Immensity Befitting the Subject Matter
If 2022 was Lego's first step into a larger world with the Diorama line, then 2023 is where they fully found their stride. I've owned both Return of the Jedi Final Duel sets from 2015 and 2020, and though they were great fun as playsets, I always felt they missed something, until now.
The Emperor's Throne Diorama is deceptively simple in concept; the Emperor's throne, crowned by the Death Star II's throne room window, with lots of empty space. It's therefore no surprise that the bulk of this build goes into forming the viewport that Palpatine uses to thrust his malicious gaze upon the galaxy. And yet it works perfectly.
This is the first time I feel Lego has really captured the atmosphere of Luke's journey into the heart of darkness in RotJ. He is dwarfed, not just by the immensity of the Death Star II, but by the evil that Palpatine, and to a lesser extent at this point Vader represent. Amidst the enormity of the battle station and its monochromatic masters, Luke stands alone with only his conviction and good nature to carry him, and this diorama captures that theme superbly. I also can't help but appreciate the detail that these dioramas can sometimes contain; the build of the viewport window and Palpatine's chair were rather fun!
For those who collect the Diorama line, I cannot recommend displaying this alongside the Dagobah Jedi Training set enough. This set with its corresponding quote of "I am a Jedi, like my father before me" is an excellent follow-up to how Luke's time with Yoda first fared.
Once again, a perfect set to buy at discount. I would love to see the Diorama line continue and start spanning across more films like the Prequel Trilogy.
2 out of 2 people thought this review was helpful.
Final Duel but accurate
This is a very good 18+ set with great minifigures, although some royal guards would have been nice. The build behind the Emperor's Throne is a great detail with an amazing print on it. The scene as a whole looks very accurate to the movie and source material. However, this does not feel like a $100 set but rather a $80 set. I would recommend buying this for $80 or lower.
1 out of 1 person thought this review was helpful.
