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Set Review: 75099 Rey's Speeder
 Saturday, September 19th, 2015 at 3:29pm by Andrew, BZPower News Manager[Source: Ta-metru_defender] It turns out there's a new Star Wars movie coming out this year, and people are excited about it! One of those people is Blog Assistant Ta-metru_defender, who today is taking a look at 75099 Rey's Speeder from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens lineup. It's the smallest set, but does it pack in a lot of value? Or should you pass over it like an old X-34 in Watto's junkyard? Check out the review to find out! Presentation
GUYS! THERE'S A NEW STAR WARS MOVIE COMING OUT! Oh, and, y'know, new LEGO Star Wars sets. Like this one. As I'm pretty sure you know, Rey's Speeder is the cheapest of the initial wave, coming in at $19.99 for, as the box helpfully says, 193 pieces. Not bad.
So on the box is the titular speeder which we've seen in the teasers for the new movie and it looks pretty cool. Looks like Unkar's Thug SPOILER! isn't having a great day as Rey swats him from her speeder. I feel compelled, since every other review of the new Star Wars sets on BZP has, to point out the Disney logo in the bottom right corner. It's there, it's odd (the Marvel sets don't have it, so Disney is really staking their claim in Star Wars), but, y'know, new Star Wars. There's also Kylo Ren's imposing visage and all the other usual bibs and bobs you find on a LEGO box. The back shows off the set's features (skateboarding boxtops!?) and a real spiffy blueprint sort view of the speeder itself. Inside are two bags, a sticker sheet, and an instruction book.
Look, if you're reading a review on BZP it's a fair wager you've seen a LEGO box or hundred before, so let's move on. And if you've got an issue with that, yell at me in the Talkback, 'cuz I wanna talk about the new Star Wars mov- set. The new Star Wars set. Obviously. Building
You get the feeling when you look at it that it's gonna be familiar, yet updated for a more modern time. To wit, Rey's Speeder (wait, did you think I was talking about The Force Awakens?) comes together easily but has a bunch of cool, new techniques. Like SNOT. There's a lotta headlights and other parts that have you building in a few directions. It's not exactly BBC-winning technique, but it's certainly cool to see it in an official LEGO set. Gives it a nice, well, look at that, it's on to... Set Design
Behold, Rey and Unkar's Thug (whoever Unkar is). Rey looks recognizably like the young woman we see in the trailer (Is she Han and Leia's daughter!?) and sports both a new hairpiece and a really cool head wrap with goggles (that don't move). I'm really glad we got both a hairpiece and the wrap; adds variety and, seriously, how many 'figs have we had who are bald underneath their helmet? Rey also comes with an Indiana Jones-ian satchel. She's also got a reversible head, which is hardly different, but, hey, reversible head? Yay? Unkar's Thug looks like, um, Unkar's Thug? I really don't know what he(?)'s supposed to look like so I can't comment on accuracy. But he's got nice detailing and all his parts can be reused elsewhere, which makes him feel not too specialized a 'fig. For that matter, Rey can be repurposed too, nothing too unique to make them only Star Wars.
The speeder itself, though, is very Star Wars. The look of it is unquestionably from that world, and really, what more do we want from Star Wars than for it to feel like Star Wars? And it translates excellently into the set. The speeder is smooth as all get out and, dude, you just wanna swoosh it around. It's solid, too; it could hit the floor and not fall apart. The SNOT-technique really lends itself to making it seem so darn slick.
It's broken up by the tools attached to the port side which, based on the trailers, is a net holding stuff in the actual film. It's a very pragmatic interpretation of the film model. There's also a spot for her stick-staff-weapon-thing, which in itself is simple - a bar with lightsaber hilts on the end - that works (and lightsaber ends! Does Rey have a lightsaber? Is she related to the Skywalker clan?)
If you twist the lower engine nacelle, a cam inside turns and pushes out either of the side panels, revealing a, well, a box. Inside the box is more ammo for the stud launchers. It fits in there real snug and the openable panels don't flop open and hey, it's a spiffy function. There isn't space in that box though for either Rey's hair or head wrap. Playability
Hey, it's a Star Wars set, and a really well designed one at that. What else do you expect me to do? If for some reason you aren't the run around with your spaceship sort of person (what's wrong with you), then don't worry, there are other ways to play with the set. The stud-launchers launch studs, which is good because, y'know, that's what they're supposed to do. It's nice that they don't really screw up the flow of the vehicle nor stick out too much like those flick fires did. You can open the compartment, as before, so, y'know, there's that. There's also a conflict-in-the-box between Rey and Unkar's Thug, assuming, of course, that Unkar is a villain and his thug is carrying out his handiwork (curse you Abrams and your nefariously tight lips!). It is a bit of an unfair battle, given that the thug's on foot and Rey has a speeder. Kinda like shooting womp rats in a T-16 back home (hint that Rey is Luke's niece!?). Final Thoughts
Rey's Speeder is a lot like most good licensed sets: Though not perfectly screen accurate, it does a good job conveying the feel of it. Sure, it would have been more accurate if LEGO used a bike chassis so Rey would actually be riding it proper and not sitting atop it, but, hey, at the end of the day, it works. Plus, we're getting a female character in the cheapest set of the line, which is unusual (but makes sense because she's the main character?), so there's that too. I really like the set. As a LEGO model apart from The Force Awakens, it's a solid set. In light of The Force Awakens? I guess we'll wait until it comes out. (Guys, December 18th can't come fast enough) Thank you all for reading our first The Force Awakens set review! Let us know what you thought in the Talkback, and ask any questions you might have there as well. While you're at it, make sure you thank Ta-metru_defender for putting it together. I have a feeling this won't be the last Star Wars review we see this year, so keep checking back for more and all the latest LEGO news, right here on BZPower!
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