Review: 75317 The Mandalorian & The Child
Posted by CapnRex101,
The Mandalorian was released during 2019 and introduced several fun characters, two of whom are available with 75317 The Mandalorian & The Child. I anticipate these two BrickHeadz proving exceptionally popular and they certainly appear impressive in official images.
The Mandalorian himself seems outwardly akin to 41629 Boba Fett which is sensible, particularly because the previous Mandalorian bounty hunter is among my favourite BrickHeadz! The mysterious Child appears equally impressive when compared with the adorable onscreen character, riding inside his famous hover-pram.
The Completed Model
Din Djarin's distinctive Mandalorian armour appears immediately recognisable here, taking inspiration from the Bounty Hunter's early appearances during the series. His chest and shoulder armour is accordingly reddish brown, complementing the tan and dark tan attire underneath. As usual, the figure is displayed on a black 6x6 plate that matches other recent BrickHeadz and looks splendid.
Comparing this model with earlier Mandalorian characters reveals some notable similarities, especially with 41629 Boba Fett that became available during 2018. Their helmets are nearly identical in design, incorporating pairs of 2x2 wedge plates and printed 2x2 wedge tiles across the front. These elements are secured sideways, forming the narrow centre of the visor.
However, the horizontal section of the visor differs from either Boba Fett model, lacking any decoration and extending further around the helmet. This design looks reasonable, although both previous versions were slightly narrower and therefore more accurate. Furthermore, the dark bluish grey helmet seems relatively bland but I like the light bluish grey highlights on the sides.
The dark azure stripe across the Mandalorian's right shoulder looks excellent, demonstrating great attention to detail and standing out against the otherwise muted tones. The mismatched kneepads appear equally authentic and I like the equipment situated around his belt, including supplementary charge packs for the bounty hunter's powerful Amban phase-pulse blaster rifle.
That weapon is fitted on Din Djarin's back and looks quite good, although the combination of black, metallic silver and light bluish grey parts is somewhat awkward. Nevertheless, its shape compares favourably with the source material and the Mandalorian also wields a smaller blaster pistol. Curved slopes form the black cape across his back, perfectly completing this BrickHeadz model.
While the steadfast Mandalorian has proven exceptionally popular, his youthful companion is potentially even more beloved! The Child differs from past BrickHeadz figures, standing inside his hover-pram which appears regularly throughout the television series. The scaling between these two characters is inaccurate as the Child is too large, although that does not bother me because BrickHeadz scaling is rarely consistent.
The Child nestles neatly inside the hover-pram, featuring an enormous head with prominent ears and two tiny arms which rest on the sides of the pram. The hover-pram has undoubtedly been simplified in relation to the series, lacking the buttons that should appear across the front and departing slightly from its egg-shaped counterpart onscreen.
Nevertheless, I think this design corresponds with the established BrickHeadz aesthetic and certain important details are included, such as flame yellowish orange highlights on each side. The circular pivots appear especially authentic and the curved shape is effective. Unfortunately, some black pieces remain visible beneath the Child and I think that could have been improved.
Narrow gaps are present between the 2x8x2 inverted bows which form the underside of the hover-pram and its edges, although these gaps are fairly subtle. Additionally, I like the 3x3x2 curved bricks placed behind the Child, creating an appropriate shape. The pram cannot close but I think it looks more impressive on display when the Child is visible.
Removing the Child reveals several reddish brown components inside, matching the blankets which appear during the television series. Some mechanical detail also becomes more visible when the Child has been removed and is ingeniously constructed using 1x4 plates with hooks. These exposed bars could probably be used to connect a separate shell and close the pram if you wish.
The Child looks outstanding when placed inside the hover-pram but may also be displayed separately. His dark tan robe is quite simple but seems remarkably faithful to the series, due primarily to its heavy appearance around the neck where the material is thicker. His tiny sand green hands look superb too, although the tan pieces behind his sleeves seem out of place.
Despite their shared species, this model of the Child differs substantially from Yoda in 41627 Luke Skywalker & Yoda. Their heads are the same width but the Child's ears are much larger and his head is shorter than Yoda's. The resultant proportions resemble the original character and I think this figure looks absolutely adorable, as one would anticipate.
Overall
75317 The Mandalorian & The Child is certainly among my favourite BrickHeadz models, not only because I love these characters but also based upon their tremendous design. The titular Mandalorian appears suitably rugged, featuring an impressive helmet and mismatched armour components which correspond precisely with the source material.
I am even more delighted with the Child though, whose hover-pram distinguishes this model from other BrickHeadz. The designer has struck an excellent balance between accuracy and stylisation in my opinion, despite potential for minor improvement to areas of the pram. I think the price of £17.99 or $19.99 represents good value when compared to other BrickHeadz and this twin pack may even tempt some who have resisted past BrickHeadz!
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25 comments on this article
Weren't Brickheadz rumored to be canceled? Nonetheless, this is a great addition to the line. The box art even suggests reversing the orientation of the Child's ears to portray different moods. I thought that was a nice detail.
Can anyone explain the reason a 1×1 round plate is used on one side of Mando's cape, near the bottom, instead of a square plate?
Thanks for this review, it's interesting how these two were made.
So, unrelated to anything--did anyone win a Supergirl at Fandome? I didn't see a win/lose announcement one way or the other.
Thanks for this review, it’s my one and only Brickheadz.
I don’t have a very high LEGO budget right now, but this is definitely on my wish list.
Could you possibly go more in-depth about the construction of Mando's helmet?
@Meowzap77 said:
"Could you possibly go more in-depth about the construction of Mando's helmet?"
There’s a detailed description in the 41629 Boba Fett review
I have two superheroes brickheadz & two joint disney ones with wifey... although I live these two above & the series in general im done with brickheadz!!
I will continue to resist Brickheadz.
@Mr__Thrawn said:
" @Meowzap77 said:
"Could you possibly go more in-depth about the construction of Mando's helmet?"
There’s a detailed description in the 41629 Boba Fett review"
Thank you
Incredibly small nitpick in an otherwise great review: technically, Boba Fett isn't a Mandalorian.
@mkrey said:
"I will continue to resist Brickheadz."
"It is pointless to resist." *mechanical breathing*
Finally a Brickheadz where the normally creepy eyes actually look like the character!
This is the way
@sirventricle said:
"Incredibly small nitpick in an otherwise great review: technically, Boba Fett isn't a Mandalorian."
Indeed, according to Prime Minister Almec. However, I have generally interpreted that to be representative of Almec's elitism. He may dismiss Din Djarin as a false Mandalorian because he is not actually from Mandalore.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @sirventricle said:
"Incredibly small nitpick in an otherwise great review: technically, Boba Fett isn't a Mandalorian."
Indeed, according to Prime Minister Almec. However, I have generally interpreted that to be representative of Almec's elitism. He may dismiss Din Djarin as a false Mandalorian because he is not actually from Mandalore."
I think Almec's line was based on George telling Dave behind the scenes "I don't think Jango and Boba are real Mandalorians;" but of course having Almec deliver the line certainly opens up your interpretation on the subject as a likely possibility still.
@Annalies said:
"Thanks for this review, it’s my one and only Brickheadz. "
Me too. I have almost no interest in the BrickHedz series but I do like Star Wars so I bought it a month or so ago at my local store.
I just can't get past their creepy T-rex sized hands.
Surely Boba was born (decanted?) on Kamino, therefore he's a Kaminoan!
@560heliport said:
"Surely Boba was born (decanted?) on Kamino, therefore he's a Kaminoan!"
The titular Mandalorian featured here wasn’t born on Mandalore either. As he explains himself in the series, it’s not a race it’s a creed
Nice review, I have all the SW Brickheadz (not the exclusives of course, I don't live in the 'right' country for those), and these two are very nice addition.
They are always hard to get though, they never seem to stay on the shelves very long.
Great review, as always! Is it just me, though, or does the pram look like a toilet? Changing the color would alleviate this, but there isn't another color in the Lego palette that wouldn't cause accuracy to suffer if used.
Thank you for the direct comparison with Boba Fett as prefer the green helmet, but understand that this is accurate to the time period with the child.
@Bagelwolf said:
"Great review, as always! Is it just me, though, or does the pram look like a toilet? Changing the color would alleviate this, but there isn't another color in the Lego palette that wouldn't cause accuracy to suffer if used."
They could have done the silver grey one from the end of season one, but that would have taken too much pearl dark grey parts.
I’ve never bought a Brickheadz yet.... but I think these guys will have to be my first!
Also, I think this is the cheapest way to obtain a Lego “The Child”, if I’m not mistaken?