Carbon-Freezing Chamber

This is a small set, but it's perfect for recreating the iconic scene in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, where Han is frozen in carbonite, then handed over to Boba Fett to be delivered to Jabba the Hutt. more less

We bought this as part of my son's upcoming birthday present, and decided to have a family build night a little early. So, my wife, son and I all worked together to build this. It was really fun learning all the ins and outs of the set. I think I personally like the little elevator into the chamber best. My son was very excited to play with Boba Fett and Han while we did most of the building. Side note: to small children, the main part of bag one may be seen as a space ship by small children and "crashed" during building of connecting pieces. The build was pretty straightforward, and good for builders of expert level like myself, as well as beginner level like my wife and son. I personally like this set as I had the original Slave I and getting the updated Boba Fett and Han in Carbonite was really exciting for my nostalgia factor. I had one concern about the set, which after building was resolved somewhat by the back of the box. I was unsure about the level on the opposite side of the chamber from the elevator. It appeared to have no purpose, but the box revealed it to be a table/bed of sorts for Han. Maybe the torture table from before the carbon freezing? I'm not sure, but I like it as a bed for Han to go to bed when it's time for my son to stop playing. Great, fun, set. more less

The minifigures are probably the highlight of the entire set but I feel that it could've been even better if the set itself was a larger one. That way we could get more important minifigures to the scene like Lando Calrissian and Princess Leia. The chamber itself is mediocre due to some of the play features that have been implemented. The best play feature is no doubt the rotating carbon-freezing area. This part lets you play out the iconic scene from Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where Han Solo is encased in Carbonite. The other parts of the set are a little too bland for my taste. The idea of the set is there but it leaves very much to be desired. more less

For £19.99 you get 3 minifigures (or 4 if you include the Carbonite!), a nice mix of 230 parts and a set that which feels solid and is a reasonable replica of the ESB scene. Functions wise, there's a basic elevator to the right-side of it which is moved up and down via a small lever, and a Technic axle/assembly which enables you to either rotate the Carbonite block around, or move it below the level of the main platform. To be honest, the latter doesn't work that amazingly, but it could be fun for little ones. more less

While the minifigure selection is impressive the actual carbon-freezing chamber leaves something to be desired. Most of the play functions are entertaining and I think the model looks rather nice as well but it simply is not large enough to fully capture this famous scene. The strange feature found at the back of the model seems like a waste of pieces to me and that also counts against the set as a whole. more less

Assuming you already have enough Han Solos and Boba Fetts, skip this $30 set and buy the Ugnaught from eBay or Bricklink. Then again, if you didn't pick up those earlier sets and want to upgrade your Han Solo and Boba Fett, this is a lower-priced set with three desirable minifigs. more less