Set ID: 7965 Millennium Falcon
Number of Pieces: 1254
Year of Release: 2011
Minifigs: 6
Purchased Price: About SGD250
This is one of those sets that gets better and better with every new version launched. Don't get me wrong, there are still some fundamental flaws in this Millennium Falcon (especially if you are a die hard fan of Star Wars and expect LEGO to do miracle by trying to recreate the legendary vehicle using bricks), but putting those aside, I am more than happy with this latest version of the MF, both in terms of playability and build quality.
The brick counts for the MF keeps increasing from the initial 659 pieces for the 2000 version, to 985 pieces for the 2004 version, to the current 1254 pieces. More bricks = higher price = more details? It certainly is unfair to compare this MF with the UCS version, which is built to proportion with respect to the minifigs using 5195 pieces of bricks. At less than a quarter of that brick count, there is little to complain about the level of details for this version. If you have built the two earlier versions before, you will know exactly what I meant.
The Blooming Lotus Flower
The top of the MF is made up of a dozen of triangular panels that can be opened up (like a lotus flower) to reveal a spacious cabin. Most of the panels have unique details which made building them not as boring as I initially thought. The MF with the opened panels is not a pretty sight so unless you want to replay the movie scene within the cabin of the MF, I would suggest to keep them closed so as to preserve the dignity of the vehicle. Closing the panels reveals a flaw in the design, which are the gaps between them. Some of these gaps are alarmingly big, enough for you to have a peek into the cabin from the outside. The minifigs should just pray that the MF does not fly through wet weather as there will be little protection for them from the elements.
Two pairs of quad laser cannons can be found on the top and bottom of the MF. Both have multiple degree of freedom which allows them to be posed in your desired directions. They are also well built enough to not rotate uncontrollably when you swing the MF during play time. Other than these cannons, the MF is also protected against her pursuers with four front facing flick missiles (so how is that going to work against those rear chasing pursuer?), located on the underside of the vehicle. Firing them will be challenging, as they are not easy to access.
The cockpit can hold two minifigs, albeit a little tight for space. There is only one joystick in the cockpit though so the 2nd pilot would be very much redundant, other than just keeping the chief pilot company. I am not too sure if the design was meant to double the cockpit as an escape pod because it certainly can come off easily from the main body of the MF with a slight tug. I don't remember Hans Solo ever did this escape act in the movie though.
The undercarriage is the more disappointing part of this MF. It is as if the designers totally ran out of ideas after doing a great job with the rest of the vehicle. The four landing gear look out of place and primitive as compared to the futuristic craft. It would be great if these gears can be retracted when the MF takes flight, at least they will be out of sight, hopefully out of mind. Similar to that in the movie, the passengers of the MF can access via a ramp on the right underside of the vehicle. The ramp for this MF is purely for cosmetic purpose as the minifigs are too tall to be walking underneath the MF, let alone accessing the ramp.
Interior Design
The inside of the cabin can be divided into four sections. One is occupied by the gangway leading to the cockpit. One is the living quarter where you can find a circular chess board to keep the passengers entertained during flight. Luke Skywalker has a training room in one of the sections where he hone his lightsaber skills. The last section is the sleeping quarter where you can find a pair of single beds laid out in L shape. With so much excitement being pursued by TIE fighters, I wonder if the space can be better used for other purposes other than for beds. The middle of the cabin is where you can find most of the other controls with multiple computer screens (non stickers, thank god!)
A secret compartment is built into the floor of the cabin, so secretive that you can only find it by the red handle that opens the door. The purpose of this compartment is beyond my comprehension though. This MF does come with some LEGO standard tools (wrench, hammer etc) which are supposed to be placed in the lightsaber training room. However, I deem that they are a hazard to Luke, especially when the MF is in flight, so the secret compartment is used to house those tools.
Building Experience
This MF comes in 6 big bags of bricks and put together through 2 building manuals. The instructions are clear and easy to understand but do be prepared for some rather repetitive steps when building the body and top panels of this MF. I took three evenings to complete this MF, spending roughly two hour per evening. I wasn't rushing to complete this and just wanted to enjoy the process of building it, appreciating the details as the MF unveils itself.
I would regard the completed MF as a very sturdy product, allowing you to hold it in one hand (it is heavy though) without disintegrating. This sturdiness can be attributed to the well-designed frame that form the bottom of the vehicle. In fact, almost the entire pack 1 was used to build the frame and the base of the MF, creating a strong foundation for the rest of the building works.
Stickers-haters beware. Stickers are used extensively on the outside of this MF, mostly to represent the engineering details of the exterior as well as the ventilation outlets.
Minifigs
This set comes with 6 minifigs - Darth Vader, Obi Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Hans Solo, Leia and Chewbacca. While most of the minifigs have close relation to the MF, the inclusion of Darth Vader in this set does raise a few questions though. No major surprises, pleasant or otherwise, for the minifigs. Guess if they are holed up in the MF most of the time, they should not take away the limelight from the MF. Or should they?
The brick counts for the MF keeps increasing from the initial 659 pieces for the 2000 version, to 985 pieces for the 2004 version, to the current 1254 pieces. More bricks = higher price = more details? It certainly is unfair to compare this MF with the UCS version, which is built to proportion with respect to the minifigs using 5195 pieces of bricks. At less than a quarter of that brick count, there is little to complain about the level of details for this version. If you have built the two earlier versions before, you will know exactly what I meant.
The Blooming Lotus Flower
The top of the MF is made up of a dozen of triangular panels that can be opened up (like a lotus flower) to reveal a spacious cabin. Most of the panels have unique details which made building them not as boring as I initially thought. The MF with the opened panels is not a pretty sight so unless you want to replay the movie scene within the cabin of the MF, I would suggest to keep them closed so as to preserve the dignity of the vehicle. Closing the panels reveals a flaw in the design, which are the gaps between them. Some of these gaps are alarmingly big, enough for you to have a peek into the cabin from the outside. The minifigs should just pray that the MF does not fly through wet weather as there will be little protection for them from the elements.
Two pairs of quad laser cannons can be found on the top and bottom of the MF. Both have multiple degree of freedom which allows them to be posed in your desired directions. They are also well built enough to not rotate uncontrollably when you swing the MF during play time. Other than these cannons, the MF is also protected against her pursuers with four front facing flick missiles (so how is that going to work against those rear chasing pursuer?), located on the underside of the vehicle. Firing them will be challenging, as they are not easy to access.
The cockpit can hold two minifigs, albeit a little tight for space. There is only one joystick in the cockpit though so the 2nd pilot would be very much redundant, other than just keeping the chief pilot company. I am not too sure if the design was meant to double the cockpit as an escape pod because it certainly can come off easily from the main body of the MF with a slight tug. I don't remember Hans Solo ever did this escape act in the movie though.The undercarriage is the more disappointing part of this MF. It is as if the designers totally ran out of ideas after doing a great job with the rest of the vehicle. The four landing gear look out of place and primitive as compared to the futuristic craft. It would be great if these gears can be retracted when the MF takes flight, at least they will be out of sight, hopefully out of mind. Similar to that in the movie, the passengers of the MF can access via a ramp on the right underside of the vehicle. The ramp for this MF is purely for cosmetic purpose as the minifigs are too tall to be walking underneath the MF, let alone accessing the ramp.
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| "How am I supposed to get in?" |
The inside of the cabin can be divided into four sections. One is occupied by the gangway leading to the cockpit. One is the living quarter where you can find a circular chess board to keep the passengers entertained during flight. Luke Skywalker has a training room in one of the sections where he hone his lightsaber skills. The last section is the sleeping quarter where you can find a pair of single beds laid out in L shape. With so much excitement being pursued by TIE fighters, I wonder if the space can be better used for other purposes other than for beds. The middle of the cabin is where you can find most of the other controls with multiple computer screens (non stickers, thank god!)
A secret compartment is built into the floor of the cabin, so secretive that you can only find it by the red handle that opens the door. The purpose of this compartment is beyond my comprehension though. This MF does come with some LEGO standard tools (wrench, hammer etc) which are supposed to be placed in the lightsaber training room. However, I deem that they are a hazard to Luke, especially when the MF is in flight, so the secret compartment is used to house those tools. Building Experience
This MF comes in 6 big bags of bricks and put together through 2 building manuals. The instructions are clear and easy to understand but do be prepared for some rather repetitive steps when building the body and top panels of this MF. I took three evenings to complete this MF, spending roughly two hour per evening. I wasn't rushing to complete this and just wanted to enjoy the process of building it, appreciating the details as the MF unveils itself.
I would regard the completed MF as a very sturdy product, allowing you to hold it in one hand (it is heavy though) without disintegrating. This sturdiness can be attributed to the well-designed frame that form the bottom of the vehicle. In fact, almost the entire pack 1 was used to build the frame and the base of the MF, creating a strong foundation for the rest of the building works.
Minifigs
This set comes with 6 minifigs - Darth Vader, Obi Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Hans Solo, Leia and Chewbacca. While most of the minifigs have close relation to the MF, the inclusion of Darth Vader in this set does raise a few questions though. No major surprises, pleasant or otherwise, for the minifigs. Guess if they are holed up in the MF most of the time, they should not take away the limelight from the MF. Or should they?
