The LEGO Dune Ornithopter Is One Of The Coolest Building Brick Vehicles Ever
"Dune: Part Two" is one of the best movies of 2024 and it actually makes the first "Dune" movie from director Denis Villeneuve even better. So it only makes sense that the LEGO set inspired by one of the franchise's signature vehicles is one of the best building brick vehicles they've ever produced.
The LEGO "Dune" Atreides Royal Ornithopter set brings the aerial vehicle to life with incredible engineering and an impressive wingspan. LEGO Designer Michael Psiaki developed it for over a year before getting in touch with Warner Bros. Pictures about releasing the LEGO set, which then allowed him to collaborate with production designer Patrice Vermette to ensure that the LEGO vehicle was as accurate as possible in building brick form.
LEGO sent over their "Dune" Ornithopter set for us to build ourselves, and with a 31-inch wingspan and deployable landing gear, this LEGO set was significantly more challenging to build than I originally anticipated. But the final product is incredibly rewarding, especially when you see how all the tedious pieces in the vehicle's foundation help bring the vehicle to life.
Let's take a closer look at the "Dune" LEGO set below.
LEGO's Dune Ornithopter has a complex, firm foundation
Sitting with the wings retracted, the LEGO Ornithopter looks deceptively simple. But what you should know is that the landing gear is deployed using LEGO Technic engineering, which makes that feature incredibly cool. In fact, pretty much the entire core of the vehicle is a complicated build utilizing Technic pieces that allow for full functionality of the expansive wings and landing gear. Beyond that, they also create a sturdy foundation that makes it easy to grip the set, especially if you have someone around an age who may want to play with the vehicle and make it zoom through the air while firmly keeping it in their hands.
Ethan Anderton
The turn of a knob on the side of the Ornithopter deploys the landing gear, which easily supports the entire ship without buckling. Plus, it also opens the back door of the ship, which doubles as an entry ramp, so you can sit Paul Atreides or whoever you want on the back.
Ethan Anderton
As for the look of the "Dune" vehicle in LEGO form, the designers have kept the angular features that make it look unique. LEGO's Psiaki even said that figuring out how to keep the look of the cockpit intact was one of the bigger challenges in designing the set. That included figuring out exactly what minifigures they would make available to sit in the cockpit.
Ethan Anderton
A nice touch for this build — especially since placing figures inside tight cockpits and keeping them firmly attached to studs can be somewhat difficult for adult hands — is that the interior of the cockpit can be removed. This makes placing minifigures in the two seats infinitely easier than it otherwise would have been. And trust me, I tried to get the figures in there without taking the cockpit out, and I only frustrated myself. Smart move, LEGO.
The Lisan al Gaib of LEGO wingspans
But the LEGO Ornithopter's greatest feature is its impressive wingspan, featuring eight bendy wings that were custom-made for this set and are the largest ever made for any LEGO set. This is where the tedious Technic innards of the Ornithopter come into play, because a mechanism on the top spine of the vehicle allows you to shimmy the wings, mimicking the rapid flapping of a dragonfly, as seen in the movie. Of course, it doesn't allow for the wings to move anywhere near as fast as the fictional vehicle, but the flexibility of the wings does help create the illusion somewhat.
Ethan Anderton
If there's one shortcoming with the LEGO "Dune" Ornithopter, it's that some of the smaller red and blue Technic pieces for the wing mechanics stick out like a sore thumb. If you're really stressed out about it, those can be replaced by ordering the individual pieces in a different color. I'm sure that LEGO kept them a bright color to keep track of the important pieces, much like how many interior foundational bricks that make certain larger sets feel firmly built are given bright colors too. But in this case, it would have been nice if they blended into the set more.
A fantastic assembly of Dune LEGO minifigures
As a bonus, the LEGO "Dune" Ornithopter features many more characters than those who might be seen flying the vehicle. As LEGO Designer Michael Psiaki put it, "We talked about what makes sense, and with Legendary (the production company) about who they wanted. We thought this is the LEGO Dune set. This is our one shot. Who do we include? Seven of them interact with the craft and technically the Baron doesn't. But talking about it, everyone said, 'You've got to have the Baron!' So that's where we got this line-up of eight characters."
Yes, the Baron is easily the standout character, who not only comes with the long flowing robe that drapes down as his massive body floats around but also a stand to make him tower above the rest of the minifigures. Other key characters include Paul Atreides, though it would have been nice if we got a version in a stillsuit as well, especially if this could potentially be the only "Dune" LEGO set we ever get. The same can be said for Duncan Idaho, who also isn't seen in a stillsuit. The good news is you can just one of the other stillsuit minifigure bodies and put another character's head on it. The rest of the ensemble includes Duke Leto Atreides, Lady Jessica, Chani, Gurney Halleck, and Dr. Liet Kynes. They all have a nice assortment of accessories, from weapons to binoculars and more.
Though intended to potentially be the only "Dune" LEGO set produced, maybe we'll get lucky enough that the success of "Dune: Part Two" will inspire a LEGO version of the humongous spice harvester crawlers. After all, this is easily one of the coolest building brick vehicles that LEGO has ever done, so why not keep the desert power going strong?
The LEGO "Dune" Ornithopter is available to order from The LEGO Shop for $164.99, though currently it's on backorder, so it won't ship for 60 days.