Review : LEGO Star Wars 75273 Poe Dameron's X-Wing Fighter

Today we quickly tour the LEGO Star Wars set 75273 Poe Dameron's X-Wing Fighter (761 pieces - 109.99 €), a box that features a very colorful X-Wing seen in the last installment of the Star Wars saga. As with many ships or vehicles in the Star Wars universe, there is always at least one X-Wing, "classic" or from the latest trilogy, in the LEGO catalog.

Each version brings its share of innovations or regressions in terms of design, even if the models of the sets 75102 Poe's X-Wing Fighter (2015) et 75149 Resistance X-Wing Fighter (2016) were almost identical, and we can't blame the designers for not making the effort to offer varied and original finishes here.

It is obviously a toy intended for the youngest and we therefore find on this new version some elements allowing to knock out an enemy ship: two Stud Shooters are placed on the sides of the fuselage and two Spring-Shooters are present under the lower wings. The latter seem at first glance very roughly integrated with the red rod of the ammunition which protrudes frankly at the back but they can be easily removed so as not to disfigure the ship if you just display it on a shelf. It was also the case for those of the set 75218 X-Wing Starfighter marketed in 2018 and it is a choice that seems coherent to me and which makes it possible to satisfy everyone.

The X-Wing took color with the latest trilogy and this new version adds a big orange touch to the white fuselage. It's flashy but I salute the effort made on the transition areas between the orange colored sections and the white ends. It's relatively successful and without the addition of stickers in two shades, well done for that.

For a top-of-the-range toy sold for € 110, I can't help but regret the presence of these four rubber bands that will bring back memories to anyone like me who at one time or another in their youth wore braces. LEGO also only provides what is strictly necessary for the implementation of the main functionality of the product and does not provide for the possible replacement of these rubber bands. It's mean.

When closed, these white bands are a little less noticeable, but when the wings are outstretched, the vessel becomes quite disfigured. The lever which allows to act on the mechanism is also a little too prominent when the wings are unfolded, but this is the price to pay for the toy to be easily manipulated by the smallest hands.

We welcome the replacement of the wheel arches used at the air inlets on the 2015 and 2016 versions by a set of parts which allows to obtain a perfectly round element. I am less convinced by the fixing of the reactors which seem to me a little too thin and poorly integrated into the cabin of the vessel. There are no barrels at the level of the reactors as on the version of 2018, you see me delighted.

For the rest, we find here the pretty usual pad-printed canopy and R2-D2 is in the right direction when it is installed in its housing just behind the cockpit. The latter is basic but sufficiently convincing with a new very successful pad printed element which offers a few screens and several buttons.

Note that the wings close automatically when the X-Wing is placed on the ground thanks to the rod that crosses the ship, but by putting it down gently, it can also be presented in an attack position. The good news of the set: there are only three stickers to stick on this X-Wing, two on the front of the wings and the third on the right side of the front of the fuselage. The model is doing very well with these three stickers.
The assembly is easily manipulated if we have taken care to plug R2-D2 into its housing, otherwise the droid ends up on the ground. Nothing detaches from the ship during the flight phase, young adventurers will find what they are looking for.

On the minifig side, the assortment is eclectic and allows us to obtain the pilot and his astromech droid, Jannah and one of the knights of Ren, in this case Vicrul. It's varied, even if we feel that LEGO has determined the cast to reproduce in minifig format and then distributed the different characters in the boxes of the range to encourage fans to buy all the sets.

Poe Dameron is delivered here in his usual outfit available since 2015 in many sets. the character's helmet is an updated version of the one with integrated visor from 2015, it has a new reference (6289513). LEGO is kind enough to give us hair for Poe, a nice detail that allows us to enjoy the character a little more. R2-D2 is delivered with the new dome also present in the set 75270 Obi-Wan's Hut. The droid's body, on the other hand, is the one we all already have in several copies in our drawers.

Jannah (Naomi Ackie) minifig is very successful. We find all the attributes of the character seen on the screen, up to the transponder on his right arm and the grapple attached to the belt. LEGO has taken the attention to detail to the limit with a different colored right hand to symbolize the archer's glove the character wears. Too bad for the basic bow and quiver which does not really pay homage to the equipment of the young woman, much more elaborate and detailed. The macrobinocular binoculars are integrated into the hair and the accessory works perfectly.

Finally, LEGO delivers us here Vicrul, one of the knights of Ren, who will join those also available in sets 75256 Kylo Ren's Shuttle (Ap, lek and Ushar) and 75272 Sith TIE Fighter (Trudgen). As I assumed in my "Very vite tested"from the set 75256 Kylo Ren's Shuttle, these characters are ultimately only secondary extras without much interest, but the minifigure is interesting with a nice pad printing and a very original helmet that covers the neutral head.

110 € for a product whose main functionality depends in part on four rubber bands is way too expensive for my taste and not providing at least two replacement rubber bands in the box is in my opinion a mistake on the part of LEGO. And it's not the ladder provided that saves the furniture.

But we all know that this set will end sooner or later at a price much lower than its retail price at Amazon and it will be enough to be patient to add this new version of the X-Wing to our collections. This X-Wing will undoubtedly not pass to posterity, but the most complete of us will not be able to miss this new copy and the young fans who have discovered the Star Wars universe with the last films will undoubtedly prefer this colorful version to the more austere one of Luke Skywalker's X-Wing.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at 22th January 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.