Holiday gift guide: AT-AT
Posted by Huw,
Regular contributor to this series FoolECK has recommended a Star Wars set in the $100-200 price range for us today:
Star Wars is no stranger to anyone. Big or small, we all love the universe where the Force surrounds and binds all living things. Year 2020 marks the important anniversary of 40 years of (probably) the best Star Wars movie of all times – The Empire Strikes Back. In that case, why not bestow (probably) the best 2020 LEGO Star Wars set on your close ones?
75288 AT-AT is the newest LEGO rendition of the famous Imperial walker. Its predecessor retired 5 years ago so it’s about time we saw a fresh version of this classic vehicle. And I’m glad to say, this one does every little thing better than its precursor.
Shapes and angles? Check. Improved stability? Check. Better recreated head? Check. Interior and space for your troops? Check. There’s even a dedicated place for included E-Web blaster and speeder bike so that they don’t lie around after finished playtime. If you’ve never had a LEGO AT-AT before – that’s the one you want. And if you have – you’ll want to get rid of the old ones as soon as you build this one.
Another big advantage of this set lies in its universality. Big or small, everyone will be happy to get it as a present. Kids will love to move it around pretending they attack a Rebel Base with a shield generator they built beforehand. They will fly around and under it with Snowspeeders, shooting tow cables causing the walker to collapse.
Adults, on the other hand, will appreciate the attention to detail that went into designing this model. The head for the first time recreates all the angles and notches the original model had. Colour of seats and location of speeder bike storage adhere to the cross-section of AT-AT interior in Star Wars: Complete Vehicles(1). I’ve been a Star Wars fan for many years and only this model made me realize the vertical angles of the middle section of the body are different than the lateral ones.
75288 AT-AT truly is a magnificent and universal set. Big and small alike will have a wonderful time with it. On that note, I highly recommend it as a Christmas present. I, for one, would love to find it under my Christmas tree.
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18 comments on this article
Good review, I might get this one, but you made an error: the best Star Wars film came out in 1977.
This is a great set, but what stands out to me is the speeder bike. But I am unfortunately not going to spend $160 for a speeder bike.
@Mr__Thrawn said:
"Good review, I might get this one, but you made an error: the best Star Wars film came out in 1977."
Ha ha, I agree! No offense if you are a fan of Episode V but A New Hope is my personal favorite.
Have to agree with this review! Admittedly, I don't have any of the earlier AT-ATs, but this is such a great model overall. I've added a few extra Snowtroopers and have a Speeder bike rider on its way to complete the complement.
1977 sounds like a weird way to say 2005...
Been trying to get this at the LEGO store for a while. Seems like Target or Wal-Mart is gonna be the best option prior to Christmas. It will be mine though...oh my yes.
I think all of your keyboards must be autocorrecting 2005 to 1977, I would recommend getting that checked out and fixed.
@Mr__Thrawn said:
"Good review, I might get this one, but you made an error: the best Star Wars film came out in 1977."
It’s a Trap!
@Mr__Thrawn said:
"Good review, I might get this one, but you made an error: the best Star Wars film came out in 1977."
IV made everything else possible; it and V are tied for best to me. VI, meh. I-III are utter garbage, and VII-IX are too derivative of the originals. The side pieces (Rogue One, Solo, and The Mandalorian) are better than I-III,VII-IX. Not sure whether to blame Lucas or Disney for the mediocrity.
I have spoken! ??????
(Obviously this is highly subjective!)
(I am old enough to have seen the Original Trilogy in movie theaters in their first runs.)
I’m in the process of building mine now. I’ll have to keep it hidden from my nephew until after Xmas when he gets his AT-AT from
Santa.
@KingTyrannos said:
"1977 sounds like a weird way to say 2005..."
Watch me start a riot by saying the best film was the one in 2018. :P
Actually I would say Empire Strikes Back, A New Hope, Rogue One and Revenge of the Sith are my favorite films of the franchise and Empire might just hold the top spot. But I have a love hate relationship with Empire, its my favorite... but I am tired of hearing the nonstop praise it gets. So any chance to knock down Empire a few pegs is well deserved since it needs to be humbled just a bit!
(But Last Jedi is still my favorite of the three Sequel films so my 2018 joke has some merit... but then again "best sequel trilogy film" is such a low bar to clear)
I haven't gotten the 2020 AT-AT because I have older versions of all the minifigs. Maybe I'll buy an AT-AT without figs someday.
Because it was brought up, the best three movies in my opinion are Empire, New Hope, and Revenge. Revenge is the one I enjoy the most, but I will admit it suffers from many of the same problems as the other two prequels. Return is meh, Phantom Menace is okay and underrated, Attack of the Clones is my least favorite prequel (it needs more clones), Solo is meh, and Rogue One is pretty good. The Clone Wars movie is fun, but not nearly as good as the series it sets up.
The Clone Wars, Rebels, and The Mandalorian aren't movies, but they are the real highlights of Star Wars. I wish they would've finished the Clone Wars' seventh and eighth seasons, if they were going to waste time on the Martez sisters arc.
Well, that's all the on-a-screen current-canon worth mentioning >;)
@aamartin0000, what about the Clone Wars and Rebels?
And what are these s-e-q-u-e-ls people are mentioning? Wait, do you mean...*VOMITS*
I love the empire strikes back and the AT-AT’s, I’m not so sure I like the look of this ones feet and legs, they look a little off compared to the body (but maybe that’s just me), so I think I’ll stick with 75054 which I’ve modified to look more accurate anyway (no extra pieces used).
On the other hand I probably would get it if I didn’t have 75054.
This literally convinced me to buy it. Good article!
@Slithus_Venom said:
" @aamartin0000, what about the Clone Wars and Rebels?"
I didn’t want to mention all the animated movies/series, but since you brought it up, there are some compelling heroes in those I like, e.g. Ahsoka and Hera. Way better than Jar Jar, ewoks, young Anakin. And of course, all the LEGO Star Wars movies...
Star Wars IV was so huge at its release— it was in theaters more than a year, and many people (including myself) went to see it several times. (At the time a bootlegged VHS tape was the only way to see it outside of a theater. Not that I know anything about that :-) I do remember Lucas making it one of the first movies to capitalize with toy licensing deals. Before Empire Strikes Back, I was at a toy store looking at a doll on the shelf, thinking “who the heck is Boba Fett?” It was probably inevitable that there would be a Lego Star Wars theme. Unfortunately for me, that happened during my dark period, and I’m still playing catch-up.
Definitely pricey but looks like a nice upgrade from the OG that came out in 2003. 6 minifigures vs 4, a proper sized cockpit, and I think the interior is bigger as well. The only issue is the legs aren't as detailed as the original. I ended up using several amazon gift cards to knock the cost down, only way I was going to get it. Can't wait to crack this thing open during Christmas break and add the 20th Anniversary Snowspeeder to it.
Clearly you're all wrong. Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure is where Star Wars truly peaked.