Review of Lego Star Wars Sets 75005 Rancor Pit and 9496 Desert Skiff

These two sets can be considered additional accessories to larger  sets like 9516 Jabba's Palace.  (To see my review of Jabba's Palace, see my post:  http://jessicalgray.blogspot.com/2014/03/review-of-lego-star-wars-set-9516.html ).  The ages stated on the boxes should probably be considered the minimal age a person should be, but even if the age recommendation says 8-14, it doesn't mean that someone much older won't enjoy them or find them challenging to put together.  However, due to choking hazards in the small pieces, you should definitely not consider it as a gift for a child under three years old.

RANCOR PIT SET 75005_______________________________

PRODUCT DETAILs

Recommended Age:  8+

Pieces:  380

Components are made in Denmark, Hungary, China, Sweden, Mexico, and Czech Republic.

Figures included:  Rancor, Luke Skywalker, Malakili the Rancor Keeper, Gamorrean Guard, Skeleton.

Item Number:  6025099

UPC:  673419191524

Date Put Out:  2013

Websites:  Lego.com; starwars.com

Original cost and availability:  I don't actually remember.  I think it was around sixty dollars.  However, I think it is possibly out of production or at least not sold in regular stores--and for that reason the price has probably went higher than it originally started out as.  However, you can still find this set on Amazon and Ebay.  You can google the set to find other places.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I admit I wasn't that impressed with Rancor Pit in of itself.  It is a nice accessory if you have Lego Star Wars Set 9516 Jabba's Palace.  Jabba's Palace has a floor vent and a trap door, but without the Rancor Pit, they are pretty meaningless.  Jabba the Hutt cannot inspire fear nor entertain his gang of disrespectable members of society with a trap door that merely causes a person to fall into a hole that is ankle deep. (To see an unanimated skit I did, see this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43t2xMoxDnQ )

Gate can open and close, and the pull handle can lock it.

So, I'll start with the pit itself.  The block decorations are meant to represent a cavern.  The decor is not particularly impressive.  It has a large gate that can open and close.  The pull handle at the top can lock the gate to whatever position you want.  Though I wasn't impress with the set, I do appreciate the mechanics of moving pieces in Lego sets.  They did not exist when I was a child.  Lego has certainly come a long way.  In addition, the front gate can swing open, which allows easier placement of characters.

Gate can also swing open

Admittedly, one problem I did find with this set was that it is very cramped, particularly if you have the Rancor in the pit.  It makes keeping the Rancor upright a problem, and it certainly gets hard when you try to place more characters in with it.

Very cramped quarters

One side was very cute with the pooper scooper and key behind a smaller gate that can also open and close.  Of course, this brings to mind the unpleasant thought of how much a Rancor poops--and how big the piles must be...and how much it probably smells down there.  For that matter, since Jabba has vents leading to the pit, his palace must not smell so great either.  Moral:  a sense of smell is not a good thing to have on Tatooine.

On the other side of the gate is a bin that holds a chicken leg.  I guess even the Rancor gets a craving for Kentucky Fried Chicken every now and then.

Smaller gate can open and close.

From the back, I did like the torches near the gate.  There is a skull laying on the ground, presumably of one of the Rancor's (and Jabba's) unfortunate victims.  However, the skull has a secret.  Lift it up to find a hidden space underneath to store other small items like a key and bone.

Not just a morbid decoration, the skull helps you lift a panel to a hidden area.

Another side view of the Pit

If you do have Jabba's Palace, then you can appreciate Rancor Pit even more.  Four spaces on the bottom of Jabba's Palace helps it fit on top of Rancor Pit.  It can also be easily removed--no struggling to pull bricks apart.  The trap door on the floor of Jabba's Palace can now be used to threaten and dispose of enemies to the glee of Jabba's peeps who can watch from the floor vent.  If you position it correctly, the palace will not interfere with opening the large gate of the Rancor Pit or having the front area swing open.

Jabba's Palace fits on top of Rancor Pit, which allows you to make use of Set 9516's trap door.

Place an unsuspecting victim on the trap door and use the side lever on Jabba's palace to pull it open.

Luke falls through the trap door.

A lever in the back of Jabba's Palace moves the slab Jabba is on towards the floor vent.

Jabba and his gang can watch the mauling of the helpless victim through the floor vent.

If positioned properly, Jabba's Palace will not interfere with the front gate opening, and you should be able to swing the front open as well--making it easier to remove characters.

As for the figures, they are the redeeming feature of this kit.  The rancor, from foot to spine is roughly 4 1/2 inches tall.  His arms can go above his head, and if you measure from his arm length to toes he is almost seven inches (with fingers extended).  The arms can move up and down.  The top two fingers on both hands can move, allowing the Rancor to grip his victims.  The mouth can open and close.  That is the extent of the movement.  The Rancor tends to be top heavy, and therefore it can be very hard to keep him upright.  His hands usually need to be above his head or lowered completely.  He has a broken chain on one arm--and one has to think it is a very inadequate chain to restrain this large brute.

Fingers can close on victims.

Rancor from the back.

Rancor from the front.

The other figures are typical Lego figure size--around 1 1/2 inches.  Some figures are a little larger, like the Gamorrean Guard that is 1 3/4 inches.  The Gamorrean Guard has very nice details.  I sometimes wish the Lego kits that had them would include electric guitars.  I never thought about these characters until I played the Lego Star Wars video games.  These Gamorrean Guards became a favorite as they are often depicted as playing electric guitars in the game--sometimes at the expense of neglecting their  guard duties.  In fact, a way to distract them in the video games is to play rock and roll music, which is usually a rock version of the Imperial March.

From left to right:  Gamorrean Gaurd, Luke Skywalker, Malakili the Rancor Keeper, and a Skeleton.

Luke Skywalker doesn't come with a weapon, neither a blaster nor lightsaber.  I guess we are to presume that they have been taken from him, since at this point he is Jabba's prisoner.  Luke is a two-faced character.  I don't mean he is deceitful, but he has two faces on his head that can allow you to choose the expression you want him to have.  One side has a slightly cocky smile, and the other has an opened mouth determination look.  His hairpiece will hide whatever expression is in the back of his head.

View from the back from left to right:  Luke Skywalker, Gamorrean Guard, Malakili the Rancor Keeper, and Skeleton.

Malakili the Rancor Keeper also has nice details and has two faces.  He has a sort of angry face and then a crying face when Luke kills his beloved pet.  His hood is removable and hides the unused expression.  Details include manly chest hair, a pot belly, and love handles on his back.  He carries a staff.

Luke's opened mouth determined face and Malakili's crying face.

Luke's cocky half smile face and Malakil's angry face.

The skeleton is complete, representing another victim of the Rancor Pit.  I like these dudes in the Lego games too.  They dance in Lego Harry Potter and make a clanging noise as they strut in the Lego Star Wars games.

Here is a video review of Rancor Pit:

DESERT SKIFF SET 9496______________________________

PRODUCT DETAILS

Recommended Age:  7+

Pieces:  213

Components are made in Denmark, Hungary, China, Sweden, Mexico, and Czech Republic.

Figures included:  Luke Skywalker, Boba Fett, Kithaba, Lando Calrissian

Item Number:  4636419

UPC:  673419167871

Date Put Out:  2012

Websites:  Lego.com; starwars.com

Original cost and availability:  I don't actually remember.  I think it was around forty dollars.  However, I think it is possibly out of production or at least not sold in regular stores--and for that reason the price has probably went higher than it originally started out as.  However, you can still find this set on Amazon and Ebay.  You can google the set to find other places.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This set was small, and I didn't expect to be that impressed with it.  It didn't seem to have much to offer, but I thought it would be a nice accessory to go with Jabba's Palace and Rancor Pit.  After all, it is another sequence that follows the scene of Luke's defeat of the Rancor and the punishment Jabba intends to deal him by feeding him to the Sarlaac Pit--a hideous creature that slowly digests its prey over 2,000 years.  For some reason, I keep wanting to call it the Scarlet Pit...combining Gone With the Wind with Star Wars.  I guess if you slowly digest things over 2,000 years, you never go hungry either.

I was therefore surprised upon completion of the set that it was my favorite of the three I had:  Jabba's Palace, Rancor Pit, and Desert Skiff.  I thought it was the cutest.  Building it was also more challenging.  The small pieces defied my fat fingers, and they often came off if I applied too much pressure.  I also found the diagrams difficult to understand more in this set, particularly when it came to building the extensions that hang off the side of the skiff.

When you view the skiff from far away, the clear bricks that support and elevate it disappear and make it look like it is truly hovering...or maybe that is an advantage an adult collector with macular degeneration can enjoy. 

Storage compartment with opening lid stores guns.

The skiff is actually pretty cool...I could picture it as David Hasselhoff's sidekick in Knight Rider.  It has several moving pieces.  There is a storage box on board with an opening lid that you can keep your little guns in...or maybe tuna sandwiches, which I'm sure would be lovely to have while riding through Tatooine's desert heat (did you ever have perverse relatives that forced you outside to play in the sunshine and then feed you tuna sandwiches?).  The thingys on the side (yes, I know you love my vocabulary) were one of the hardest parts for me to build, but they can be turned to the left or right.  It has a plank that can fold underneath the ship when not in use and be extended out when it is needed.  There is also a missile underneath the skiff that when pressed can be a projectile.

The little thingys on the side were difficult to build but can also be turned.

The plank can be extended outward and tuck in when not in use.

The projectile underneath the ship.

It is the figures, though, that I love best...particularly the Sarlaac.  I admit that a rather vulgar comparison came to mind when I was building it.  It reminds me of all those jokes men used to make about a woman's...er...female part that they feared had teeth and threatened to emasculate them.  It also reminded me of the hungry plant in Little Shop of Horrors.  The mouth can open and close.  It can grip its victims, and it can even totally shut them in (though weapons may have to be removed first).  "Feed me, feed me!"  one can easily imagine it saying.  The arms at the side can rotate and the tips can also rotate so that you can position them the way you like.

Boba Fett goes from bounty hunter to dinner.

The other figures are nice too.  Boba Fett is my favorite.  Beautiful details are on this figure:  the beat-up armor, the cape, the little helmet, and the manly facial hair when the helmet is removed.  Hubba, hubba, man hunk! He carries a big gun...which brings to mind another dirty joke...but I think I'll limit this blog post to one before it gets X-rated.

From left to right:  Kithaba, Boba Fett, Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian

Back view from left to right:  Kithaba, Boba Fett, Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian

The faces behind the masks:  Boba Fett (left) and Lando Calrissian (right)

Lando Calrissian is not too bad himself, though his outfit is not as interesting.  His helmet is removable too.  Both Boba Fett's and Lando's helmets fit over their faces.  Lando carries an interesting spear axe.  This set is generous with weapons.

Kithaba is a famous assassin in the Star Wars world, though I've never heard of him.  He is a Klatooinian.  The character in the movie actually is cute and appears more dog-like in face, which this hideously ugly figure does not do justice.  The figure looks like it should be in a Lego Walking Dead set.  Kithaba may have been an assassin, but apparently he had a sensitive side...as he dreamed of pursuing a career in music when he retired.  Unfortunately, destiny had other plans for him, and he became the Sarlaac's dinner instead...and undignified end for both a famous assassin and famous bounty hunger (Boba became dinner too).  I do like his little hat, though...and the bright red pants will definitely catch your attention.  I normally have him flying the skiff, but when armed he has one of the little guns in the storage chest.

Comparison of  Rancor Pit's Luke (left) and Desert Skiff Luke (right).  First difference is Desert Skiff Luke has a lightsaber.

Desert Skiff's Luke Skywalker looks almost identical to Rancor Pit's Luke Skywalker.  However, there are two notable differences between the two figures.  Desert Skiff Luke has a lightsaber.  The expressions are different between the two figures.  Rancor Pit Luke is two-faced, where Desert Skiff Luke sports only one look.

The clothing is identical between the two figures.

The expressions are different between the two Luke's, and Rancor Pit Luke (left) has two expressions you can choose from.

Here is a video review of Desert Skiff:

I do videos on putting together the Lego sets, because I have heard plenty of people who admire the sets but can't figure out how to put them together.  Check out my playlist:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLdcCbWTBhko6oOPKPdauase3YzGNUXYB )