Review : LEGO Star Wars 75353 Endor Speeder Chase Diorama

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Star Wars set 75353 Endor Speeder Chase Diorama, a box of 608 pieces which is currently in pre-order on the official online store at the public price of 79.99 € with effective availability announced for May 1, 2023.

Those who follow already know the principle of Diorama Collection LEGO Star Wars, these are reproductions of more or less cult scenes from the Star Wars saga intended for adults and these pure exhibition products are presented on a base decorated with the logo of the range and a line of dialogue in English relating to the scene in question.

This collection was launched last year with the first three references still available for sale, the sets 75329 Death Star Trench Run (€ 69.99), 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training (89.99 €) and 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor (89.99 €).

Many collectors therefore find in these boxes something to replace their existing dioramas often made up of sets intended for a young audience, they obviously gain in finish but sometimes lose in potential playability due to the relative fragility of certain assemblies. This will be the case here with two Speeder Bikes nicely executed but more fragile than the different versions of the machine marketed so far in boxes for children.

The principle of staging does not change and consistency with the other sets in this collection is retained: a black base embellished with a few metallic pieces on its different sides and which serves as a "sandbox" for the scene in question. It's easy to move, nothing or almost nothing protrudes and it is therefore possible to line up all these dioramas wisely on a shelf to obtain a very satisfactory result.

This is to reproduce the pursuit on Endor with two Speeder Bikes circulating between the trees of the forest moon. Of the gigantic trees seen on screen, only two trunks remain here that are a bit skinny, and some may find that LEGO has been a bit sparing on the vegetation.

However, I think that the whole works rather well, it was still necessary to leave enough to admire the two machines present without visually polluting the diorama too much. The designer has forced on the foliage and the ferns present on the ground to compensate for the cubic and a little rickety aspect of the trunks and their foliage, it is in my opinion thick enough to be credible knowing that the scene occupies a surface of 28 cm long by 18 cm wide and 20 cm high.

The two Speeder Bikes are similar except for one detail: that of Leia and Luke is logically designed to accommodate two figurines where that of the Scout trooper is satisfied with a single seat. These two machines are significantly more detailed than the versions already seen at LEGO but it is at the cost of a certain fragility which will not allow too much manipulation. Nothing serious, this set is an exhibition model.

The transparent supports installed on the floor of Endor can be moved and oriented as you see fit in order to modify the dynamics of the scene or to adapt the angle of presentation of the Speeder Bikes according to the orientation of the diorama on your shelves . This possibility is even documented in the product's instruction booklet, just to reassure those who are sometimes reluctant to improvise by deviating from the design provided by LEGO.

On the side of the three minifigs provided, we therefore obtain a Scout Trooper identical to that available in the set 75332AT-ST and two new minifigs: Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. Too bad for the black arms of the Scout Trooper, a two-color injection to reproduce the shoulder pads of the outfit seen on the screen would have been welcome on a high-end product like this. There was no need to modify the rest of the figurine, but the addition of an additional finishing detail would undoubtedly have been very appreciated by the fans.

The figurines of Luke and Leia are successful, the tampograhies are detailed and in the end only the ponchos worn by the two characters on the screen are missing. These ponchos are well symbolized on the chest of the characters and you can imagine that I prefer this graphic solution rather than two pieces of shapeless fabric which would undoubtedly have difficulty resisting the onslaught of time and dust.

No stickers in this box, everything is stamped, including the pretty brick which celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Return of the Jedi.

All is not perfect in this diorama, but it should never be forgotten that the creativity of designers is limited by the marketing constraints imposed. It is their public price and the profitability expected by the brand that defines the limits of the content of these products and you have to deal with or embark on modifications that will involve the purchase of additional elements, such as adding a third Speeder. Bike or flesh out both trees.

We could therefore discuss the public price of this product and wonder why LEGO relieves us of 80 € for a box of 600 pieces, a significant part of which ends up in the base of the product.

The answer undoubtedly lies in the target identified on the packaging, an adult clientele who can afford these toys but who does not want to have fun with their LEGOs and who prefers to be satisfied with products from exhibition more compact and discreet than the usual toys. It will obviously be possible to find these boxes a little cheaper at the usual retailers in the weeks following their effective availability.

Update : the set is also available for pre-order at Amazon (€ 79.99), Auchan (69.99 €) and FNAC (79.99 €).

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at April 18th next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

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