LEGO Star Wars Podrace Diorama takes after the right predecessor

The recipe for a strong LEGO Star Wars diorama is a tricky one to perfect but 75380 Mos Espa Podrace Diorama could be a step in the right direction.

There have been several LEGO Star Wars dioramas over the last couple of years, capturing iconic scenes from throughout the films, paired with a plaque featuring a quote pertinent to the moment. The collection arguably peaked with its very first set back in 2022: 75329 Death Star Trench Run Diorama.

The compact build managed to capture the tension and speed of the moment, with an X-wing and three TIE fighters winging their way through the Death Star's outer mechanics. As the pivotal moment from Episode 4: A New Hope, where Luke is about to drop a bomb that signals a huge win for the Rebels, it's a dynamic set that conveys every bit of the drama of the scene, despite being entirely stationary.

Not all of the LEGO Star Wars dioramas have gone down as well, however, marked with a particularly low point last year with the release of 75353 Endor Speeder Chase Diorama. In our full review, we touched on how the lack of detail and depth in the set means that it offers the absolute bare minimum. An updated speeder design might be welcome but there's nothing in the build to convey the speed and gravity of the scene.

Two sparse trees are all that grounds us on Endor and, although the speeders can be angled for effect, 75353 Endor Speeder Chase Diorama just doesn't quite hit in the same way as 75329 Death Star Trench Run Diorama. The two sets share the chase element, with vehicles meant to appear that they're rocketing through the set at high speeds.

With the upcoming release of 75380 Mos Espa Podrace Diorama, briefly revealed earlier this week by Bricks Megastore, an Australian Certified LEGO Store, there are two potential paths for the set. As another diorama centred around a high-speed, multi-vehicle scene, does it fall into the early glory days of 75329 Death Star Trench Run Diorama, or will it drop the ball like 75353 Endor Speeder Chase Diorama?

From what we've seen so far in the images released by Bricks Megastore, 75380 Mos Espa Podrace Diorama will follow in the footsteps of the former. Helped along by the vibrant colours of the podracers themselves, the 718-piece set includes enough of the scenery from Tatooine to set the scene without dominating the vehicles, like the trees did in 75353 Endor Speeder Chase Diorama.

What's more, the stone arch with Anakin's podracer flying underneath perfectly represents the moment, evoking the speed and tension of the moment. In every way that counts, 75380 Mos Espa Podrace Diorama feels much closer to 75329 Death Star Trench Run Diorama than 75353 Endor Speeder Chase Diorama – which is only a good thing, in our books.

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