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LEGO Star Wars: 75192 Millennium Falcon UCS Review
Here we are, with the LEGO Star Wars 75192 Millennium Falcon (Ultimate Collector Series) set, and it’s time to take a look at this 28.8 pounds box that will make you dream a lot.
This Millennium Falcon is presented as an exceptional product, it is also a strength demonstration that highlights all the know-how of a brand and which, by the way, makes the 10179 set, which until now has remained a reference model, look very old.
799.99 €, it is indeed a lot of money and we can find all the valid excuses not to buy this box. We can also list all the arguments in favor of this expenditure. But the public price of this box puts this set in a situation where all the arguments in the world will have their chances. The truth is that everyone will have to have a very private discussion with their wallets.
Let’s address right away the few points that cause me problems, so that we can then return to the pleasure of construction….
Delivery without problems, packaging apparently intact, the plan seemed to go smoothly. The bags are packed in four white boxes that are wisely stored. It is nicely decorated and each of the four boxes include a famous quote from the original Star Wars movies, three from Han Solo and one from Lando Calrissian. Original.
“She might not look like much but she’s got it where it counts, kid.”
“I’ve made a lot of special modifications myself.”
“It’s the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 Parsecs.”
“She’s the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.”
To finish with the contents of the box, let’s not forget the “traditional” sticker sheet. In 2017, what is the excuse for not stamping the elements of a high-end model for the exhibition? To be able to reuse the parts concerned to build something else? Limit production costs? You can try to convince me, you won’t be able to do it. To find yourself sticking stickers on a €799.99 product marked “Ultimate Collector Series” is simply unacceptable.
LEGO didn’t push the flaw to the point of letting you stick a sticker on the cockpit canopy. This one is therefore stamped. Anyone who has tried to properly apply the 10240 Red Five X-Wing Starfighter canopy sticker will be relieved not to have to use improbable techniques here to get the correct result. That’s always the price.
As you will have understood, this first contact with this set is not really up to my expectations. But whatever the setting, it is the content that counts. I am demanding on a product’s quality but I am not a packaging fetishist and I am tired of languid unboxing. If I open a box, it’s to assemble what’s inside. It is now time to move on to the essential, the assembly of this Millennium Falcon.
No question of giving you a guided tour of the assembly of the set, others will do it better than me and if this is your thing you will quickly find long videos online of the 7541 pieces of this set in real-time. No way either to race, I take my time, I enjoy myself. Disassembly, however, promises to be laborious…
We therefore start with twenty bags numbered from 1 to 6 (in groups of 3 or 4 bags). In total, there are 17 groups of bags to assemble and 1379 assembly steps…
This is no surprise, the structure of the ship is based on Technic pieces and it will remind some memories to the owners of the 10179 UCS Millennium Falcon set released in 2007.
Here we find a cross design similar to that of the previous model. The result is extremely solid and the structure can be easily handled at this stage by grasping it from the center.
You will not escape a few repetitive sequences during which it will be necessary to build several times the same sub-assemblies such as the landing gear of the ship which also partially reproduce the design of those of the 10179 set. Thanks to the spiral system used for the instruction manual, which avoids having to block each page with a heavy object to prevent it from turning while something is being assembled.
However, the designer made sure to vary the assembly sequences so as not to generate too much fatigue during the assembly phase of the internal structure. You will quickly have to move a part or two by one pin, vigilance is required. The risk: you may not realize it until a little late in the day that you have made a mistake and have to turn back. Connection points that are not visible from the perspective of the manual’s visuals are often highlighted in separate sections, which is convenient.
Along the way, you also need to assemble the few internal spaces of the ship before fixing them to the structure. The 2007 version only had a cockpit to install the mini-figures. This new model offers other “playable” spaces and it is in my opinion a major evolution, in addition to the significant improvement in the aesthetics of the model.
These intermediate sequences are entertaining enough to make you forget the hundreds of Technic pins to put in place. Some stickers to put on to give the depth illusion of the aisles of the ship, the effect is successful. Dejarik’s table is stamped.
Be careful to press each piece firmly to avoid having to leaf through the huge manual in the opposite direction if a piece falls during handling of the assembly. It’s annoying.
By inserting the different modules that cover the inside of the ship, we begin to get something significant. It’s quite rewarding after a few long hours of assembly. We then move on to the contours of the ship and start setting up the countless details that give this model its unique look. Many small parts very varied to set up, little symmetry between two elements however similar, it is necessary to be careful and meticulous.
After a little over twenty hours of work, I finally made it to the end. I took all my time, I had to go back a little bit to fix some mistakes and add some forgotten things here and there. And this is not to mention the fragility of some assemblies that complicate the process.
After the structure is built, there is a small passage that is a little laborious, with internal details of the ship’s mandibles set up before covering them with panels that will allow these modules to be seen. The horizontal fixing on a few studs is not able to guarantee perfect rigidity to one of these modules, which does not fail to come off when the upper panel is installed. It’s annoying.
After assembling the internal structure and installing the mandibles panels, the various elements that cover the lower part of the vessel are built. This is a minimum service here. The designer will have considered that if it doesn’t show, there is no point in making tons of details. The result is a little sad, but we’ll settle for it.
The central disc that holds the lower barrel has been given a little more care. It helps to make the structure rigid as well as allowing the vessel to be caught from below without breaking everything. The canopy is stamped. It’s always good to know that even if the dome is oriented towards the inside of the ship and no one will see it. The same is true for the access ramp to the vessel, which opens and closes manually. You can leave it open to expose the ship, but it leads nowhere.
One remark: There are many empty areas left under the vessel and the different cover pieces are roughly adjusted. We will be comforted by the fact that this Millennium Falcon is an exhibition model intended to rest on its landing gears and that after all it is only LEGO with its aesthetic imperfections that make it the charm or the main flaw.
At this stage of construction, don’t expect to be able to turn this nearly 29 pounds ship around anymore. Some of the upper panels are simply placed on the structure, which is logical since several of them are intended to be removable to show the different interior spaces. But several of these hull elements that reveal nothing are vaguely wedged between two other panels.
It is at this precise moment that this set becomes a model and stops being a big toy. It’s a little strange feeling.
There is really no central handle that would make it easier to move the model. LEGO recommends entering it from below and that makes sense. But a movable handle hidden in the central axis would have simplified the grip, even by compensating with the other hand for the vessel’s imbalance during transport.
The different interior spaces are not really “playable” zones. There is nothing to do except remove the panels from the hull and put some of the mini-figures provided for a “cross-section” rendering as found in the many books devoted to the saga’ s machines and vessels. It is an alternative option for presenting this model more than anything else, just like the interchangeable radars.
The corridor leading to the cockpit does not have the same finishing level as the rest of the ship’s upper surface and that is a pity. The angle of this circular corridor is really very rough and reminds us that this vessel is above all a LEGO model with the technical and aesthetic limitations that go with it.
The cockpit is rough and the pad printing of the canopy cleverly masks the absence of interior details. There is no particular mechanism to remove the canopy, it is necessary to remove the disc that holds the two half-cones.
Upon arrival, it was obviously a real pleasure to assemble this ship. This set guarantees long hours of assembly and the final result is still very impressive. There is no boredom thanks to a balanced distribution of the different assembly sequences. Fixing the many details in the second half of the assembly phase requires a little more attention than usual.
The problem that will then arise is equal to the exceptional character of this box: what to do with this huge model? Exhibiting it requires finding the available space and the right furniture. The coffee table solution with integrated display case seems to me to be the best, but it will need spending a few hundred extra euros for a convincing result.
If you’re considering tackling the ship against the wall, good luck. It is not really designed to be exposed vertically, except to take out a tube of glue to permanently fix the various panels that are placed on the structure.
One solution:
On the mini-figures side, it’s a bit like the icing on the (big) cake with the added bonus of a pretext to reinforce the 2 in 1 side of the set. Two eras, two radars, two crews. It’s a good point, the selection is smart and there are some for all generations of fans. I didn’t expect this set to contain one or two dozen mini-figuess anyway.
We could talk for long hours about why this or that character is missing in this set (Luke, Lando, etc…), but it wouldn’t change much when we get there. There will never be enough for some people and if that’s the only reason you’re not making the buying decision, you’re already desperately trying to convince yourself not to do the big jump.
Among all the characters who have ever sat in the mythical ship, I find LEGO’s selection more than wise. Even if some will grumble at the number of figurines offered for such a price, I don’t think it’s a major selection criterion. Nevertheless, it is worth noting the care taken in each of them. They will allow you to recreate some of the cult scenes of the films, thanks to the arranged interior spaces. Or they will proudly sit at the foot of the ship once it has been exposed.
Of all the mini-figures, only two are exclusive to our Falcon: Han and Leia in their “original trilogy” version. Remastered versions of C-3PO, Chewbacca, Rey or Finn specially created for the occasion would have been welcome.
This set is a pure high-end exhibition product for collectors that will obviously appeal to a wider audience than the usual LEGO fans. Many Star Wars fans will find a Millennium Falcon more original than a simple reproduction, however detailed, molded and already assembled.
As this model is based on LEGO bricks, it is up to you to remove the colour elements that seem superfluous to you or to add a few details where you think the model would benefit. I usually just reproduce what is planned. But you can also let your imagination run wild and make this model evolve according to your desires.
A detail: The second part of the assembly can really be done by several people, provided that several instruction manuals are available. Each can assemble different elements that will then be set up on the ship. A little friendliness never hurts.
So, at 800 € per experience, is this set up to my expectations? Yes for the long hours of assembly, yes for the global rendering, yes for the assumed model aspect. Not for a few fragile parts and a few finishes that are a little too rough for my taste. With a certain hindsight, the ship looks good overall. Its look also becomes a little less flattering from certain angles.
For the rest, it is up to everyone to decide if their budget allows them to afford this exceptional set. Don’t sacrifice anything vital for a set that will eventually clutter you up or force you to invest even more to find a place for it at home. If it is the assembly experience that appeals to you more than owning 29 pounds of plastic, find a friend who has purchased it and ask him to let you disassemble / reassemble this Millennium Falcon. If you are a fan of LEGO and a collector of Star Wars products, go for it!
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