This was the highlight of my four-year-old's Christmas season.

Box/Instructions

Since the box is the present, I can write a meaningful review of it! The front flap opens outward to form a base for play and reveals the 24 present windows on the inside. With fun scenes printed all over, it teases about what is to come. Well done, though be careful because if the cardboard is pulled too far away from the slots, the bags can fall down and get mixed with the other sets.

Parts

They did the job. Nothing to get too excited about here. At 274 pieces and a retail of $40, it's actually one of the worst values you can find...

Minifigures

For adults, the highlight of the calendar are likely the unique figures. This year's Santa Vader and Christmas Tree Droid were pitch-perfect fits for the theme and the season. Love them. Luke looks great, Gen. Reekan is a cool (but random) add, and the Christmas storm trooper is hilarious. The TIE pilot is common, and as others have observed, the snow trooper would be better with the new helmet and backpack.

The build

Most builds are simple and easy to follow from just the back flap on the window. If you need extra help, check out completed models online. The sandspeeder takes top marks for design, it's just perfect. The vulture droid is actually pretty good, and the Jedi starfighter is sturdy. I love the y-wing, but it comes apart easily. The snowspeeder and the AAT are solid too, but the imperial shuttle misses the mark I feel. Only real complaints are the cannon and the moisture collector (every kids dream!), though they can't all be winners.

The completed model

Play, fight, swoosh.

Overall opinion

Loved having this around the house during December and plan to get another next year . Am concerned that now we're four years into Star Wars advent calendars there have already been a few repeats. This was my first calendar and looking back, I feel it's the best combination of minifigs and builds so far, with a matching of themes that were unveiled in a mostly logical succession. Still, have to observe that with the City calendar at $30 retail, this is a very hefty price tag for what you get.