anyway. Maybe the tides have turned nowadays?
Wow, an amazing set! But is it stable on display, because I can't see any landing gear?
@ Lyichir : zombi pirate from series 14 has both a double molded leg and a peg leg. also it's the only minifig with peg leg I own which has prints on the normal leg. there are probably many possible combinations they have just not made yet.
I am not that excited ... Maybe because I just watch a review of REXCELSIOR (or have HOGWARTS still in mind), I would prefer the same concept on TANTIVE: Numberous nano figs (but in various posings, of course!) as crew members and epic reb-vs-imp battle figthers. That would make much more sense in scale and szenario. This 75244 Minifigs just for side presentation (on an information shield, of course!). And then windows on the cockpit like the 10th-celleb 10198.
Finally, I miss printed pieces!
It's available now, I just ordered it for 199 Euros :-)
So with this Tantive IV release, can a re-release of a new UCS Star Destroyer be far behind?? :) see what I did there??
The amazing thing is how this model nails the proportions the previous two models somehow goofed up. What's funny is Lego isn't the only group to mess up the proportions of this craft... for Revenge of the Sith when they decided to include the Tantive IV the CGI model ended up being shorter in length than the original studio model used in the original film. This may have been either an intentional decision by the animators to make the ship in that film different from the one in the original film, but sources at the time quoting George Lucas described it as intended to be the same ship as the Tantive IV. Lucasfilm later retconned the ship in Revenge of the Sith into being the Tantive IV prior to a refit that lengthened its size, then it was decided to rename into a different ship called the Sundered Heart a name previously used in the Empire at War video game after the Tantive IV showed up in The Clone Wars, and later on again that ship was re-retconned into being the Tantive III after the old canon was declared Legends! So while the iconic ship from the original Star Wars has remained the same all these years, its replica in Revenge of the Sith has gone through about three different names by now!
@Oldfan .... I am sure there are some who still do, but there are a lot of AfOLs who are Lego Star Wars fans who don’t want to break the sets up or come up with ingenious brick based solutions. £180 is a lot for a parts pack for most people. Misaligned stickers will really spoil the model and your building experience and it’s a different skill set altogether to apply them correctly. I believe important parts like the cockpit should be printed if they can’t be brick built, and printed accurately at this price point.
Looks like a great set, and the Tantive IV is a cool ship in my opinion (and literally the first Star Wars ship ever on the screen), so I do want one in my collection. Earlier versions were in my dark ages, so this is a day one buy for me (and the anniversary gift set is a cool bonus).
Only thing I think is weir about this set is the fins. Now, I'm not above 'improving' a set if I find an easy way to do so (like with the U-Wing set, I cannibalised another white ship to make the U-wing's wings longer). It feels to me like there should be an easy way to make the part of the ship presented by those fins better, at least so there is an actual whole triangular form instead of a fin with a whole in its lower part. Anyone have any ideas about this? I'm thinking maybe even just 3x6 W Angle plates would be an improvement.
Held off buying the previous Tantive IV since I missed it and the price was a bit high in the aftermarket. Glad I waited as mine arrived yesterday, and will probably start building it this week. Kudos to Lego for remastering this Lego set.
Great set! Although I am gonna have to wait to see if Lego releases a new Millennium Falcon for Episode 9 before I blow all my money on this set.
It looks like a hammer and fist.
Lovely review - the comparisons with earlier versions (Tantive III) and the attention to detail (e.g. missing escape pods) are delightful. This review got me off the fence and onto lego.com to order it on the 4th. Thanks for posting it!