Star Wars remains LEGO’s most coveted license with countless sets from the franchise earning exceptional ratings from builders worldwide. The adorable R2-D2 droid exemplifies this success perfectly and boasts a 4.9 out of 5 stars across thousands of reviews. By fortunate timing, this set has just dropped to an all-time low on Amazon, and it’s flying off the shelves: At $79 down from its usual $99 price, this 1,050-piece building experience delivers both a satisfying construction project and a display piece that captures one of cinema’s most iconic characters in brick form.
No introduction is needed to any Star Wars aficionado for R2-D2. The clever astromech droid has appeared in every but the most insignificant Star Wars films and TV shows and saves the heroes with technological magic and unflinching perseverance time and again. This LEGO set remains true to R2’s charm with meticulous care for detail and playful interactive features. The completed model stands over 9 inches high, 6 inches wide, and 4 inches deep, which makes a grand impression without taking up too much of your shelf real estate.
R2-D2’s dome head will rotate 360 degrees so that you can pose him like he’s scanning his surroundings or reacting to droids and minifigures across from him. This rotating system uses LEGO Technic parts hidden in the build to create smooth motion without loosening after extended periods. The third leg that is removable also flexes and folds, emulating R2’s movement from the films in which he transitions from his stable three-legged form to his faster two-wheeled wheel mode. An attachable periscope replica’s the sensor that sticks out of R2’s dome during recon missions and other attachable tools wink to the many various gadgets he’s dispatched throughout the saga, from arc welders to drink service trays.
The set includes a bonus 25th Anniversary Darth Malak minifigure and celebrates LEGO Star Wars’ quarter century milestone. Darth Malak is from the well-loved Knights of the Old Republic video game and belongs to the wider Star Wars universe beyond the films. Including him not only provides collectibility but also provides you with an option for a display other than R2-D2 himself.
The building experience uses 1,050 pieces and offers a number of hours of enjoyable constructing that is appropriate for 10 years and up. LEGO instruction guides guide you through the construction with numbered bags that organize pieces by build phase, precluding the overwhelming feeling of pouring all pieces into one heap.
For $79, you’re getting excellent value for an officially licensed LEGO set of this size and sophistication. Star Wars fans, here is your opportunity.
