The recently released #75230 LEGO Star Wars Porg joins the previous LEGO Star Wars brick-built sculptures, like the #75187 LEGO Star Wars BB-8 from 2017, and the #10225 LEGO Star Wars R2-D2 from 2012. Some LEGO fans find the LEGO Star Wars Porg sculpture cute, while others think it’s more on the scary side. So, let’s take a closer look at the LEGO Star Wars Porg, and see if it’s worth to buy. 🙂
The original porgs were designed for the 2017 film, Star Wars – Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. According to the Star Wars wiki, they were conceived by writer director Rian Johnson, who created them to digitally cover up the vast numbers of real-life puffins present on Skellig Michael island, the filming site for Ahch-To. Rian was looking at how he can work with the puffins, as it was not possible to get rid of them, and digitally removing them would have been a lot of work. So, Rian just decided to roll with what he got, and create an indigenous species called porgs. I think knowing their story can make us appreciate porgs better.
Porgs were generally well-received by Star Wars fans, although they have loud opponents also. They are cute, fluffy, have fun personalities, and fit well with the rocky island environment of Ahch-To. However, recreating porgs with LEGO pieces is not easy. LEGO previously included tiny, minifig-scale porgs with two sets; two in the #75192 LEGO Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon, and one in the #75200 LEGO Star Wars Ahch-To Island Training. These little guys are built of seven parts; a 1×1 brick with studs on four sides for the body, a half-circle tile for the chest, a cheese-slope for the tail, two quarter round tiles for the wings, an orange 1×1 round plate for the feet, and a printed small dome piece for the head. Frankly, these porgs look more like blocky robots than living birds, especially since the same dome piece is used for the head of BB-8. But that’s the best that can be done with LEGO in such a small scale without creating special moulds.
In the #75230 LEGO Star Wars Porg set, LEGO included a tiny porg built the same way as in the other two sets. This little porg is a cute addition to the display-stand that highlights some fun facts about porgs. And, of course, the main attraction of the set is the large brick-built porg. Here is the official description of the set: Own an unmistakable character from Star Wars: The Last Jedi with the #75230 LEGO Star Wars Porg! This faithfully detailed Star Wars toy includes intricate feather detailing, authentic colors and an opening mouth and flapping wings when you press the tail. The set also comes with a display-stand with decorative fact plaque and extra porg mini build, to form the perfect centerpiece for your LEGO collection. Porg without stand stands over 7” (19cm) high. Display stand measures approx. 2” (6cm) high and 1” (3cm) deep, and over 4” (11cm) wide. 811 pieces. Price: $69.99 – BUY HERE
The large porg is built around a sturdy LEGO Technic frame, which also facilitates the movement of the mouth and wings when pushing down on the tail. The body is then covered with “feathers” by using various curved pieces, slopes, and plates. If you built any of the LEGO BrickHeadz characters, or the #21042 LEGO Architecture Statue of Liberty, you will recognize many of the sculpting techniques used here. The end result is a sturdy and substantial model that won’t come apart, tolerates handling pretty well, and looks nicely finished from every angle.
The play-features are also well executed and fun to play with. The opening and closing of the mouth is especially effective. It would have been nice if the wings can flap a bit higher for a more dramatic effect. Perhaps this could be achieved with some modifications. The feet also has some movement, including moving of the toes. In the video-review below, JANGBRiCKS will show you how the play-features work as well as other interesting details of the set.
Even though the #75230 LEGO Star Wars Porg is a solidly designed set, and some LEGO fans like it as is, I’m not convinced that LEGO is the most effective medium for recreating fluffy creatures. Just like the mini porg, the large porg also has issues with looking too much like a robot, rather than a living creature. In fact, I would probably use the large porg as a mech for the little porg! In addition, LEGO fans may still not like the set because, well, not everyone likes porgs, and LEGO sculptures can be a bit boring. It seems like LEGO already thought about this complaint, because they released a video with some alternate building suggestions for the set, including various starships and hovercrafts operated by the included mini porg. You can watch the video below.
All in all, If you like LEGO and porgs, the #75230 LEGO Star Wars Porg is as good of a representation as it can be done with LEGO bricks. The model is solid, and the play-features work well. If you think porgs are creepy, you can still have lots of fun by putting the LEGO Star Wars Porg in random places to startle people. With the orange highlights, it may even make a great Halloween decoration. The set is available at the LEGO Star Wars section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Star Wars Porg? Do you have the set already? Or are you planning to get it? Feel free to share your thoughts and own reviews in the comment section below! 😉
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