LEGO Review – Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter 10327

“My lungs taste the air of time, blown past fallen sands.” – Gurney Halleck.

Today, we’re discussing LEGO Icons Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter 10327, an epic, large-scale version of the dragonfly-esque flying transport ship used by Duke Leto (and later, Paul Atreides) to navigate the dangerous desert planet of Arrakis from the relative safety of the air. This unique craft is featured in several key scenes in Dune Part One, including the royal family’s first encounter with a sandworm and Paul and Lady Jessica’s escape into exile through a sandstorm.

“Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them” – The Reverend Mother.

Sci-fi epics can often be split into two world-building categories – the first being a universe that has embraced AI machines and computers, and the other a human-led universe where AI is non-existent, crafts and machines are still operated by the human hand, and an aesthetic of beaten-up ships and vintage-inspired locations rules supreme.

The original Star Wars trilogy is one of the best examples of the latter. Another is Dune, which takes place in an analogue world of limited space travel, where houses vie for possession of a rare spice mineral on the planet of Arrakis – a planet highly influenced by the culture and geography of our own desert locations on Earth.

Join us for our short review as we assume the stewardship of Arrakis, banish the Harkonnens, and build one of our favourite new LEGO sets of the year. This set was built by our friend Mike, whose thoughts we have incorporated into the below summary –

First Impressions

The Dune LEGO Ornithopter is a smart and sleek model that perfectly encapsulates the engineering design style of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movie adaption. It is a truly eye-catching set to display (proven by the number of staff who stopped to admire and tinker with the model while passing through our main office!). With a combination of rich blacks, greys, and a slight hint of colour, the ornithopter is a visually appealing build at a perfect scale for showcasing on shelves, tables, and other flat surfaces.

Best Features

Contemporary LEGO sets can often feel fragile, with elements liable to break off at the slightest knock. The Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter 10327, by comparison, is a pleasing example of a set that is designed both for play and display, with a solid construction that holds up when the ship is lifted to glide through the air.

The set also includes plenty of fun surprises in the form of LEGO Technic elements. As this is billed as a LEGO Icons model, you may not realise quite how many of these interactive features are included until finishing the build.

As seen above, a handy switch is incorporated into the design to move the insect-like wings between a folded and flight position. We didn’t realise until we started playing with the model that pressing down on the ship’s tail would also cause the wings to flap up and down – an awesome characteristic!

The Dune LEGO ornithopter also includes disguised dials to extend the landing gears from the base. When exhibited this way, the ship looks more than ever like an organic, living creature turned into a machine.

This ship is an excellent purchase by itself; however, the box also includes eight LEGO Minifigures, one of which is the floating Baron Harkonnen in his long robes – the wonderful eccentricity of this minifigure design speaks for itself, and the villainous baron is certain to be a highlight of any sci-fi character collection.

Design Flaws

We were blown away by this build and struggled to find much to criticise, though the cockpit does not feel as secure as the rest of the set and is more likely to break off if the model is held in the wrong way – make sure to grip the ship's tail if you want to lift it up.

Final Score

We think the LEGO Icons Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter 10327 represents the perfect arrival of the Dune franchise to the brick-built world, with a build that combines a stylish design, a sturdy construction, and fun play elements to great effect. Praise Shai-Hulud!

Our final score, considering all aspects of the model –

9.3/10