This year’s flagship set LEGO Star Wars 75397 UCS Jabba’s sailing barge in review: Is the model worth buying?
Celebrated last year Return of the Jedi 40th anniversary. To celebrate the classic film, a few models appeared, but one that matched was missing Ultimate Collector Series Set every track. This will be submitted later in October: Jabba’s sailing barge will be made from LEGO in large format for the first time. As soon as it was presented, there was heavy criticism for the high price. Is the model still convincing and is it worth buying?
Key data
- Thema: LEGO Star Wars
- 3942 To you
- 499.99 euros RRP
- 11 Minifigures
- Release on October 6th (Insiders presale from October 3rd)
- To the building instructions 🗺
- Im LEGO Online Shop 🛒
assembly
Inside the box there are two boxes, each containing half of the construction steps. The first one features musician Max Rebo!
There are instructions for each box and theoretically the model could be built by two people in parallel, as both instructions are relatively independent of each other. The small number of stickers is very commendable.
The first 17 bags are used to assemble the basic structure and the interior.
First, a basic framework made of Technic Bricks is put together, which ensures sufficient stability.
This Technic scaffolding is then covered with tiles from above, below and on the sides. In general, the tile density is very high both on the deck and in the interior.
The internal rooms are then built on top of the basic structure. In general, fairly standard construction techniques are used here.
The second box features Salacious B. Crumb.
This box contains construction phases 18 to 36, which primarily make up the outer cladding and the upper deck.
The outer cladding consists of individual panels that are attached to the basic structure in Box 1.
The upper deck consists of two halves and is also built separately.
Minifigures
The set contains 11 minifigures that populate the sailing barge! While the large Jabba figure sits enthroned next to the plaque, the remaining ten figures can also be placed on their own stand.
Returns after more than ten years Jabba the Hutt finally back to the LEGO Star Wars galaxy! The large figure consists of three parts and the upper body can be rotated 360 degrees. In fact, the old form that was introduced in 2012 for the crime lord was used here. The printing, on the other hand, is new and implemented quite appropriately.
Are on the hero side Princess Leia im Huttslayer Outfit, C-3PO and R2-D2 with tray with the party. I’m very pleased that we’re actually getting Leia again as a figure in the metal bikini, especially since there were rumors for a long time that Disney no longer allowed toys with Leia in the costume. I’m glad that the rumors are probably not true in this form and that LEGO was allowed to implement the figure as it is an integral part of the film scene. I also really like the new hairpiece. C-3PO shines with printed arms, but unfortunately not with his silver foot, which was much better implemented in other sets such as the 75341 UCS Landspeeder using dual molded legs. At a price of 500 euros, the higher quality legs should have been included. The only thing that sets R2-D2 apart from versions in other sets is his tray of drinks.
Jabba’s followers include, above all, Bib Fortuna and the Kowakian lizard monkey Salacious B. Crumb. Bib Fortuna is unfortunately a bit of a downgrade as he uses the tentacle element from 75326 Boba Fett’s Throne Room, which doesn’t match his appearance in Episode VI. The lizard monkey has been given a new (albeit little changed) molded part. But I’m clearly missing the pupils in the yellow eyes of Jabba’s pet.
Music is a must on the sailing barge, so it had to be Max Rebo simply appear again in this set! The figure has a classic minifigure body, which doesn’t actually fit with the current canonical representation of the musician, but since you can’t really see the body behind the keyboard anyway and there is a heated discussion about his body, I think that’s bearable. The Gamorreaner is classic, but quite accurately implemented.
The lineup is completed by three pirates, namely Rejoice, We aim and Wooof. All three are implemented passably and the new helmet element from Wooof is particularly convincing. It would have been nice to have included more of these more obscure background characters.
Sailing barge from outside
The LEGO model of the sailing barge is visually very close to the film original. Of course, the vehicle is not in minifigure scale, but given the price already quoted here, no one would have wanted to pay for an even larger model. I think the scale is well chosen and in real life the model looks even larger than the product images capture.
A clear plus point is the stability of the vehicle, which is guaranteed by Technic constructions in the ground. Three feet also ensure a firm stand.
The outer cladding is very nubby. Somehow, for me, it fits well with the weathered wood look of the template and a few darker tiles also underline this look. All side panels can also be opened to provide a view of the interior.
The rounded segments are cleverly solved thanks to angled slopes and gaps between the panels are kept to a minimum. It probably couldn’t have been solved better in a purchase model.
In the rear area, like in the film, many hatches can be opened so that guests can take a look at the spectacle outside.
The two controls are attached to the sides and can be moved quite freely.
All in all, I really like the outside view and the relatively slim but long shape of the film template means that it fits much better on shelves than other UCS models.
Oberdeck
The upper deck consists of two segments that simply rest on the internal structure.
The gray floor is heavily tiled, but still contains a few individual studs on which figures can be placed.
There are also three hatches on the deck that provide access to the interior.
Since the sailing barge houses a lot of bounty hunters, the big guns on the upper deck are not at all surprising. Two of them are attached to the railing and one is attached to the floor on a turntable.
The railing consists of Flex Tubes of various lengths, which are positioned accurately thanks to angled clips.
An essential part of the sailing barge are of course the large orange sails. These are made of quite thick material and are even printed on one side.
They are attached to a skeleton made of axles and ball joints, which even provides a certain amount of freedom of movement.
Interior
If you fold down the side panels, you can see the inside. The interior clearly has a chocolate side, showing the cockpit, prison, armory, kitchen and entertainment area.
The other side isn’t quite as nice to look at, as the back walls of the rooms in particular block the view of what’s happening.
The cockpit can accommodate two pilots, who are surrounded by all sorts of control computers that use some of the few included stickers.
A sliding door is installed behind the pilot’s seats, which paves the way to the armory and the prison.
The armory houses everything a bounty hunter’s heart desires, from spears to blasters and axes. It’s questionable whether weapons should really be stored so close to a prison cell, but we’ll just accept that for reasons of space.
The cell is very small and narrow. Behind the barred door there is a seat and a wall on which the days of imprisonment are counted. The front area can be completely expanded.
The back wall, which is decorated with a pipe, can also be removed.
In the armory, a ladder can be inserted into the floor that leads to the hatches on the upper deck. I like that you can easily install and remove these as needed to have more space inside.
The kitchen is well stocked with glasses, plates and of course snacks. There is even a gas stove built in here. Fish and chicken legs hang from the wall and ceiling.
A staircase can also be installed here that leads to the upper deck.
The entertainment area primarily includes Jabba’s throne. This is cleverly solved thanks to SNOT technology and the microphone with which C-3PO comments on the event is also attached to the side.
There is no shortage of good music in the back area, as Max Rebo lets the keys of his Rotball jet organ glow between the decorative columns. The instrument is very close to the original film and is a very nice detail!
Basically, the interior is extremely successful! The most important areas of the sailing barge are well represented and the look of the template is well captured. The floor here is also almost completely tiled, which is nice to see, but for my taste there aren’t enough studs on which figures can be firmly placed.
Combination with 75396 Desert Skiff and Sarlacc Pit
The sailing barge combines very well with the desert skiff and the Sarlacc pit from the August wave. Both sets create a beautiful diorama and invite you to depict this iconic scene in large format. Unfortunately, the smaller set has in common with the sailing barge that it is far too expensive. The fact that this layout costs just under 580 euros is disproportionate. In my opinion, to justify the price of the sailing barge alone, the smaller set should have been included and even then the price would still be too high…
My conclusion
Return of the Jedi is next to The Empire strikes back and Rogue One Definitely my favorite part of the star saga. I was particularly excited about the opening sequence about Jabba as a child, so I’m always happy when sets about the crime lord appear. So of course I’ve been looking forward to the release of a UCS sailing barge for a long time. Now I have this model in my hands and I am absolutely satisfied with it. The set looks great and absolutely met my expectations. However, as enthusiastic as I am about the model itself, I can’t really recommend buying it. As already mentioned in the last paragraph, the set is simply grossly overpriced. Especially in comparison to other great sets like 10316 Rivendell or the 76269 Avengers Tower, you simply get a significantly lower value for the same price in terms of the amount of content alone. If the GWP lightsaber doesn’t appeal to you, I would wait until there are discounts from the exclusive partners or at least double Insiders points.
The set was provided to me by LEGO as a review copy – thank you very much! The review solely reflects my personal opinion.
Evaluation
Grading 🎵
Your opinion
What do you think of Jabba’s sailboat? Are you buying the set despite the controversial price? Feel free to write your opinion in the comments!
