As a kid, I have fond memories of playing out my favorite scenes from movies with my friends. I often ended up playing villains and henchmen, but I found a great thrill in being a part of those stories. Since I’ve discovered LEGO, I’ve found a new medium in which to act out those scenes. Instead of pillow forts and eight chaotic siblings and friends, I enjoy my re-creations in the quiet fortress of my dining room. My current scene of choice is the Rathtar Escape.
(Spoiler alert: Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
One of my favorite plot points was the meeting of Han, Rey, Chewie, BB-8, and Finn. This was sparked, of course, by the Quad Jumper being destroyed, forcing Rey, Finn, and BB-8 to take flight aboard the Millennium Falcon. While making their escape, they unwittingly alerted Han and Chewie to their location.
First, Rey directs Finn to the Quad Jumper, now available as the LEGO kit shown above, and they run for their lives toward the reliable ship only to see it blown apart. This LEGO model was great fun to build, and makes the re-enactment of the ship’s destruction a lot of fun.
To relive the epic destruction which changed the fate of our friends, one simply pushes the button on top of the Quad Jumper. Instantly, the ship falls to pieces! Don’t worry, it’s built well, so it’s easy to replay this part again and again and again. (Did I mention I like pushing the button a lot?)
Rey: “The garbage will do!”
Rey, BB-8, Finn, a Stormtrooper, and one of Unkar’s thugs make up the cast of this scene. My favorite minifigure, I think, is BB-8, closely followed by Rey, which features her signature triple-loop hairstyle, as well.
The inevitable flight on board the Millennium Falcon is currently boring to replay, as the newest model has not yet been released. It also ends up being little more than talk, so I skip the (lack of) action and head straight to the encounter with Han and his smuggled monsters.
With the Rathtar Escape LEGO kit, I cut straight to the next action scene. Han has recovered the Millennium Falcon, only to find his freighter invaded by Bala-tik and Kanjiklub hostiles.
The freighter is a modular scene which can be re-assembled in a number of ways. There is a holding cell for the rathtars, a trap door for Finn and Rey to hide under, and two working doors. Unfortunately, this scene doesn’t actually come with Rey and Finn. Thankfully, the Quad Jumper did, and we have a (nearly) full cast, other than the lacking Kanjiklub members.
The miniatures which are included are Han Solo, Chewbacca, Bala-tik, and two guavian security soldiers, along with two buildable miniature rathtars. Notice, Chewie even has his new-fangled crossbow (bowcaster) to wield.
I really enjoy the articulation on the rathtars, I must say. The combination of teeth and tentacles paints a terrifyingly fun picture in my imagination. For gripping, two of each rathtar’s tentacles are LEGO whips, cleverly worked in.
My favorite part, though, is Rey rescuing Finn from imminent doom by slamming a door closed, chopping off the tentacle which is dragging Finn along.
Finn: “It had me! But the door…”
Rey: “That was lucky. ”
And that’s it for those scenes! To get the most out of them, I use both sets. The Quad Jumper is fun to “blow up” and the rathtar scene really does need the added minis. I’d really like to put two or three of the Rathtar Escape kits together and build a larger freighter. Other than that, I guess one could get the Millennium Falcon instead of the Quad Jumper, and use those minis. That set also includes the missing Tasu Leech and a Kanjuklub gang member, which would round things out nicely.
How do you play? Tweet me @TerminallyRory and let me know!
