Review: LEGO Star Wars 75229 Death Star Escape

Today we quickly tour the LEGO Star Wars set 75229 Death Star Escape (329 pieces - 29.99 €), a small box that promises us to "dive into an unforgettable space adventure"according to the official description of the product by LEGO ... Without going that far, the set has at least the merit of reproducing a cult scene from Episode IV and almost everything is there.

We will forget the fact that Luke and Leia courageously cross a Death Star duct from a dizzying height and we will be satisfied with the two structures provided to assemble to reproduce a truly minimalist version of the film set.

Too bad that the usual vertical light bands characteristic of the Death Star are missing from this staging, they could have contributed to give a little more context to the whole, especially at the level of the wall on which the control panel is located. the door. We obviously know that we are at the heart of the Death Star, but a little something is missing so that the places are immediately recognizable.

It is also a pity that the designer once again offers us a cinema set whose back lacks a bit of finishing. I do not know who will want to exhibit the thing at home, but it will be necessary to choose the angle of presentation of the scene.

The two black plates which constitute the base of the playset are not dressed in Tiles and it's petty. A few flat pieces and two stickers with a trompe-l'oeil effect could have advantageously completed the set and simulated depth. As it stands, Luke and Leia are unlikely to fall from a great height.

The designer also wanted to leave the fans the possibility of opening the structure, probably to make them forget that the two sections connected by the mobile gangway are a little too close to each other when they face each other as in the movie.

Here we find a Stormtrooper perched on a platform overlooking the passage that Luke and Leia want to take. It is consistent with the scene of the film, it is even possible to eject the type via a small mechanism actuated by a red wheel not very discreet. We can always say to ourselves that it counts as one more feature.

The gangway can be moved by pushing or pulling it, no special mechanism at this level. The same goes for the door which can remain blocked in the open position and (almost) closed by activating the mechanism provided.

A nod from the designer to the most assiduous fans, the door remains slightly ajar as in the film when the Stormtroopers try to catch Luke and Leia who are about to jump. To complete the whole, there are also the conduits that Luke uses to hang the grapple.

On the minifig side, LEGO obviously provides the two main protagonists of the scene, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, but is not very generous in Stormtroopers. One more copy would have been welcome.

Luke is here equipped with the belt taken on a Stormtrooper, white version of the usual accessory of Batman in the film which was dedicated to him, already seen on the hips of Disco Batgirl in the set 70922 The Joker Manor and on the version Easter Bunny of Batman in the Toys R Us exclusive pack based on the movie (ref. 5004939). Nothing rare for the rest, the head, the torso and the legs are already present in many sets. The lightsaber doesn't have much to do there, but Luke with his saber is always better than without.

Those who have not wanted to spend several hundred euros since 2016 to afford the set 75159 UCS Death Star (499.99 €) will be able here to obtain the torso of Leia available so far only in this big box. The double-sided head of the minifig is currently exclusive to this set and the hair is only available in the sets 75159 UCS Death Star et 7965 Millennium Falcon marketed in 2011.

Too bad for the white legs, I would have preferred a piece reproducing a tunic corresponding to the outfit seen in the film.

For the Stormtrooper, the head, torso and legs are the ones already seen in many boxes. The new helmet that I personally find very successful but which is far from being unanimous among fans is for the moment only present in this set and in the 4+ box. 75235 X-Wing Starfighter Trench Run and will also dress the Stormtroopers of the set 75262 Imperial Dropship to come up.

Honestly, I'd rather see here a thinly veiled homage to the cult Kenner-branded playsets that some of us knew in our youth than a toy that really brings something to the LEGO Star Wars range. This set would find a justification if it was one of the elements of a coherent group of boxes allowing to reconstitute a set of scenes but it is not the case.

The scene reproduced here deserves a little more context than the tablecloth in the living room or the carpet in the children's room and on this point the sets 75159 and 10188 did almost better.

Collectors will console themselves with the possibility of affording this version of Princess Leia's minifigure at a reasonable price.

As usual, no one is forcing you to pay 30 € for this little box, it is already less than 25 € at amazon:

[amazon box="B07FP6ZWNC"]

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before February 15, 2019 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

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.