Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama has carved out its very own sweet spot between being a display piece and a full-on playset, thanks to a simple yet dynamic feature that harnesses the interactive potential of a LEGO Star Wars set – while still managing to add credibility and authenticity to something specifically designed for older collectors. You’ll be able to get your hands on 75329 Death Star Trench Run, 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training and 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor from LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores from April 26. This set is part of a collectible series of buildable LEGO Star Wars diorama models, each depicting an iconic Star Wars moment, to spark nostalgia for any fan

C-3PO was released during 2015 and included printed arms, which was significant because that minifigure depicted the character with his red arm from The Force Awakens. An equivalent standard of detail is present here and corresponds with the onscreen character, as seams between panels and the energy transducers on Threepio's shoulders look great. As mentioned, it’s necessary to the scene in question, and from an authenticity and quality perspective it adds a level of dynamism and literal movement that can’t otherwise be achieved in any other way. It does, however, also encourage a lot of touching and play – there’s nothing wrong with that, but it muddies the waters around the marketing for the series of sets that it belongs to. As a LEGO set, it looks and works way better than any of the marketing material can ever suggest, and it’s one of the highest-quality creations to come out of the LEGO Star Wars theme in years, feeling almost more like a custom model than an official set.Unlike their allies, Princess Leia and Chewbacca remain unchanged. Leia's famous hairstyle looks perfect and I love her double-sided head, that captures the character's feisty personality. The torso looks splendid too, although I was hoping the dress component introduced in 75244 Tantive IV would return. These undecorated legs look very bland, by comparison. Like the other two dioramas, 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor measures 15cm deep – or 20 studs – but varies in length, coming in at 21cm wide. According to LEGO Star Wars Creative Lead Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, all three of the sets are designed to match in depth, presenting a consistent style for this subtheme of builds. It's ridiculously costly because Lego knows how hardcore their customers are for collecting minifigures, and how hardcore the Star Wars fanbase is. And how willing both are at paying significantly over the odds for things to complete their collections. Hence we got these ridiculous prices for these Diorama series of sets. And I'm not one that's interested in minifigures at all, it's always been the builds for me.

beloved characters bring the scene to life – 5 LEGO minifigures: Luke Skywalker and Han Solo dressed as Stormtroopers, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO, plus an R2-D2 LEGO droid figure The alterations on C-3PO are more conspicuous, including decoration on the arms and feet, along with new metallic gold printing on the torso. These shiny highlights are superb and the cables have become more intricate too. The designs on both feet are also welcome, but I am frustrated by the gap on C-3PO's silver leg, which could easily have been rectified with dual-moulding. As is the case with 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training Diorama, the high piece count is misleading and otherwise inflated by the use of a number of 1×1 pieces throughout. These pieces do contribute to the greater level of eye candy and detail that these higher-level LEGO sets are offering, thanks to the display-guided design approach, but they do also contribute to something being rather much smaller than some may otherwise expect from a piece count of 802. Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama is part of April 2022’s LEGO Star Wars Diorama Collection, which represents a new creative direction for the theme, offering older fans a higher level of detail and authenticity at the expense of playability and other design considerations usually built into sets for younger audiences.

Minifigures

No big deal, ultimately, as each set – while part of a wider collection – is best considered within its own context anyway. And in that regard, 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama absolutely shines as an enjoyable, hands-on, play-based display piece, capturing not only a level of build detail not previously seen in LEGO forms of this setting, but also the ability to ratchet up the tension just as it was on screen in A New Hope. In short, there’s no other way any LEGO Star Wars fan would have wanted the most authentic version of a LEGO Death Star trash compactor to be.

All six characters who you would hope to be included in 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama are here – Leia, Luke, Han, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO. Chewbacca remains the same as most other sets he appears in, while Leia is the same version that has appeared in a couple of other sets from the last few years. Death Star Trench Run and 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training focus detail nearly exclusively across the front, unlike this model. The moving walls include texture on the outside and the rear provides room for R2-D2 and C-3PO, representing their integral, but remote, role in rescuing the heroes by deactivating every trash compactor on the detention level. If you are going to recreate the trash compactor scene from A New Hope with any degree of accuracy and detail, then it needs to be able to function as it does in the film, and pleasingly, 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama does just that. Yes, previous trash compactor appearances in LEGO form – namely in both Death Star playsets – have also had walls that close in as you would hope, but certainly not to the same quality as is seen here.

Inspired by Star Wars: A New Hope, the LEGO Star Wars Death Star™ Trench Run Diorama invites builders to recreate the gripping scene of Darth Vader™’s pursuit of Luke Skywalker™, as Luke fights to destroy the newly-built Death Star for a victory on the Rebellion side. Finish off the build with the memorable words of Darth Vader, “The Force is strong with this one.” It’s a scene complete with the entire cast of characters too, including even R2-D2 and C-3PO who, otherwise in a different area of the Death Star entirely, are represented as standing on just the other side of the trash compactor here. As expected, 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor presents this famous scene with incredible accuracy and looks fantastic on display, despite its muted colours. In fact, the varying colours between these dioramas are attractive and this model surpasses the others in minifigures and functionality. The motion of the walls and positioning of the items inside are clever. Channel your focus to help C-3PO and R2-D2 save Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca and Princess Leia from a crushing fate. Relive that dramatic Star Wars: A New Hope scene as you build the Death Star trash compactor's moving walls and other authentic details. To complete a nostalgic centrepiece, attach the plaque with Han's witty quip: ''One thing's for sure. We're all gonna be a lot thinner.''