Review: 8409 Spider Monkey

[Dunjohn]

I've been looking at these in the shops alright, for the past few weeks, semi-tempted to get one purely to get a review out there. You've saved me the effort, because I really don't think I have any MOC uses for the parts and have no interest in the licence. If I had gotten one, it'd be this one, because it seems to have the largest number of parts.

So yeah, thanks for the review! It does look great for what it is. I can well imagine the target audience getting a kick out of these.

[KimT]

What? 21 pieces for $15! Thats a rip off!

Great review. Nice pictures too. The colors and character, and the many points of articulation look like it would be a great figure for stopmotion animation.

Are these pieces newly molded for the Ben 10 series? That would be my only guess as to why it would be this price.

I don't know much about Ben 10. I'm a bit confused because on the cartoon channel I've seen cartoon animated commercials of a Ben 10 show but the channel has also showed a live action movie with real people called Ben 10. I asked my niece if she knew what it was and she says it's a cartoon. I looked it up on wikipedia and it describes Ben 10 a kid who has a watch I think it was, which can change him into various things?

Well, it is a line meant for 5-8 years old kids! Everybody knows that making their parents pay exorbitant amounts of money for their toy is one of the top priorities of little kids... Eh, wait nope, the age range does not help at all to explain the price, sorry...

Seriously, if you were a parent, would you buy these things? Sure there is some build ability that is sort of interesting, but once the kid does the 19 connections, what else? it is not like these are the only option for a young kid. I mean, look at the sort of creator sets you could get for two bucks less: http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=5866-1 Even if the kid was too young for creator, then he would be better off with duplo or megabloks...

Since when did the price of LEGO have anything to do with the parts count?

Look at the size of those parts and then say that 21 isn't much.

C'mon people, buy a set that costs the same and then compare the weight of the bricks in that and this set.

I'm sure you'll end up pretty close to each other.

Make sure you use a licensed set as this is a licensed set too and they're a little more expensive than regular LEGO.

I'm sure Ben10 will hit it's target audience hard and very effectful.

I think Front's comment put it all in perspective.

I'll never buy this - but then again I'm not 5-10 or even remotely in to Ben10 stuff.

Thanks for reviewing this set

[LegoDad42]

Obviously this is meant as an easy build action figure for 4-8 year old market.

As a parent I like the idea but not the price. My son was big into Ben 10 and for $15 - $20bucks I can get about 3 Ben 10 action figures...and for a couple bucks more the Ben 10 Omnitrix watch which is highly playable with lights, sounds and the mechanism that mimics the one on the show. Which is alot more fun for your kid.

$10 would be a fair price for these models. No more than that.

[Ratbat]

Since when did the price of LEGO have anything to do with the parts count?

This, f*cking THIS.

Edited February 3, 2010 by Ratbat

[LegoDad42]

I don't know much about Ben 10. I'm a bit confused because on the cartoon channel I've seen cartoon animated commercials of a Ben 10 show but the channel has also showed a live action movie with real people called Ben 10. I asked my niece if she knew what it was and she says it's a cartoon. I looked it up on wikipedia and it describes Ben 10 a kid who has a watch I think it was, which can change him into various things?

Ben 10 started off as a cartoon. Young boy discovers a meteor type crash landing and this alien looking watch-like device (the Omnitrix) attaches itself to him. The 'watch' can alter his DNA to become several different aliens, all with different abilities. All the aliens are very cool. Later on you discover that the Omnitrix was originally invented as a universal communicator. Whatever planet or alien you come accross, you can communicate by then becoming that creature and of course can survive in their environment.

They then did a live action movie. Now they have Ben 10, grown up to a teenager, with a new Omnitrix with new aliens to transform into. They also made a live action movie of his teenage adventures.

I've watch many a Ben 10 with my kid and I have to say the show gets a bad rap. It's not as flashy or convoluted as other cartoons. It has a solid story, character development and sub plots and continuity that carry over from episode to episode. It's actually a well written show and the animation is spot on for it. It's written as if it's for live action. It has great alien creatures(the kids love the uber strong Four Arms, fireblasting 'ala Human Torch' Heatblast,etc), character development, excellent plots and sub plots and continuity. It's a rarity for a kid's cartoon.

These particular Lego Ben 10 figures are from the teenage years, called Ben 10 Alien Force(?) I believe.

Edited February 3, 2010 by LegoDad42

[parchioso]

Thanks to all for the votes and feedbacks, just like to share with you the result of a similar poll from a Taiwan based forum

From Pockyland (Taiwan) - 95 votes

Support 5.26% (5)

Against 51.58% (49)

Observing 22.11% (21)

No opinion 21.05% (20)

Edited February 6, 2010 by parchioso

[Walter Kovacs]

My son (he's 6 yo) bought this set with some of his Christmas money. I had no input, as I would have talked him out of it.

The figure is very poseable, but the plastic feels a little cheaper than a typical Bionicle set. The colors aren't bad, and the second set of arms maks it my favorite of the Ben 10 sets (not that that's saying a lot).

My son is happy with the set, and mixes the Ben 10 and Bionicle pieces together in his MOCs. I guess that's what is most important. I certainly will never use my money to buy a Ben 10 set.