Lego Millennium Falcon (75375) review: "She's got it where it counts"

Compared to its bigger siblings, the Lego Millennium Falcon (75375) may not look like much. But, to quote Han Solo, she's got it where it counts.

Designed as part of the midi-ship range, this version of everyone's favorite piece of junk is smaller and more affordable than other versions without compromising on quality. In fact, I'd argue that it'll become the go-to Lego Millennium Falcon for most people – and the one I'll always recommend first. 

Is it perfect? Not quite, but almost. Plus, you simply won't care once it's finished and on your shelf. There are no two ways about it; the Lego Millennium Falcon (75375) kit is gorgeous, and one of the best Lego Star Wars sets around.

Lego Millennium Falcon (75375) features

• More affordable Falcon
• Smaller than other versions, but still a good size
• Not a playset – this one's for display

Mid and high-end versions of the Falcon exist already, so what does this one do that's different? To begin with, it's smaller – a lot smaller. As part of the midi-ship range, it's only 9.5 inches (24cm) long and just over 900 pieces. That means you don't need a small studio apartment to show it off like you would the Lego UCS Millennium Falcon. 

Secondly, it's less expensive than either of the existing models. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's 'cheap,' but it is a good bit more affordable than the Rise of Skywalker or Ultimate Collector Series kits. In fact, you're saving between $85 / £75 and $765 / £660 respectively. You can't do much better.

It's worth noting that this is a display piece, too. Unlike the Rise of Skywalker kit, the Lego Millennium Falcon (75375) can't be 'played with' by the young padawans amongst you; it's rooted to the stand.

Lego Millennium Falcon (75375) build

• Will only take a couple hours
• A satisfying and (mostly) easy build
• Can be fiddly

By and large, putting this thing together won't take you very long. I was able to build the Lego Millennium Falcon in roughly two to three hours, and I definitely could have sped things up. Split between 11 bags of bits, it's a laid-back build for the most part that can be completed over the course of an evening – or a session watching your favorite Star Wars movies. 

It can be fiddly in places, though. The exhaust is a great example. That iconic blue of the engine uses a ridged tube attached to the ship's body by clips stuffed into both ends, but getting those clips where they were supposed to be was a headache (and a more literal pain for my fingers, actually). 

It often took me a moment to figure out where pieces should go as well, because the instructions only display the thinnest white line around the relevant pieces to help you differentiate between them. That means you've got to play spot the difference between diagrams.

However, these are niggles in what is otherwise a very pleasant experience. There's a lot of snapping panels together to form the Falcon's curves, for example, and the weighty 'click' of clipping chassis parts into place is oddly satisfying. 

Oh, and by the way? There are no stickers in sight. This kit uses printed-on designs whenever necessary.

Lego Millennium Falcon (75375) design

• Striking display piece
• Goldilocks zone of 'just big enough'
• No detail feels lost despite size

I'm often wary of smaller kits because detail can get lost in translation. (I love the Lego Tantive IV midi-ship, but it's a good example if you ask me.) This Lego Millennium Falcon, though? It isn't suffering from that in the slightest. Despite working with a more modest number of pieces, it captures the look, battered feel, and proportions of Han Solo's ship with impressive accuracy. Cleverly placed greebles (random bits that don't serve any purpose other than to look industrial/cool) do a lot of the heavy lifting, and add to the hodge-podge demeanor of the ship. It's the same approach that made Lego Boarding the Tantive IV so effective.

The insides show an attention to detail only the best Lego sets lay claim to as well. Namely, you'll find recreations of scenes from the movies inside that use studs to represent the characters, be it R2-D2 and Chewbacca's dejarik game from A New Hope or Han and Leia's iconic kiss in Empire Strikes Back. It's a small touch and completely unnecessary because it's all covered up in short order, but that's kind of the point – it shows so much love for the source material. I remember thinking something similar about the excellent Lego Rivendell set and its Eye of Sauron that disappeared beneath Elrond's council.

The one compromise I wasn't keen on can be found near the cockpit. While the painted-on cockpit itself is fine, there's a small gap between the neck pieces and the ship body that bothers me more than it should. I imagine this was a compromise based on the shape of the neck itself, and it's not a big deal on the whole, but still. It felt as if I'd missed a bit, or put something on wrong. 

It doesn't detract from the final look once everything is said and done, though. This is an impressive piece that, for my money, is only matched by the Star Destroyer in the midi line. I'd say it'll be the gold standard going forward.

Having it on a stand for added stability helps it feel more secure no matter where it lives, too. It's a classy look, and one that reinforces that this is a display piece – not a toy.

Should you buy the Lego Millennium Falcon (75375)?

There have been many Lego Millennium Falcon sets before this one, but it does the legacy justice. I have a suspicion that it'll become the go-to version most people buy thanks to its more reasonable price and modest size. There are few signs of compromise in its design, either.

Is it flawless? No. I'm a little disappointed it didn't come with at least one minifigure, either. But on the whole, this is a fantastic kit that, yes – has it where it counts.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested the Lego Millennium Falcon (75375)

I spent a handful of evenings putting together the Lego Millennium Falcon (75375) set, divided into half-an-hour slots or so. I took far too many notes during this process, and paid particular attention to how the kit compared to its predecessors. There may have been some Han Solo quotes thrown in there for good measure.

For more, check out our guide to how we test products. 

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