Playmobil Klingon Bird of Prey review

The Playmobil Klingon Bird of Prey is among the most impressive toys and models Space.com has had the pleasure of reviewing. The attention to detail on this set will make you want to scream "We are Klingons!" as you hunt down the most destructive force ever created on the Genesis planet.

This sizeable replica of Commander Kluge's Klingon Bird of Prey is a perfect addition to any die-hard Trekkie's collection thanks to the impressive attention to detail and the lights and sounds taken straight from "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock." The included figurines and accessories let you relive your favorite scenes from the film or make up your own, right on the burning surface of Genesis.

Playmobil were kind enough to send us one of these Birds of Prey to review. We went through the entire assembly process and a play test to show you exactly what's in store in this impressive set. Revenge might be a dish best served cold, but the Playmobil Klingon Bird of Prey is definitely best served alongside other faithful Trekkie replicas in a serious collector's collection.

Whether you're buying it for yourself or the Trekkie in your life, this is definitely one of the best Star Trek gifts in the Alpha Quadrant. You should also check out our review of the Playmobil Star Trek USS Enterprise to see what this fearsome ship will be facing off against.

Related: 'Star Trek' movies, ranked worst to best

Playmobil Bird of Prey: Build

• 94 pieces
• Mostly easy to build
• Some stickers are small and difficult to place

The Bird of Prey kit is huge, but luckily there are only 94 pieces, as many of the sections are quite large. The main fuselage of the ship and the display base take up the majority of the box, and besides the two wings, most of the other pieces are six included figurines and their accessories. 

After unboxing, it took a few minutes to get all of the pieces organized for assembly. Make sure you have a large work surface, as, again, this is a fairly sizeable kit that will take up most of a tabletop. Our 10-year-old tester needed a little help to get everything organized, but once it was all unpacked, assembly went smoothly.

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Some of the pieces can be a little difficult to snap together, and it took an adult to attach the two large wing sections onto the main body. Once they were snapped on, they felt very firm and did not appear as if they would come off again.

From there, the rest of the assembly was fairly simple and consisted of mostly larger plastic pieces that were easy to fit into place.

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One area of difficulty was in placing some of the stickers. Not only are some of the stickers themselves quite small (we needed tweezers for the smallest ones), but the areas onto which they are intended to be placed can be unforgiving. 

Luckily, there aren't too many stickers in the Playmobil Bird of Prey set, and the adhesive stuck them firmly into place once they were aligned in position. And we have to say — they really add some great details to this highly accurate model.

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Playmobil Bird of Prey: Design

• It's massive
• Lights and sounds are great
• The details are impeccable

We can't stress enough that the Playmobil Bird of Prey is a huge model. Luckily, the set includes cables from which you can hang it from a ceiling in case you don't have a large enough surface to display it on.

We watched "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" the night after completing this kit, and we must say that the exterior of the Bird of Prey looks to be fairly film accurate.

The cockpit section, while only large enough for just one figurine, includes some impressive details including swappable main screens that feature scenes from the film. There's even a screen with a Captain Kirk on it in Playmobil form! Each of the unused screens can be stored in a compartment built in to the display base.

The lights and sounds are a nice touch and add a lot of detail to this set, although the buttons that activate them are laid out somewhat counterintuitively. We got the hang of it in a few minutes, though, and were shouting "We are Klingons!" along with the model without too much trouble.

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The six figurines include Kirk, Spock, Commander Kluge and four of his Klingon krewmates. Each of the figurines comes with its own accessories, but these are quite small and could be easy to lose if children end up playing with them.

However, as we'll get to below, we doubt too many kids will be playing with this large and fairly pricy kit. If you'll be displaying this as part of a Trek memorabilia collection, the tiny accessories add a great deal of detail.

Playmobil Bird of Prey: Price

There's no denying it: the Playmobil Klingon Bird of Prey is a little pricey at $299/£269 if you intend to buy this for a child. However, we wonder how many children are fans of the original Trek films to begin with.

If you're a diehard collector who loves the iconic Klingon war vessel, then the sticker shock shouldn't be quite as bad. For the price, this is one impressively detailed set that looks fantastic on display and is sure to be the centerpiece of any "Star Trek" memorabilia collection.

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Yes, it's true this kit has a kid-focused design and lots of play-worthy figurines, and is quite expensive for a toy. We found in our play test, however, that the Bird of Prey vessel itself is a little too large to be played with properly, at least in a child's hands, making this one mostly for collectors.

And if you're shopping for the Playmobil Bird of Prey to begin with, you're likely a diehard Trekkie and a collector already. If you're in this group, you're likely used to paying similar prices for such impressive and highly detailed models, and $300 is perfectly worth it for the amount of care that went into this set.

Should you buy the Playmobil Bird of Prey?

If you have $300 to spend on Star Trek collectibles and you can't get enough of the classic Trek movies, then you should absolutely get the Playmobil Klingon Bird of Prey. Despite the few issues we had with placing some of the stickers, this model looks so impressive when assembled and includes so many film-authentic details that we absolutely recommend it. 

There are so many hidden details and touches to spark your nostalgia for the original Trek films, and the lights and sounds will make you swear you can smell Commander Kluge's breath as he barks orders in your face on the bridge of the Klingon vessel.

At $300, the asking price is a little on the high side, but the attention to detail and obvious love of all things Trek that went into this set make the Playmobil Klingon Bird of Prey a must-buy for any Trekkie collector.