Beat around the Boushh
by Lukas Mack
We’ve taken a look at both the Clone helmets of this wave but now it’s finally time to place 75351 Princess Leia’s Boushh disguise in our scopes. So why the delay hmm?! Well, hypothetical reader with all the accusations (jokes!), there seemed to be a little rush on these at launch and I wanted to see if the set lived up to the early positive attention or was it just that; hype? With my copy in hand now, I see whether the reduced 670 piece count can justify that same $99.99 retail price (or a deal at Amazon). No rose-tinted glasses here, let’s take a real close look.
As usual we start with the build and I’m happy to report that as far as the helmet range goes, this is one of the more engaging ones. It’s not a long build as to be expected but there’s a heap of variety from the relatively flat top to the light greebling details on the sides and the clever technic attachment of the mask. I also appreciated some of the asymmetry and a few more small surprises the set had up its sleeve, especially so having recently built two very similar clone helmets. So, the build is pretty decent. Ok, ok but what about the accuracy of form and all the details I hear you ask? I’ve got you.
The overall impression I have of this set is – it’s weird. Don’t get me wrong, the insectoid gas mask design from Return of the Jedi is meant to be weird, but this was an ambitious helmet to model in plastic bricks and I’m not convinced Lego managed to pull it off. Contentious but put those thermal detonators down and hear me out. For one, the entire model is very petite; made very apparent when placed alongside its 2023 contemporaries. Displaying it on its own or selectively next to something like Luke Skywalker’s Helmet could solve the problem perhaps – your mileage may vary depending on your collection and imagination.
There are some more fundamental issues in design I’ve recognised after a lot of staring back and forth between movie stills, costume close-ups and the Lego model itself. My eyes still hurt. When I say ‘fundamental’ I mean that the ‘real thing’ is clearly constructed by a hard topper and softer, leather undersection. The leather has a very noticeable horizontal seam that enables the lower to flair out to the sides and this model does a poor job of replicating that smoothness of the material and its essential geometry. With nearly 200 fewer pieces than the Captain Rex Helmet I reviewed earlier this year, it’s not as if this helmet is lacking in the parts budget one would expect. I’d suggest a rework incorporating an extra couple studs width in places might have gone a long way. But hey, there are only seven largely unobtrusive and easily applied stickers in this one so put those blaster back down already!
Does movie accuracy even matter? We’re talking about a complex shape and kudos to Lego for serving up a genuinely interesting offering rather than something like a relatively generic Endor helmet for our dear Princess. Credit where credit is due. If you’re a diehard collector of every Star Wars helmet then you probably didn’t need my input either way but if you’re considering a Star Wars Helmet as a gift (to yourself or another) then there are better options out there.
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Words by Lukas Mack
Photos by Lukas Mack
Editors Note:
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This set was provided free of charge by The LEGO Group. Opinions expressed in the review are those of the reviewer.
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