LEGO Review - Unboxing the LEGO R2-D2 75379

May the fourth (droid) be with you

So this is the fourth (some may argue only the third) rendition of the beloved droid R2-D2 in the last 21 years, but will it be the best? This set 75379 was released as part of the 25th anniversary range on March 1^st 2024 and costs a more affordable £89.99.

The first offering of this beloved droid came as a Technic set (8009) in 2002 and ten years later in 2012, saw us with LEGO model 10225. Three years ago in 2021 we finally got (what some say is the best), set 75308. The first noticeable difference is the price points as the 2002 droid cost only £17.99, 2012 we handed over £149.99, 2021 saw us paying £209.99 and now we have £89.99 as the price point. As you can see we have quite a wide range of prices to consider, and these also reflect the piece counts; 75379 has 1,050 pieces, 75308 comprises of 2,315 pieces, 10225 has 2,127 pieces and then 8009 has 240 pieces. The only thing left to do is to complete the build and see how he holds up against his predecessors.

Building the 2024 LEGO R2-D2:

This set consists of 12 bags, one sticker sheet and two minifigures with one being an exclusive to this set with a 25^th anniversary printed tile.

Bag 1 is a medley of connectors, so prepare for the carpet monster to be fed as it can be kind of fiddly sometimes. We also get the cute little R2 minifigure in this first bag and we commence building the body. The colourway used has a very Italian vibe and is reminiscent of a Technic build due to the use of the various pins and rods.

Opening bag 2, we now have the exclusive Darth Malek minifigure based on the 2003 Knights of the Old Republic video game character. Nobody could have anticipated that this would be the figure included with this set and it helps to give the set the upper hand over the previous versions. This is an awesome figure with intricate facial details, a unique piece that slides over the neck peg (this replaces his jaw he lost to Darth Revan), a cloth cape and a stand we build, which features the 25^th anniversary printed tile. The stand also has a 2x4 plate that allows us to join other 25^th anniversary stands together.

 Bags two and three enable us to create two side panels. These are straightforward builds but are effective in the aesthetic they create.

Bags 4 and 5 focus on the back and the all-important front panel. Also, the first of the 10 stickers arrives in step 121. It’s frustrating that the white stickers still haven’t been created to exactly match the white of the bricks/tiles, but they still look fine. He is really starting to take shape now, with just a few fiddly bits on this front section which may feed the carpet monster again, but it’s all good! We particularly enjoy the use of, what we always think of as LEGO space stairs (piece 6285243). Another five stickers have been added at this stage too.

Bags 6 and 7 see us at the halfway point of the bags and forming his head, there is a nicely printed, circular dome piece for the top of the head. The head is comprised of four small panels. The SNOT technique is used to attach the 'eye' and then the head is ready to slot onto the body. A clever feature of this build is that the head rotates all the way around (360-degree), so you can display R2-D2 like he’s looking at something.

Bags 8 and 9 form the right leg and foot. This was all quite easy, however we did find the sandwiching of the L-shaped plate a little awkward. There is an excellent use of a bucket handle and whips to create details on this little dude. Bags 10 and 11 are the same as above but the other way around for the left leg/foot. We also get to attach his 'arms'.

Bag 12 is the final bag and the third and final leg. This third leg does not serve any purpose other than to recreate R2-D2’s look, whereas in set 75308 there were a handful of clever mechanics involved and it deployed when the droid was tilted at the right angle. Within this set, you just slot the third leg in, but you can opt to display him without it and he still looks amazing. This bag also contained plain white panels which can be used to cover the 'armholes' should you wish to display R2-D2 without the protuberances out in the open. The large information tile is also in this step and we appreciate when these are printed as opposed to gargantuan stickers.

R2-D2 Build Conclusion:

This build took around 2.5 hours and was overall thoroughly enjoyable. As discussed above, there were a few fiddly sections but that didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the build. We think that the whole aesthetic of this set is fantastic and will most certainly look awesome alongside the other smaller droid companions; BB8, BD-1 and D-O. There is a rumour too that 2024 will see a buildable C-3P0, so it would be terrific to finally have this loveable duo together in brick form. If you are in two minds about purchasing this set and already own the 2021 release, then to be honest you aren't missing out on much. However, if you currently have an R2-D2 shaped hole on your shelf, then for the money, overall look and of course the Darth Malek figure you can do no wrong by purchasing this set.

OUR RATING: 9.4/10