Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Seals

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Size comparison with a cigarette pack — not too big, not too small.

Size comparison with a cigarette pack
It's not too big, but not too small either.

Top and bottom views

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Detailed close-ups of various sections on the top surface. The panel lining really pays off wit

Detailed close-ups of various sections on the top surface.
The panel lining really pays off with detail like this.

1/144 Millennium Falcon - The rectangular antenna on top confirms this is the Episode 7 version. It's a bit of a shame th

The rectangular antenna on top confirms this is the Episode 7 version.
It's a bit of a shame they didn't include the round antenna from the Star Wars Episodes 4–6 as well.

1/144 Millennium Falcon - The cockpit on the right side can also be done with a clear part, but unless you're going to pa

The cockpit on the right side can also be done with a clear part,
but unless you're going to paint the window frames, the regular plastic part actually looks better.

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Detailed close-ups of various sections on the bottom surface (1/5)

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Detailed close-ups of various sections on the bottom surface (2/5)

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Detailed close-ups of various sections on the bottom surface (3/5)

Detailed close-ups of various sections on the bottom surface

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Detailed close-ups of the side panels. The molding is incredible... (and so is the panel lining

Detailed close-ups of the side panels.
The molding is incredible... (and so is the panel lining work..)

The boarding ramp and landing gear are all removable.

Interior detail of the boarding ramp

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Bottom view with the boarding ramp and landing gear attached (1/4)

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Bottom view with the boarding ramp and landing gear attached (2/4)

Bottom view with the boarding ramp and landing gear attached

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Landed on the landing gear with the boarding ramp open (1/3)

Landed on the landing gear with the boarding ramp open

Includes 1/144 scale BB-8, Han Solo, Finn, Rey, and Chewbacca figures.

All the figures lined up in front

Seated figures for all characters except BB-8 are also included.

You can also display it with the six exhaust vent covers on the rear section open.

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Interior detail of the quad laser turrets on the top and bottom surfaces. I tried seating the s

Interior detail of the quad laser turrets on the top and bottom surfaces
I tried seating the seated figures in the cockpit but they don't quite fit.

Even if you can't paint this kit, panel lining is an absolute must.

1/144 Millennium Falcon - To do the panel lining, you'll need to disassemble the parts or do it before assembly — it took

To do the panel lining, you'll need to disassemble the parts or do it before assembly —
it took me around 10 hours in total.

The stand is a simple desert-themed display base.

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Flight poses with the stand angle adjusted (1/4)

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Flight poses with the stand angle adjusted (2/4)

Flight poses with the stand angle adjusted

The main thrusters at the rear can be assembled in two different ways.

Powered-down configuration for the landed state

Powered-up look for the in-flight state.
You can just barely see the blue clear parts inside.

These clear parts are used for the LED lighting effect.

The top and bottom panels separate easily to allow installation of the LED unit.

1/144 Millennium Falcon - For the LED lighting effect, you'll need to purchase the separately sold LED unit (¥2000), and

For the LED lighting effect, you'll need to purchase the separately sold LED unit (¥2000),
and it requires 3 LR44 batteries.

1/144 Millennium Falcon - You slot the LED unit in like this, then fit the LEDs into the LED holder parts and position th

You slot the LED unit in like this, then fit the LEDs into the LED holder parts and position them in place.

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Once the top and bottom panels are joined together, you can remove the bottom cover to switch t

Once the top and bottom panels are joined together, you can remove the bottom cover to switch the LEDs ON/OFF.

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Obviously, the LEDs show up much better when the surrounding lighting is dim. (1/3)

Obviously, the LEDs show up much better when the surrounding lighting is dim.

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Main thruster LED effect seen from various angles. (1/4)

1/144 Millennium Falcon - Main thruster LED effect seen from various angles. (2/4)

Main thruster LED effect seen from various angles.

LEDs can also be placed at the boarding ramp entrance and the cockpit.

LED effect at the boarding ramp entrance. Looks pretty convincing!

1/144 Millennium Falcon - As for the cockpit, there isn't much room for the light source to shine through, so the effect

As for the cockpit, there isn't much room for the light source to shine through, so the effect isn't quite as impressive as you'd hope.

Together with the 1/144 scale Slave I.

Straight build

The Millennium Falcon, the iconic mecha of the Star Wars series, has finally been released as a 1/144 Bandai Star Wars plastic model. That said, it's based on Episode 7 - The Force Awakens, so it comes with a rectangular antenna rather than the round one seen in the original Episodes 4–6. Because of this, it launched to some fan grumbling along the lines of "if you were going to do it, why not include both antennas!"..

First off, the detail is nothing short of insane — you could genuinely call it the best we've ever seen. The X-Wing and Y-Wing were already impressive, but the Millennium Falcon takes it to a whole new level with molding so complex and intricate it's almost dizzying. Of course, since it's molded in a single color, painting aside, you absolutely need to do panel lining at the very minimum to bring out all that detail. It's a grueling panel lining job that takes close to 10 hours, but the satisfaction you get from the finished result is unlike anything you'd get from any other kit.

The top and bottom surface detail is great, but what really seals the deal is the fact that the complex piping along the sides has been rendered in full three-dimensional form — the visual payoff when viewed from the side is just incredible. That said, the side pipes are made from very thin parts and are extremely easy to break if you're not super careful. I snapped about two of them during assembly and panel lining, and had to painstakingly glue them back together.

On top of that, a truly record-breaking amount of seals and wet decals are included, so applying them takes quite a bit of time as well. But paired with the panel lining on all that intricate molding, they really do take the visual impact up another notch.

For accessories, you get standing figures of Han Solo, Chewbacca, Rey, Finn, and BB-8, plus seated figures for everyone except BB-8. The boarding ramp and landing gear are also included as swappable parts, so you can pull off a convincing landed configuration too. You can also display it with the six exhaust vent covers on the top panel open, and the cockpit can be swapped out for a clear canopy, similar to a TIE Fighter.

On top of all that, the kit is designed to accept a separately sold LED unit — the ¥2000 general-purpose LED unit can be installed inside and positioned at the rear main thrusters or the boarding ramp/cockpit. The LED effect looks pretty convincing, though whether it's worth the price will probably come down to personal preference.

Anyway, the sheer level of detail alone makes this kit more than worth owning, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone planning to just do a straight build. For those willing to at least try panel lining, weathering, or painting, this is a kit that guarantees a deeply rewarding result — and for anyone who's both a Star Wars fan and a plastic model fan, it's an absolute must-have. A true gem of a kit. :-)

1/144 Millennium Falcon | 2015.10 | ¥5,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.