Review: 75353 Endor Speeder Chase
Posted by CapnRex101,
Before reaching the shield generator, the Rebel strike team encounters Imperial scout troopers patrolling, which initiates a memorable speeder chase. 75353 Endor Speeder Chase includes an exceptional degree of detail, so looks attractive on the packaging.
However, this addition to the popular Diorama Collection arguably lacks the presence of other models, which have always included a clear backdrop. The price only exacerbates that potential issue, compared with previous dioramas.
Summary
75353 Endor Speeder Chase Diorama, 608 pieces.
£69.99 / $79.99 / €79.99 | 11.5p/13.2c/13.2c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
While brilliantly detailed; 75353 Endor Speeder Chase lacks something on display
- Excellent speeder bikes
- Beautifully detailed
- Lacks a defined backdrop
- Disappointing minifigures
- Very expensive
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Surprisingly, Luke Skywalker has not appeared wearing his Endor fatigues since 7128 Speeder Bikes was released in 1999. While the camouflage pattern across the minifigure's torso and legs looks nice, Luke absolutely needed to include a fabric poncho. Simply printing the black sections of his costume seems completely ineffective, particularly without dual-moulded arms or legs.
Leia Organa looks better, although is inferior to the outstanding minifigure available from 75094 Imperial Shuttle Tydirium in 2015. Again, the camouflage is great and I like the contrast between Luke's dark tan and Leia's olive green attires. Even so, the fabric poncho used before was much more successful, while dual-moulding could also have improved the design.
Fortunately, the detailed helmets introduced in 2009 remain as accurate as usual, featuring dark green and dark bluish grey highlights. The double-sided heads are reasonable as well, but more variety for Leia would always be welcome. Both heroes are appropriately armed, as Luke carries his green lightsaber and Leia wields a blaster pistol.
Whereas the rebels could definitely be improved, the modern Scout Trooper is among the best LEGO minifigures currently available, in my opinion! This dual-moulded helmet is extraordinarily detailed and includes an accurate visor alongside several vents, which are accented with some printing where required.
Furthermore, the lightweight armour on the torso and legs looks superb, with an appealing blend of black and white. The arms are important here. For complete fidelity to the film, these could be adorned with white armour, but leaving them completely black balances the legs, which probably should show more of the black body glove underneath the armour.
The helmet comes off to reveal a common head underneath, as expected for Imperial personnel currently. This trooper also includes a blaster pistol, representing the tiny EC-17 hold-out blaster featured in Return of the Jedi.
The Completed Model
LEGO Star Wars has established a couple of sizes for the Diorama Collection and this example measures 21cm wide, so matches 75329 Death Star Trench Run, among others. I think this size works for the scene, although other dioramas have included strong backdrops, which this model lacks. As a result, I think its visual presence is somehow underwhelming.
The printed quotation on the front of the diorama corresponds with others in the series, although I think this one demonstrates an issue with the concept. While the speeder chase is undoubtedly memorable, there are no important lines of dialogue to choose from the scene. Simply including a printed tile with the name of the film would avoid this problem and be much more versatile.
A celebratory printed brick is also included, marking the fortieth anniversary of Return of the Jedi this year. The silver design looks splendid and complements the metallic silver grille tiles placed around the base, which are another repeated feature between these dioramas. Furthermore, the black border contrasts nicely with the natural colours of the Forest Moon.
The model is constructed on three medium nougat 8x16 plates, with dark green plates covering sections of the base and a layer of greenery on top. The colour combination is perfect and these layers produce an organic effect, which is obviously useful. The broad selection of foliage pieces looks marvellous as well, including 24 of the new fern leaves.
74-Z speeder bikes are among the most common vehicles in Star Wars sets, surpassed only by the X-wing Starfighter and the Snowspeeder. Many versions of the speeder have therefore been produced and I was pleased with the vehicle introduced in 75288 AT-AT. However, this rendition appears even more detailed, even including a jumper plate which forms the central console.
The dark tan colour choice is interesting and certainly stands out from the trees, although I think reddish brown is more accurate. Nonetheless, dark tan works and the shape of the speeder bike is impressive, with suitable proportions between the steering vanes, the outriggers and the body of the bike. The foot pedals and thrust flaps are nicely integrated too, with the latter represented by black meat cleavers.
I think the weakest aspect of the design is its fragility, as the handlebars and steering vanes can be dislodged easily. This diorama is intended for display though and the aforementioned version found in Hoth-based sets is ideal for play. On that basis, I am pleased with the updated speeder bike, especially given the space for Luke Skywalker.
Trans-clear 4L bars support both speeder bikes, with angled handle pieces as options to display them at an angle. These supports are adjustable and the back of the box displays an alternative configuration, with a speeder bearing down on Luke Skywalker. Personally, I favour the standard chase display, but options are appreciated.
Each tree is assembled around a core of bricks with studs on the side. These trees seem strong and I love the textured bark, with sand green accents. Another layer of foliage would have been ideal, although the trees cannot become too tall. The designer has therefore made clever use of wedge plates and dark orange slopes on top, as though the trees have been cut off naturally.
Overall
Diorama Collection sets are primarily judged on their closeness to the scene portrayed and their display value. 75353 Endor Speeder Chase certainly succeeds in faithfully recreating this scene from Return of the Jedi, including more detailed speeder bikes than ever, alongside some lovely greenery to represent the Forest Moon of Endor.
Despite such detail, I am not particularly struck by the model on display. As mentioned, the other dioramas include defined backgrounds, so look substantial and have a real presence, which this addition to the range lacks. In addition, Luke and Leia could be significantly improved, hence the price of £69.99, $79.99 or €79.99 feels very expensive, even among the dioramas.
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60 comments on this article
where does this minifigure take that the figures are below standard or genuinely ugly come from. this is literally just how figures that aren't dual molded look. are any of you actually comparing these figures because the last iterations of these characters aren't too hot!
This set is only acceptable with 70% discount. I wish for the Diorama collection all the worst.
Speeder bikes are pretty awesome, but I hate so much Luke's legs, they are just hideous with those black squares.
Two speeder bikes. Three minifigures. One tree. Forty bucks. This could have been a great set, but no, they had to shove it into the diorama format at twice the price :(
Honestly, the worst part of this is the trees. Lego's always had a problem with "organic" designs and this is a case where it's particularly exacerbated. I'd rather have seen more round bricks for the wood, and don't even bother with treetops--a "stump" effects that matches the height of the other dioramas would have been fine.
Anyway, fails the eyeballs test for price-per-parts here. It looks like a $40 set, at least pre-Disney tax.
The one advantage is that this set does demonstrate that kibble is useful. Those bikes have a lot of kibble going for them and I'm always disappointed when an Advent Calendar speeder bike is like two poles attached to a 2x6 brick. (I've heavily modded both of the Minifigure-sized bikes that came in 75307 and 75056 and always wonder why they didn't have more kibble in the first place.)
Those trees are hideous compared to others in the Lego lineup. Say, the amazing trees from Rivendell.
Good review, highlighting all the flaws of this set. @Grammaticul I hardly ever think there's a need for dual moulded legs, but in this set, all three figures should have had them. Luke looks unrecognazible without black legs, and Leia is almost as bad. They don't even have side printing, so there wasn't really any point in including any detail from their pants at all, as the stripes on the front of their legs don't really look like anything. Every old version of Luke and Leia from this scene looks better, including the 1999 Luke.
@Grammaticul I think the issue that Lego is presenting the diorama series as a premium display line, and for those prices we would hope that they had some minifigs that utilized the best techniques Lego has to offer.
Never seen a set with so little effort put in for so high a price. They made good speeder bikes, those are probably worth 10$. Then you get 2 partial trees that look awful. 3 plates with random leaf pieces stuck on. The figures are what I'd expect from a 4+ set not a "luxury collector" item. This set rivals First Order headless AT ST for quality and ripoff factor.
One of the worst sets, mainly due to the price, in recent history. This looks and feels like a 30$ set.
I definitely prefer non cloth pieces here, but the non-dual molded legs look rough. Worse is that price though. I'd definitely pick this up for 50-60 but 80 is a bridge too far.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!" - Random Scout Trooper
If you think this is expensive, just wait five years and then see how much it will set you back. All of these diorama sets are buy-and-hold. If you really wanted one and you thought it was too expensive, and you had the means, you could buy two or three, and in a few years time sell MISB the ones you don’t want to open. An investment platform for the well-healed, if you will. And if you used Bricklink to sell, then LEGO would get a cut of those sales, too.
Somewhere I can hear Woody shaking Buzz whilst shouting something important …
70 quid!!! I’d never buy any Star Wars Lego anyway but come on. The trees look awful, like a child designed them.
I had no idea that was a famous quote from the scene.
The California redwoods are massive, so they struggle to fit them into the scene, perhaps added a few more smaller trees?
Anyone would be mad to pull RRP for the dioramas. Easily Lego's most overpriced collection.
@J0rgen said:
"I hardly ever think there's a need for dual moulded legs, but in this set, all three figures should have had them. Luke looks unrecognazible without black legs, and Leia is almost as bad. They don't even have side printing, so there wasn't really any point in including any detail from their pants at all, as the stripes on the front of their legs don't really look like anything. Every old version of Luke and Leia from this scene looks better, including the 1999 Luke."
valid complaint, sure, but i don't think that makes these figures measurably worse. so many figures esp. in lsw have made do without side printing when lego didn't have means to access the tech because before lego started implementing these things on a wider scale it was understood that lego minifigures represented a character without needing to be 1:1 action figures. mace windu and obi wan kenobi would both look better with side leg printing or dual molding but it's understood that the figural representations of these characters work fine without them because you can fill in the sides yourself given the front; it's the same reason lsw went so far with relatively sparsely detailed figures and if you take away what you'd want from the figures, the figures themselves remain crisply printed even despite the small discrepancies that would be settled by extra print.
idk: i don't want to be a mouthpiece for lego because i've got my gripes with this set and i'm certainly not going to buy it but the figures are the last problem these things have and the ire for them feels misplaced. ironically missing the forest for the trees
@B_Space_Man said:
" @Grammaticul I think the issue that Lego is presenting the diorama series as a premium display line, and for those prices we would hope that they had some minifigs that utilized the best techniques Lego has to offer. "
this is a fair criticism and the one ppl throw around the most which has a lotta merit. historically the diorama collection's focus seems to have been set to prioritize builds and not figures given that previous sets in the line used reused figures (leia, dagobah luke) or inferior versions of them (3po) and it would be better to see more budget allocated to these figures, but at the same time the draw remains the builds and the criticism should remain on the prices. i'd like to see dual molding, sure, but two or three figures do not make or break a model: the problem is the price and the remarkably sparse offering from the build, which if i'm not mistaken is most of what you pay for.
The only thing I can think of for a quote is the exchange before the chase starts.
Leia: Over there! Two more of them!
Luke: I see them. Wait! Leia!
And it's really more just how Mark Hamill delivers that line and then wraps his arms around Carrie's waist holding on for dear life.
This would also require a third Speederbike, which actually might have helped things since it's all about stopping these guys, and Luke eventually gets one, too, and then more bikers show up. You add one more Speederbike and Scout, and you have what you need to properly recreate the scene because Luke and Leia on one bike are never chasing just one Scout, they're chasing two.
I actually really like this, but the price is definitely hard to swallow. I know it's not a hot take, but I really do think we should be able to get the very best version of a figure in a set like this. Dual moulded legs turn up in cheap sets and collectible minigifures, I don't understand why it's so hard to do here. Hell, if they have just Luke and the scout trooper dual moulded I'd pay £10 more for it. As it is.... Just not special enough unfortunately.
$80 USD for this? I would pay $40 max for it. It is very underwhelming to say the least. The Luke and Leia figures are dissappointing and don't even come with cloth Ponchos, and the set looks really small. The quote is out of place given that Lego can't even include a second Scout Trooper/Speeder Bike for the ludicrous price of $80. The only thing I like about this set are the new speeder bikes, and of course the Scout Trooper (already have from other sets), so this is an easy pass for me. I would have also preferred a non diorama version of this set with just the minifigs and speeder bikes for a much lower price as others have mentioned. Wish they would have done a Jabbas Palace/Throne room diorama instead of this.
@MCLegoboy said:
"The only thing I can think of for a quote is the exchange before the chase starts.
Leia: Over there! Two more of them!
Luke: I see them. Wait! Leia!
And it's really more just how Mark Hamill delivers that line and then wraps his arms around Carrie's waist holding on for dear life.
This would also require a third Speederbike, which actually might have helped things since it's all about stopping these guys, and Luke eventually gets one, too, and then more bikers show up. You add one more Speederbike and Scout, and you have what you need to properly recreate the scene because Luke and Leia on one bike are never chasing just one Scout, they're chasing two."
I assume the second speeder bike is simply outside the scope of the diorama.
With regard to the quotations, I find them extremely restrictive for the series. There are nine lines spoken in this sequence and only two when Luke and Leia are riding the same speeder bike, neither of which are particularly remarkable. There are many other scenes which could suit the diorama format, but with similarly limited dialogue. What about the Duel of the Fates, as an example? "We'll handle this" and 'NOOOO!" are the only options and I doubt they would be suitable.
Also, including the quotes requires a unique printed piece for every set, whereas showing the film title would mean the tiles could be re-used, thus releasing the budget for something else.
@MegaBlocks said:
"I had no idea that was a famous quote from the scene."
Best I can think of is "What the-!?", but that's the bit with Han.
Many many scenes just don't have iconic quotes, especially ones like this which are action and spectacle, which are apparently what the Diorama Series is for.
By far the most under whelming and overpriced diorama set they've released so far.
The Speeder bikes and minifigs look ok but they're basically a £20 battle pack set. I don't see how the base adds another £50 to the price. It's just a couple of trees and some greenery.
Hard pass on this one.
The set is fine and with a proper discount I'm surely gonna add it to my collection.
I wanted all of these Minifigures, a shame this isn’t $60 or below.
Something to consider is that the earlier diorama sets were mostly of scenes that *hadn't* been suitable for regular play sets - the trash compacter, the trench run, Yoda's hut. But both the speeder bike chase and the Emperor's throne room *have* been sets, the latter relatively recently. There's little incentive to shell out the big bucks for a premium-level set when you can get the same thing at regular retail.
Also those trees look rubbish.
I think the trash compactor could have made a good playset. There were two good playset versions of Yoda's hut before the diorama version.
@Grammaticul said:
"where does this minifigure take that the figures are below standard or genuinely ugly come from. this is literally just how figures that aren't dual molded look. are any of you actually comparing these figures because the last iterations of these characters aren't too hot!"
They are not awful minifigures, but both could be much better. Luke wears a camouflage poncho over his black Jedi attire onscreen, so his arms and legs should be predominantly black. Leia is slightly better because her shirt is an earthy colour in the movie, so the olive green arms are not as obviously wrong.
Even so, I much prefer the previous version of Leia because her legs are the correct colour and she is wearing an accurate poncho. Comparing the 1999 version of Luke with the 2023 minifigure is academic because their styles are so vastly different.
As others have discussed already, if this was a standard playset, certain compromises with the minifigures could be excused. However, the 18+ range prizes accuracy and that usually extends to the minifigures. Fabric ponchos would have been perfect and actually saved the budget for two printed parts because the Luke Skywalker minifigure from 75352 Emperor's Throne Room could be re-used, albeit with a helmet and poncho.
Assuming that was not possible for some reason, I think dual-moulded elements are a fair expectation.
If I were the designer I would have changed the subject material from this scence to the scene before the bunker's entrance. Switched Luke to Han, add R2 and/or a stormie, changed the quote to "I love you. I know. -Leia-". Build some surrounding foliage. Could integrate some closing door feature...etc, and with all this get the mentioned "defined backdrop" feeling/look as well.
@CapnRex101 said:
"With regard to the quotations, I find them extremely restrictive for the series. There are nine lines spoken in this sequence and only two when Luke and Leia are riding the same speeder bike, neither of which are particularly remarkable. There are many other scenes which could suit the diorama format, but with similarly limited dialogue. What about the Duel of the Fates, as an example? "We'll handle this" and 'NOOOO!" are the only options and I doubt they would be suitable."
I propose to you the following solution: an attempt at vocalizing the infamous "Duel of the Fates" piece from the fight scene.
"DA DAAAAAA ... DA DAAAAAAA ... dun dun DUN DA DUN DUN DA DUN DA DUN DUN DA DUN DA DUN DUN DA ..."
Everyone who sees the printed tile will understand.
@CapnRex101 said:
"They are not awful minifigures, but both could be much better. Luke wears a camouflage poncho over his black Jedi attire onscreen, so his arms and legs should be predominantly black. Leia is slightly better because her shirt is an earthy colour in the movie, so the olive green arms are not as obviously wrong.
Even so, I much prefer the previous version of Leia because her legs are the correct colour and she is wearing an accurate poncho. Comparing the 1999 version of Luke with the 2023 minifigure is academic because their styles are so vastly different.
As others have discussed already, if this was a standard playset, certain compromises with the minifigures could be excused. However, the 18+ range prizes accuracy and that usually extends to the minifigures. Fabric ponchos would have been perfect and actually saved the budget for two printed parts because the Luke Skywalker minifigure from 75352 Emperor's Throne Room could be re-used, albeit with a helmet and poncho.
Assuming that was not possible for some reason, I think dual-moulded elements are a fair expectation."
i'm in agreement with you on the prints themselves: i think the undue criticism towards them stems from their specific set and certain expectations for versatile cloth elements superseding looking at the figures head on, and while i and many others would've liked dual molding my first impression was that they were fine figures and hardly gruesomely offensive save for the black bands on luke's legs; would go so far as to say an ill-defined fabric cloth poncho over a figure with no leg printing is in fact inferior to a figure with full torso and leg printing and no print discrepancies (no smudging, smearing, lack of opacity etc). it's possible the diorama collection doesn't actually afford better figures, either: looking at previous sets across all themes, even 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol has "well-printed" figures that aren't as big a priority as the model itself, in which case these figures may have been constrained by the same limitations on a bigger price tag, which remains the biggest gripe i think everyone generally agrees upon across the board. regardless, understandable gripes and thanks for the cordial response!.
I think this one is probably the weakest of the dioramas so far. The others are expensive, but have a lot of redeeming features for their prices.
Probably the best fix for the Luke and Leia minifigures will be to swap out their legs with single color legs from Bricklink, that solution alone should require a discount or credit from Lego to fix the set.
Got to agree with the comments on the lack of dual-molding. I think that would have looked better and more appropriate given the price-point and display nature of the set. The trees look alright, probably about the best they could do without them overshadowing the speeder bikes and characters. I would have hoped for a cheeky Ewok to hide in a tree though as a little "extra".
I really like the speeder bike design and I'm glad the review picked up on what I noticed. The assembly looks so fragile (to the point I'm surprised it's legal, but I think the ISS used equally weak techniques in poseable parts), but in a set that is aimed at display rather than play I think that's absolutely 100% valid and I'd like to see that more.
I really want to like this set but it just doesn't do it for me, not to mention the absolutely horrendus price.
I feel like they need to start branching out with this line and do sets for scenes that aren't from the OT.
They should also consider chosing their quotes more carefully or just omiting them if necessary.
Nice review. Nice design. Too bad the figs are cheap crap. C'mon, Luke is almost a Jedi, like his father before him.
Given the focus on the minifig design, I’d like to see an article on the best minfigs Lego has made to date. Obviously that list would be more subjective than the list of most valuable minfigs, but it could be interesting to see what Lego can do when they spare no expense.
Quality of print, dual molding and even dual material molding (TIE fighter pilot for example) come to mind as some details to look at.
It’s a cool set, but I agree it’s not worth the price. I do love the amount of foliage they give you, though.
On the topic of dual-molding, it would be cool to see this Leia with Legolas’s legs from Rivendell.
I abseloutly hated this level in battlefront! I can't seem to make it ten seconds without crashing into a tree!
I said it in the other RotJ one, and I'll say it again. Missed opportunity for two awesome applications of the lenticular panels from Harry Potter. If this had one and you could see speeding shifting jungle, it could have balanced the emptiness of the set and made it amazing to look at.
I don’t hate the set but as others have said I’ll wait for a discount.
I feel this is one of the best examples of how lego sets the prices and designers have a budget to fill said prices
@iwybs said:
"Two speeder bikes. Three minifigures. One tree. Forty bucks."
I think you need to recount the trees. Or do you have single vision?
@CapnRex101: If they expand the Diorama Collection to the prequels, I could totally see "We'll handle this." as the quote on a Duel of the Fates one. It's not particularly iconic, but more so than the one chosen for this set, anyway, IMHO.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @CapnRex101: If they expand the Diorama Collection to the prequels, I could totally see "We'll handle this." as the quote on a Duel of the Fates one. It's not particularly iconic, but more so than the one chosen for this set, anyway, IMHO."
I would like to see a prequel diorama of Jar Jar Binks stepping in poodoo.
@MegaBlocks said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @CapnRex101: If they expand the Diorama Collection to the prequels, I could totally see "We'll handle this." as the quote on a Duel of the Fates one. It's not particularly iconic, but more so than the one chosen for this set, anyway, IMHO."
I would like to see a prequel diorama of Jar Jar Binks stepping in poodoo."
That mini diorama would make a nice GWP
@TheOtherMike said:
" @iwybs said:
"Two speeder bikes. Three minifigures. One tree. Forty bucks."
I think you need to recount the trees. Or do you have single vision?
@CapnRex101: If they expand the Diorama Collection to the prequels, I could totally see "We'll handle this." as the quote on a Duel of the Fates one. It's not particularly iconic, but more so than the one chosen for this set, anyway, IMHO.
"
I mean you could do what I listed for forty bucks, or even thirty.
This is one of those sets that I need but don’t want.
@Reventon said:
"This is one of those sets that I need but don’t want."
Ha, ha!
I don't know if I feel the same, but I've definitely felt the same way in the past. You put it perfectly into words. Well done.
@iwybs: I wasn't really paying attention to the last part, speaking of not seeing things.
I feel like "Then we'll do it real quiet-like" would've been a cute quote - granted Han's not in the set, but that's the quip that resulted in people going screaming around the forest at five billion miles an hour.
@Grammaticul said:
" i'm in agreement with you on the prints themselves: i think the undue criticism towards them stems from their specific set and certain expectations for versatile cloth elements superseding looking at the figures head on, and while i and many others would've liked dual molding my first impression was that they were fine figures and hardly gruesomely offensive save for the black bands on luke's legs; would go so far as to say an ill-defined fabric cloth poncho over a figure with no leg printing is in fact inferior to a figure with full torso and leg printing and no print discrepancies (no smudging, smearing, lack of opacity etc). it's possible the diorama collection doesn't actually afford better figures, either: looking at previous sets across all themes, even 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol has "well-printed" figures that aren't as big a priority as the model itself, in which case these figures may have been constrained by the same limitations on a bigger price tag, which remains the biggest gripe i think everyone generally agrees upon across the board. regardless, understandable gripes and thanks for the cordial response!.
"
How is a figure with printed lower and upper part inferior to a figure with a printed upper part and cloth torso? The legs of Luke are plain black, Leia just has a stripe and black boots, those details have always been negligible and are incidentally the details that these new legs have also entirely ignored. Putting ponchos on the two of them is a bit awkward because it ignores that they wear belts over the ponchos, but those could also be printed on the cloth pieces with the camo pattern or ignored as this is a detail of low importance similar to Leias black boots and yellow stripe on the pants.
Dual molded parts or side leg prints are unwarranted on these versions of the characters when a repeat of 2015 Endor Leia is what most people want and expect. Lego skips out on cloth elements far too often nowadays which is ironic because very few characters even need them but have gotten capes in the past all the time. Most prominently every Jedi who it took until last summer for Lego to finally do AOTC Obi-Wan, a figure with a base body fully colored like the outer robe instead of coloring it like the Jedi tunic under it. These figures have gotten cloth elements previously because it adds versatility to the figures when a child can undress them to switch into a different costume. This function is what made 2015s Endor Leia so great, doesn't look so much unlike her in the movie as the capes do on all the Jedi and is now entirely absent from this set under the guise of making it easier to play with the figures which is a strange concern when this line of sets is as far removed from pure playsets as possible and the 2015 poncho was made from the extra soft material which all Palpatines still get capes of in sets where he sits on his throne even if they could simply be removed which would
Are they supposed to be famous gigantic Sequoia trees?
I like the SW diorama sets, but this, in my opinion, is the weakest. I prefer the cloth pieces for a premium price and the attempt at forced perspective for tall trees seems a little off, it needed something more to help it along.
@Wilhelm screamed:
"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6JK-gRELI0"
The note about the minifigures is the biggest issue I have with this set - and the other dioramas, really. These are display pieces and they're expensive for the size. Now, if the figures included were more akin to UCS-exclusive standards (3PO in the Landspeeder, for example) then this line would have an easier time justifying its price point.
New Endor Luke is truly amazing even if it’s a bit lacking in print and no poncho
18+=marketing upprice gimmick
@Anonym said:
"How is a figure with printed lower and upper part inferior to a figure with a printed upper part and cloth torso? The legs of Luke are plain black, Leia just has a stripe and black boots, those details have always been negligible and are incidentally the details that these new legs have also entirely ignored. Putting ponchos on the two of them is a bit awkward because it ignores that they wear belts over the ponchos, but those could also be printed on the cloth pieces with the camo pattern or ignored as this is a detail of low importance similar to Leias black boots and yellow stripe on the pants.
Dual molded parts or side leg prints are unwarranted on these versions of the characters when a repeat of 2015 Endor Leia is what most people want and expect. Lego skips out on cloth elements far too often nowadays which is ironic because very few characters even need them but have gotten capes in the past all the time. Most prominently every Jedi who it took until last summer for Lego to finally do AOTC Obi-Wan, a figure with a base body fully colored like the outer robe instead of coloring it like the Jedi tunic under it. These figures have gotten cloth elements previously because it adds versatility to the figures when a child can undress them to switch into a different costume. This function is what made 2015s Endor Leia so great, doesn't look so much unlike her in the movie as the capes do on all the Jedi and is now entirely absent from this set under the guise of making it easier to play with the figures which is a strange concern when this line of sets is as far removed from pure playsets as possible and the 2015 poncho was made from the extra soft material which all Palpatines still get capes of in sets where he sits on his throne even if they could simply be removed which would "
you answered your own question in the first sentence and then continued to lmao. i know the semantics of "we spent more on a piece of cloth over a print" appears more interesting but i'm going to be honest i happen to think an intentionally-designed print with clearly-defined wrinkles and lines and a belt which accurately goes over the body are better looking than a haphazardly placed cloth piece with ill-defined details and worse "printing", especially for a figure whose express purpose is for "display" rather than "play". you mentioned how the cloth element is better for children which makes sense because kids treat cape removal as accessorizing but certainly the point of a set in a scene is that it isn't necessary, no?
but you also bring up the obi wan figure from the last jedi starfighter set which begs the question: would it really have been better with an awkwardly-attached robe or are you saying this because you think clothes should work the same on lego minifigures, characters who are by design all façade?
even if you aren't a fan at the very least looking at it on its own, as a printed figure without all the tricks lego usually pulls: is it genuinely "cheap"? all the details are once again crisp, the camo patterning looks great, and bar the legs on luke and the lack of extra detailing (which seems to be the one problem here) the details themselves correspond almost entirely to what the figure should look like. if any of the print looked like it was faded or overdesigned maybe this would be a problem but these are if nothing else clearly-designed and clean enough figures; certainly wanting a little rag attached doesn't supersede clean prints? if you want the versions of these figures without camo ponchos they still exist; what boggles my mind over this whole discussion is that afols would so brazenly lambast two figures with completely up-to-snuff print quality especially in an environment where lego so rarely does it
I guess I'm in the minority, but the diorama sets are my favorite star wars sets to date. But I don't love the price, so I end up not getting them. But they are rather faithful to the source material and I love the restricted size because I can imagine the world around it and makes me want to modify it larger.
I actually like these trees and I'd love to see more and taller, but I know stability can become a concern. If I ever see a sale (which I have yet to see any star wars sales) I may pick this up. But since it is unlikely I can only look from afar.
Yep, it's the lack of a backdrop that does it for me - and they could have done it so well too!
Just a plate, made up with a mix of 'Dots' and 'Brick Sketches' techniques so that it's a mix of flat and raised textures. It could make for a very effective sense of depth and detail and add a lot of definition to the scene.
Could we just do that ourselves? Sure. But at $79 it's a super-easy pass for me.
It’s just not an iconic enough moment to warrant Dioramaism.
Gonna buy cause I'm a completionist, but the quote is bad, I see exposed studs and has a bit of a cheap look.