Set Review: 75533 Boba Fett
Saturday, March 24th, 2018 at 9:49am by Jason, BZPower Reporter
In collaboration with our art contest Definitive Edition, we have another Star Wars set review. Today BZPower Reporter Xccj takes a closer look at the buildable figure 75533: Boba Fett. Is this set worth the bounty, or should you toss it back to the Sarlacc? Read on or watch the video review to find out.
First, a big shout out to LEGO for generously donating this set to us for a review. Thanks again!
When I first heard that LEGO was making Star Wars CCBS characters, Boba Fett was the first one that jumped to mind for me, as he seemed like a great opportunity to build in this style. Alas, they included the duller (in my opinion) Jango Fett in the first wave, and it has taken us six waves to finally receive the son. Boba Fett is now available for $29.99 USD.
Presentation
From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.
The front of the package shows off the character in action, as he's apparently escaping from the Scarlacc Pit from Return of the Jedi. The back features an alternate pose, as well as some of the features like his helmet, jetpack, and blaster, with the top showing off an actual size image of the helmet piece. There's also a scale showing that he's 26 cm tall. It's pretty standard for a CCBS character, but the fact that he's such an iconic character really jumps out.
Building
Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?
Unfortunately, there is nothing particularly interesting about the build, as he uses standard buildable character designs we've seen in a lot of the Star Wars CCBS sets. The one interesting addition is the more Technic-styled jetpack, which includes a surprising flick fire missile. It's not a bad build, but if you've constructed a bunch of these sets before, it's nothing new.
Set Design
Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.
Boba Fett includes 144 pieces, including a handful of extras. A surprising number go into detailing the technic jetpack, while the actual character is made using the standard molds. In fact, the only new mold in this set is the helmet piece. The helmet is pretty impressive, with some great printing and coloring to really bring the character to life. LEGO has had some mixed results with making character heads, but they've done well with the helmeted characters, and Boba Fett is no exception. In fact, the dent on the forehead is actually built into the mold and not just a printed bit, which is some great detailing.
I'm not usually one to enjoy printed pieces, but they really stand out here. The two lower leg armor elements have unique printings to reflect his battle worn armor, and one of the rounded shoulder shells has the iconic Mythosaur Skull print on it. And, of course, the torso piece has some awesome printing on it. Beyond that, he also has a nice selection of uncommon piece colors. Among the parts that are unique to this set are the sand green shells, both light grey shells, the Keetongu orange / bright flameish orange rounded shells, the dark red shells, the dark tan 2x2 curved slopes, and the blue connector element. In particular, the sand green shells are the first time we've seen green in a Star Wars CCBS set (outside of the lightsabers) so it's cool that the theme is getting a bit brighter. So what the set lacks in new molds, it makes up for in new colored elements.
Looking at the set objectively, Boba Fett doesn't look like he has much going for him compared to the other Star Wars buildable figures we've seen before. He has a standard armor design, including the curved slopes on the back of his lower legs. A few nice touches are the two pouches at his hips, as well as the rocket launcher on his left wrist. Even the blaster is fairly basic, although it does have an extended stock element to make it appear a bit longer. From the front, he's fairly basic. But with that said, he still blows a lot of the other sets out of the water, and it comes down to color. The flame-yellowish orange, dark red, and sand green really pop out well against the light gray, and help recreate the character's iconic look from the movies. In addition to being fairly movie accurate, I think he benefits from having multiple colors, especially compared to some of the monochrome characters we've gotten in the past.
From the back, you see that he does have something going for him that most other character's lack; a detailed jetpack build. This uses a bunch of technic elements to show off the basic design. This time, I think the colors are too bright, although after some research I can see that they are somewhat accurate to the movie. Still, the jetpack jumps out too much, especially compared to the battle worn printing on the front. So it's a mixed bag. You can also notice the small olive green cape, attached to his neck and left shoulder. Although it's a subtle addition, the cape generally fits nicely beneath the jetpack, so the two features don't get in the way.
However, while the build is pretty standard, there are a few weak points that should be addressed. The helmet antenna and the hip pouches are both connected using a clip element, and that connection is weaker so those parts tend to break off easily. Additionally, the tip of the jetpack missile is too exposed and has another weak connection, so those pieces are constantly breaking off whenever I readjust the model.
Playability
The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with?
The main benefit of this set is that you get to recreate an iconic Star Wars figure for roleplay, but he still has a few special features. His blaster continues to use the same mold as most of the other Star Wars CCBS characters, and thus houses a nice spring loaded launcher, which works reasonably well. But the more surprising bit is the flick fire missile built into the jetpack. LEGO has generally moved away from their overuse of flick fire missiles in recent years, instead relying on stud shooters or spring loaded launchers to add play value. The mechanism for the jetpack is solid but simple. The missile doesn't go too far (flick fire missiles never did) but it does recreate the function of the character's jetpack. (I mean, Boba Fett never used it in the movies, as far as I recall, but it got used by his dad in Attack of the Clones and the Mandalorians in the Star Wars Rebels TV show quite a lot.)
Beyond those action features, Boba Fett is very poseable, having great articulation without any real restrictions. Most Star Wars CCBS characters tend to have movement issues around their necks, but this isn't an issue here, as his helmet can move around freely. Depending on the quality of the set, the friction joints on the hips and ankles might make the limbs break apart when you try to reposition them, but otherwise Boba Fett can be placed into many various poses.
Final Thoughts
Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?
Pros
What's to like?
- A great amount of recolored pieces
- Multiple colors work together well
- Iconic look remakes the character from the movie
- Decent weapon function
Cons
What's not to like?
- A fairly standard build
- A few weak points break easily, especially the jetpack missile
- Jetpack perhaps too brightly colored
- Very expensive
In many ways, I would consider Boba Fett to be the best Star Wars CCBS character. Yes, the build is pretty standard, but he uses a humanoid design that has worked and rocks it with great colors, printing, and general attention to detail. Plus, it helps that he's one of the most iconic Star Wars characters. I would easily recommend this set for any Star Wars or CCBS fan. The biggest complaint about the set is the cost; $29.99 makes him one of the most expensive CCBS characters, especially since he's about the same size as cheaper sets. I'm sure the custom printed pieces and unique recolors (and general licensing fees) added to the cost, but he does put a bit of a strain on the wallet. Still, I think many fans would appreciate this set if they can pick it up.
Thanks again for reading and / or watching another BZPower Set Review. LEGO generously donated this set for review, and the thoughts and opinions in this article are entirely my own. Make sure to stay tuned to BZPower for more LEGO set reviews, including more from Star Wars!
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