[REVIEW]:75023 Star Wars Advent Calendar

[Ritz Brick]

It's that time of the year again! No, not Christmas, but the time when the new Star Wars Advent Calendar is released. Becoming a bit of a tradition for me reviewing the past two, I bring you our newest Advent Calender which seems to become a new standard, selling alongside the City Calendar. Being released no where near Christmas is strange, but only one/two of the windows are actually Christmas themed, so everything else is pretty nice to have just for the parts or collecting value.

Set Name: Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar

Set Number: 75023

Pieces: 254 (there are about 20-30 extras)

Minifigures: 9

Price: $49.99 CDN $39.99 USD

Year of Release: 2013

Onto our review, the box photographs very strange because some of the printing (on Jango most notably) is textured. Making the light reflect off it in quite a positive way. The box does however give away the surprise exclusive minifigure.

The top of the box shows us some of the minifigures we'll be getting in their "actual size".

The back shows us the proper way to open the box and some of it's contents plus a code for the Yoda Chronicles.

So you have two options, cut the tape on the sides and pull out the tray, or cut the tape on the back and flip it open thusly. Sidenote: save the black tray, it's great for sorting pieces in larger sets.

The instructions are found on the inside of each door, some of the larger micro models can be a bit difficult at first, but some of them just need a second look.

Day 1: Yellow astromech, same guy we got in the most recent Y-Wing. I like him.

Day 2: Count Dooku's Solar Sailer

(I didn't know what it was at first)

Day 3: Count Dooku's Pilot Droid

Fitting in with Day 2, this inclusion is a bit weak. I don't see the need for two of these.

Day 4: Zam Wessel`s Speeder

Seems like a missed opportunity not making a redone Zam, or to build Anakin and Kenobi`s speeder.

Bag 5: Cloud Car

Day 6: Boro-wait..Endor Trooper

Much angrier than any previous Rebel we`ve had. But he does have a reversible head.

Settling down.

Day 7: Weapon rack.

It`s become a theme in Advent Calendars to not supply the minifigures with weapons, but to just throw them all together later on...

Day 8 Republic Attack Gunship

Ok, so this is a huge pet peeve of mine, I saw many comments praising this model, even though it is a complete rip-off of the other Gunship we got in the first advent calendar except this one has the binocular piece on top.

Day 9: Acclamator

It`s very tough to build large scale ships in micro, but this is a fairly good rendition.

Day 10: Clone Trooper

Fitting, seeing our last two builds.

Day 11: AT-TE

That strange stud on top? Patience grasshopper.

Mother and child.

Day 12: LAAT Dropship

As you probably guessed, these two can hook up, quite well actually.

Day 13: Battle Droid

Nothing special here.

Day 14: Geonosian Fighter

Personally I hate this, I feel like the geonosian fighter is just to difficult to re-create in Lego, in any scale.

Day 15: Geonosian

No wings?

Day 16: Another weapons rack.

Day 17: Naboo Starship

(before it's blown up at the beginning of Episode II

Day 18: Scout Trooper

Only seen in the new Ewok Village, this guy is a gem.

Day 19: Separatist Shuttle.

We've gotten one of these in the first calendar as well, but a little different build and different colour.

Day 20: Obi Wan's Jedi Starfighter.

Day 21: Jango Fett's Slave 1

Built in the same way as the first advent calendars Slave 1...but different colours obviously.

Wings can rotate.

Day 22: Boba Fett

Lovely figure, exclusive to this set and I can't imagine being added into another set in the near future.

Plus a reversible head when he's busy shooting Obi Wan.

Day 23: A silly rocket sled dealy.

Day 24: Jango Fett

These seems to fall along the lines of the Santa Darth Maul, having a villain as the Santa character doesn't make any sense to me. The colours go horribly together and the torso is pretty much useless for anything else. Even with Jango being a popular character. I feel having Obi Wan being the Santa making more sense. (he does have the beard after all).

Here is the entirety of the calendar all laid out. It's fairly lackluster to me, but oh well. Someone else will like it.

Looks like the Kaminoans didn't give Jango enough money to provide his family with a large enough sled.

In previous years the Advent Calendars have been a decent mix of the movies, but clearly thing one focuses much more on Episode II. With only 4 days being something other than AOTC related.

Overall: Obviously the Advent Calendars are following suit with the regular sets, where the minifigures are the main draw to the set with the sets being less than average. Personally I would be much happier if TLC just hired Legostein to create all their new micro and mini models.

Build: 7/10 It goes by pretty quick, but I imagine it being a lot more fun building it one per day like you're supposed to.

Design: 3/10 Most of these builds are just awful, not to mention the ones that we've seen already. Come on, we've only had 3 calendars so far.

Price: 8/10 I'm impartial to prices

Pieces: 8/10 We do get a good array of small pieces, plus lots of extra goodies.

Playability: 9/10 One of these days I'm going to make a huge battle scene consisting of micro scale vehicles. A lot of these do go together. LAAT/AT-TE, Clone/Battle Droid, Slave 1/Jedi Starfighter, Solar Sailer/Pilot Droid.

Minifigures: 8/10 The plain old battle droid and the pilot droid bring down this mark a bit, but the Boba and the Scout Trooper more than make up for it.

Total: 43/60

[CEMORDIN]

No Jedi in this set!! No lightsaber in this set!! No~~

[Ritz Brick]

No Jedi in this set!! No lightsaber in this set!! No~~

Good point actually, in AOTC we see the most amount of Jedi at one time.

[Bob De Quatre]

Was going to buy the calendar this year for the first time... But seeing the sets, I think I'll pass

[Csacsa234]

Thanks for the review, I'm still thinking whether to get this or not, I'm not really interested in the vehicles, there are some cute builds but nothing special. The figures although quite good especially the scout trooper and boba, also I'd be happy to get the solar sailor pilot droid (Am I the only one? ).

[Tariq j]

Thanks, so much for the review ritz brick I've got one and I can't wait to open it.

[lightningtiger]

The only reason why these sell is that name Star Wars........pass unless it's on clearance somewhere....my son wouldn't mind the Fett duo to add to his collection.

I find most of the micro builds ugly as.......except for the drop ship and gun ship they look okay.

Thanks for the review 'Ritz Brick'......Brick On Review On !

[Darth Dino]

Hi

i have read this reaview and (because it was good) your other two. I feel you criticise the right thing (e.g. filler items).

I am wondering why you still buying the after having two more than less bad SW calendars. The force must be strong with you ;)

Dino

Edited September 21, 2013 by Darth Dino

[Infernum]

Erm, definitely more lackluster than expected. I might pick it up when it inevitably goes down to $15-20.

[Ritz Brick]

Hi

i have read this reaview and (because it was good) your other two. I feel you criticise the right thing (e.g. filler items).

I am wondering why you still buying the after having two more than less bad SW calendars. The force must be strong with you ;)

Dino

Two things, it says Lego Star Wars, and because I love mini/micro models. Even though these are not the greatest, the pieces are almost perfect for other minis or micros.

[BrickG]

I feel this is probably the worst Star Wars advent set in a while. Maybe if Jango's helmet actually matched. Idunno it just seems more boring.

[FuzzyBallz]

I really don't see the point of these advent calendars, even when they're on clearance at target. All you're getting is a bunch of random LEGO pieces that happen to form objects that vaguely resemble what they're suppose to be. You basically get 1-2 good LEGO minifigs. Why would I spend $50 on a box of junk when I can use that same amount of money for 5 battle packs?

[mpoh98]

Not bad Advent Calendar!

[tfcrafter]

Nice review, but the Geonosian doesn't come with wings sine he's the pilot Geonosian from 2011.

[mechamike]

Thanks for reviewing the set.. I'll walked by this in the shop a few weeks ago but the huge pricetag here in Sweden stopped me from picking it up. After reading Your review Im glad I made that decision.. Boba is nice (but I dont see myself doing a moc of his scenes as a kid). And im a OT fan anyhow.. The Scouttrooper is surely nice but Ill'l pass this set anyhow!.

[Robert_88]

The calendar could be better (but I like it).

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Just spotted that somebody reviewed this already. If you're in the US and near a K-Mart, they're selling the calendar for $18.00 in some kind of secret clearance sale. I'd get it now given that it's regular $40. The best I ever saw at a Target after-Christmas sale was 50% off--this is 55%. At that price, grab it!

...personally, I'd put Jango's rocket pack on his back instead of on the sled. Maybe that would make him look a little better? Although I just noticed that he has no rangefinder, which is nuts.

[Blondie-Wan]

I really don't see the point of these advent calendars, even when they're on clearance at target. All you're getting is a bunch of random LEGO pieces that happen to form objects that vaguely resemble what they're suppose to be. You basically get 1-2 good LEGO minifigs. Why would I spend $50 on a box of junk when I can use that same amount of money for 5 battle packs?

Well, first of all because it's an Advent Calendar, obviously, and thus offers the advent calendar experience, which actually is important to some people - not everyone, granted, but opening one numbered box each day to get a little surprise can be a cherished part of the holiday season for some, regardless of how "useful" the pieces are after December. Secondly, this set has way more than 1-2 minifigures; whether they're good minifigures or not is obviously subjective, but I think it's safe to say each of them is good to someone. And finally, the set MSRP is $40 ($39.99), not $50.

Not to say I think this is a particularly great one, and it stands a good chance of becoming the first LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar I don't get for myself, but I do see the point of them.

Edited October 10, 2013 by Blondie-Wan