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Here we have the Robo-Guardian from the Spyrius subtheme of Lego Space. As a kid, this was my absolute favorite Lego set that I owned. I've always been a huge fan of giant robots, and this was easily the coolest of the era. Owing to their name, the Spyrius focused on interstellar espionage rather than combat. Many sets focused on collecting and transporting small "data pad" tiles. The Robo-Guardian is no exception to this, as we'll soon see. A rear shot of the Robo-Guardian reveals the presence of a small scout craft hidden in the upper torso and a Spyrius Droid in the lower torso. As the robot rolls along a flat surface, the top wheels make just enough contact with the set on the bottom to roll along with them (albiet in the opposite direction). It looks great in motion. While not exactly highly-articulated, the Robo-Guardian can emote a bit! The head can swivel a full 360 degrees on a turntable piece. In addition, one can clearly see the differences between the robot's arms. The right arm features a magnet, while the left arm is equipped with a claw. The gimmick for the shoulder movement is rather clever. An ingenious locking mechanism allows the shoulders to "ratchet" all the way up to an upright position. The arms can also bend inward at the elbow. it's important to note though that the arms can move up, but not down! The ratchet mechanism only works one way, and forcing the arms down could damage the parts. Opening the canopy reveals a couple of specially-printed 2x2 slope bricks, allowing the Spyrius Chief inside to perfectly control this awesome vehicle. At the front of the lower torso the Robo-Guardian possesses a container for the Spyrius data pads. The container is securely locked into place by a pair of hinged arms. Swinging the arms out in the direction of the arrow plates unlocks the container. Simply pull on the front of the container to slide it out of its slot. The panel on the front features a special printing. Perhaps in addition to storage, the container can decode and decrypt the information stored on the data pads. A magnet is fixed to the top of the container as well. Here the container has been opened, and the data pads removed. The special prints are delightfully sci-fi. One can insert the pads with the container open, but it's more fun to slip them through the tiny slots on the front and rear of the container instead. Here the Robo-Guardian is carrying the data pad container via its magnetic "hand". Unfortunately the arm isn't quite long enough for the robot to store the container by itself. As mentioned earlier, the Robo-Guardian has a unique one-way shoulder ratcheting lock for its arms. To release the lock without fully rotating the arms, simply lift up on the corresponding red antenna poking out of the back of the robot. This will unlock the shoulder joint and allow the arm to swing back down to a neutral position. Mentioned previously is a small scout craft that can be tucked away in the upper torso of the Robo-Guardian, accessed from the rear. A pair of small arms with clip hands keeps the craft secure. The easiest way to remove the scout craft is to simply pull it out by grasping the gray protrusions at the front. The arms will fold out to release the vehicle. Here is the scout craft itself. Piloted by a Spyrius Astronaut, it has a pleasant shape. A Spyrius data pad is used to control the vehicle. It seems they have a multitude of uses, beyond securely storing data. Could the trans-green cones be blasters, or simply headlights or sensors? The rear of the scout craft. Three trans-red dishes provide forward propulsion, while small trans-green round plates on the bottom provide vertical thrust. A Spyrius Droid sits safely in the bottom compartment of the Robo-Guardian. A bazooka-like blaster (or long-range camera?) can be stored close by. Flipping the ladder up allows access to the Droid within. In the UK, the Spyrius Droid is known as Major Kartofski, and is actually implied to be the leader of the Spyrius faction! Displaying a very interesting gimmick, the head and lower arms of the Robo-Guardian can be removed and reconfigured to form a medium-sized flight-capable craft. Perhaps this is an escape vehicle. The magnet arm would allow this craft to carry the data pad container to safety. As for defenses, the four backwards trans-green cones could be blasters. A rear view of the head flyer. The black rocket booster element provides forward thrust. Like the scout craft, the trans-green round plates provide vertical thrust. With the Head Flyer off on its own, the main body of the Robo-Guardian can still be controlled. The scout craft can function as a secondary head when attached. It even has a somewhat head-like appearance, with the trans-green cones serving as "eyes". it is however decidedly less intimidating without most of its arms. A rear shot of the "Scout-Guardian" configuration. Presented here are the three minifigures included with this set. In the center is the Spyrius Chief, presumed leader (UK fiction notwithstanding) of the crew, with a Spyrius Astronaut on the left and a Spyrius Droid (secret leader?!) on the right. The Chief and Astronaut are identical save for their face prints and a special print on the Chief's helmet. The Droid is quite awesome, and is the first robotic minifigure in all of Lego Space. And here are the Spyrius busy at work. The Droid scans a faraway target with the scope of his "bazooka". The Chief reads information stored on a Spyrius data pad, while the young Astronaut stores his data, pad in the nearby container. For me, the Robo-Guardian is the jewel of the Spyrius line. It is an excellent, towering, rock-solid robot build with an imposing look and fun gimmicks. A truly stellar "villain" set and one I'm glad to own again. Definitely recommended. I hope you've all enjoyed taking a look taking a look at it with me.
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BrickHeadz is an exciting new Lego theme that depicts our favorite characters from movies, TV shows, games, and comics into fun and stylized collectible forms. Each set contains a brick built figure with a build-able base, that includes a printed tile piece denoting the figure's wave number. Wave one consists of twelve unique and colorful characters based on The Lego Batman Movie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean. BrickHeadz is an exclusive theme from Lego, which means that you can only find the BrickHeadz sets at Lego brand retail stores and online from Lego Shop. Before I begin this review, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to The LEGO Group (TLG) who have provided this set, and other wave one BrickHeadz sets, to Eurobricks making this review possible. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Introduction While being one of the only female Avengers, Black Widow has shown her own in the kicking and pain inflicting department, for which she's been rewarded with a top spot among the first four Mavel BrickHeadz. Lego's 41591 Black Widow also manages to capture the likeness of it's film inspiration--that of Scarlett Johansson--very well, which only adds to the appeal of the figure. But if you're not convinced she's a useful Avenger BrickHeadz yet, read on and let's see if we can change your opinion... Set Stats Name: 41591 Black Widow Theme: Licensed / BrickHeadz Year: 2017 Pieces: 143 Minifigs: N/A Price: USD $9.99, CA $12.99, DE 9.99€, UK £9.99 Resources: Brickset, Bricklink, Lego Shop Packaging As with all BrickHeadz, 41591 Black Widow comes in the standard BrickHeadz box--one that includes a thumb open tap, large BrickHeadz logos, and that wall of ugly text. Still, the blue of the Captain America: Civil War backdrop allows the black and orange figure to pop nicely, as does the image of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, for which the figure is inspired by. Inside the box you'll find one instruction booklet, two bags--one big and one small--as well as a loose 4x6 black plate which will be used for the figure's base. Interesting Parts 41591 Black Widow is one of the most part heavy BrickHeadz and she also manages to come with numerous desirable pieces in Dark Orange. Most of these dark orange pieces are various slopes, such as 1x2 slopes, 2x2 slopes, and 1x2 arch slopes. Aside from all the standard inclusions (modified bricks in light bley, BrickHeadz eye tiles, and of course the 2x4 wave tile), Black Widow comes with two uniquely printed pieces. The first is a 1x2 brick which depicts her torso and belt design, and the second being two 1x2 tiles in dark blueish grey that are printed with a depiction of her electrified gauntlets. While still being accurate to the character, the gauntlet tiles are generic enough to find numerous uses elsewhere--which is a plus. Build As with all BrickHeadz, the bulk of the building is focused on the head construction--or rather in the case of 41591 Black Widow, the hair. Using a massive number of slopes, tiles and plates Lego has managed to very accurately depict the hairstyle of the character from the Avengers films. Surprisingly, despite the bulk of the hair, I've not experienced the tendency for the figure to tip over backwards, which is unfortunately the case of other large headed figures like 41588 Joker and 41586 Batgirl. In addition to the hair, I found the belt/waist design to be particularity notable, in that Black Widow does not use a 4x4 plate for her main waist piece, as is the case with most BrickHeadz. Instead, she utilizes four black modified 2x2 plates, which allow for the attachment of a rather low riding belt. I'll also note that I found the transition from the main 1x2 printed brick to the adjacent bricks to be very well done. The black and dark bley colors flow really nicely into the print, creating a very streamlined look. And yes, you also build that base too, with only four pieces. Completed Figure First impression--lots of hair! But in a good way. It's been meticulously sculpted and as a result it has turned out to be very reminiscent of Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow. As I just noted, the streamlined feel to the figure is very nice, and her torso print and pieces are used very well. I also particularly like her leg pouches, which add to the character's armed feel. In that regard, Black Widow also comes with two rather generic accessories, 4 length bars in standard black, for her stun batons. Conclusion 41591 Black Widow is a detailed BrickHeadz with gorgeous dark orange hair and great graphic design. She'll be a welcome addition to any BrickHeadz collection. Score Design: 5/5 - Lots of work went into the hair, and it was worth the effort. Parts: 5/5 - Tons of Dark Orange? What's not to love?! Build: 5/5 - Black Widow utilizes different techniques than other BrickHeadz making her build uniquely interesting. Value for Price: 5/5 - One of the most part heavy BrickHeadz, you get the most for your money. My Score: (20/20) A Eurobricks BrickHeadz Reviews: 41585 Batman, 41586 Batgirl, 41587 Robin, 41588 The Joker, 41595 Belle, 41596 Beast, 41589 Captain America, 41590 Iron Man, 41591 Black Widow, 41592 The Hulk
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BrickHeadz is an exciting new Lego theme that depicts our favorite characters from movies, TV shows, games, and comics into fun and stylized collectible forms. Each set contains a brick built figure with a build-able base, that includes a printed tile piece denoting the figure's wave number. Wave one consists of twelve unique and colorful characters based on The Lego Batman Movie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean. BrickHeadz is an exclusive theme from Lego, which means that you can only find the BrickHeadz sets at Lego brand retail stores and online from Lego Shop. Before I begin this review, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to The LEGO Group (TLG) who have provided this set, and other wave one BrickHeadz sets, to Eurobricks making this review possible. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Introduction Iron Man is arguably one of the most popular Marvel characters now, due in large part to his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With that in mind, it's no surprise that 41590 Iron Man is one of the first Marvel BrickHeadz (second only to 41589 Captain America, make of that what you will), and for good logistical reasons too--he just looks great. Iron Man, due to his bulky armor, expressionless face, and hot rod color scheme translates to the BrickHeadz style far better than most. 41590 Iron Man is one of the best BrickHeadz, period. But I guess I do have to say a bit more, so read on... Set Stats Name: 41590 Iron Man Theme: Licensed / BrickHeadz Year: 2017 Pieces: 96 Minifigs: N/A Price: USD $9.99, CA $12.99, DE 9.99€, UK £9.99 Resources: Brickset, Bricklink, Lego Shop Packaging As with all BrickHeadz sets, 41590 Iron Man comes in the standard box with all the appropriate logos and walls of texts. Included is also an image of the inspiration, that of Iron Man mark whatever (I lost count, and I don't care to know anymore!) from Captain America: Civil War. Inside the box you'll find one instruction booklet, two bags--one big and one small--as well as a loose 4x6 black plate which will be used for the figure's base. Interesting Parts With a great color scheme, 41590 Iron Man also comes with numerous intersting pieces, both standard and printed. On the standard side, he come with the Brickheadz cornerstones such as the wave tile and fourteen of those modified bricks in light bley. But unlike others, instead of the round BrickHeadz eyes, Iron Man comes with two 1x1 trans-light blue tiles which are actually printed with a simple white square on top of them. This subtle print creates the illusion that they are actually lit by lights, which is very cool. Standard part wise, Iron man also comes with six headlight bricks in Bright Light Orange and eight in Dark Red. Additionally, various Dark Red modified plates are included, which are nice to have. Build Like all BrickHeadz, 41590 Iron Man features a standardized build structure, although he does feature some unique deviations to depict his bulky armor. The numerous headlight bricks also add an added twist on the BrickHeadz mold, which makes constructing Iron Man more interesting than some other figures. Of course, you also construct the standard BrickHeadz base. Completed Figure Overall very nice figure. 41590 Iron Man fits very well in the BrickHeadz template, and that's largely due to the bulky armor which looks nice when dropped into a rather square mold. The level of detail is just right, and the Bright Light Orange pops expertly well against the dark red. Lego could have used Pearl Gold instead, but I appreciate that they went with a brighter, if slightly less accurate, shade instead. Now unlike his SDCC counterpart, this Iron Man unfortunately does not come with repuslor blasts as an accessory. I would have appreciated those being included, but thankfully their absence is not as egregious as Captain America missing his shield or anything. Conclusion Disputed leader of the Avengers, 41590 Iron Man is both a necessary inclusion in any respectable Marvel BrickHeadz collection, but also a very well done figure in his own right. Score Design: 5/5 - The Iron Man armor translated very well to the blocky style of BrickHeadz. Parts: 5/5 - Dark Red and Bright Light Orange? Sign me up! Build: 5/5 - Despite on the surface reading mostly as just tiles, there's lots of nice interesting bits just under the surface. Value for Price: 5/5 - A good number of parts in uncommon colors and a great figure to boot means this is worth the cost. My Score: (20/20) A Eurobricks BrickHeadz Reviews: 41585 Batman, 41586 Batgirl, 41587 Robin, 41588 The Joker, 41595 Belle, 41596 Beast, 41589 Captain America, 41590 Iron Man, 41591 Black Widow, 41592 The Hulk
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Introduction Hi fellow EB members! After the release of #21028 New York, #21027 Berlin and #21026 Venice, the Lego Architecture skylines series will expand in January with three new set: #21032 Sydney, #21033 Chicago and #21034 London. I was given the chance to review the later, so let's take a tour in London! Thanks to EB LUG Ambassador CopMike and the LEGO CEE Team and Designers for giving me the opportunity to review this set! Set information Name: 21034 London Theme: LEGO Model Making / Architecture Year: 2017 (Available now only at the Leicester's Square London Lego Store) Pieces: 468 Price: USD NA, GBP NA, EURO NA Resources: Brickset, BrickLink Packaging The box comes in the usual LEGO Architecture 's black livery. The front shows the full set, proudly standing on blueprints against the black background. On the upper left corner is a rather big LEGO Architecture logo and just under is the name of set and its location in the world... Nothing fancy here, just the good old Architecture box! The back of the box has a front shot of the set with pictures of each of the real buildings and a short comment on London in a few languages. Size of the set is also indicated: 285mm wide and 150mm tall. Content of the box The box contains the instructions booklet, 4 unnumbered bags but no brick separator. There are also 4 lose white 24L rigid hoses. Instructions booklet The 119 pages instructions booklet is, as always with Architecture sets, very well done and good looking with the classic black background. Of course about the monuments you're about to build. The instructions are easy to follow and thanks to the black background, it's very unlikely that you'll mistake a color for another. Build I'll skip lots of steps to reach the point where the base is completely done. You can clearly see that the buildings aren't all aligned, but the London Eye (and the National Gallery) will be positioned behind the others monuments. Lego choose the trans-clear color for the river Thames, which may or may not be very accurate! Now let's add some buildings on it! (Note that I'll review each monuments in an order that is not the building order) Let's start building with the Tower Bridge, the biggest and most complex build in this set. It is nicely created, with a good amount of details. One thing that bothers me is that it seems distorted, taller than it should... If the use of tan color is discutable, the medium blue is spot on! The London Eye is next! The build is really well thought, using flex tubes for the wheel and new white wishbones for the center structure. I'm not fond of the two gray technic pins used to join the flex tubes, but I can't think of a better part to use, except if we had white technic pins! The base of the wheel could have used a few less white parts to be more accurate. The National Gallery and Nelson"s column may be the tiniest builds of the set, together they make a really nice Trafalgar Square. The last building in this set is Big Ben, along with a part of the Palace of Westminster. First let's just talk about the look of the monument. It's pretty nicely designed, the textures are nice (ok, I turned Big Ben sideway, my bad) and proportions look good. A nice detail is the printed 2x2 brick with a printed clock pattern, too bad it's only printed on one side. Now let's see why I'm disappointed in this building... It may be the 5th or 6th rendition of Big Ben in Lego form, so I'm assuming Lego designer know pretty well the structure of the Palace of Westminster! When looking at the back of the box, we clearly see that the Lego build is almost exactly what we see in the picture of the real building: Now take a look at Westminster's plan and try to find what part of the Palace is represented by the Lego build... Big Ben is the "clock tower" on the far right, and the tower present in the build is the one over the "library", at the bottom right of the plan... To resume, the small build should be the #10253 Big Ben Creator set scaled down, so there's a big proportions problem! Going back to the review with the completed set. I must say it looks nice, despite being a bit too crowded on the left side, with the Eye keeping falling on the National Gallery! The boat on the Thames is a simple but nice detail! As always there is some spare parts. Interesting parts The set comes with a handful of 1x2 trans-clear tiles and 1x2 tan log bricks. There are also some of the new 1x1 quarter round tiles in light bluish gray and two white trophy statuettes. Exclusive parts include the printed London 1x8 black tile and the clock 2x2 tan brick, but also two white Technic wishbone suspension arm, the four 24L hose in white, the four medium blue 32580 hose 7M, and the new 23443 Bar Holder with Handle in medium blue. Conclusion Design: 7/10 - Nice, but some innacuracies that bother me... I hope it's only me! Parts: 8/10 - There are some great parts in this set, and a nice variety for an Architecture set. Build: 7/10 - Nice builds but with no advanced techniques. Price: --/10 - The retail prices aren't published as I write this review. I'll update that score when they are. Overall: 22/30 (73%) - A nice LEGO Architecture set, continuing an interesting sub-theme. Some minor flaws that won't decourage the Architecture's fans to get this set!
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BrickHeadz is an exciting new Lego theme that depicts our favorite characters from movies, TV shows, games, and comics into fun and stylized collectible forms. Each set contains a brick built figure with a build-able base, that includes a printed tile piece denoting the figure's wave number. Wave one consists of twelve unique and colorful characters based on The Lego Batman Movie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean. BrickHeadz is an exclusive theme from Lego, which means that you can only find the BrickHeadz sets at Lego brand retail stores and online from Lego Shop. Before I begin this review, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to The LEGO Group (TLG) who have provided this set, and other wave one BrickHeadz sets, to Eurobricks making this review possible. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Introduction Yes, Hulk smash. Its a catchy catchphrase and decorum requires I write it here at least once, so I'm getting it out of the way now. Anyways, Hulk is a cornerstone member of the Avengers from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and so it's no surprise that he's one of the first four characters to make the leap the film screen to Lego BrickHeadz, in the form of 41592 The Hulk. But while his straightforward dialogue and poppin purple pants have made him a crowd pleaser, in my opinion, they don't seem to have made the transition to BrickHeadz particularly well. Why should you ask? Well read on... Also quick aside, do note I apparently inaccurately placed Hulk's thumbs in my images...whoops... Set Stats Name: 41592 The Hulk Theme: Licensed / BrickHeadz Year: 2017 Pieces: 93 Minifigs: N/A Price: USD $9.99, CA $12.99, DE 9.99€, UK £9.99 Resources: Brickset, Bricklink, Lego Shop Packaging Color. The reason is color. Cutting to the chase, 41592 The Hulk is intended to represent the film version, specifically the one from Avengers: Age of Ultron (and as such has a unique red colored box), but he just doesn't cut it color wise. This is most evident on the box art itself, which while showing all the standard staples such as the BrickHeadz logo and that ugly wall of text, importantly shows the character inspiration image--one which is clearly depicts an olive green Hulk as opposed to the Lego green Hulk. It's a subtle but significant difference. Lego Marvel Superheroes learned this lesson after their first Avengers set wave in 2012--in which the first Lego bigfig of Hulk was inaccurately molded in bright green--only to soon be switched over to the correct olive green shade for the next film sets. Now you may be saying, "well so what, he's still green". True, that is a valid point. But in my view the fact that he is not the right green is a significant issue as the figure is billed as, and is meant to accompany other figures being billed as, versions from the Avengers/MCU films. This is not a film Hulk, this is comic Hulk. But I digress. In the meantime on the actual subject of packaging, inside the box you'll find one instruction booklet, two bags--one big and one small--as well as a loose 4x6 black plate which will be used for the figure's base. Interesting Parts Considering that he's basically just green skin and purple pants, one doesn't go into 41592 The Hulk expecting the greatest new pieces ever. And I'm not going to try and dispute that. Hulk comes with the standards, such as the wave plate, BrickHeadz eyes, and those modified bricks (fourteen of them). He does have two nice hinge pieces in green, but that's about it. Printed parts: just two 1x4 bricks that depict his muscular torso. What you see is what you get with this guy. Build 41592 The Hulk is perhaps one of the simplest BrickHeadz to construct, which is not surprising considering he's basically just giant-sized normal person, well with green skin. There's no interesting new techniques, although he does feature some abnormally large arms and hands for a BrickHeadz, which I think work well as they give the impression of a bulky person without actually changing the standardized scale itself. Completed Figure I mean, does it look like Hulk? Absolutely. But I cannot shake the feeling that he should have been in olive green. Consitancy wise, all the other Marvel figures are based on their popular film appearance looks, and Hulk just stands out because he's too bright--he has not been appropriately muted down to match the film. Does he make a good figure himself--yes. Does he fit in with the movie specific figures? That's a tough question and frankly one that's up for everyone to individually decide. Conclusion 41592 The Hulk may have smashed expectations with his recent appearances in the Avengers films, but I don't think he's the breakout start of the Marvel BrickHeadz wave. Score Design: 5/5 - Overall, it's hard to get the Hulk's shape wrong, really. Parts: 2/5 - Green? Wrong--Olive Green is right! Build: 5/5 - Simple, but that's expected for a character like Hulk. Value for Price: 3/5 - Is it worth adding to your collection, when he doesn't fit in stylistically? My Score: (15/20) C Eurobricks BrickHeadz Reviews: 41585 Batman, 41586 Batgirl, 41587 Robin, 41588 The Joker, 41595 Belle, 41596 Beast, 41589 Captain America, 41590 Iron Man, 41591 Black Widow, 41592 The Hulk
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Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex Year of release: 2017 (according to BrickLink and me, 2016 according to lego.com) Number of bricks: 174 + 8 spares Target age: 7-12 years Price: €17,99 (in Lego online shop; I found a set in Hamburg's Saturn for €12,99) A word in advance: I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this set, but to me it seems the best place since there are dinosaurs here. Soon after I rebooted my Lego hobby, I fell in love with the Red Dragon from the Red Creatures (31032) set. When I saw the Mighty Dinosaurs in the first 2017 catalogue, I knew I had to get my hands on that one too. Not to my disappointment. A somewhat better layout-ed version of this review can be found here on my website. The box Let’s get the box over and done with. The front side of the box (see above) looks neat with a volcano in the background and the remains of a dead dino at the feet of the T-rex. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 box front The backside gives no additional surprises. The same models but with a more equal space distribution, so you can have a good look at the other two of this 3in1 box. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 box back Then the side, well the only interesting one. More of the same and a 1:1 picture of a 1×2 plate with the white pointy things that do well as teeth but also as fingers on the wings of the flying dinosaur. Is it a Pteranodon? Let’s stick with that. Thirdly, the part is also used as the serrated edges at the head shield of the triceratops. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 box long side One side also advertises Lego Life which turns out to be an app for your tablet but I am going to ignore it here since I bought the box to build Lego not to tap a screen. The contents Then, what’s in the box? Three booklets for the three models and three bags of bricks. One for the biggest parts, one bag for the smallest parts and one for the mid-sized parts. No surprise, no mystery. What is a nice surprise is that this is actually a 4in1 box. The fourth model is a Brontosaurus. You can download the building instructions from www.lego.com. I checked it. It is there. The parts What I like about the Creator theme is that it finds a good middle ground between detailed modelling with large amounts of special bricks on the one hand and the type of building of the pre-1980s. These are sliding scales, of course, but still. The Creator theme gets you decent-looking, highly playable, sturdy and yet very recognizable models. True to this middle ground, this box contains many basic and close-to-basic bricks and some special ones. According to the manual, the box contains 174 bricks divided over 68 different shape/color combinations. This is not counting the eight spare parts (shown below). Overviewing all these, what stands out is the collection of hinges. There are about 45 parts that perform a role in some form of hinge. The picture shows all the varieties used in this set. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 hinge parts Next, here is something familiar to most Lego fans, but since I have just come out of my dark years, these are new to me. So, it is time to pay my homage to Lego’s greatest invention after the studs-on-top: studs-on-the-side. The Mighty Dinosaurs set has three types of them. The 1×1 tan brick has two side studs on adjacent sides, which is new for 2017 according to BrickLink. The 1×1 brick with studs on 4 sides was introduced in 1985, so I wonder, why wait 30 years with the adjacent-sides version? Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 side-studs bricks Also new in this set are some parts that are new because they are available in dark green: a 2×2 brick with ball receptacle (and axle holder), a 4×3 open wedge that forms the eyebrows of the T-rex, and the left and right 2×3 wedge plates. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 new parts Apparently not that new, but a very puzzling part to me when I saw it the first time is this one. Technically speaking it is a pneumatic hose connector with an axle holder attached to it. It makes for an excellent nail holder as I’ll explain below. Hose connector with axle holder Spare parts after building the T-rex. None of the other 3 models use any of these spare parts, so they are really extra. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 spare parts Building instructions The set is part of the Creator theme and advertised for ages 7 to 12, so to me it does not seem a difficult model. It could be different for a 7-year old builder. I am really curious, because compared to the 1970s building instructions, the current ones are a giant leap ahead. However I feel Lego has overshot it’s target here, which is why I wonder what a 7-year old thinks of it. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex instruction page Recently, I rebuilt my Technic fork lift (852). In some places, it needs a bit of three-dimensional insight to figure out which brick goes where. Those days are over, fortunately. But to spend an entire image to show where one single brick goes after an image where three bricks are placed in a row leaving a conspicuously empty spot? I count about 10 such overly clear steps in the 52-step manual, which makes me wonder what the reasoning is behind the design of the building instructions? Design If anything, I find the design elegant, perhaps with the exception of how some of the hinges are used. When it comes to the overall shape: I like it a lot. It really looks like a T-rex and it stands firmly. If I have to point out a flaw, I’ll say that the front paws seem too long. One stud too long to be precise, and their claws are one stud to wide. In defense of the design, the mistake is of course with the T-rex itself. It looks hideous and unreal, even for a dinosaur, with those ridiculously small front paws. Technically speaking, the design is quite similar to that of the dragon from the Red Creatures set, so the basics have been tried and tested. Moreover, there is a cousin T-rex as one of the additional models in the Roaring Power (31024) set. I haven’t built that one, but having checked its building instructions, I think one could make an interesting comparison of the building techniques that are used in these two T-rex models and the Red Dragon. Possible topics could be the use of hinges, the design of the legs and feet and differences in the construction of the heads. I’m not sure whether it is a flaw or a smart solution, but the T-rex’s head is too long and/or heavy for the small ball-hinge that connects it to the neck. On static display, the hinge is strong enough to keep the head steady in any position, but a small movement of the entire model will make the head nod downwards. A green 1×2 plate prevents it from dropping completely and holds it in a natural position. So, the hinge is not strong enough, but there’s a good work-around. T-rex neck and head hinges T-rex with hinge blocks T-rex without neck hinge block Upon further inspection, the hinges between the neck and the body also don’t allow the neck to bend downwards. And at the back-side of the body, the first tail-part also has a block. Here it is a round 2×2 plate so that the tail can still move left and right. The overall result is that the T-rex can hardly bend forward, but it can bend backwards to the extent that it can almost kiss the tip of its tail. T-rex tail hinge with block T-rex fully curled downwards T-rex fully curled backwards To finish the technicalities, there is an interesting technique to put the middle toenail of the hind legs a bit higher than the outer ones. This is where the pneumatic hose connector gets a creative application. The pin of the nail fits in the centre of the axle holder and two clips hold the two sides of the connector. The box’s illustrations nor the building instructions advertise it, but this construction allows the nail to hinge downwards. It could be a nice technique to make retractable cat nails. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex claws with hinging nail Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex claw with hinging nail Below a few pictures of the major building stages of the T-rex. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex skeleton Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex body Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex building stage Color scheme The color scheme is well-chosen. The basics of it have also been tried and tested. Just like the Red Dragon, the T-rex has tan at the bottom. This goes all the way from the chin to the neck to the belly to the tail. The top side is green. No-one knows what colors dinosaurs had, I believe, and they may as well have been green-ish. Mixing in some dark-green parts adds a lot, and since it’s a children’s set, the brightest of the two was wisely chosen as the main color. The scheme is broken by some highlights. I’m not sure if the grey color of the hinge parts is good. In favor: it breaks the green. Against: it is not green and makes the model look like robosaurus. The fiery orange eyes beneath the dark green eyebrows give the T-rex its dangerous looks. The big rows of teeth may have something to do with that as well… The Pteranodon, the triceratops and the Brontosaurus Unfortunately, I don’t have time to discuss the other three models. Hopefully the pictures will do. In terms of color scheme they are all the same. In terms of shape, the four are markedly different and do equally well. The T-rex, which has the largest number of parts, probably serves as the selling point of the set. But in the end however, I’m tempted to buy three more sets, so I can display the four at the same time. The Pteranodon Pteranodon body Pteranodon body plus limb parts Pteranodon divided in modules Pteranodon The Triceratops Triceratops’ head halfway Triceratops’ head Triceratops’ body without top shield Triceratops divided in modules Triceratops The Brontosaurus Brontosaurus body halfway Brontosaurus body almost finished Brontosaurus body Brontosaurus divided in modules Brontosaurus (Notice the mistake?) Playability I’m more into building than into playing with the resulting creations, but I am guessing the T-rex and its cousins have a high playability. There is the attraction of the dangerous animals packaged in a bright color scheme that makes them good toys. They are also loaded with different kinds of hinges which makes them ideal study objects for children who are not familiar with the concept. Moreover, the hinges allow for endless variations of positions which must be a lot of fun when playing. The Pteranodon has great wooshability, provided you keep the head straight. Otherwise the head works like rudder and since it is at the front side it makes flying characteristics a bit unstable. Also, the Red Dragon and the Pteranodon make a great flying team. Finally, do note that the models are on minifigure scale, in particular the T-rex. Conclusion Great set! Talking value for money, at €17,99 in the on-line store I find it over-priced by 3 €.
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Hi LEGO fans, I'm from Kraze Magazine! We've recently recorded a fun un box and review video of the awesome new LEGO City Police station set! Check it out on the Kraze YouTube page by clicking HERE - it would be great to hear what you think! We're also giving away three LEGO City Police Stations! So make sure you go and buy Kraze Magazine Issue 65 which is in shops in the UK on 29th March 2017!
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BrickHeadz is an exciting new Lego theme that depicts our favorite characters from movies, TV shows, games, and comics into fun and stylized collectible forms. Each set contains a brick built figure with a build-able base, that includes a printed tile piece denoting the figure's wave number. Wave one consists of twelve unique and colorful characters based on The Lego Batman Movie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean. BrickHeadz is an exclusive theme from Lego, which means that you can only find the BrickHeadz sets at Lego brand retail stores and online from Lego Shop. Before I begin this review, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to The LEGO Group (TLG) who have provided this set, and other wave one BrickHeadz sets, to Eurobricks making this review possible. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Introduction Beauty and the Beast is without a doubt one of Disney's greatest films, so it shouldn't be surprising that when Lego tackles said property head on, good results soon follow. 41596 Beast should be of particular interest to BrickHeadz fans because he's has the most non-human form of all the figures we've seen from the first wave. No doubt later down the line we'll end up with some equally challenging shapes being squeezed into the BrickHeadz mold but the fact that Beast has turned out so well (and frankly so cute), can only mean good things to come. But for now, let's take a deeper look at the Beast within... Set Stats Name: 41596 Beast Theme: Licensed / BrickHeadz Year: 2017 Pieces: 116 Minifigs: N/A Price: USD $9.99, CA $12.99, DE 9.99€, UK £9.99 Resources: Brickset, Bricklink, Lego Shop Packaging The BrickHeadz sets all come in the same sized box (3.6 x 4.8 x 3.1), and 41596 Beast is no exception. Unlike the box style used for the Lego Batman Movie BrickHeadz, such as that on 41585 Batman, the color scheme used by 41596 Beast is far more pleasing to the eye. Bright pink is used which contrasts very nicely with the blue and yellow coat worn by Beast as well as all of his Dark Orange fur. The white brick border on the bottom of the box is also of particular note, as it gives the whole set a very clean and premium feel. The front and right hand side features the BrickHeadz logo as well as an image of the Beast himself, including image of the figure's 1991 animated inspiration. Both 41595 Belle and the Beast are inspired by their animated appearance rather than their upcoming live action forms, I suspect this was done by Lego to reach the widest possible buying audience and beef up the nostalgia factor. While live action Belle may not have changed much visually, the upcoming live action Beast is certainly darker overall and would likely have created a more animalistic and possibly unfamiliar figure for the public. So in my opinion it was wise to go with the animated form. Unlike the Lego Batman Movie BrickHeadz, the Disney based ones use an ugly white wall of text, as opposed to a black one. Somewhat better? The back of the 41596 Beast box features images of 41595 Belle, as well as the two upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean BrickHeadz: 41593 Captain Jack Sparrow and 41594 Captain Armando Salazar. And as with all BrickHeadz boxes, this one is opened by a thumb tab rather than tape. Inside the box you'll find one instruction booklet, two bags--one big and one small--as well as a loose 4x6 black plate which will be used for the figure's base. Interesting Parts Being brightly colored and furry, 41596 Beast comes with a number of desirable parts, many of which coming the uncommon color of Dark Orange. These include eight 2x2 slopes, one 1x2 slope, two modified 1x2 plates with side clip, two dark orange jumper plates, and two dark orange 1x2 tooth plates. Additionally, Beast comes with two white quarter melon tiles, which are used for his fangs. As with all BrickHeadz, Beast features a number of (1x2x1 2/3) modified brick with side studs (in this case fourteen), as well as the standardized BrickHeadz eye tiles and wave indication 2x4 plate. 41596 Beast only comes with one uniquely printed piece, which is his vest print on a 1x1x2 yellow brick. Build As with all BrickHeadz the underlying structure of the figure is more or less the same--it's only when one reaches the head to things really start to change technique wise. In this regard, 41596 Beast features a number of smart choices that not only make the figure fun to build, but spot on accurate after the face. The use of quarter melon tiles for the fangs, the semblance of a lower lip with a goatee, and even bushy eyebrows really sell the look of the animated character. Also of note this is the only BrickHeadz thus far that has a tail! Completed Figure He's so cute! The little bow, the fangs, even the standardized BrickHeadz eyes giving the puppy dog look! Now why wouldn't Belle love him? Ignoring the kidnapping and servitude bits of course. Still, 41596 Beast is a truly stunning figure--not only does he look like his animated counterpart, but he simply pops on a shelf. The colors are bold and the design is new and unique. What's more to ask for? Conclusion An absolute must have for Disney fans, I'm sure we'll find even marginal BrickHeadz fans will be considering adding 41596 Beast to their collection. Score Design: 5/5 - Oh how a beast could be so beautiful, and not just on the inside! Lego has captured the Beast's face very well. Parts: 5/5 - Despite having only one unique print, the large amount of Dark Orange pieces more than make up for it. Build: 5/5 - The most animal-like of the Wave 1 BrickHeadz, Beast is interesting to build simply because his face is so different and detailed. Value for Price: 5/5 - Dark Orange, cute cuddly Beast? What's not to love at this price point? My Score: (20/20) A Eurobricks BrickHeadz Reviews: 41585 Batman, 41586 Batgirl, 41587 Robin, 41588 The Joker, 41595 Belle, 41596 Beast, 41589 Captain America, 41590 Iron Man, 41591 Black Widow, 41592 The Hulk
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Review: 42058 Stunt Bike
Siegfried posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
Review: 42058 Stunt Bike Name: Stunt Bike Number: 42058 Theme: Technic Year: 2017 Pieces: 140 Price: USD $19.99, Euro 19.99€, AUD $32.99 Brickset: Extra Info Technic Early 2017 Review Series Welcome to the third in my batch of 2017 Technic reviews! I was offered all the small sets early 2017 for review late last year... but I ended up getting them all! Thus I have a lot to review. I've been doing them in parallel and changing my process as I go so hopefully the latter ones will end up being the best. On that angle I'll probably retcon some of the earlier reviews if I improve my process. Due to this remember that I'm happy to take extra photos or provide extra info on request, and anything especially good will be added to the main body of the review. Do note though that sometimes the model may no longer exist if I have have made an alternate. On the subject of alternates, I will be making the alt model, if I have the instructions, think the model is worth making, and I have the time. Also I'll show mid stage construction only if I think it's relevant. Thus don't ask for construction photos or alt models if they aren't part of the review.... I am prepared to extract parts for detail photos though. Photos will all be hosted on Flickr so larger versions are available, and relevant videos will be on YouTube and linked to from here. I don't edit photos much; very rarely I'll crop one and almost never will "correct" them so the photos should be as natural as possible. I will try to not be repetitive; thus it's worth reading my other reviews. For example I'm not going to complain too much about the digital instructions; I'll try to complain about new things, or maybe not complain at all! Here's all the other reviews of H1 2017 Technic... 42057 Ultralight Helicopter 42058 Stunt Bike 42059 Stunt Truck (and 45058/42059 Combiner) 42060 Roadwork Crew 42061 Telehandler 42062 Container Yard 42063 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure 42064 Ocean Explorer 42065 Tracked Racer Mucho multi thanks to the EB LUG Ambassador CopMike and the LEGO CEE Team and Designers for allowing me to review these sets for Eurobricks. So onto the review! Packaging Front.... ...back.... ...top. Unboxing Standard punch box. Only one instruction book and it's staple bound without a substantial cover. Secondary model has instructions online only; I'll be making this soon. The build is not sectioned. The yellow bionicle tooth and pullback motor are slightly special, with the ramp and the... ...the anniversary part being slightly more special than those. Parts list. Random instruction page. Build It's done! Spare parts. For better or worse (spoiler: probably worse) the pull back motor has a geared drive train. Since this offers no mechanical advantage it really just adds style... and friction. The ramp is a custom colour and has rubber feet to help it grip rather than slip. You can see the anniversary part here on the bottom. Action video! Bonus action video! Adding stickers doesn't really change the look that much IMHO but I will say there seems to be a common theme with the "companies" this year. I wonder what "CHEQ-URED" sell? Ratings Function: Well really this is a Racer with a pointless gear link. But it gets an extra mark for the gear link. 3/10 Parts: Not much special so if you're short on small wheels, small gears, paper ramps or pullback motors it's a good set. 4/10 Price: The Australian price of this set seems rather high IMHO. 5/10 Accuracy: Well.... Clearly it looks like no bike. (Yeah, that's a challenge.) It also would be horrid for stunts. (Better for drag racing.) But as square bikes go it's pretty cool. 4/10 Fudge: Pullback cars aren't really my thing. If they are your thing then you'd probably see the worth in this 6/10 Overall: Meh. Loads better Technic for less money 4/10 -
Here we have Lego's Deep Freeze Defender from 1993's Ice Planet 2002, a sub-theme of the long-lasting Space theme. While not the most expensive set in the Ice Planet line, the Deep Freeze Defender has the highest part count at 420 pieces. It retailed for $45 when first introduced. It's impossible not to fall in love with the Ice Planet color scheme. White, blue, black, and trans-orange all work deliciously well together. This mighty vessel is instantly identifiable as a craft made to explore dangerously cold environments. I especially love the array of tall, trans-orange "window" elements at the rear of the ship. This frontal shot prominently displays the distinctive tandem cockpit set-up. The Deep Freeze Defender was not the first or last set to utilize this design feature, but in my opinion it remains the most iconic of those that do. The large print of the Ice Planet emblem in the center of the craft is stunning. The printed arrow tiles hint at the first of many gimmicks of this set. Both cockpit sections are connected to the main hull via a 2x2 brick with a technic-style pin. With a bit of force, each module can easily be detached from the rest of the ship. Even by themselves, the "command craft" are delightful little builds. Identical to each other, each craft features a pair of skis, a chainsaw, and a black blaster/flashlight/whatever element for the pilot to use. Of note, the white skis are elevated just slightly above the ground. The bottom of the craft is raised by four smooth inverted dish pieces, allowing it to glide along a flat surface with ease. Here the connector piece that allows the command craft to attach and detach from the bulk of the ship is clearly visible. Other elements on the main hull sandwich around the rearmost bricks of the craft, ensuring that the command craft remain aligned with the rest of the ship at all times. With the canopy open, the cockpit interior is visible. The printed 2x2 slope piece is lovely, and the pilot fits snugly and securely inside. A look at what the set looks like with a single command craft docked to the main hull. The satellite which was once in the center has been moved off to the right of the ship. A look at the set with both command craft removed. Perhaps this could be operated by the pilot of the scout craft in the rear of the ship, who we'll see more of soon. Once more, the printed arrows hint at another of the set's gimmicks. This time the main hull itself will be splitting apart into two smaller craft. To undock these two halves, simply lift two arrow-printed hinges and pull the two sections of the ship apart. Aside from the stud connections of the two hinges, the halves are joined by two blocks with technic pins, similar to the command craft. The rear section of the vessel begins at the large trans-orange "corner" pieces. The two halves of the main hull separated. Each has a unique gimmick which will soon be revealed. With both sections of the main hull separated, the two command craft can dock with the individual components, forming two unique, complimentary craft from a single large vessel. A truly wonderful gimmick and easily my favorite part of this set. In my opinion each configuration of this set looks equally impressive. While one could interpret the rocket housed within the forward hull section as a weapon, it's really intended as a launch platform for a data-gathering satellite. The rocket is loosely, yet securely mounted on a short technic axle. Lifting the bay hatch pulls the rocket with it, allowing the rocket to stand upright for blast-off. The rocket is ready for blast-off, and the satellite has been mounted and secured. In cases where the rocket can't take off directly from the ship however, the magnet hints at an alternate launch method. Visible through the slots in the rear windows is a hard-working Ice Planet astronaut. While the two pilots in front are busy maneuvering and navigating the ship, perhaps this intrepid fellow is pouring over research data. Of course, he has other duties to perform as well, when needed... Another iconic facet of this set is the launch bay, comprised of alternating white and trans-orange garage door elements. Here, the bay is securely locked. The track for the bay door is unlocked by flipping open the two hatches, made easy by the large black thruster elements. Sliding the bay door open reveals the interior, and the Ice Planet astronaut within. But with the bay door fully retracted... ...The hidden scout craft is ready to take off! Sliding the bay door back all the way presses against an arm that angles the tiny ship into launch position and locks it into place. The craft easily slides off the arm to take flight. A look at the bay with the scout craft removed. The launch arm is clearly visible. When the scout craft returns, the arm's protrusion simply slots into an empty space on the rear of the tiny ship. Sliding the bay door closed relieves pressure on the arm and lowers the scout flat inside the bay itself. A look at the scout craft by itself. A very simple build. Like the larger command craft, it features a pair of skis for its pilot, but no other accessories. As for the magnet on the left side... ...This allows the scout craft to fly off with the rocket! Perhaps the pilot has found a more suitable place to launch the satellite into orbit. The rocket has launched, and its payload has been inserted into the icy planet's orbit. When deployed, the arms of the satellite unfold as shown. Assembled here are the three minifigures included with the Deep Freeze Defender. Two can pilot the ship, while the remaining member can pilot the scout craft. The figure in the center has a unique torso print, denoting his status as leader. With their trans-orange visors flipped up, the identities of each minifigure are properly revealed! Commander Cold (known as Commander Bear in the U.K. and Japan) stands proudly in the center, flanked by unnamed male and female astronauts. Ice Planet 2002 was one of the first Space themes to include specially printed minifigure faces (narrowly beaten by Space Police II). Additionally, the female of this set is the first female minifigure in the entire Space line. Equipped with their accessories, the Ice Planet astronauts are ready for anything! Commander Cold sports a combined tool made from his black "blaster" element and chainsaw, while the female astronaut wields them separately. The male astronaut treks on only with a pair of skis. The broad, flat surfaces of the skis allow for some (carefully set) walking poses unaided by plates or other pieces. In conclusion, the Deep Freeze Defender is an absolutely phenomenal set. It's durable, stylish, fun, and loaded with interesting and well-implemented gimmicks. It is by far the best of the Ice Planet 2002 sets, and one of the best large starship builds in all of Lego history. Very highly recommended for all Lego Space fans.
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BrickHeadz is an exciting new Lego theme that depicts our favorite characters from movies, TV shows, games, and comics into fun and stylized collectible forms. Each set contains a brick built figure with a build-able base, that includes a printed tile piece denoting the figure's wave number. Wave one consists of twelve unique and colorful characters based on The Lego Batman Movie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean. BrickHeadz is an exclusive theme from Lego, which means that you can only find the BrickHeadz sets at Lego brand retail stores and online from Lego Shop. Before I begin this review, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to The LEGO Group (TLG) who have provided this set, and other wave one BrickHeadz sets, to Eurobricks making this review possible. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Introduction Ah, Captain America. As one of the leaders of the Avengers (assuming Iron Man is not contesting that at the moment), he's a prime candidate for a BrickHeadz character, so it's no surprise he showed up in this first wave. Based on his less colorful film version, 41589 Captain America is arguably one of the best BrickHeadz due to his simplicity; despite having one of the lowest brick counts, he manages to appear quite accurate. Set Stats Name: 41589 Captain America Theme: Licensed / BrickHeadz Year: 2017 Pieces: 79 Minifigs: N/A Price: USD $9.99, CA $12.99, DE 9.99€, UK £9.99 Resources: Brickset, Bricklink, Lego Shop Packaging Utilizing standard BrickHeadz packaging, 41589 Captain America features images of both the figure and the inspiration--that of the film version of Captain America, as well as all the generic bits like logos and walls of text. As three of the Marvel BrickHeadz are branded under the Captain America: Civil War banner, their main color scheme follows that of the Captain himself, hence the blue box. That said, Captain America does somewhat disappear on his own box because of this, but nonetheless it is an appropriate color. Inside the box you'll find one instruction booklet, two bags--one big and one small--as well as a loose 4x6 black plate which will be used for the figure's base. Interesting Parts While only having 79 pieces, which even by BrickHeadz standards is on the low side, 41589 Captain America has a number of interesting printed pieces as well as numerous parts in desirable dark blue. Aside from the standard BrickHeadz parts such as the printed 2x4 wave tile, 1x1 round eye tiles, and fourteen of those modified light blueish grey bricks, Captain America comes with a printed shield piece from his minifigure version. It's hilariously out of scale for the figure himself, yet it manages to be very cute and fitting for a BrickHeadz. Additionally, two uniquely printed 1x4 bricks are included, as well as a large printed "A" tile. Build As with all Brickheadz, a large chunk of the figure is devoted to constructing the head, and 41589 Captain America is no different. However, Lego managed to add in some specific--and notable--details from the film version of the character by using various dark tan tiles and specialized plates to build a representation of the Captain's helmet straps covering his chin. This is a simple yet inspired detail, and one that I very much appreciate. Of course, you also construct the necessary figure stand using only four simple pieces. Completed Figure Glorious! 41589 Captain America makes the most of his lower piece count and absolutely runs away with the accuracy from the film version. While other Marvel BrickHeadz--cough Hulk cough--only have a passing resemblance to their MCU counterparts, Captain America in particular succeeds in his brick transformation. You'll note too that 41589 Captain America has an added surprising feature, in that the inclusion of a simple clip plate allows one to attach the minifigure shield to the back of the figure. Again this is a great, if simple, call back to the films in which Captain America is constantly holstering his shield. Now, does it make the figure look better by doing this? Arguably no, as the figure is just more appealing with the shield in his hand, but I like that Lego has created the option for one to move around the shield. Conclusion Being the debated leader of the Avengers means any Lego Marvel fan will be eyeing 41589 Captain America, and his great accurate design only adds to his appeal. Score Design: 5/5 - Very accurate to the movie source material. Parts: 5/5 - While not containing lower than normal pieces, all the clips and colors are desirable. Plus the shield is a good bonus! Build: 5/5 - Simple, but great part placement adds to the accuracy. Value for Price: 5/5 - One of the best looking BrickHeadz, Captain America feels very polished and worth the price. My Score: (20/20) A Eurobricks BrickHeadz Reviews: 41585 Batman, 41586 Batgirl, 41587 Robin, 41588 The Joker, 41595 Belle, 41596 Beast, 41589 Captain America, 41590 Iron Man, 41591 Black Widow, 41592 The Hulk
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[REVIEW] 42061 Telehandler
Siegfried posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
Review: 42061 Telehandler Name: Telehandler Number: 42061 Theme: Technic Year: 2017 Pieces: 260 Price: $39.99 USD, Euro 29.99€, AUD $49.99 Brickset: Extra Info Technic Early 2017 Review Series Welcome to the seventh in my batch of 2017 Technic reviews! I was offered all the small sets early 2017 for review late last year... but I ended up getting them all! Thus I have a lot to review. I've been doing them in parallel and changing my process as I go so hopefully the latter ones will end up being the best. On that angle I'll probably retcon some of the earlier reviews if I improve my process. Due to this remember that I'm happy to take extra photos or provide extra info on request, and anything especially good will be added to the main body of the review. Do note though that sometimes the model may no longer exist if I have have made an alternate. On the subject of alternates, I will be making the alt model, if I have the instructions, think the model is worth making, and I have the time. Also I'll show mid stage construction only if I think it's relevant. Thus don't ask for construction photos or alt models if they aren't part of the review.... I am prepared to extract parts for detail photos though. Photos will all be hosted on Flickr so larger versions are available, and relevant videos will be on YouTube and linked to from here. I don't edit photos much; very rarely I'll crop one and almost never will "correct" them so the photos should be as natural as possible. I will try to not be repetitive; thus it's worth reading my other reviews. For example I'm not going to complain too much about the digital instructions; I'll try to complain about new things, or maybe not complain at all! Here's all the other reviews of H1 2017 Technic... 42057 Ultralight Helicopter 42058 Stunt Bike 42059 Stunt Truck (and 45058/42059 Combiner) 42060 Roadwork Crew 42061 Telehandler 42062 Container Yard 42063 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure 42064 Ocean Explorer 42065 Tracked Racer Mucho multi thanks to the EB LUG Ambassador CopMike and the LEGO CEE Team and Designers for allowing me to review these sets for Eurobricks. So onto the review! Packaging Front.... ...back.... ...top. Unboxing Standard punch box. Instructions were loose, as was the bucket, and the bags have no numbers. Both models have included instructions, covers are of slightly better quality to the pages themselves. Excellent mixture of parts. Interestingly I was starting to think last year that the Arocs gear rack was to be a one off, but nope it's here in red. (And in grey in another set.) I love those wheels too. The arc piece is rare as well. Other than those the new parts are the worm gear and this new connector... Plus a new bucket. The bucket itself doesn't seem special, but it does connect via a full width peg, which matches the recent buckets, since this one I believe. Yes, this set has an anniversary element. Parts list. Not so Random instruction page. I've been seeing this kind of assembly more often these days; you can't get this in without bending the axle. Sure it can take it, but it does surprise me. Build It's done! Spares. Anniversary part location. It's only held in from the top by one pin... which is on a 2 long beam held on by one pin. Not very integrated, so if you want a set that has the part but it can be easily removed this is an option! The stacker from 42062 is a similar concept, but is clearly a different scale. It's interesting to compare the design, this model has superior steering, more correct height adjust, less inaccurate boom extension... but even so due to the usage of a mini-linear actuator the actual lift capability is low. Not really an issue IMHO, but worth noting. It is still very functional though, as this video shows. I've had a problem with this kind of steering for a while (I think I first saw it in a large model with 8295), as it's not very realistic and often is imprecise. But realism objections aside, it works very well, and the usage of the cam parts is smart. Stickers are subtle in this set, probably mostly because of the lack of panels. Tow Truck (B Model) In this case I did make the B model. Due to the available parts the set has to be creative with the steering. The turning circle isn't too good... It's quite capable of doing it's job; here's it being demonstrated. For example, here's a racing truck in need of a tow. All you need to do is get under the front... ...lift... ...retract (noting the anniversary piece)... ...and you're ready to roll! Note though that the frame is bending a bit under the load, but since it's all rather thin it's hardly surprising. Ratings Function: The A model really is only missing stabilizers, other than that it's a good representative of a telehandler. The tow-truck is probably too simplistic, but it does do the job. 9/10 Parts: Colours aren't very exciting, but there's a lot of MOCing potential here. 9/10 Price: Considering the prices I'm seeing this year this is pretty standard. 9/10 Accuracy: Well obviously I'd prefer more pneumatics or linear actuators, but it's a small model. Similar story with the tow truck. 8/10 Fudge: Probably my favorite of the cheaper sets with two very functional vehicles to experiment with. The Telehandler aesthetically is nice too. 8/10 Overall: Lift and tow today! 8/10 -
Review: 42062 Container Yard
Siegfried posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
Review: 42062 Container Yard Name: Container Yard Number: 42062 Theme: Technic Year: 2017 Pieces: 631 Price: Euro 49.99€, AUD $89.99 Brickset: Extra Info Technic Early 2017 Review Series Welcome to the eighth in my batch of 2017 Technic reviews! I was offered all the small early 2017 sets for review late last year... but I ended up getting the bigger ones too! Thus I have a lot to review. I've been doing them in parallel and changing my process as I go so hopefully the latter ones will end up being the best. On that angle I'll probably retcon some of the earlier reviews if I improve my process. Due to this remember that I'm happy to take extra photos or provide extra info on request, and anything especially good will be added to the main body of the review. Do note though that sometimes the model may no longer exist if I have have made an alternate. On the subject of alternates, I will be making the alt model, if I have the instructions, think the model is worth making, and I have the time. Also I'll show mid stage construction only if I think it's relevant. Thus don't ask for construction photos or alt models if they aren't part of the review.... I am prepared to extract parts for detail photos though. Photos will all be hosted on Flickr so larger versions are available, and relevant videos will be on YouTube and linked to from here. I don't edit photos much; very rarely I'll crop one and almost never will "correct" them so the photos should be as natural as possible. I will try to not be repetitive; thus it's worth reading my other reviews. For example I'm not going to complain too much about the digital instructions; I'll try to complain about new things, or maybe not complain at all! Here's all the other reviews of H1 2017 Technic... 42057 Ultralight Helicopter 42058 Stunt Bike 42059 Stunt Truck (and 45058/42059 Combiner) 42060 Roadwork Crew 42061 Telehandler 42062 Container Yard 42063 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure 42064 Ocean Explorer 42065 Tracked Racer Mucho multi thanks to the EB LUG Ambassador CopMike and the LEGO CEE Team and Designers for allowing me to review these sets for Eurobricks. So onto the review! Packaging Front.... ...back.... ...top. Unboxing Standard punch box. Instructions were loose, and the set is very well segmented. Both models have included instructions, covers are of slightly better quality to the pages themselves. On the subject of instructions here's the parts list... ...and here's the (selected) instruction page showing the stacker steering. More on that later. Build Off we go! Here's Bag One in a container... ...which ends up making the truck. The part that holds on the headlights is a new re-colour... ...and the anniversary part unique to this wave is used on the bottom. The steering has rather bad limits (pretty much what you see) but it does the job. These are the Bag One spares. On to Bag Two! Shouldn't be too hard to work out what's being made here. Hopefully you expected this. Bag Two spares. Bag Three! Note the new re-colour of the gear rack. I'm glad this part is back. Also worth noting are the... ...new worm gear and connector, in many of the other 2017 sets and shamelessly taken from another review. Obviously this builds the stacker. Which means we're done! Bag Three spares.... ...and total spares... but in hindsight I think there's an extra pin in there that I was using to join the containers together with. Here's a quick video showing the functions. The stickers aren't really needed in this set, they just add a bit of colour. Really I think the containers need the detail most. Does this mean Danish trucks share plates with their trailers? Note that the containers really are too thin. So let's demonstrate the primary function; lifting and stacking! Broom, broom, the stacker approaches... ...opens the grabber... ...finds the convenient pickup holes... ...latches shut the jaws (using the lever on top)... ...and lifts the Bricks and Beams. I failed to make this clear in the video, but the extension mechanism is quite capable of stopping halfway, even with a load. I think it's mostly because of the friction in the gear rack Also, it can reach high enough to "stack". As I highlight in the video, the load capacity of the stacker is a bit above an empty container; some sort of counterweight is needed. The set doesn't have much other features; the trailer has no function, not even a support leg... ...and the truck has weak steering, opening door and reclining seats. On a positive note, the steering control is via a universal joint. The trailer connection is extremely simple as well. Most of the set detail and function is in the stacker. Like the truck, it's roughly minifig scale, and it's got some interesting techniques. The steering is controlled from the back and it is very simple but still interesting as (looking at the instructions at the top) it uses a joint ball to push the steering arm from side to side. I haven't seen that done before in Technic. (I didn't make the B model; its a straddle loader with a different truck.) Ratings Function: The functions are all there to enable you to play/test out the concept. Since it's a small model many of the functions are not remotely controlled which I tend to feel a bit disappointed by... but having a remote grabber release for example is generally not done even on larger models. 8/10 Parts: Another good orange part pack, and a very good blend of parts too. 9/10 Price: Considering the prices I'm seeing this year this is pretty standard. 9/10 Accuracy: Sadly I think the truck lets down the whole set. Four wheels not six? Sure, that's kinda common. The trailer though is too simple; not enough wheels, no support, and it's thinner than the containers. The stacker on the other hand is excellent. 6/10 Fudge: As I keep saying, the stacker is the highlight. Oddly I wish they went for a lower price point and skipped the truck. Or perhaps a higher? In any case it does seem this set is designed for minifigs. Don't really like that either... 6/10 Overall: Build the stacker and containers and use the rest as spare parts! 7/10 -
The author of the review wishes to thank The LEGO Group for providing of a set for the review! The author of the review wishes to thank VerSen for the Wonderful Photos and for an invitation to write the text for them! ;) The author of the review wishes to thank BaraSH for explanation of the differences between the Two Purple Ladies enlightment of I'm-not-a-comic-fan about the Batman universe! :) This review was written for Russian Fan Forum Lego (aka RFFL, aka phantoms.su) by me and translated into English for Eurobrick. The Lego Batman Movie 70902 Catwoman Catcycle Chase Review Set Number: 70902 Set Name: Catwoman Catcycle Chase Year Released: 2017 Pieces Count: 139 Minifigures Count: 3 Description: Brickset; BrickLink; Bricker;. RRP: $19.99 Price Per Piece: 14.4c This set is based on "The LEGO Batman Movie", which was released in theaters at 8 February 2017. According to the description of the plot of the film, Gotham City once again in danger, so Batman (alter ego of billionaire Bruce Wayne) is going to protect it, but on the advice of his butler Alfred he has to take Robin (Dick Grayson) as his companion, because the superhero adopted him on one of the secular reception. Together they will fight Joker and Harley Quinn, who escaped from the psychiatric hospital. There also will be many other heroes and villains the DC, and it is rumored that there is a chance to see the characters of other popular franchises (such as the Daleks from Doctor Who) in the film. The box and instruction On the box, according to the laws of Hollywood action-scene is depicted: Catwoman makes a U-turn on Catcycle, Batgirl tries to stop her using Bat-a-Rang, and Robin jumps from the roof of a jewelry store on the lamppost, trying to overturn it. However, if you look at the path of Catcycle it's become clear that Catwoman will be able to dodge both) Designers didn't forget to boast that a new type capes are able to fly an epic! Batman dashing smiles at us in the top right corner. The image on the instructions, as always, repeats the image from the box, but the instruction itself looks pretty well-fed for such a small set. Building in the process and random page of instruction. By the way, pay attention to the image on the upper side of the box - Robin jumps so that Batgirl could throw Bat-a-Rang at Catwoman who didn't expect such a dirty trick. I see that they have a great team! Or, perhaps, Robin simply slipped on the peel Bat-a-Rang. :) Unfortunately the set includes stickers - personally I don't like stickers, but there's nothing I can do.. But these stickers are are interesting ones! Firstly, an advertisement of the missing of a cat, which for some reason was photographed meows on the tree. I know who will save it) And secondly, a jewelry store sign is clearly reminiscent of the cat's head, and I somehow have the feeling that Catwoman decided to rob her own store. xD The minifigures In this small set there are three beautiful, very well-detailed figures. I can not help but notice that Robin deprived of utility belt with pockets... Apparently, he doesn't need the pockets, but the girls find these pockets very useful) On the other side the figures look great too. What a spine of Catwoman! If this torso wear shoulder pads, which hide a recognizable zipper tab in the form of a cat's head, you get a suit for cool superheroine of the future or a computer game, so this figure may be used in MOCs as well. Boots on the legsof the characters painted with back side too, not just the front and right and left, as before, that the obvious plus. This is because there are two layers of plastic. And about Batgirl I'll say that she have typical problems of many fem-cosplayers - it's when a ponytail sticks under the mask or helmet (that can ruin the impression of a stern armored robot). It looks funny) Robin (Dick Grayson) is the first Robin, who was taken into care by Batman after the death of his parents who was an acrobats. According to the comics, he has long helped Batman, then became an independent superhero named Nightwing, then became Batman, temporarily replacing Bruce Wayne when Bane broke his spine, then he helping Batman again, met with Barbara Gordon, at that time already Oracle rather than Batgirl, and in the most recent events he becomes Batman in Gotham, while Bruce Wayne becomes Batman worldwide. Robin, as well as Batman, doesn't have superpowers, but have the skills of martial arts, detective skills, and he is a perfect gymnast and a very good athlete. Robin minifigure is funny, especially the glasses. We immediately can see that the comical character is waiting for us in the film! By the way, he has two facial expressions - the smile is on both. Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) is the first Batgirl (except Betty Kane who was excluded from the canon), she was adopted by Commissioner Gordon, after her parents were killed in a car accident. According to the comics, she became a fan of Batman, and even built up a female version of his costume (decided to become a cosplayer xD), then saved Bruce Wayne at the ball masquerade, and later Batman invited her to join the team, ans so she has successfully fought against crime until while the bullet of Joker is damaged her spine, after that she became a hacker nicknamed the Oracle, and helps Batman and Robin by the radio, and the suit of Batgirl later passed to Cassandra Cain. Batgirl minifigure is beautiful from all sides, and now you will understand why. Just look at these shoes! Finally, the Lego starts to not just paint the legs on the side, but to apply the pattern on the side. These straps are perfect! Pattern on hands is less accurate, but also looks cool. Smile and wave! (c) Penguins from a film "The Madagascar" Batgirl has an additional face, it is angry. Catwoman (Selina Kyle) is a professional thief, originally an anti-heroine, and later a good character. According to the comics, she had a difficult childhood, and then she found herself in a orphans' home where cruel headmistress was a peculator, so Selina brought her to clean water, freed the other captives of orphans' home, and rushed to the thieves' life. She got her nickname from a jealous student of Sensei, which she shifted from a position of best student, then she inspired by Batman's example and built herself a suit. In later comics, and even in Nolan's film a romantic relationship shown between Catwoman and Batman. The combination of dark purple with silver - very good color scheme! Pattern on the hands of Catwoman - it's by far the best pattern on the hands in the set, and in general, IMHO, the best pattern on the hands that I have ever seen. However, it's a pity that it is impossible to remove the glasses in any way, as the second face (smiling) is also printed with the mask. Catcycle Catcycle is pretty stable, which is a definite plus for Lego bike, as they tend to fall on its side. Personally, I think he looks very stylish. By the way, if not the name of the set, then it would be unclear that it is CATcycle because there are no markings in the form of cat on it. This means that you can easely put Batgirl on bike, as according to the old films, she also liked to ride motorcycles. And note that she is also in purple suit! ;) Above view allows you to see the curved slope with a pattern showing a speedometer, which shows that the motorcycle has not gain speed yet) However, the speedometer still have cat ears... But this part is easy to replace, and then it will be just a purple bike, suitable for any minifigure. Main view and set functions So once upon a time, of the yellow-yellow dark-dark night Catwoman went to "work". On the way to the jewellery store she found an advertisement of the missing of a cat written by its desperate owners and the rare green trash container that appears in this color only in nine sets. So she walked around the store, the base of which is shown by masonry bricks 1x4, which is great, because it is a rare and useful piece, and because such a masonry at the base of the building can often be seen in reality. And Catwoman opens the door of the shop, which, unfortunately, is always closed, because the sticker "Open" is not included in the set. Maybe that's why she decided to rob it? :) Suspiciously glancing toward VerSen's camera surveillance cameras, Catwoman reaches for ruby, ignoring the diamond. Then she sits down on the Catcycle, which definitetly have not parked there before, so I am still inclined to believe that bike could belong to Batgirl. Cause the bike could not go by itself, isn't it? ;P And then on the roof and on the ground our valiant heroes appear! Robin cheerfully spoil the city property, overturning flimsy lamppost and Batgirl stay on the roof, as if hovering over it (I can not in any way understand how she stand, but it she is clearly stand higher than should, it's some cinema magic, not otherwise!), and watching him with delight! Catwoman's eyesight says "Again they are!". And now - a general view of a set, or "smiles at the camera!". :D Now even Catwoman is happy) Conclusion Pros + beautiful minifigures with detailed patterns, even on all sides of ths legs + rare and useful pieces, like a transparent door, green container and masonry bricks 1x4 + stylish bike that suitable not only for Catwoman + new type of soft capes are able to epic fly in the wind - what else is need for a superhero? xD Cons - stickers, which most AFOLs do not like to stick - no "Open" sticker, so the store will be closed constantly - no faces without masks, that means that the characters can't remove them This set is very, very cool, and will look great on a shelf of a collector! And finally, a little bonus shots) Bonus During the time we discussed the pros and cons, Batgirl flew somewhere) Apparently, she decided that Robin can cope on his own! Just look at this happy guy! xD In my opinion, he is not going to catch anyone, just having fun with a lamppost) Thanks for watching and any comments are very welcomed!
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BrickHeadz is an exciting new Lego theme that depicts our favorite characters from movies, TV shows, games, and comics into fun and stylized collectible forms. Each set contains a brick built figure with a build-able base, that includes a printed tile piece denoting the figure's wave number. Wave one consists of twelve unique and colorful characters based on The Lego Batman Movie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean. BrickHeadz is an exclusive theme from Lego, which means that you can only find the BrickHeadz sets at Lego brand retail stores and online from Lego Shop. Before I begin this review, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to The LEGO Group (TLG) who have provided this set, and other wave one BrickHeadz sets, to Eurobricks making this review possible. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Introduction Little known fact about myself, I absolutely love Disney Princess movies (on the condition they're European/Medieval in style and there's a castle involved somewhere) so I was very excited when rumors started to spread late last year that Beauty and the Beast would make the leap from screen to BrickHeadz. This is not too surprising really, considering a live action rendition will be released to US theaters later this month featuring Emma Watson as Belle and Matthew Crawley as the Beast--still the extra hype generated around this live-action remake and the 1991 original have actually helped hype up the excitement around these two figures themselves. I'll cut to the point, 41595 Belle is a very good set. She's arguably one of the best BrickHeadz (as is 41596 Beast) not only due to her parts, techniques and overall appearance, but because without a doubt whenever you look at her or even start putting two pieces together, that 90's nostalgia will seep in and you'll start humming a certain song about tales old as time... Set Stats Name: 41595 Belle Theme: Licensed / BrickHeadz Year: 2017 Pieces: 139 Minifigs: N/A Price: USD $9.99, CA $12.99, DE 9.99€, UK £9.99 Resources: Brickset, Bricklink, Lego Shop Packaging The BrickHeadz sets all come in the same sized box (3.6 x 4.8 x 3.1), and 41595 Belle is no exception. Unlike the box style used for the Lego Batman Movie BrickHeadz, such as that on 41585 Batman, the color scheme used by Belle is far more pleasing. The bright pink backdrop laced with embroidery really helps the mostly yellow figure pop. As with all BrickHeadz boxes, the front and right hand side feature the BrickHeadz logo as well as an image of the figure itself plus an image of the figure's inspiration. Here a familiar image of Disney's 1991 Belle will immediately set standard that this is set is based on the animated film rather than the upcoming live action version (although, I don't think basing Belle on the Emma Watson version would have affected her overall look here much). Of note on the box, and it's pleasantness--gone is the black wall of ugly text...to be replaced with a white wall of ugly text. It's not as much of an eyesore this time, but I do wish Lego would have found a better place to put all of those warnings. Is the no zero to three-year-olds symobl not enough? The back of the 41595 Belle box features images of 41896 Beast, as well as the two upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean BrickHeadz sets: 41593 Captain Jack Sparrow and 41594 Captain Armando Salazar--an interesting note as the sub-themes are combined essentially as neither of the two properties have been given four figures in this first wave, unlike The Lego Batman Movie and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As with all BrickHeadz boxes, this one is opened by a thumb tab rather than tape. Inside the box contains one instruction manual, two bags of pieces--one big and one small--and unusually a 6x8 loose plate for Belle's base. Unlike every other figure BrickHeadz wave one, Belle has an abnormally large base plate to accommodate her large dress design. Interesting Parts 41595 Belle features a number of pieces in rare colors as well as a number of exclusive printed pieces. Belle uses four identical 2x4 printed slopes to make up the bottom half of her dress, as well as a printed 1x4 brick to make up her torso. Both of these, as well as 1x2 slopes and 1x1 plates are molded in Bright Light Yellow--a particularly beautiful if rare color. Personally I can already see Belle's dress slopes being utilized in some rather nice custom buildings and interiors, being used as crown molding. Belle also comes with all the standard BrickHeadz trappings, such as fourteen (1x2x1 2/3) modified bricks with side studs, and BrickHeadz eye tiles. Additionally, Belle comes with a three length bar in Bright Green which is used in conjunction with a flower stud to make an accessory rose. Interestingly enough, the set comes with extras of both pieces so you can give a rose to 41596 Beast too. Build 41595 Belle is unique among the wave one BrickHeadz as she utilizes an abnormal leg build to construct her large dress--which incidentally also facilitates the need for a larger base than normal. Utilizing the four printed 2x4 slope pieces, the dress is both appropriately detailed, curvy, and yet still blocky enough to fit in with the BrickHeadz style. Of particular note, I love how the designer showed Belle's open sleeves. Just using a simple color change, the appearance of an open sleeved gown is sold. It really goes to show how suggestion of detail or attributes is vitally important to BrickHeadz pulling off believable designs. Completed Figure As stunning here as she was in the film, 41595 Belle has turned out spectacularly well in BrickHeadz form. The printed pieces really sell the dress and the flowing hair establishes movement and nostalgic blasts from the past from the iconic ballroom dance scene. Here unlike some other BrickHeadz, Belle also comes with a very appropriate accessory--a single rose--which while simple in its construction is perfect for the style of the figure. It is worth noting that there's one possible negative. Because of Belle's dress construction, 41595 Belle uses an abnormally deep base plate. This could annoy some collectors as they try to get their BrickHeadz to fit perfectly on display shelves only to find the Belle has a deeper base than all the other figures. That said, because of her more secure base and sturdy lower body, Belle does not suffer the affliction of fainting spells some heavy headed BrickHeadz are sick with, such as 41586 Batgirl and 41588 The Joker. Conclusion With bright color, detailed printed bricks, and nostalgic firepower, 41595 Belle is sure to bring a smile to many faces and would be a welcome presence in any BrickHeadz collection, especially in tandem with 41596 Beast. Score Design: 5/5 - From the glitzy dress, the well done hair, to the open sleeves Belle is one gorgeous BrickHeadz. Parts: 5/5 - Numerous Bright Light Yellow pieces, reusable printed designs, and brown slopes make this set desirable for parts. Build: 5/5 - Unique among the Wave 1 BrickHeadz, Belle utilizes interesting connections to make her dress. Value for Price: 5/5 - With a nice looking figure, good parts, and a good number of parts too, the value is very good compared to other lesser BrickHeadz. My Score: (20/20) A Eurobricks BrickHeadz Reviews: 41585 Batman, 41586 Batgirl, 41587 Robin, 41588 The Joker, 41595 Belle, 41596 Beast, 41589 Captain America, 41590 Iron Man, 41591 Black Widow, 41592 The Hulk
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BrickHeadz is an exciting new Lego theme that depicts our favorite characters from movies, TV shows, games, and comics into fun and stylized collectible forms. Each set contains a brick built figure with a build-able base, that includes a printed tile piece denoting the figure's wave number. Wave one consists of twelve unique and colorful characters based on The Lego Batman Movie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean. BrickHeadz is an exclusive theme from Lego, which means that you can only find the BrickHeadz sets at Lego brand retail stores and online from Lego Shop. Before I begin this review, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to The LEGO Group (TLG) who have provided this set, and other wave one BrickHeadz sets, to Eurobricks making this review possible. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Introduction In my opinion, one of the greatest things about The Lego Batman Movie is that it has provided us, as builders, with one of the best gifts ever: Dark Purple. Think back ten years and you’d have to scour the Earth to find sets that could provide this many parts in such a beautiful color, let alone at such a good price! Point being, what I will say next might be shocking too—don’t scrap this fig for that tasty tasty color—41586 Batgirl is beautiful as is and you’d be hard pressed to take her apart once you place her on your shelf. But if you need some more convincing, read on: Set Stats Name: 41586 Batgirl Theme: Licensed / BrickHeadz Year: 2017 Pieces: 99 Minifigs: N/A Price: USD $9.99, CA $12.99, DE 9.99€, UK £9.99 Resources: Brickset, Bricklink, Lego Shop Packaging The BrickHeadz sets all come in the same size box (3.6 x 4.8 x 3.1), and 41586 Batgirl is no exception. The box features both a clear look at the figure herself, but also at her inspiration: the Batgirl minifigure. In my opinion she made the leap from minifig to figure very well. Inside the box contains an instruction manual, two bags (one small and one large) and a lose 2x6 plate for the base. Interesting Parts Now I did say earlier that you shouldn’t part out this build for that juicy dark purple…but if there’s one part that might be really tempting, it’s the printed 1x4 brick with the Batgirl symbol. Now yes, I did say in my Batman review that a bat symbol brick was boring and that it was branded on everything already...but, this is Batgirl symbol, which automatically makes it cooler. I can see that brick easily being incorporated into a number of fun custom Batgirl vehicles and I hope to find that the to be case as people start collecting BrickHeadz. Clearly, my Batgirl minifigure has already claimed her favorite piece... In terms of other bricks however, there are a number of spectacular purple pieces included. I won't list them, because that's basically the entire set frankly, but the two blank dark purple nexo-shields stood out to me. The only other printed pieces for the figure are those standard to BrickHeadz; the distinct eye tiles and the 2x4 printed wave plate. additionally of note, is the dark red 2x2 modified plate, which in that color is exclusive to this set. 41586 Batgirl also comes with (two, one being an extra) yellow Batarangs, which is nice as that color variant is new and very much appreciated. Build 41586 Batgirl shares a similar construction to that of Batman, which does me she's on the somewhat boring side. While here multi colored bricks do provide splashes of change, her build process is largely just stacking bricks without much technique. Its only when constructing her cowl do things start to really divert from Batman--Batgirl features a sharped eared cowl, which utilizes two nexo-shield tiles. In other respects however, Batgirl is very much like Batman--their cape construction for instance is identical, only color swapped. And as with all BrickHeadz, you construct a base for the figure, using only four pieces. Completed Figure If I had to pick a standout from the first wave of the BrickHeadz line, Batgirl might be the one. The color combinations worked well on the minifigure version, but here they somehow work even better. The purple pops, the yellow glows, the dark read hair just works, and the nougat skin tone just feels right. Both were based on the same film character design, but I manage to find the BrickHeadz version more charming, alluring, and perfect. Now if there were one issue I'd have to pick at, it would perhaps be the unfortunate tendency Batgirl has to fall over. Due to the weight of the bricks on her head, hair, and cape, along with the limited studs attachment points on the off-center base, Batgirl like 41588 The Joker, tends to tip over a lot. It's an unfortunate side affect, but one that should be noted. Conclusion A must have in my opinion, 41586 Batgirl is a standout of the first BrickHeadz wave and as such she'll make a perfect addition to any collection. Score Design: 5/5 - Batgirl's design is somewhat simple, but her colorful appearance helps make up for it. Parts: 5/5 - Dark purple! Build: 5/5 - While similar to Batman, Batgirl has enough variations going to raise the interest level. Price: 5/5 - Getting so many nice pieces at this price is good, let alone a character difficult to part out after the first build. Overall: (20/20) A Eurobricks BrickHeadz Reviews: 41585 Batman, 41586 Batgirl, 41587 Robin, 41588 The Joker, 41595 Belle, 41596 Beast, 41589 Captain America, 41590 Iron Man, 41591 Black Widow, 41592 The Hulk
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BrickHeadz is an exciting new Lego theme that depicts our favorite characters from movies, TV shows, games, and comics into fun and stylized collectible forms. Each set contains a brick built figure with a build-able base, that includes a printed tile piece denoting the figure's wave number. Wave one consists of twelve unique and colorful characters based on The Lego Batman Movie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean. BrickHeadz is an exclusive theme from Lego, which means that you can only find the BrickHeadz sets at Lego brand retail stores and online from Lego Shop. Before I begin this review, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to The LEGO Group (TLG) who have provided this set, and other wave one BrickHeadz sets, to Eurobricks making this review possible. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Introduction The Joker. Like Batman, it's almost expected that he would be included in the first wave of BrickHeadz, at least considering The Lego Batman Movie sub-theme going on. While some people might not like the over the top style of this character in the Lego film specifically, he does translate particularly well to the BrickHeadz form. And at the same time, he manages to provide one of the most engaging building experiences of all the BrickHeadz. So let's find out why by reading on... Set Stats Name: 41588 The Joker Theme: Licensed / BrickHeadz Year: 2017 Pieces: 151 Minifigs: N/A Price: USD $9.99, CA $12.99, DE 9.99€, UK £9.99 Resources: Brickset, Bricklink, Lego Shop Packaging All BrickHeadz sets come in the same size box (3.6 x 4.8 x 3.1) and 41588 The Joker is no exception. The box features both a large image of the BrickHeadz figure itself (as well as the theme's logo) and an image of its source material—in this case a particularity maniacal laughing Joker. In this regard, I do wonder if the use of the crazy face Joker minifigure is appropriate, considering the BrickHeadz built after him is somewhat less expressive in the facial department. Still, the inclusion of such a comparison picture is welcomed. As with all the other BrickHeadz boxes, this one also comes with a reverse side showing the sub-theme group and that horrendous black wall of text (which I describe in depth in my 41585 Batman review). The box contains one instruction booklet, two bags (one big, one small), as well as a loose 4x6 black plate for the base. Interesting Parts Of the four Lego Batman Movie characters depicted by BrickHeadz, 41588 The Joker has the most printed pieces. These include two standardized eyes, his lips on a white 1x4 tile, and the two separate bricks that make up the front of his torso—all of which are all printed with great detail. Particularly his tie on the 1x2 brick which like the Joker minifigure in the Lowrider set, is dotted with cute tiny green skulls. Like all BrickHeadz, Joker also comes with numerous—as in fourteen—1x2x2 modified bricks in Light Bley. He also comes with ten green quarter melon tiles, various Dark Purple pieces such as 1x1 bricks, and even two Light Bright Blue 1x1 plates. All in all 41588 The Joker is a good haul, particularly in the green slope brick department which may make this figure tempting to part out. Build The Joker is internally comprised of almost entirely modified stud bricks. Still, the designers had the insight to include a well placed pink 2x2 brick, which is hilarious. 41588 The Joker is the most complicated build of the Lego Batman Movie BrickHeadz, although some of that is due to building in mirror form, repeating various shapes and curves with the bricks over and over. Unlike say Batman, you cannot simply skip steps and start building at a fast pace. The Joker demands attention! After you complete the figure, you then build the standard BrickHeadz base, which is comprised of only four pieces but looks wonderful nonetheless. Completed Figure The most immediate and noticeable thing about the Joker BrickHeadz is his massive flowing green hair. Joker’s hair makes up the bulk of the figure's brick count—which at 151 pieces is the most part heavy BrickHeadz character in this first wave. In comparison to his dark nemesis Batman, Joker has a whopping 60 more pieces at the same price point. Considering the relative small size of BrickHeadz sets, that’s nothing to scoff at. But while the hair is indeed nice,other aspects of this figure shouldn't be overlooked. The use of 1x1 plates in Light Bight Blue for eye shadow is inspired; they really sell the clown appearance. Well that and the lipstick. Now if there are any downsides, it may have to be the uncharacteristic lack of accessories. Considering all the tools and toys the Joker uses, it’s rather a shame that nothing was included for him to hold. But really it’s the black 4x4 hip plate that stands out to me as strange. Why is that not purple? It seems too low to be a belt, and it really just looks off. Considering Joker already uses that piece in purple, I do find it weird that it was not used here as well. There is also the matter of weight distribution. While Batman and Robin are not necessarily affected by this, Batgirl and especially Joker are. Due to the huge amount of parts used for Joker's hair and the fact that the figure's base is not centered, the Joker has a tendency to fall over backwards. Considering BrickHeadz are more for display than play it shouldn't be too much of an issue, assuming your shelves are level that is. Conclusion With the wind flowing through his hair, 41588 The Joker is flying by the competition. The level of detail in the hair alone makes this figure collectible and I'm sure many people will buy him in tandem with Batman. Score Design: 5/5 - The Joker has translated very well from minifigure to BrickHeadz. His hair piece in particular turned out well when scaled up with bricks. Parts: 5/5 - The substantial number of green melon tiles, slopes, and purple pieces are very useful outside of the figure. Build: 5/5 - Again, the hair is very well done, and its flowing appearance is very appealing. Compared to other figures, the build is interesting, if repetitive. Value for Price: 5/5 - The Joker has the most pieces out of the first BrickHeadz wave while retaining the same low price point. Good value Overall: (20/20) A Eurobricks BrickHeadz Reviews: 41585 Batman, 41586 Batgirl, 41587 Robin, 41588 The Joker, 41595 Belle, 41596 Beast, 41589 Captain America, 41590 Iron Man, 41591 Black Widow, 41592 The Hulk
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BrickHeadz is an exciting new Lego theme that depicts our favorite characters from movies, TV shows, games, and comics into fun and stylized collectible forms. Each set contains a brick built figure with a build-able base, that includes a printed tile piece denoting the figure's wave number. Wave one consists of twelve unique and colorful characters based on The Lego Batman Movie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean. BrickHeadz is an exclusive theme from Lego, which means that you can only find the BrickHeadz sets at Lego brand retail stores and online from Lego Shop. Before I begin this review, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to The LEGO Group (TLG) who have provided this set, and other wave one BrickHeadz sets, to Eurobricks making this review possible. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Introduction Batman—of course! It’s not surprising that the Dark Knight himself is the first character of the BrickHeadz theme. Riding hot off the heels of Lego’s latest blockbuster, The Lego Batman Movie, this version is based on the film design of the titular hero. While we’ve seen Batman in Lego form previously, and if you’ve been picking up some of the new movies sets lately--you’ve almost seen him too much--this version is a blocky stylized design that is sure to stand out. So how well does this Dark Knight hold up? Let's find out with a deeper look... Set Stats Name: 41585 Batman Theme: Licensed / BrickHeadz Year: 2017 Pieces: 91 Minifigs: N/A Price: USD $9.99, CA $12.99, DE 9.99€, UK £9.99 Resources: Brickset, Bricklink, Lego Shop Packaging The BrickHeadz sets all come in the same sized box (3.6 x 4.8 x 3.1), and 41585 Batman is no exception. The box itself is an unusual size for Lego and features a bold design of the BrickHeadz figure as well as an image of the character who inspired it. I think that is a great inclusion. Granted it's clear who the brick character is supposed to be, but it's nice nonetheless that the source material is provided right on the package. It provides a nice "transformation" aspect to the set. The box also features the new BrickHeadz logo (which looks very ninja-like to me, personally), as well as the numerical order of the figure within the wave. Batman of course is number one, but that's just common knowledge. Now on the other hand you may also be saying, why Nemo, what about the back? Well I'd rather not talk about it because it certainly isn't pretty. More Two-Face than Batman, the small size of the BrickHeadz box does have it's downsides, mainly in the form of a large unsightly black wall littered with ugly text. Lego must surely be covering their legal bases on this one, as they've written in literally every language ever including a few that have yet to be conceptualized, that under no circumstances should anyone gargle red Lego 2x4 bricks in their mouths like salt water. Salt water helps with sore throats; improperly used Lego bricks help with choking. Noted. While not as bad a choking, the "thumb open" box style is rather unfortunate. For a premium product--and no doubt this is one, considering its limited retail availability--it's disappointing that the box must be torn open, in an ape like fashion, to get the parts out. Surely it would sell the premium feel better with an elegant "cut tape here" style box; and then at least the box could be reused. Each box contains two bags, one large and one small, the instruction booklet, and a loose 4x6 black plate for the figure's base. In the plus column, the Batman BrickHeadz box is unique in that on the top next to its cute 1:1 size comparison, an additional image showing Batman's eyes glowing is included. The glow in the dark bricks were a surprise to me, as it was not particularly clear from the set images that this an actual feature (glow in the dark bricks are often mistake for standard white ones, after all). A good bonus--and one that fits with the film's appearance. Interesting Parts One of the best things about the BrickHeadz theme in my opinion is the fact it is bring tons of small, rare, quality pieces to affordable sets. Every BrickHeadz sets contains printed parts (and only printed parts, no stickers in sight) as well as new production bricks--most notably the 1x2x2 modified brick in Light Bley, which while they have yet to get a catchy name that's also descriptive, first appeared in the Brick Bank and are now crucial to the construction of every BrickHeadz character. Frankly without that piece, these sets wouldn't exist--that's why you get fourteen in every set! Every BrickHeadz set also come with a printed 2x4 black tile that denotes the wave's number, although Lego has not numbered each character individually. On the plus side, leaving a character out of your collection won't make it seem incomplete numerically. Just incomplete in the soul. 41585 Batman comes with two additional unique printed bricks--that being a rather boring 1x4 bat symbol brick (honestly what brick doesn't have a bat symbol on it by now?) and a far more interesting 1x4 yellow "belt" tile. Other interesting bits include two 2x3 tiles, two 1x2 wedge plates, and well a batarang...if you don't have enough of those already either. For good measure the set includes two just in case. Build In terms of the BrickHeadz theme as a whole, on the construction side of things, Batman is perhaps the most formulaic. He's rather basic in design and has only a few colors, which makes constructing him a breeze. That's probably why I kept building him four-plus steps a head and there's only 28 steps in the whole darn thing. That said the Lego designers made the best of it, and included what is perhaps one of the best filler brick uses in any Lego set--a simple pink 2x2 brick. Utterly hilarious and totally in character for Lego. Another part of the build comprises only four pieces that make up the figure's base. This base design is universal and as such you'll be making one for each BrickHeadz. Notably, the base only includes two studs worth of figure a attachment area, meaning it's easy to remove the figures from their bases for play. Although, consequently, the base also provides an outlet for some of the more heavy BrickHeadz, such as Batgirl and Joker, to topple over easily. Completed Figure Soon enough the figure is complete, and it's time to answer my question--how does this Batman hold up? Well somewhat all right. Batman is not a difficult character to get wrong…visually that is…and so this brick version looks great and is instantly recognizable. In fact, despite his largely single color suit, he does have some nice physical similarities between the BrickHeadz style and that of the movie version itself. The belt for instance, which sticks off the torso of the figure, correlates well with the new minifigure belt piece introduced for the movie. In comparison to the other BrickHeadz of wave one however, Batman seems rather simple. He does come with an accessory, but it quickly becomes lost in the figure’s darkness. I do find the lack of detail detrimental to pulling off the figure’s inspiration too. This figure doesn’t read so much as the Lego Batman Movie version to me, as it does just Batman. I see Keaton’s Batman in this just as much as I do Kilmer’s or Arnett’s--but not West! Considering which version this is being billed as, I think a smug arrogant facial expression would have gone a long way to help sell this as the Lego film version. He just feels like he's missing something right now. Visually though, it’s still Batman. I will say I'm unsure of the cowl. The decision to curve the ears is strange in my opinion. Considering the Batgirl BrickHeadz in this same wave uses the more appropriate sharp eared style, I’m not sure what to make of those curved ears. Conclusion Overall, 41585 Batman is a great way to kick off the BrickHeadz theme. He's more of a basic character in terms of design, but he's a crowd pleaser and will surely sell like hotcakes. Score Design: 4/5 - Compared to the other BrickHeadz, Batman is somewhat bland. He lacks a facial expression which would have added context and life to the character. Parts: 4/5 - Nice new parts are included, but nothing crazy impressive. Mostly black, sometimes very very Light Bley. Build: 4/5 - Again, compared to other BrickHeadz in this wave, Batman is rather plain and straightforward brick stacking. Value for Price: 4/5 - Because of his more common pieces and formulaic design, Batman is less appealing than others at this price point. My Score: (16/20) B- Eurobricks BrickHeadz Reviews: 41585 Batman, 41586 Batgirl, 41587 Robin, 41588 The Joker, 41595 Belle, 41596 Beast, 41589 Captain America, 41590 Iron Man, 41591 Black Widow, 41592 The Hulk
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BrickHeadz is an exciting new Lego theme that depicts our favorite characters from movies, TV shows, games, and comics into fun and stylized collectible forms. Each set contains a brick built figure with a build-able base, that includes a printed tile piece denoting the figure's wave number. Wave one consists of twelve unique and colorful characters based on The Lego Batman Movie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean. BrickHeadz is an exclusive theme from Lego, which means that you can only find the BrickHeadz sets at Lego brand retail stores and online from Lego Shop. Before I begin this review, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to The LEGO Group (TLG) who have provided this set, and other wave one BrickHeadz sets, to Eurobricks making this review possible. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Introduction Oh Dick…that boy is all over the place. I’ll be honest in saying I’m not a big fan of the character (Batman works alone!), but I was very much impressed with the latest version depicted in the Lego Batman Movie. Granted there wasn’t much competition, but Michael Cera did a spectacular job nonetheless. That said, on a related note and sorry for the spoilers, but I do find that 41587 Robin is perhaps the weakest figure from this first wave of BrickHeadz. Want to know why? Read on! Set Stats Name: 41587 Robin Theme: Licensed / BrickHeadz Year: 2017 Pieces: 101 Minifigs: N/A Price: USD $9.99, CA $12.99, DE 9.99€, UK £9.99 Resources: Brickset, Bricklink, Lego Shop Packaging The BrickHeadz sets all come in the same size box (3.6 x 4.8 x 3.1), and 41587 Robin is no exception. As with all BrickHeadz sets, the box also includes a image of its source material, in this case an excited and roaring-to-go Robin minifigure. Inside the box is one instruction booklet, two part bags--one small and one large--and a loose 4x6 black plate which is used for the base. Interesting Parts As with all BrickHeadz, 41587 Robin comes with a number of useful printed and uncommon pieces. He comes of course with the printed 2x4 black wave indication tile and the standardized BrickHeadz eyes, but he also comes with a nicely printed, sharply detailed, Robin costume on a 1x4 red brick. Robin also makes use of some BrickHeadz standards, such as fourteen 1x2x2 modified bricks in Light Bley, which is a relatively new piece and one that's sure to become the Lego equivalent of penny candy after a few months of BrickHeadz being on the market. But on the less common side, Robin also comes with two reddish brown modified plates, with side studs. For the color, this is a rather new piece that's only in a few sets--one of which being 41595 Belle. But most notably, Robin comes with two life preserver pieces in black--a piece which in that color is rare and has most often shown up only in modular buildings, as well as the recent Arkham Asylum set. Build I will note that as I'm reviewing the first wave of BrickHeadz, I'm doing so in numerical order. With that in mind, Robin does appear to have an above average build process. Granted I've just constructed Batman and Batgirl, who are particularly similar to each other in that regard. Still, Robin is fun to construct because of his use of bright colors and part variations. Like Batgirl, you'll find that Robin too uses a simple yellow 1x4 plate to give the suggestion of a utility belt. Here they technique works just as good, if not better, on Robin than Batgirl--Robin's belt now also alludes to the fact that his shirt continues underneath the belt, which is particularly accurate. Speaking of accuracy, when building Robin you'll also see a leg/hip variation. Using two additional tan plates, with a 2x2 green plate instead of the standardized 2x4 size, the aforementioned combinations create an enhanced emphasis on his um...open uncovered hips. Completed Figure I just have to say it. It’s the glasses, I don't like them. I understand the intent behind them, and I love the use of the life preservers, but they just don’t work in combination with the standardized (black) BrickHeadz eye tiles. Robin’s goggles in the film have green lenses—why are they not green here? The 1x2 tile linking the lenses together doesn’t translate into anything other than a giant block on his face. The whole thing; the eyes, the ears, the hair, to me just comes off looking like a monkey. There I said it! Still, I will note that my initial impressions of Robin have soften. Having him in hand, I do find him vastly more appealing. His colorful getup is welcomed, and I do particularly like his cape which looks appropriately child like. Conclusion 41587 Robin is indeed a nice figure. But when compared to other BrickHeadz, he doesn't hold up as well in the design department. Still, he would make a wonderful addition to one's collection, if given the chance. Score Design: 3/5 - There's some questionable choices going on here. The glasses haven't translated very well. Parts: 5/5 - Speaking of glasses, those life preservers are particularly desirable. Build: 5/5 - Robin stands out from his Bat-family with variation in construction and color. Value for Price: 3/5 - Considering the quality of characters like Joker and Batgirl, Robin comes up at the back of the pack for overall desirability. My Score: (16/20) B- Eurobricks BrickHeadz Reviews: 41585 Batman, 41586 Batgirl, 41587 Robin, 41588 The Joker, 41595 Belle, 41596 Beast, 41589 Captain America, 41590 Iron Man, 41591 Black Widow, 41592 The Hulk
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[REVIEW] 42046 - Getaway Racer
Jim posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
REVIEW - 42046 - GETAWAY RACER INTRODUCTION Starting with the 42010 - Off-road Racer and 42011 - Race Car in 2013, TLG released two sets in the first half of each year, using a pullback motor. The pullback motor allows the model to be pulled back, followed by forward motion. Usually there's no apparent relation between the two set, other than the ability to combine them into an alternate build. This year there seems to some sort of Cops and Robbers scene going on. A Getaway Racer and a Police Interceptor. That can't be a coincidence. Makes you wonder who will be victorious, the good guys or the bad guys. Let's find out! Note: All images can be clicked for hi-res versions. SET INFORMATION Number: 42046 Title: Getaway Racer Theme: Technic Released: 2016 Part Count: 170 Box Weight: 302 gr Box Dimensions: 26,0 cm x 13,8 cm x 5,9 cm Set Price (MSRP): € 19,99 Price per Part: € 0,118 Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The box has the same dimensions as previous year's pullback motor sets. In the lower right corner there's a visual explanation of the pullback mechanism. The dark model with it's decals sure looks like a cool hot rod. CONTENT OF THE BOX The box contains: 1 Instructions Booklet 1 Sticker Sheet 2 Technic Liftarms 1 Pullback Motor 3 Bags INSTRUCTION BOOKLET Just a single booklet. Unfortunately no booklet for the alternate model. STICKER SHEET The sticker sheet contains a lot of cool stickers with flames and skulls etc. PULLBACK MOTOR AND LIFTARMS The pullback motor and two liftarms are found unbagged. BAGS A total of three bags containing the majority of the parts. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS This section describes the new and/or otherwise interesting parts. Actually, this set is the only set of 1H 2016 which doesn't use any new parts, not even parts in a new color. TIRES The Getaway Racer uses four low profile tires (Tire 37 x 22 ZR). RIMS The rims are Wheel 30.4mm D. x 20mm in Pearl Gold, found in 12 other sets. PANELS This set contains three #3 Panelsand three #4 Panels in black. PART LIST This set contains 171 parts, all listed below. THE BUILD This being a small model, I won't show any building steps. Let's skip right to the finished model. Below you can see the end result. In my opinion the model looks great. It's got that hot rod vibe going on and the stickers add darkness to the vibe. Slight problem with this set is that it really needs the stickers to finish the look. Otherwise it's quite dull, with black and dark grey liftarms and panels. The rear view shows the pullback motor connected directly to the rear axle. In this image you can also clearly see the exhaust pipes on the side, which are very well executed. The 3x3 Technic Discs with stickers, used in the rim, result in only seeing a part of the rim. This works very well with the golden rims. The bottom view shows the chassis of the car. Nothing really noteworthy, as you would expect from a pullback set. VIDEO The following video gives you an overview of the finished model. PARTS LEFT These six parts are left after building the model. Seems about right. FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS This being a pullback motor set, it only has a single feature. The video below demonstrates the acceleration of the vehicle. My girlfriend was kind enough to catch the model before it fell to the ground. Or did it hit something before it fell to the ground?! VIDEO This video shows the pullback functionality. B-MODEL The alternate model is a combined build with the Police Interceptor, which you can see on the back of the box. Unfortunately the instructions for the combined B-model are not included, so I didn't get a chance to build it. This would make for a fun challenge, building the B-model without the instructions. SUMMARY Pullback sets are not the most technically advanced models, so you can't expect any other functionality than hitting the walls in your house. However, I think they are very appealing to kids. The fact that this year's pullback sets form a duo adds to the fun. In my opinion TLG hit the nail on the head with the Getaway Racer and Police Interceptor. The Getaway Racer looks very badass, which is something you don't see every day in a Technic set. SCORE How do I grade the bad guy in this year's duo. 8 DESIGN It looks so cool, but it does need the stickers. 7 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Nothing out of the ordinary. 7 FEATURES Limited to the pullback-and-drive functionality. 7 PLAYABILITY Combined with the Police Interceptor, kids will love it. It does need it's Nemesys though. 7 PARTS Collection of common parts. Gold rims could be interesting. 8 VALUE FOR MONEY Pullback sets always deliver a certain value. 7,3 HIT IT! More image can be found on my Flickr page. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. -
Review: 70316 Jestro’s Evil Mobile Introduction I wonder when the last time you caught sight of a siege tower with flaming wheels and a jester's hat rolling towards you... that's right, it must have been in your nightmares after a late night over a LEGO catalogue! Jestro's Evil Mobile is aptly named - a fearsome vehicle that screams things like, "bad guy!" and "RUN!" First of all, here's an "official" picture of the set... Jestro’s Evil Mobile Set Number: 70316 Theme: Nexo Knights Minifigures: 2, plus one large monster and one book with a big mouth Piece Count: 658 Price: USD $59.99 Box & Instructions The Nexo Knight color scheme of blue, silver, and orange has translated over to the box art for this set, giving it quite a high-tech appearance, in fact. At the same time, the rolling green hills with a castle and skyline in the background are reminiscent of previous, more traditional Castle themes. The back of the box illustrates a few of the play possibilities the set offers, and it also dedicates a corner to the Nexo Knights game. Next step is to despoil the box of its lovely contents… five bags numbered one through four (there are two threes), two instruction booklets, a sticker sheet, and a couple of wheels. The instruction booklets follow the box’s design on the front. There are nine stickers printed on a white background, all of them pretty essential for the final design and none too hard to apply. And now! On to… The Minifigures The set includes two standard minifigures: Lance and Jestro. Both have excellently detailed torsos and legs, and Lance’s chrome arms are great. So is his mask, and Jestro’s cape is really nice too. Jestro and Lance both have double sided heads… and they both have cheesy grins, too… Speaking of cheesy grins, the Book of Monsters has got a monster-sized one for you. If books had ears, its face would be split right across. Looks to me like the cover is a pre-applied sticker, but the inside tile is printed. Lastly, we have the large monster in charge of hauling the mobile – we’ll have more to say about him later on but for now, he has a minifigure scaled head with one gargantum eye, and quite an interesting horned helmet perched on top. He also has a pair of wings… which I guess put him in the category of flightless birds… I could totally see this dude in the zoo across from the ostriches, couldn’t you? Construction Process We jump right into the building with the first bag! This builds Lance’s “horse” and the monster. Bag two starts out on the Mobile. It provides the groundwork for the chomping mechanism of the bottom teeth. Bag three is actually two bags. Jestro is evidently a bit fragile physically as well as emotionally… at any rate, he’s been handled with care and is all wrapped up. Lastly comes bag four, and along with it we’ll use the flame orange wheels. And the Mobile is complete! As always, there are a handful of extra pieces… including one that I somehow missed during the building process. Whoopsie. The time spent building was enjoyable – or would have been if it hadn’t been blowing a gale (practically). The grand outdoors is my photo studio, so that complicates matters a bit. There were a few “aha!” moments as things came together, and I especially admired the tires around those flame orange wheels! The Final Set The final set is of a satisfying size, and there are quite a few neat functions packed in there. First of all, let’s take a look at Lance’s horse speeder. The shape of the head has really been nailed here, and the vehicle is instantly recognizable. And I just can’t get over the ingenuity of using a motorcycle covering backwards! Moving on to the Mobile and the monster, the attachment points there are pretty clever. The monster clips on with a clip hinge, and then two chains stretch from the Mobile to his arms. The end result is easy to pull around. The Mobile has a fearsome face, with the narrowest slits of eyes. Speaking of eyes, I’ve noticed that good guy Nexo Knight vehicles use the more neon color of trans-orange, while the villains use the less glaring shade – something I was glad of in this instance, as I far prefer the villains’ color. The bottom teeth grind up and down as the Mobile is wheeled back and forth. At the back of the mobile, the back flap opens to reveal something of a dungeon inside. The skeleton head is a nice touch. On top, there’s also a treasure chest with a few 1x1 round tiles in warm gold. Jestro’s chair has another intriguing function – it can be moved back and forth for a concealed or exposed position. The concealed position just matches the slit in the large black piece facing forwards. What evil vehicle would be complete without catapults? Not this one, that’s for sure. Dual flanking catapults are more than ready to launch flame balls at any decent minifigure who dares show his face! I said that we would talk a bit more about the large monster, and so we shall. He’s chockfull of black jumpers and the new spiky 1x1 slopes in trans-orange, which is fantastic. He also comes with an interesting printed breastplate piece. Conclusion Before Jestro rolls off in his flashy new mobile to show those Nexo Knights a thing or two, let's share a few concluding thoughts on this set. It's fun, whimsical, and has plenty of functions. The alternating red and black color scheme is visually striking and the bulk of the final machine is satisfying and definitely leaves you with the impression that there isn't much this monster can't roll over. And let's not forget Lance's clever futuristic horse - an instantly recognizable design and lots of fun! Playability: 9/10 – What more could you ask for than an opening ramp out back, a detachable monster, chomping teeth, catapults and a movable seat? In a nutshell: this set just begs to be played with! Design: 5/10 – The playable part of the design is spot on, but the overall impression is a confusing one. The large mouth and tiny eyes make the head hard to really understand, and the extra colors such as gold and orange and grey are a little distracting. Also, the vehicle is wide and short for a siege engine, which seems to have been the inspiration. With such massive wheels, it really deserved a second story. Minifigures: 8/10 – There are only two actual minifigures, which for a set this size isn't many, but they're both wonderfully printed and look fantastic. And then there's also the monster, which is very posable and makes use of a great combination of minifigure sized pieces and larger parts. Lastly there's the Book of Monsters, with a great new book mold and a very unique printed tile. Price: 7/10 – This would unquestionably make a great set for any youngster interested in big bad machines. It's much more of a play set than a display piece, which is to be expected. On the other hand, it has some great pieces - lots of 1x1 round plates with holes, for instance! Overall: 7.25/10 – I could certainly recommend this set for children - my siblings had a blast pulling it around for an hour or so (not to say pulling it to pieces...). For me, it's value lies more in the parts - and there's plenty to like there. But if you're looking for a set to display, honestly, this isn't it. The colors and shapes make it too confusing visually, as you have probably noticed in the above pictures (allow me to take the time to assure that it was not the orange background that messed with your eyes... the set really is like that!). So to sum it up: a great set to play with, a fair parts pack, but in my opinion not something that would look good on a shelf. Questions and comments welcome!
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review Review: 70321 General Magmar's Siege Machine of Doom
Bob De Quatre posted a topic in LEGO Action and Adventure Themes
Introduction Since the theme came out last year, I wanted to do a Nexo Knight set review. And here it is! I choose set 70321 General Magmar's Siege Machine of Doom because it was the set that got the longest name, and so I knew I'd like it! More seriously, the minifigs looked great and the Siege Machine of Doom looked quite scary. Let's see if it's really the case! Set information Set Name: General Magmar's Siege Machine of Doom Set Number: 70321 Number of Pieces: 516 Theme: Nexo Knights Year Release: 06/2016 Prices: £39.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 (Euro prices may vary) #70321 on Brickset #70321 on Rebrickable Packaging The front shows the usual 2016 Nexo Knight theme, with the 3 minifigures included (Clay, Flama and General Magmar) and the 3 Nexo Power also included. The back of the box shows the set's play features of the Siege Machine of Doom. There's also a relatively big artwork trying to make us play the free game. Content of the box The box contains 4 numbered bags, two instruction booklets, a loose stickers sheet and six of these big spiked wheels. The stickers look really great, but I feel like they're too much of them... Instructions booklet As it seems to be the norm now with medium sized sets, we got 2 instruction booklets. The smaller one, which will gide us through the first part of the build has 79 pages, while the second has 64 pages. A total of 143 steps awaits us... Instructions are clear and easy to follow. The light blue background makes color distinctions easy. Bill of materials... Lots of promotional pages at the end of both booklet. Minifigures The set contains 3 minifigures: Clay, Flama and General Magmar, the last two being exclusive to this set. Clay got a dual printed face while both Magmar and Flama got back printed heads. I'm really fond of the different prints on Magmar and Flama. They look really menacing! Build With bag #1 we'll start building the Siege Machine... ... and get the complete Hover Horse in Clay's colors. It is built like every other Hover Horses that can be found in other sets. Bag #2 adds to the Siege Machine, with the beginning of the lifting mechanism. With Bag #3 the Siege Machine is almost complete. Ang bag #4 and the loose wheels finish it! A few spare parts... The complete set with the Siege Machine of Doom and Clay on its Hover Horse. The fight seems a bit unfair!... The build is rather interesting. Lots of Lego Technic beams and connectors in there. Lots of stickers too, but they really add to the beauty of the Siege Machine of Doom! Play features The main play feature is the ability of the Siege Machine to raise. In that position, it looks like a big monster with an open mouth. You can note that the three plateforms stay horizontal in both configuration. In lowered position, don't play with the disk shooter, as you could hit Flama in the head! In raised mode, we have acces to a prison cell hidden in the Siege Machine guts. You don't want to be in there when in lowered mode! The sets comes with the usual shooting thingies for a bad guys sided Nexo Knight set: nice printed 2x2 round plates and balls. We also got two Nexo Powers in addition to the one on Clay's shield, and the Book of Destruction! Conclusion Design: 9/10 - The Siege Machine is quite impressive in its design! The mechanism works extremely well! Parts: 8/10 - A very nice selection of parts with lots of colors. Again less stickers and more printed parts would be better. Build: 8/10 - Not very difficult builds, but rather interesting. Playability: 8/10 - A great playset ! Minifigs: 9/10 - While Clay's minifig is quite standard, General Magmar and Flama are absolutely stunning!. Price: 7/10 - With decent ppp of 0,097€ and 3 minifigs, this set's price is correct. Overall: 49/60 (82%) - General Magmar's Siege Machine of Doom is a great set. Not only does it have (2) great minifigures, but it is also very playable and looks nice, with a good selection of parts. -
(REVIEW) The Joker Battle Training 30523 (VIDEO)
CaptainJackBrickster posted a topic in LEGO Licensed
Here is my review on "The Joker Battle Training" set 30423. Hope you enjoy! -
Here we have Lego's Nebula Outpost from 1996's Exploriens, a sub-theme of the long-running Space theme. It contains 158 pieces and its retail price at the time of release was $15. Like M-Tron and Ice Planet 2002, the Exploriens were a completely civilian outfit. The Nebula Outpost represents a small research base, which we'll now look at in further detail. To easily access the two levels of the outpost, one can open two panels at the top and bottom of the set. The upper section of the outpost is devoted to astronomy. It features a holographic panel with a shimmering starfield and a high-powered telescope. A minifigure can "operate" the telescope, but needs to lean back a bit because of how far the white cone element sticks out. Further, the upper section can rotate freely thanks to a turntable element that joins the upper and lower sections of the outpost. Another look at the upper section of the outpost, which shows the front of the telescope. To the left, one can make out a small hand-held detector that can be stored on a clip piece. We'll see more of that later. As part of another gimmick, the upper and lower sections of the outpost can be separated from one another. Perhaps this is an emergency escape module of some sort. The lower section of the outpost is devoted to communications and equipment storage. A minifigure can be stationed at a console with a large holographic sticker. The tools used to study fossils and an astronaut's "bazooka" style device can be stored here as well. Specialized stickers were a hallmark of the Exploriens. A large holographic sticker here reveals the image of another Explorien astronaut if viewed from just the right angle. Shown here are both of the tools featured for studying fossils. On the left is a set of red and blue "filters" that can be used to examine fossil plates. On the right is a magnet, which can can carry and transport the fossil plates due to their magnetic nature. When not used by the Exploriens, they can be clipped onto the lower section of the outpost for storage. They can also be used while attached to the outpost itself. Swinging them out on the hinges shown above gives one enough space to interact with them without bumping into the rest of the set. Here both tools are being held by a minifigure. Due to their weight though, it's necessary for them to touch the ground or floor, otherwise the minifigure will simply fall over. Seen here are both fossil plates included with the set. When looking at them unfiltered, they appear somewhat jumbled. Here are the fossil plates viewed under the filter tool. The plate on the left now appears to be an alien creature in an egg, while the one on the right is a dinosaur-like creature about to chew on a bone. And here the plates have been swapped to show the difference when viewed under the opposite color filter. The dinosaur-like creature is now chewing on the bone, while the alien in the egg has been replaced with a humanoid skull or mask. Because the stickers on the fossil plates are magnetic, they can cling to the magnet tool as shown here. Perfect for carrying and transporting a newly-discovered fossil. Shown here are both minifigures included in the set. They are unnamed and identical to one another except for their helmets. Having a more advanced helmet, one can assume that the astronaut on the left is a senior researcher. Lastly, here are both astronauts equipped with their hand-held devices. Being a research team, they're likely scanners or detectors of some sort rather than weapons. Overall this is a fun, if basic "space base" set. I feel like it looks the part of a remote research outpost. I enjoy the red/blue filter and magnetic gimmicks of the fossil plates, but several other Exploriens sets feature it as well. While not a "must-have" set, you can certainly do a lot worse. I hope everyone reading this has enjoyed taking a look at this set with me.
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[REVIEW] 7029 Skeleton Ship Attack [STOP MOTION VIDEO]
Bricks Planet posted a topic in LEGO Historic Themes
Review stop motion (presentation) 7029 Skeleton Ship Attack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHA1xKVn8uc Year: 2007 Nombre de pieces: 629 Nombre de minifigures: 7 Price:£49.99 / $69.99 Brickset : http://brickset.com/sets/7029-1/Skeleton-Ship-Attack
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