Review: LEGO Star Wars Diorama Collection 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Star Wars Diorama Collection set 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor, a box of 802 pieces which will be available at the public price of €89.99 from April 26, 2022. With this new collection of mini-dioramas, LEGO is frankly targeting adult fans who do not have the space or the desire to fill their living room with imposing vessels or other devices from the Star Wars universe but who still wish to display their passion for the saga via a few discreet decorative elements. It was already the possibility offered by the helmets marketed since 2021 and these new stagings will bring a little diversity on the shelves of the fans.

To launch this new collection, LEGO has therefore selected three "cult" scenes from the saga. The selection was not very difficult: in the Star Wars universe everything is more or less cult for many fans and the product in question here refers to the scene of Episode IV (To New Hope) in which Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia, and Chewbacca become stuck in the 3263827 trash compactor. The place is inhabited by a dianoga, a creature that attacks Luke Skywalker before C3-PO and R2-D2 prevent everyone from ending up in an imperial pancake.

The construction with its base and its three ends of walls is very quickly assembled. The scene is presented on a support designed to give it cachet and allow it to end its career honorably on a shelf. The back wall with its magnetic closing door (in the film) is fixed. The two sections of side walls are mobile and can be manually brought closer to the center of the diorama to simulate the start-up of the compactor. No complex mechanism or gears with a wheel at the end, you push with your fingers.

A very satisfying little detail: the construction of these two side panels seems messy at first glance, but we see that on arrival everything fits together perfectly, provided you have carefully placed the different minifigs in the intended locations beforehand. We can therefore have fun five minutes to put the grinder into action by pushing on the walls and the integrated functionality has at least the merit of offering two possibilities of exposure.

The dianoga certainly deserved better than the frankly symbolic representation proposed here. The critter plays a significant role in this scene, but unfortunately it only has one red eye that protrudes from the center of the diorama. In their time, the sets 10188 Death Star (2008) et 75159 Death Star (2016) which depicted the waste compactor in one of the compartments of the Death Star at least made the effort to offer us an assembly of a few parts to correctly embody the creature and there was no doubt a way to make a little better on an exhibition product entirely to the glory of this scene of a few minutes.

C-3PO and R2-D2 are installed behind the diorama facing the console which allows them in the film to disable "all mechanical grinders that are level 5". On the screen, the two droids are obviously not just behind the wall of the room in question, but their integration into the construction went through this shortcut and it is well executed. One could almost regret the lack of finish on the back of the diorama but the presence of the two droids is more of a wink than anything else.

LEGO has chosen to illustrate each of the products in its Diorama Collection by using a line of dialogue pad-printed on a Tile placed on the front. We are therefore entitled here to the sentence pronounced by Han Solo: "...One thing's for sure, we're all gonna be a lot thinner!...". This line of dialogue in English is not necessarily remembered by French-speaking fans who will best remember the phrase "...there is one thing for sure, it's that we're all going to lose a lot of weight..." and LEGO would have been well advised to propose the Tile in different languages, to give meaning to its presence in non-English-speaking markets. We'll do with the original version.

No stickers in this box, the three patterned elements are stamped. To populate this mini diorama, we get six figurines: Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2. The most observant will have noticed that these figurines combine new elements and parts already seen in other sets in the past: C-3PO keeps his head available since 2012 with his eyes more or less well centered depending on the boxes and he enjoys a brand new torso and pair of legs. The pad printing is very successful and LEGO finally makes the effort to properly dress this droid whose arms and feet usually remained neutral.

R2-D2 reuses the dome seen in several boxes since 2020 but it benefits from pad printing on both sides of the white cylinder. The minifigure now lives up to what you would expect from a manufacturer like LEGO and R2-D2 finally has a truly accomplished representation.

The Princess Leia figurine uses the torso available since 2016, the head which dates from 2019 and which is also used for Captain Marvel and the hairstyle which dates from 2011. Chewbacca remains equal to itself, it is the figurine of 2014 which is provided here.

Luke Skywalker and Han Solo inaugurate a new version of the Stormtroopers armor on which Luke receives the head dating from 2015 which has also been used by Gunther from Central Perk and Han Solo the head marketed since 2014. I prefer this version of the armor to the one seen in the set 75159 Death Star (2016) then in the mini-set exclusive to the Star Wars Celebration convention in 2017, the reference Detention Block Rescue, the shadow effects and the mixture of gray and black proposed here seem really relevant to me.

We will also talk about the other two dioramas from the new collection launched by LEGO, but I must admit that I am particularly convinced by this one. The scene concerned is correctly interpreted, the integrated functionality is anecdotal but it makes it possible to propose two variants of exposure and the endowment in figurines is consequent with two droids finally treated as it should be. The presence of C-3PO and R2-D2 on the back of the diorama will surprise your friends who come to visit you and the whole thing will fuel a few conversations during a dinner. We can in passing be offended by the price charged by LEGO for this box or wait wisely for Amazon to get on the file.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at April 8th next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment (something to say what) under the article to participate.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.