Star Wars LEGO Review | 75020 Jabba's Sail Barge

The last couple of years have seen Jabba the Hutt’s stock go up considerably in LEGO terms. After years of existence as only a dull green lump of plastic inside a flimsy, hand-me-down palace or absurdly-expensive second-hand sail barge, he’s finally been given texture and form inside a meticulous, sand-washed world comprised of four separate but companionable sets. The most recent of these to see release was 2013’s Jabba’s Sail Barge, which I found myself unwrapping on Christmas Day, having bought it in a Toys Я Us September sale and then given it to my wife to surprise me with on 25th December.

Whilst it boasts only around seventy pieces more than the slightly-longer 2006 superset (set #6210), which also included the Sarclaac pit and a desert skiff, this 43cm incarnation of the anti-luxury liner boasts a finish that’s much sleeker and more detailed than its predecessor, finally brining it in line with the quality of the recent Return of the Jedi-themed releases. Its Jabba megafigure is identical to the one released with Jabba’s Palace, which of course means that it impresses both aesthetically and when it comes to playability too. I was more excited about getting my hands on the elephantine musician known to Star Wars enthusiasts as Max Rebo though, as I believe that this is his first appearance in LEGO form. And with his uniquely-moulded headpiece (which has his trademark bulbous proboscis and almost cute lop ears) he does not disappoint. The three-eyed, gun-toting Ree-Yees is almost as distinctive, and again I don’t recall him ever being made available as a LEGO minifigure prior to this set’s release. Accompanying them is a bald Weequay clearly in Jabba’s employ, and R2-D2, who this time comes with a bespoke encumbrance that allows him to serve a few drinks to Jabba’s cronies before supplying Luke with his emergency lightsaber.

One of the most startling omissions from the Jabba’s Palace set was Princess Leia in her legendary gold bikini – what Dorling Kindersley’s LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia describes, somewhat playfully, as “Demure Princess Leia” – who found herself dropped in favour of a Leia styled in her pre-bondage Ubese bounty hunter getup. However, this set finally provides us with Leia in all her glory, her reversible headpiece having been updated to contemporary standards and even her posterior showing new definition. She also comes with shackles capable of binding her to her Hutt captor, which is a particularly nice touch as it allows young builders to restage the movie’s garroting of the vile gangster.

The vehicle itself has been cleverly redesigned to allow easier access to its innards. In this iteration, its deck lifts off and both its sides fold out, allowing even the largest of hands inside to place Jabba on his deathbed; lock Leia away in the holding cell; or even put Max or Artoo to work in the grubby kitchen. In fact, there’s so much space available above and below deck that you’ll need to draft in minifigures from sister sets to make the barge look shipshape. I’d especially recommend lining it up with the Desert Skiff set, which many contend should have formed part of this set as it did #6210.

Something that really surprised me about this model was its robustness. Equipped with well-hidden wheels that allow it to navigate the laminate as easy as the real thing could the Jundland Wastes or the Great Pit of Carkoon, the finished craft survived more than twenty minutes in the hands of my two-year-old, who found it far more stimulating than her age-appropriate Christmas DUPLO. Even after twenty minutes, the only breakages to speak of were the pulled-off sheet-plastic sails, which were easily reattached. Even the peek-a-boo windows (with their vulnerable stickers…) survived countless openings and closures.

A fine addition to the Hutt criminal cartel, and indeed the larger world of Star Wars LEGO, this shorter, sleeker and more detailed vision of Jabba’s infamous barge is guaranteed to light the imagination of anyone from playing child to ageing geek.

The Star Wars LEGO Jabba’s Sail Barge is available from LEGO directly for £99.99 with free delivery. Today's cheapest online retailer though is Youngworld Toys, who are currently selling this set for £94.99 plus £3.99 delivery (£97.99 overall).