PlaymobilStar Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701

As a fan of the Original Star Trek series since the 1960's, this was a must-have item for me. The build quality is excellent, the numerous decals are well labelled and have recesses in the plastic for them, making it easy to place each one. Even if you make a mistake, the decals are very forgiving and you can peel them back up and try again if you are careful. The parts fit together super-accurately thanks to Playmobil's excellent engineering and design skills. This kit is so well made, every step in the construction is an absolute joy to do!There are some inaccuracies that are necessary to increase the playability, as I'm sure you've read the bridge is amazing however distorts the lower half of the saucer section, but it still looks great. The warp engines are a little short proportionately, still looks great, but they should be longer.This kit is big and HEAVY! It would be challenging for a child to hold this for very long, but of course this was not designed for children, but for adults who grew up with the series. Today's kids would likely not appreciate this model, from a series that is almost 60 years old. But for adults, this is so fun to reminisce about the series and so much fun to have, I am absolutely in love with this kit. My absolute favorite Enterprise I've ever had, ever since I was a small boy and built many models and had many other versions of the Enterprise. This one is just so awesome and fun!Edit: When I wrote this review, I hadn't yet tried the Android app. Seems like it could be a really cool feature, unfortunately it is not very well made and seems half finished. Many of the displays have spaces where buttons could go, but there is nothing there. The AR function no longer works, a message "License Expired" is displayed. You can activate the warp drive, red alert, and photo torpedo sounds (same as the buttons on the bridge), and you can turn the lights and effects on and off, but the app offers little else. It does have a feature for exploring the Enterprise, but that is only going from the Playmobil bridge to Engineering and back on your phone. It also has a little mini-adventure about the M5, but it's just that: mini. Not much to it, after two minutes it quickly becomes boring. I found the app to be very disappointing on an otherwise outstanding kit. I would have been happier if they just left this feature out.A couple of obstacles to collectors: (1) The price. This kit was originally listed at $500, but has since come down to about $350. I lucked out on Amazon about a year and a half ago and got mine for $303. Since then the price has gone up and down, now you can get it for about $350. I'm happy with the price I paid, just be careful and try to time things right. With the upcoming holiday season, this will likely drop down to be affordable. It's definitely worth $300 if you can get it for that.The second obstacle: (2) The size. This ship is enormous!!! Almost 40" long, I'm going to hang mine, but be sure you are ready and have the space for this beast! It is truly fantastic!Live Long and Prosper!!

As with most things Playmobil, the Enterprise is extremely well made and well thought out. The stand is extremely durable, which is a rarity on almost all Enterprise replicas made by anyone who makes them. The ship itself is built like a tank. It's rock solid. The details are enough to make it all believable. The way the nacelles and interior features are powered is ingenious with phone jack connectors that are easy to hook up. The saucer is thicker than the original proportion to allow for the amazing bridge. The wonderful bridge makes this a trade-off well worth it. Most people don't even realize the proportions aren't quite correct. The electronic features are wonderful. I have the ship in my office at work, and I love the background noise it provides when you push any of the buttons. All the little beepings and whirrings are comforting. It's like being on the bridge of the Enterprise! Very tastefully done. The price point is expensive, but the size and beautiful form factor makes it a much better value than similar Lego sets, most of which would cost 3 or 4 times as much, and still look like blocks stuck together. This is one of the most amazing Star Trek items I've seen come out in a long time. Once I retire, I'll take advantage of another amazing feature that comes with this model, which is the ability to hang it from the ceiling above my Star Trek pinball machine. If you are a fan of the original USS Enterprise, NCC-1701, you will not be disappointed when you open this box.

Very well designed and fun project. Took a couple of evenings after work. It was a very enjoyable process, great instruction manual, and the final project is huge and amazing. Sound effects, lighting and app are well designed. Very pleased.

Even though it took 2 hours to fully assemble (there's a lot of small stickers and decals, and the book leaves out a few of the decal instructions, so that's a small minus), it's worth every minute, and the final product is rather spectacular. Great and durable for kids' playtime, but accurate and high-quality for discerning collectors. I'm not sure it's worth the full retail price of $500 usd, but getting it on sale was definitely a big plus for us. People who love Star Trek will love this playset.