Bandai Hobby - Star Wars - Millenniuim Falcon (Rise of Skywalker Ver), Bandai Spirits 1/144 Model Kit

This was my very first model build, and I was a little nervous about whether I could do a decent job, especially considering I owned zero tools/supplies, and one notable YouTube video said that this model is definitely not for beginners. However, I think as long as you have decent eyesight and a fairly steady hand, this is THE PERFECT model for beginners, because as Luke Skywalker said, “What a piece of junk!” so you can mess it up pretty badly and still know that “She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid.”Should you buy this particular model of the Millennium Falcon? It partly depends on how big of a model you want. This 1/144 scale model measures only 9 1/2” by 7”, and the pictures don’t really show how small it is. However, the level of detail of this kit is insane, and if I were to tell you that these photos were of a five-foot-long model, you might believe me! In my case, I thought it would be the perfect size for displaying on a bookshelf.How hard is it, and how long does it take to build? One reviewer here said it takes just a couple of hours, and maybe that’s possible for someone with experience, but even then that’s probably just snapping it all together. I spent about 20-30 hours on mine, including painting.How much “other stuff” will you need to buy? It depends, but here is the list of what I ended up buying. I spent about $200 (including this kit), and I don’t regret any of my purchases; everything was extremely useful.My supplies list:—“Professional 9 PCS Gundam model tools kit.” (Absolutely necessary for cutting and filing parts.)—“Revell Contacta Liquid Glue with Professional Needle Applicator.” (This kit is entirely “snap-together,” but there are several tiny external parts that really need to be glued on if you don’t want them to fall off.)—“Model painting stand base and 20 PCS alligator clip stick set.” (Very useful for holding the model and some of the parts I wanted to paint separately.)—2 cans “Tamiya TS-63 Nato Black” spray paint. (With two cans I just BARELY had enough to paint all the parts on their trees as a “primer”, which made the white paint look much better.)—1 can “Tamiya AS-20 Insignia White” spray paint. (I mostly sprayed the model when it was fully assembled, and 1 can was just BARELY enough. This color is the recommended Millennium Falcon color from many online sources, and I thought it was perfect. Note it can look very different depending on the lighting.)—1 bottle “Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color 40ml Black.” (Watch how the YouTubers apply it; it flows easily along all the panel lines, and mimics dirty rain streaks and leaking black oil. I applied it to every tiny part and protuberance on the model, and it brought out so many details in the plastic that I hadn’t even seen before!)—1 bottle “Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color 40ml Brown.” (All the YouTubers talked about adding lots of rust, but when you see brown streaks on old airplanes, it’s really leaked hydraulic fluid.)—“Microscale Micro Sol and Micro Set, 1 Ounce Bottles with Paint Brushes.” (You’ll want this to soften the decals so they wrap around all the tiny outcropping parts. I made the mistake of using the Micro Sol too much when it wasn’t conforming to the parts, and I just ended up with some shriveled decals in some areas. Rather, use mostly the Micro Set to soften them, and then use the side of a rectangular toothpick to stretch the decals into place. By the way, I decided to use the clear cockpit canopy with the decals on it. It was pretty tricky and I messed it up a bit, but I think it still looks a little better than the chunky windowless frame choice. I also didn’t use the black engine exhaust circle decals.)—“Testors Acrylic Value Finishing Paint Set, 9196T Multicolor.” (I used this set to paint the inside of the cockpit and gun turrets. Don’t be afraid to use a toothpick to mix tiny amounts of the colors to make tan, brown, etc.; just Google the primary colors that mix to make the color you want. You can barely see inside the cockpit, so this wasn’t too necessary, but it was fun to try to paint it all.)Recommendations for beginners:—Watch a few Youtube videos on “building the Bandai 1/144 Millennium Falcon.”—Do what I forgot to do until after I was done(!), and before you paint it, Google actual images from the Star Wars film, and actual photos of the original studio model(s). Mine looks pretty good, but it’s not exactly like the originals. I just used what I know about actual dirty, leaking airplanes to make the model look similar, and I think it turned out well.—Don’t worry about too little or too much weathering. If you look at the life-sized studio set Millennium Falcon from the first Star Wars film, it’s weathered beyond belief, but the smaller studio “flying” models look much cleaner. So I imagine Han had to have had the thing cleaned every once in a while…. ;-) Also, the amount of perceived weathering will vary considerably depending on the lighting. You can see the huge difference between my indoor and outdoor photos, yet it’s the same paint job.Overall, I highly recommend this model!

I'm not an expert model builder, but I have gotten several of these bandai models and they are always excellent. the snap together parts are incredibly precise and remind me of Lego, and the detail is extremely accurate to the source material.as far as the building process goes it's relatively easy, but there are some very small details that took a while for me to fit properly. you do need to be careful and take your time. all the pieces snap together so you don't need to glue it, that being said I did glue a few pieces just to be safe. as I went I used a light wash and did a bit of weathering. i think it looks pretty good with just that but you may want to add more paint details or use the provided stickers or water decals.the finished model is extremely detailed, far more than any other versions of this ship I've seen. and it's a decent size, not huge but bigger than my hand (and convenient for my limited shelf space). this falcon specifically is the Rise of Skywalker edition so it has the much desired round radar dish, but it also comes with the rectangular one. it has optional landing gear, ramp, and an adjustable stand which gives you a lot more dynamic poses than I expected. there's also space for a lighting kit but that's far above my skill level.unfortunately the price of these fluctuate a lot, so get it while it's cheap (I think it's actual worth is probably about 50-60$). overall this is an amazing model and if you are willing to spend a few hours on it it's well worth it.

Bought this over a year ago, and only just finally decided to build/paint it up. Made my own lights for the engines, running off a coin cell. The detail in this kit is astounding, for its scale. I do wish, like others, that the decals were a little thinner, as I ended up using the stickers, but they turned out looking pretty decent. I had to add the battle damage myself, but I don't mind a little scratch-buiding/modifying. I wish Bandai would re-release the Perfect Grade version, because now I'm itching to build one of those!Overall, a five-star model kit. A good paint/weathering job can make this look like it's ready to be shot against a blue screen! Just don't overdo it! I see so many folks all but ruining these kits with their heavy-handed weathering jobs! I do understand, it can be tough to make yourself stop, though. It's a fun kit to paint, that's for sure!

Like I posted on my review of the other Bandai 1/144th scale Millennium Falcon, it is perfectly made/molded with lots of detail and accuracy. They are priced high but the reason can be seen on tube videos of finished models. They are insanely accurate and detailed and the larger the scale, the more detail, the more money. Well worth the price paid and once the models are painted and detailed, you will have a movie accurate masterpiece.

Looks great, easy to put together with clear instructions. Mostly snap together but you’ll probably want to glue it. Comes with decals, but honestly, it’ll look better if you just paint the random discolored panels yourself. I did combination of both. You can weather it pretty easily to make it look authentic. Only thing I didn’t like, is the price. Feels a bit steep compared to other models.

Great product with beautiful detail. There are some very small parts that may be intimidating to new modelers

As can be expected from any Bandai kit, the detail is stunning. These kits are made for pros and first-timers alike. Easy assembly, most parts are molded in color requiring no paint, and glue is optional (though I suggest you use it).Lots of parts, so take your time.

It keeps you enjoying the assembly for a couple of hours