Lego Boarding the Tantive IV review: "The perfect mix"

In retrospect, it's probably not a surprise that Lego Boarding the Tantive IV was chosen as one of the range's 25th-anniversary sets. It recreates the saga's opening moments in brick form and will be instantly recognizable even if you're not a fan of the galaxy far, far away. You can't get much more iconic than that.

It's surprisingly high-quality for a mid-range kit, too – it proves that the best Lego Star Wars sets aren't limited to Ultimate Collector Series models. In fact, I'd go so far as to say Lego Boarding the Tantive IV is one of the few kits that's perfect for both kids and adults alike.

Lego Boarding the Tantive IV: Features

• All-ages playset
• Features Darth Vader, Stormtroopers, & Rebels
• 25th- anniversary plaque, with Fives minifig

Like so many of the best Lego sets, Boarding the Tantive IV does what it says on the tin – it recreates the iconic first scene from A New Hope where Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers attack Princess Leia's Rebel ship (the Lego Tantive IV, which is available as a separate build). Recreating the memorable corridor shootout, it includes minifigures of Vader himself, a couple of Stormtroopers, two Rebels, and Captain Antilles… who comes with a transparent block you can use to 'levitate' the poor guy as Vader interrogates him.

Since it's a playset, this kit has interactive elements too. The door slides open to reveal a blasted, burning variant, and a couple of hinges can be used to knock over minifigures (representing them getting blasted). The instructions actually suggest getting two of  these sets so you can put them together, so you could end up with a larger diorama if you wanted.

Seeing as this is a kit made for the 25th anniversary of Lego Star Wars, you get a freebie as well – a minifig of Arc Trooper Fives from the Clone Wars series.

Lego Boarding the Tantive IV: Build

• Takes an hour or less
• Doesn't become monotonous
• Includes interactive elements

As the number of bricks would suggest, this build isn’t particularly drawn out; you'll be able to wrap it up in less than an hour. However, that's not to say you won't enjoy the process. This is a surprisingly layered set thanks to numerous interlocking materials and pieces, making the structure interesting to both construct and look at. The smattering of grilles and greebles ensure that you're not clicking the same bricks together repeatedly, and it feels like something interesting lies inside each of the five numbered piece packs. As a case in point, the minifigures are spread out too. They steadily build you up to the big man himself – Vader.

This isn't a fiddly build either; you won't be struggling to fit tiny pieces or re-attaching bits that just don't want to stay connected. That means younger builders should be able to do a lot of this solo, though they will need occasional help.

Yes, there are stickers. And as always, they're annoying and punish impatience – they need to be put down exactly right or they'll look skewiff in a frustrating, I'm-going-to-see-the-problem-every-time-I-look-at-this sort of way. But there aren't an offensive number of them, so I'll let Lego off.

Lego Boarding the Tantive IV: Design

• Imaginative brick use brings the scene to life
• Impressive attention to detail throughout
• Doesn't feel like any corners were cut

Boarding the Tantive IV is the kind of Lego set that does a lot with very little. Despite being a smaller kit, everything is pulling its weight here – I don't feel as if corners were cut at any point. There are some clever solutions at play, too. The curved hatches could have been a headache, for example, but struts and little cubes are used in a clever workaround. 

It's the same story with the many pieces used to make up the Tantive IV's walls. It would have been easy to bodge all those greebles (the iconic 'stuff' found all over spaceships that don't serve any obvious purpose but look industrial) with stickers, particularly considering the lower price, but this kit goes the extra mile by employing seemingly random pieces to give a suitable hodgepodge appearance.

Those greebles are why Star Wars and Lego are the perfect mix. The latter's bodged, grungy appearance is a great fit for Lego's blocky nature, so it's no surprise the range has been going strong for 25 years.

The attention to detail also goes beyond the Tantive IV itself. Its Stormtroopers, Rebels, and Vader wear molded (and delightfully accurate) helmets that feel of a premium quality. For instance, Vader's shiny dome arrives in a couple of pieces to represent how it comes apart throughout the saga - you get the main headpiece and the mouth rebreather,

It's the same story under that armor. There was really no need to include faces (or separate heads) for Darth Vader or the Stormtroopers, but Lego did so anyway – and nailed it, particularly with Vader's supremely grumpy expression. It's nice to see that the troopers aren't universally white and male as well. 

 You'll adore the interactive elements of this set too, no matter whether you're an older Jedi or a young Padawan with much to learn. Small handles are tied to ramps that can knock over minifigures when turned, and you can open the ship’s door with a similar mechanism. When you do, it reveals a 'blasted' version with translucent red, yellow, and orange bits to show that it's been blown open. While it's a shame that this damaged piece doesn't have something to hold it in place when used (it's easy to wind too far and put it off-center), that's a very small niggle on the whole. 

Should you buy Lego Boarding the Tantive IV?

Honestly, there's next to nothing bad I can say about Lego Boarding the Tantive IV. Despite being a cheaper playset, it shows the same impressive attention to detail seen in far pricier models. It's just as good a diorama as it is a playset for kids too.

In other words? This is a fantastic choice regardless of whether you want something for the toy box or something to put on your shelf.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested Lego Boarding the Tantive IV

Although it took just under an hour and could have easily been finished in one sitting, I split this project up across multiple sessions (having a newborn will do that to you). While testing, I kept the instruction's accessibility, along with the ease of the build, in mind. I also made sure I thought about how different age groups would feel about the kit as a whole.

For more from a galaxy far, far away, don't miss these Star Wars gifts or the best Star Wars board games.