REVIEW: 7325 Cursed Cobra Statue

[Hinckley]

Name: Cursed Cobra Statue

Theme: LEGO System/Pharaoh's Quest

Year: 2011

Minifigs: 3

Price: USD $29.99

Resources: Bricklink, Brickset

Packing, instructions, DSS

It is, once again, exciting to see the Adventurers return. This time they have a new logo, a very creepy mummy. The premise of this theme is that the evil Forgotten Pharaoh, Amset-Ra, has returned from the dead to conquer the world. His cursed statues have been guarding six treasures that will give him the power to conquer the world. The packaging and logo reflects the premise well. The box is typical of LEGO box art nowadays which means, no alternative builds on back. This set also includes a DSS, as well as printed pieces. Just a warning: I never apply the stickers to my sets, so you won't see them in my review. In this case, the lack of stickers does leave the look of the structure somewhat lacking.

Front of the box.

Back of the box.

The bags aren't numbered and there's only one instruction book, and the unfortunate DSS.

New molds

This set doesn't contain as many new molds as the last one I reviewed from this series, the 7327 Scorpion Pyramid. But there are a couple of gems here.

This is not a new mold, but I'm excited to see this classic piece produced in dark orange! That's going to make a brick facade in my FABULAND town, for sure!

Again, not a new mold, but a new printed pattern. Glad to see they didn't use stickers for this piece.

The new scarab shield piece, this time, in pearl gold. This is an excellent new mold and I'm sure we'll be seeing it used in clever ways in a lot of new MOCs.

This TECHNIC piece may not be new, but it's new to me.

Minifigs

There are new characters this time. Johnny Thunder has been replaced by Jake Raines. Dr. Kilroy/Dr. Charles Lightning has been replaced by Professor Achibald Hale (who does not appear in this set). I've conducted a bit of research but can't seem to come up with the name of the female character here. Maybe somebody knows? The Mummy here is cool with a new printed headdress.

Mummy torso front.

Mummy torso back.

Jake Raines torso front.

Jake Raines torso back.

Mummy legs.

Female torso front. This is an excellent new torso with many uses across themes. I'm glad the torso is definitely female but "generic" enough to be used in a variety of settings and time periods.

Female torso back.

New dark tan printed Pharaoh headdress. I think this is an excellent piece with a lot of character. Although it adorns a mummy warrior in this set, I can see it being used for a more prominent ruler in someone's MOC or LEGO story.

Female face.

Back of female face, she gets scared sometimes.

Front of Mummy head.

Back of Mummy head.

Family portrait. Say "cheese!" Click! I don't like the Jake Raines character. I think he looks like a bad Elvis impersonator. The sideburns with the hair look odd to me. I think LEGO was trying too hard to make a dashing hero. The mechanic in the Scorpion Pyramid is more dashing. That is my personal preference. How can there be an Adventurer hero without a fedora? Less sideburns, more fedora, LEGO!!

The build

Just like 7327 Scorpion Pyramid, this set was built to have a lot of play features. It's on a much smaller scale than the Scorpion Pyramid, so there aren't quite as many traps or surprises. The main attraction of this set is the cobra. Secondarily, we get a little tan structure and a car. Overall, I don't think this set was as successful with action and playability as the Scorpion Pyramid. In particular, the articulation on the snake is incredibly weak leaving it difficult to pose for playtime. Other recent themes like Atlantis, Aqua Raiders and even as far back as Vikings have had much more success with the great articulation of their creatures.

The car

Nothing particularly exciting here. There are some good dark red elements, but that's about it. Here are some in progress shots.

Jake and whoever this babe is, let's call her Jackie for now, are certainly ready to kick some Cursed Cobra megablocks. Dynamite, shotgun, revolver, shovel. They'll beat it senseless, shoot it up and then blow up whatever remains.

The little pyramidy-like do-hickey

Meh, what is this? Sure the treasure had to be hidden somewhere, but it seems nothing more than a platform for the snake-wielding mummy to attack from. I think it would've been great if Jake and Jackie had been downgraded to motorcycles and the extra pieces had been used towards more of an obelisque that the snake could've blended in more with. I like the idea of these "cursed statues" blending in more with the stone. The scorpion blended in all right with the pyramid, but the snake ends up just kind of wrapping around this tiny structure. Here are some in-progress build shots of the little thingy build:

Nothing even hidden inside...

The cobra

The cobra certainly has the potential to be cool, but it just ends up too flimsy to pose well. The articulation points are great, but the ball hinges leave it too flimsy for cool action poses. Here are some in-progress build shots of the cobra:

These are definitely cool pieces in cool colors. The set is a decent parts pack.

This makes an excellent snake body and I like the pattern. However, it's the ball-joint connection that makes the snake fail, in my opinion. If click-hinge joints had been used instead, I think this would've been a much more successful set.

If the cobra is attacked, the tail detaches and flips around leading the predator away from the rest of the body. What the hell am I talking about??

LEGO has always been pretty good and making cool brick-built creatures. I particularly like the head of this snake. The teeth and lower jaw make it ominous and threatening. It'll be fun to feed him some minifigs for lunch!

Uh-oh! Looks like he's got a little Jackie on the menu already!

Cool articulation, but it took me way too long to balance the snake for this shot and it fell over a second after I snapped the picture.

Aw, he's so cute when he chases his tail.

This is the yoga move known as "The Cobra."

Yes, a snake that does Yoga. Not so threatening to Jackie and Jake. They're a little bored with the whole story and definitely not being eaten. Ho-hum

Things get a little better when you connect the snake to the pyramidy do-hickey. He can pose around that a little better because something's holding him in place and providing a little more balance.

See? Not so bad. The snake is about ready to strike. He looks ominous, imposing and dangerous.

This is even better. He's on his way to have a little Jakey-snack. However, this fell over several times before I could get the shot. The snake doesn't attach to the structure very well and the portion of the snake past the attachment point oftentimes knocks the whole things over. It doesn't help much to use it this way, but it's more likely to get a cool pose out of the snake. However, it did take longer, because it kept knocking everything over.

While I'm at it, this snake-juggling goofy mummy isn't too scary either. What's scarier than a mummy? A mummy wielding poisonous snakes?? I guess, but that sounds needlessly complicated.

How to improve it? Well, turn the mummy's head around. The one red eye poking through the bandages is more creepy than the goofy smile/snarl and the two eyes exposed. Then, make the snake a little less conspicuous by posing it as part of the statue. Looks harmless enough: Just a solemn snake statue over a decrepit mummy with a cool headdress. Ominous, but more cool than creepy.

Uh-oh! You got too close! The statute and the mummy are both alive and they're coming to get you! I think this is what was intended with the set, but you don't see anything on the box or instructions to pose the snake in a certain way to be the statue. I'm sure kids can figure this out on their own. I guess I'm being picky by expecting more in the story or expecting a definite way to pose the snake where it looks like a statue before it reveals itself as alive. Couldn't it have easily looked like an obelisk?

This is much more threatening! Let's see these creatures really make life hard for our heroes.

Hell, let's just see 'em rip them apart. You trespassed on sacred ground, kids! This is what you get! OK, OK. So, the set is fun to play with.

Summary review

Playability: 6/10 (Flimsy, flimsy, flimsy! Good articulation, but not very poseable. A limp snake always spoils good play time.)

Design: 8/10 (I like the look of the snake. I think the design of the remainder of the pieces in the set should've been utilized to support the enchanted snake statue idea. I like the pieces and the car is all right. Good colors and pieces. The minifigs are definitely cool.)

Price: 7/10 (Like the Scorpion Pyramid, the price point seems a bit high to me on this one.)

Overall: 7/10 (Sorry LEGO. You didn't knock it out of the park like you did with the Scorpion Pyramid. The set is average, nothing special, but some parts and figures. Stronger articulation would've raised the score significantly.)

[Aethersprite]

Thanks for the review! Was kinda keen on this set since I love brickbuilt creatures, but the saggy balljoints are a turn-off.

[Peppermint_M]

Thanks for another great review. This set looks really cool, I wonder if the material online will name the characters at all?

Here's hoping the sets come out in the UK soon.

[Rick]

Thanks for yet another PQ review Hinckley. Any sign in the manual or on the box that this set (or the obelisk in the plane set) is meant to be be used to fill the 6 x 6 opening in the baseplate of the pyramid set?

[Hinckley]

Thanks for yet another PQ review Hinckley. Any sign in the manual or on the box that this set (or the obelisk in the plane set) is meant to be be used to fill the 6 x 6 opening in the baseplate of the pyramid set?

No indication of that. But, it's a great idea! I guess it would look better if I applied stickers, but I don't so

[WhiteFang]

Another excellent review!

I am really beginning to love this entire series. I want to get my hands on that Cobra.

On the other hand, I am quite surprised to see the jeep baseplate which was widely used back in the Adventurers theme.

[lightningtiger]

Thanks 'Hinckley' for this review, a limp snake...mmmm, yes there is a cure for that !

I've already added this theme to my shopping list for 2011, the one thing I really like about this set is the jeep....oh, yeah I forgot.....two things.....another female character...we don't get enough females !

Keep on running from those curesed cobras !

[AoNZ]

Thanks Hinkley for the review.

The ball joints are a bit of a turn off in being hard to pose.

I love Jake Raines smile at the end with him smiling like "Yeah I can take this" while being strangled by poisonous snakes

[XimenaPaulina]

Thanks for sharing this great PQ review Hinckley! Though I feel this seems to be the 'weakest' set in the PQ line-up. I'm not really sold to the brickbuilt giant cobra, the rather simple build of the jeep, and the unexciting pair of protagonist minifigs. The smaller set with the motorcycle is better IMO.

[I Scream Clone]

Oh wow, Dark Orange 1x2 tiles, drools. Nice review Hinck, I am really enjoying the look of this line, it has a really authentic adventurers vibe and great villains to boot. Cheers

[David Thomsen]

This is the review I was most looking forward to, I'm always interested in new female torsos and heads. Has that hair been in that colour before?

I like that the torso doesn't have oil stains or bullets printed on it. It's one I could easily use in a lot of settings, although with that belt she'd always have to be a geologist or archaeologist or something.

You're right about Jack, he just looks a bit weird to me, the sideburns are too long or something.

Any chance of seeing a picture of this set placed over the opening in front of the pyramid?

Edited November 23, 2010 by David Thomsen

[Dan the Brickman]

(Thanks for the review and all the pics)

I may get this one for parts if I have extra money. I think the dirt-bike set is a much better buy though.

[Lordofdragonss]

Female head with frecles, Female head with frecles, Female head with frecles!

This is the first set of this theme I'm going to buy. Great Pieces, great Minifigs!

Edited November 23, 2010 by Lordofdragonss

[Delta 38]

Ooh! The headdress is dark tan! Great, I thought it was tan before but I prefer dark tan.

I like the minifigs and jeep, despite the jeep's simplicity. Yay, more female minifigs. I need a lot more for equality in my collection.

[Skafte]

Great review with beautiful pics!

The set doesn't really do it for me, though. But hey, you get both Tory and Kari from Mythbusters! Perhaps Grant is wrapped up as the mummy?

[Fugazi]

Thanks for another mouth-wateringly detailed review Hinckley!

The design might be a bit lacking, but the minifigs, the great colour palette and some nice unusual parts makes it up for me. I love all the dark red, dark orange, dark tan and dark blue bits! Hmm do I notice a dark trend here? Oh and the gold ones too!

And is this the first time the log brick comes in dark tan?

[Aethersprite]

But hey, you get both Tory and Kari from Mythbusters! Perhaps Grant is wrapped up as the mummy?

Holy cow! Now that you mention it, there is a resemblance!

[Brickviller]

Great set and great review. I like this set but I won't get it, the cobra is just not my favorite snake creature

[Aanchir]

Nice review! It should be noted that the socket joints are a new style (yes, a third one) that does not taper the way the previous two styles did. We got a preview of this new style when LDD 4.0 was released, but this is the first time seeing it in an actual set. Here's a comparison between the new piece (92013) and the previous version (62712). The new joint is based on the type from the Ben 10 action figure sets, which is supposedly more resistant to breakage than previous styles of socket-joint-- we'll see if that holds true!

The snake looks amazing. It's a pity the ball-and-socket joints aren't all that stable, but I can't imagine click-hinges offering the same range of posability.

The new female figure is gorgeous. There aren't very many minifigs with freckles, so her face print is a welcome addition.

Edited November 23, 2010 by Aanchir

[Masked Builder]

Nice work here. This looks like a good set for tan/DK tan parts.

[Big Cam]

Thanks for the great review Hinkley! I feel like this set is a bit spendthrift for what you get, although I do love the figs and that Jeep.

I can't wait to see more of these future sets you lily folk get over there.

[WesternOutlaw]

Thanks for the great review Hinck. Your pictures are very clear and crisp. I had this set in my hand on Sunday but ended up choosing the biplane set instead. I wish I still had my Desert Adventure table set up. These new sets (as well as a few from Prince of Persia) would have really added to the Egyptian theme.

In regard to this set, I think it's a creative idea to have a giant snake; although I would have been just as happy with some Egyptian ruins and a smaller creature. The vehicle brings back memories of the old Scorpion Tracker, although I must admit that I don't like the dark red as well as the old tan car chasis piece (especially with the larger wheels). So the special artifact is the gold scarab in this set - nice.

For a rating, I think I'm between a 3 and a 4 for this set, but not a 5. I plan to buy, but can't say that I would rush out to do so. It will be interesting to read some of the other comments. Again; however, great review!

[Ogre]

Great review!

I wasn't too keen on this set prior to your review, but now I think I'll pick it up. Not so much for the build, but for the parts.

This is the review I was most looking forward to, I'm always interested in new female torsos and heads. Has that hair been in that colour before?

I like that the torso doesn't have oil stains or bullets printed on it. It's one I could easily use in a lot of settings, although with that belt she'd always have to be a geologist or archaeologist or something.

I disagree!

With women's fashions, that 'military look' is always coming back around and those belted jackets always make an appearance. IMO, that torso would fit in just fine in a 'City' layout.

[LegoDad42]

Great pics and a thorough review!

Love the snake(I might be the only one) and the parts.

Look forward to this whole line to Moc and Mod.

[Baylego]

Cool review! I really wasn't sure about the set when I saw it at TRU, but now I wish that I had gotten it!