LEGO Star Wars TM BB-8™ 75187

It's hard not to love this from the moment you take a look at the box and see BB-8 staring back at you. As someone who always wished they'd bought the R2-D2 set when it came out it was a no-brainer to build this little droid. The build was enjoyable, involved, occasionally tricky and a couple of times felt a little repetitive; but the 2 and a bit hours when pretty quickly and to see him take shape bag by bag was great. The external appearance hides the level of complexity and mechanics going on inside brilliantly, and the movement the mechanics create are very nicely done. The easy option would have been to have the head rotate only, however the additional effort the design team have gone to to create the authentic BB-8 head movement is well worth it and it's the first thing people comment on when they see it in action. The scale of the model is perfect for display, and the stand, info sticker and mini BB-8 make it a great shelf display piece for any collector (dusting it in the coming weeks and months won't be so much fun). In terms of playability, this isn't one the kids will be spending hours with, but then that isn't really the point with this one. It's on a slightly higher than normal shelf keeping it out of the reach of little fingers, although mini BB-8 seems to have gone missing, perhaps to a galaxy far far away! If you buy it and build it, you'll love it ..... and I challenge you to walk past it without giving the head a little wobble!

First off, let me say that I love this set! My wife surprised me during a rough week by leaving it wrapped in my office. I hadn't even realized that this was a set! The build was incredible-- sure, it's a bit repetitive, but I found each side of the sphere to be varied enough to hold my interest. The small nuances in each side keep the overall build from becoming stagnant. I took my time over 2 days to put the little guy together, and he was such a blast! A good blend of technic and block pieces-- and the details are incredible! What surprised me most was the play feature! A rotating plate on BB-8's stage-right side spins his head, while a single rubber band around the spinning mechanism makes the head bob forwards and backwards as it spins. The action adds a huge amount of fun to the final, assembled product. I find myself going back to swivel his head multiple times per day. The display is an added bonus, too. I think it helps him look more "official"-- certainly, it keeps him from accidentally rolling anywhere! I would recommend this for just about anyone, as long as you like the look of the set! The plates are held in with technic pins, and the spinning discs on each side are easy to reattach if they accidentally pull off. Overall, a fun build, a fun finished product, and a sturdy model!