Lego R2-D2 (75379) exists, as far as I can see, for two reasons: that the other R2 was too expensive for anybody but the most committed Legophiles, and too big to pair with the new C-3PO that had come out. It would be a little jarring to see their sizes reversed, after all.
Fair enough, but assuming that we can think of the 75379 edition of R2 as the budget model, does it hold up as a worthy contender and worthy of the lesser price? Well - yes, with a couple of minor caveats. Arguably flying the flag for Star Wars Lego as much as those giant Millennium Falcon kits (still amongst the best Lego sets overall), or the agony of treading on a Jar Jar Binks minifig, a Lego R2-D2 of any scope and scale was always going to be putting the effort in.
