My eldest chose to pick this one up recently with some birthday money gifted to him. Lego is becoming an ever present and feels like increasing in quantity week on week in our home with this set really adding to it.
Equally my children are just starting to broach into the world of Star Wars having watched only the Phantom Menace film and also the Young Jedi TV show. Perhaps still a touch young for anything more.
The Phantom Menace I think really struck a cord with my eldest seeing a young Anakin Skywalker starting to make his way into the Star Wars Universe. A boy inventor, pod racer and then space pilot. Looking over the lego sets he spots this one and I explain who the figures are and the young Anakin grows up to become a Jedi, Sold! He wanted this set and he’s very curious about what’s to come… not yet…
The box notes this set is for 8+ and that could well be about right. My child did struggle a touch but we spent about 2 hours on a Sunday afternoon completing. Don’t get me wrong, it could be a lot quicker but I wanted to ensure my child got to work through it and really wanted him to figure out for himself rather than I take over and do it for him. There were mistakes for sure along the way but that was part of the process. To see the elation in their face on completion was something to behold, they were happy with a construction well done.
I’m in awe of the amount of lego content out there now, it’s mind boggling from the 90’s when there seemed to be far fewer. It’s impressive. I’m looking at this set in bits and just perplexed as to how it can go together to make a very accurate replication of the interceptor ship. Sure enough though, the instructions are very clear to follow (my view as an adult, my child didn’t see it that way but they are still learning) and deliver a very robust finished toy. The designers at Lego HQ are extremely talented.
Then the imaginative play off of the back of assembling this and watching my children combine it with the other lego they already have is hugely satisfying to see as a parent. Don’t get me wrong, like everything these days, price is soaring through the roof and lego is not an exception here. I do feel it is expensive but there is no arguing with the quality of the product and the joy in a child’s face at the end of it all. Who doesn’t want to see Anakin Skywalker battling with Utron?
I’m quite enjoying watching my children see Anakin as the hero at present also. Being brought up in the original trilogy, my perception is that Anakin is pure evil in the form of Darth Vader. Then when the prequel trilogy came out, we all knew where that heads, but my kids don’t. Hopefully they won’t be disappointed as they are enjoying playing with Anakin as a Jedi hero and training his young Padawan, Ashoka. Then going off on their space adventures and stopping the forces of evil.
Final Thoughts
You really won’t hear me say a bad word on lego, except maybe the cost…. This set is a quality product that was excellent to build and, for me critically, excellent to play with in seeing what my children are getting out of it. Definitely look to add it into your Star Wars Lego collection.
