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INTRODUCTION Maybe you spent part of your Thanksgiving holiday watching Avatar: The Way of Water. Or maybe you went to see it in IMAX. Or maybe you just like water based Lego sets. Whatever audience you fall into, is this Avatar set right for you? SET INFORMATION Number: 75575 Title: Ilu Discovery Theme: Avatar Released: 2023 Part Count: 179 Box Dimensions: 26.2 x 14.1 x 4.8 cm Weight: 219g Set Price (RRP): £19.99/$24.99/€24.99 Price per Part: 11.2p/14.0c/14.0c Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The front shows the creature, the Ilu, which the set is named after, gliding through the water. The back shows what the set is like when on display in-real-life. CONTENTS OF THE BOX Inside are 3 bags, a punch sheet for the fins of the Ilu, and the instructions. THE BUILD This isn't a complicated build, but the end result is striking. The first bag contains the pieces to create the small sections of coral. The instructions include photos from the movie that depict some of the coral the set designers used as reference points. Though I can say the photos don't do the movie scenes justice. The Ilu itself is brick-built but uses plastic punch-sheet elements for the wing-like fins. These are held on by Technic pins and are very effective. The white Technic pieces could be obtrusive, but the set designer has done a really good job of integrating them in a way that doesn't make them standout in a bad way. Pretty much any way you choose to display the Ilu in the provided coral looks great! The fins have limited articulation, but it doesn't detract from the pose-ability. The underside is nicely finished. It's not the way you'd want to display the Ilu, but I appreciate all the work the designer went to to make sure the beast looks finished from all angles. Without an Avatar figure on it's back the Ilu looks quite regal swimming through the water. And on it's display stand it continues to shine. The mouth uses the same jaw piece from Fantastic Beats and Jurassic World. It opens and closes nicely. The figures, representing Na'vi children, don't use the long, Woody legs that their adult counterparts do. Though they use the same tail piece, first introduced in the Looney Toons CMF. Their hair pieces have been specifically molded to fit around the ears. And can be switched between any of the Na'vi heads and still fit. Using one of these hair pieces on a regular minifigure can be done with varying degrees of success. The hair piece for Tuk (male and shorter) looks like dreadlocks from the front. But from the side, the space for the ears really stands out awkwardly. The hairpiece for Tsireya (female and longer) looks good from the front. And from the back the space for the ears is hardly noticeable. The tails match the color of their Na'vi and match up nicely with the torsos. OVERALL First, I'm sorry I didn't turn this into a mech. I like how it looks on my desk too much to break it down right now! Overall this is a nice set. Though I do have a few complaints. As has been shown in countless MOCs it's possible to create good looking coral from just about any Lego element. The set designers did a good job with this coral, but the end result feels a little small. The connection Technic piece being black also isn't good. I understand creating this piece in trans-clear was outside the realm of possibility for a set this size. But using a shade of blue to simulate water would have been a better choice. This set is a great display piece, has fun colors, fun pieces, and good minifigures. But it's overpriced. This would be a fantastic $15 set. However, on the shelves it's a $25 set. There aren't any giant molds, so I'm guessing the price is due to the licensing fee. If you can find it on sale I would recommend buying it. SCORE How do I rate this set? DESIGN 9 The colors really pop. The build is solid. And potential pitfalls like exposed Technic elements have been mitigated. BUILDING EXPERIENCE 8 Nothing feels repetitive and each part is a good little build. FEATURES 8 The Ilu is very pose-able which I feel is the main feature of this set. The coral could be a little more robust. But overall it's a good set in terms of features. PLAYABILITY 10 It can swoosh! The Ilu is very solid. And since the wings are plastic there's little fear of damaging them during flight... I mean swim. PARTS 8 It's a good selection of parts for this kind of set. The coral provides fun colors for pieces which would work well in other MOCs. VALUE FOR MONEY 2 I'd pay $20 for this if I was a fan of Avatar. $18 if I was a fan of the parts. $15 if I was a member of the general public looking to round out my Amazon order with enough items for free shipping. It's not worth $25. FINAL SCORE: 7 It's a great display piece, has fun colors, fun pieces, and good minifigures. But it's overpriced.
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Here is my review on LEGO Ideas 40595 Tribute to Galileo Galilei: THE GOOD: A good small desktop or shelf display. Love the solar system action feature. Some nice furniture builds. Reasonably lower threshold GWP compared to some released this year. THE NOT SO GOOD: The top of the wall can be a bit more polished. With double insiders points running earlier in October & a low threshold, managed to get his with my PAB order. I have low expectation on this but it contains some nice surprises. Firstly, I enjoyed building the base and it has a lot more area than I expected. With some very detailed furnitures build, it was fun! Despite Galileo minifigure does not really strike you as Galileo, the action feature of the solar system made up for it. It works so well, I'm now very interested in building one with all 9 planets! One side of the wall also has a nice exterior look, however the top of the wall can be a bit bland, and I believe would make this even a better desktop display if it is more polished. Anyway, considering the threshold of this, this set is pretty good. If you still able to get your hands onto one, I would definitely recommend this.
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INTRODUCTION When I was growing up Lego animals used to be pretty basic and there were only a few kinds (horse, dog, cat, and fish for example). But Lego seems to have gotten the hint that we love new animal molds! The otter mold first showed up in the Harry Potter theme as a patronus. But this is the first time we've gotten an otter that's not translucent. So how does this set do at introducing otters to the Lego universe? SET INFORMATION Number: 60394 Title: ATV and Otter Habitat Theme: City Released: 2023 Part Count: 90 Box Dimensions: 15.7 x 14.1 x 4.5 cm Weight: 0.14 Kg Set Price (RRP): £8.99/$9.99/€9.99 Price per Part: 10.0p/11.1c/11.1c Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The front shows off the titular ATV racing through a forest with the otters enjoying what nature has to offer them. The back shows much of the same. CONTENTS OF THE BOX Inside are 2 bags and 2 loose plates. THE BUILD The build is basic and what you would expect for a $10 set. The piece of forest is meant to represent a waterfall flowing down a small section of rock. It's not very convincing as a waterfall. But it makes a nice slide for the otters if you can look past the design inconsistencies. The completed build allows the explorer to photograph the otters at play, or eat a fish, or drive up a "waterfall" with her ATV. Overall it's a nice compact build that allows a cheap way to get otters and display them. The parts aren't overly unique, but for $10 it feels like you get enough. I do like that the tires are still using the same white wheel-wells from when I was a kid. It's nice to see that even as Lego gets more specialized pieces every year, the old standards still hold up today. CAN IT BE A MECH? And just for fun, I used the parts to create a Mech for the otter. I incorporated as many of the parts from the set as possible but used other pieces from my collection to craft this simple mech. OVERALL This is a decent $10 set. I like that you get 2 otters, not just 1. And while the build isn't fantastic, it's decent for the price. SCORE How do I rate this set? DESIGN 6 The ATV is a decent, compact vehicle. The piece of forest is ok, but the supposed waterfall is lackluster. BUILDING EXPERIENCE 7 Nothing overly exciting, but nothing repetitive either. FEATURES 6 Lets be honest, the main feature is the otters. It succeeds there but doesn't do much else. PLAYABILITY 10 I have 4 kids. They love sets like this. There's enough pieces they can use to build other things they want (like a mech) and cute animals as a plus. This kind of set is Lego succeeding at reaching their target audience. PARTS 6 Again, nothing overly exciting beyond the otters. But also an okay collection of parts. VALUE FOR MONEY 10 The finished build feels like it's worth $10. FINAL SCORE: 7.5 If you want a cheap gift or just want to expand your animal collection this set is a good purchase. Though, the otters themselves are available on Pick-a-Brick for under $2 each (ID 6425514).
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INTRODUCTION What's this?!? Two small city set reviews in one week? That's right! I've got my second animal battle pack... I mean city set with animals reviewed and compared. Here's the review for the otter set. So how do seals compare against otters? A warning before we begin, taking photos of white Lego pieces is very difficult. My white-balance varies depending on the picture. SET INFORMATION Number: 60376 Title: Arctic Explorer Snowmobile Theme: City Released: 2023 Part Count: 65 Box Dimensions: 15.7 x 14.1 x 4.5 cm Weight: 0.13 Kg Set Price (RRP): £8.99/$10.99/€9.99 Price per Part: 12.8p/15.7c/14.3c Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The front shows a frigged snowscape perfect for snowmobiling and seal watching. And we also see meteors in the background? Seems an odd choice for the cover art. We get a fun warning in the bottom left that the set does not float. My son actually helped me test this and I can say the warning is unnecessary. The snowmobile doesn't float, but everything else does! Ironically, the back of the box shows the parts float in the water. CONTENTS OF THE BOX Inside are 2 bags and 2 loose plates. THE BUILD The set spends the most effort on the snowmobile. The snow/ice landscape is extremely basic. But then, it doesn't take much to depict snow if you're using plates so it works. The snowmobile uses technic pieces for treads very effectively. I find it disappointing that the seat/standing area is so basic. Seems like an extra panel or slope would help complete the seat. There are a few unique or rare pieces in the set. But of course what we're all really here for are the seals. The undersides show the available stud connections. The mommy (or daddy) seal's tail has a small arch to it. All in all they look amazing. HOW DOES IT COMPARE? Compared to the ATV and Otter set this one has fewer pieces, but feels more substantial. It's very interesting to me that both sets include the same woman's face. My guess is Lego chose this face for the wink/closed eye to show when she's looking through a camera at the animals. CAN IT BE A MECH? Continuing my idea I made another mech with the Seal set. I like how this one turned out better. So in a fight I think the seal would win. OVERALL This is another good $10 (or $11 depending on whether your store is following the inflation trend) set. SCORE How do I rate this set? DESIGN 7 The snowmobile works really well. The ice section is simple but also works effectively. BUILDING EXPERIENCE 7 Same as the ATV. Nothing overly exciting, but nothing repetitive either. FEATURES 7 Most people will be getting this set for the seals. And why not, they are cute! But I think they will be pleasantly surprised by the snowmobile too. PLAYABILITY 10 This has all the right features for a $10 set. New, good animal molds, a cool vehicle and a bit of scenery to round it out. PARTS 7 While not a ton of parts, what you get are used very effectively. VALUE FOR MONEY 10 The final set is solid and certainly worth $10. FINAL SCORE: 8 This is a good buy. It's a great addition to the Lego animal collection with a good selection of parts. If you want just the seals they are available on Pick-a-Brick ID 6434764 for the baby seal and ID 6434763 for the adult.
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Here is my review on LEGO DREAMZZZ 40657 Dream Village: THE GOOD: The build has been enjoyable & one of the stand out in terms of the 2in1 concept in Dreamzzz Interesting new ways in such small build and I especially like the door of the wizard's workshop Relatively cheap compared to other Dreamzzz set and you get multiple dreamlings. THE NOT SO GOOD: No QR codes as it a 40xxx set (to be honest, I'm surprised this is a 40xxx set) The LEGO store exclusive sets from Dreamzzz. I have to say, it kinda reminds me of The Smurfs. The small buildings scaled for the dreamlings are looking good. Despite its size, the build is very enjoyable and includes a few interesting new ways of building. I particularly like how the door of the wizard's workshop is designed. This is also a stand out in terms of the 2in1 concept in Dreamzzz. At least on the ones I have built, this one has a drastic difference between the default build and the alternate build rather than just cosmetic changes. This is also a relatively cheaper set which you get multiple dreamlings. Being a LEGO store exclusive, this can be hard to find if your region does not have LEGO Stores or Shop@home. Falling under 40xxx sets, this also means you don't get the QR for the extra 20 insiders points. Having said that, this is actually a pretty cool small set that I would recommend even you have not heard about Dreamzzz.
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Here is my review on 40658 Millennium Falcon Holiday Diorama: THE GOOD: Refreshing ideas to have a seasonal set other than just Advent Calendar. Surprisingly large surface area to place more minifigures than the ones included in this. The build is also enjoyable. THE NOT SO GOOD: No QR codes for extra 20 points being a seasonal set. I really like this set. I enjoyed the build and found some of the details really great. I think it's great to have a holiday themed set other than just Advent Calendar. It has a surprisingly large surface to place other minifigures and despite being a small set. Some nice Christmas themed decoration and once again, LEGO continues to find new ways to build Christmas Tree. There are only 2 exclusives minifigures in this and I think this is the first time we have Rey with her Yellow light saber. and it's always good to get licensed theme holiday jumper torsos. At $50 NZD, it's a very competitive pricing considering how sets are being more expensive these days. The only thing that I'm a bit disappointed is that this set is considered a seasonal set, so you don't get the QR code for the extra 20 VIP points. Otherwise, it's definitely a recommendation for everyone =)
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Here is my review on 76266 Endgame Final Battle: THE GOOD: Great selection of minifigures (a few re-use but if you don't own the earlier sets then it's really good). Interesting build through out building the ruins. I do think it's great design on how you can place the pegasus flying out the portal. Another lively diorama. THE NOT SO GOOD: For some, this might be boring given we had another endgame final battle few years back but that one was before the destruction. Valkyrie's outfit can be a bit more whiter I guess, it's a bit too grey. I enjoyed building this and like the end results. Without a doubt this set will always be compared with the Spider-Man one, but I will focus in this one. While it's a scene of ruins, it actually looks pretty good and very lively. It's also very tall. The way the design allow you to pose the Pegasus flying out the Portal is brilliant. There are quite a few MCU easter eggs/references incorporated into this set, opening it up will reveal a couple of them. Surprisingly, this set does not have many stickers, just a few essential ones for exterior details. The build of the tower is actually pretty fun and interesting. The design also gave it very good stability so it doesn't fall a part. the minifigures line up is great in my opinion, especially if you missed out some of the earlier set. For this set, you do get a new variant of Wanda, Valkyrie and Thanos. Although Valkyrie a bit too grey, a little bit more white or silver might have make her better. The other downside is that we has another endgame final battle set not so far back, although that one was a scene before the destruction. Well, if this is your first MCU set then it won't be a problem, it fact if you have not own much of the marvel sets before this turns out to be a very good set. At $180 NZD, it's a bit high but it's a reasonable price is my opinion considering the content and compare to some other recent sets. Plus it's not hard to get a discount on this one. I would definitely recommend this one if you like the MCU but if you don't like MCU then really nothing much would appeal to you in this one. One thing though, this has so much possibilities to recreate some of the most ridiculous parody of endgame by just adding other licensed minifigures to this. Now I just need to find more pieces to add more portals!
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Here is my review on 76958 Dilophosaurus Ambush: THE GOOD: Printed Barbasol Can, plus the leaking effect is nicely done with a white frog. More accurate colour of the Dilophosaurus. The small location with the sign is very well done and able to recreate iconic scene easily. THE NOT SO GOOD: The soft cover of the jeep feel a bit too thick and tacky. Very steep pricing considered the size and contents of this without discount. This is an interesting set. Originally, bought it for the printed Barbasol can and I ended up liking the small location build. The use of white frog to create the leaking effect is great. The location is surprisingly fun to recreate the iconic scene. It's sad the sign isn't printed given they did the print of barbasol can. I also like the Dilophosaurus having a much more accurate colour. Dennis is also a great minifigure with great faces. The jeep build has some interesting way to build but it's very similar to the other jeep with 76960, in fact the one in 76960 is the superior one. It's good if you don't own 76960 but otherwise, it just not as good. Also because how the soft cover is designed and using ordinary bricks, it looks a bit thick and too tacky. May be using a fabric or foil sheet would yield a better results. The other issue with this set is the price, RRP $48 NZD without discount, given the size and content it's very steep. But luckily, these sets are not hard to get at least a 20% discount so it kinda cancel it out. It's hard to recommend this to everyone but you want a printed Barbasol can, a Dennis Nedry minifigure and a updated Dilophosaurus, this may be for you but alternatively you can always just buy the parts from bricklink.
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Here is my review on 76261 Spider-Man Final Battle: THE GOOD: 3 generations of Spider-Man in one set! Pretty much all key characters from the movie are all in this set. Surprisingly detailed with fulfilling building experience. The scaffoldings are another surprise build with very realistic end results. Very lively display piece. THE NOT SO GOOD: Missing Lizard and Sandman (minifigure form). This set is very impressive indeed. It also turns out to be a little bit bigger than I expected based from the box art which is a good thing. Rarely you get a set from the Marvel theme which are non-D2C that is fun to build and great to display. First, the completed model looks very lively, the new curvy clear part really makes a difference here. There are lots of small detailed packed in the set which provide a fulfilling building experience. I have to admit that the head of Status of Liberty build is very similar to Welcome to Apocalypseburg one, and this probably prevented be to have an even better building experience. I'm also surprised on the scaffoldings, the way these are designed give them a very realistic feel to it. More over, this set comes with 9 minifigures, including all 3 generation of Spider-Man. And it also includes all other key major characters in the movie which is very rare LEGO do this. A bit sad there isn't Lizard or Sandman. Well, strictly speaking sandman is in this set just not in minifigure form. At $180 NZD, this is pretty good value with what you actually get. This is one of the best Marvel MCU based set in recent time and definitely recommended to everyone. A Must Have for MCU and Spider-Man fans.
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Here is my review on LEGO City Arctic Explorer Truck and Mobile Lab: THE GOOD: Of course the Polar Bear Cubs. The so called Arctic Explorer Truck (a snow prowler) looks great, love the design on the side. The lab also good with surprisingly large space inside. Love the use of bucket as the camera lens. THE NOT SO GOOD: Can't find anything to criticise, the only thing would this being retailer exclusives, which means less discount! This set caught my eyes with the polar bear cubs, turns out it is actually pretty good. Since I never have any snow prowling vehicle builds before, it was very refreshing for me. The design looks great too and I particularly like the exterior texture on the side. I'm so surprised you can take off the main console like modular buildings. Which means you can easily replace the top to be a tank lol. The lab also looks great with the curved edges but I'm impressed with the look of the window. Interior wise also very spacious and this lab is way better than the lab from the Avatar set. The Polar bear and the subs are great, including 2 cubs is a surprise. The polar bears are accompanied by a small terrain build. The big rock actually hide a green crystal, and I wonder if that is Kryptonite XD. The minifigures have great variety of parts and I love they use of the bucket as camera lens. To be honest, I couldn't find anything I don't like about this set. Even the pricing is pretty reasonable. The only problem is this set can be hard to find as this is a retailer exclusive. I'm glad it was available on Amazon AU with free shipping to NZ which means I got a even lower price than RRP. Anyway, I would totally recommend this set to everyone =)
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REVIEW: 71459 Stable of Dream Creatures
Pchan1983 posted a topic in LEGO Action and Adventure Themes
Here is my review on LEGO Dreamzzz 71459 Stable of Dream Creatures: THE GOOD: Nice refreshing colour scheme for a stable and the stable itself looks good. Building experience wise, it's interesting enough while not being too complex. Would fit any LEGO City farm pretty well with minimum modification. Excellent selection of minifigures with unique/new parts. THE NOT SO GOOD: Could have included one extra Dream Creature than just the deer. (well 2 if you also count the cactus cat) While you can choose from 2 builds but it's limited to the deer, so not really adding much value to this gimmick. Couldn't resist the 25% discount and the stock photos look appealing. Turns out, this is actually a pretty good set. It's a fun stable to build and the colour scheme is really refreshing. The windmill is great both in terms of look and movements. It would fit well is any LEGO city farm you may have. This is also the 2nd set I bought this year featuring poop in the area depicted as the animal's room. It also comes with some very cool new minifigures. This is the first set I got Izzie and is really impressed with how her hair being transparent with a glittering effect. The deer build also represent a dreamy creature well. However, I do wish LEGO includes a few more creates but guess this would have push the price up. Surprisingly, the price ain't that bad for this set even at RRP if you ask me. Overall, I had fun with this set and I like how it looks. It's definitely a recommendation to anyone =) -
Here is my review on 75361 Spider Tank: THE GOOD: Cool looking tank, love the bouncy movements. A more show accurate Bo-Katan minifigure. Better looking Dark saber. THE NOT SO GOOD: EXPENSIVE! Not widely available since it's a retailer exclusive. (Also hampers your chance to get a discount depending on your region) From the hit show The Mandalorian, this set caught my eyes when it first announced. Always appreciate something new from Star Wars when its not a remake or upgrade of previously released set. This set does not disappoint, the spider tank looks great and require a bit of patience in building. The legs can be troublesome to build but just enough to keep the fun. I'm also surprised on the bouncy movements/suspension like action on the legs. There is also a space for you to lie a minifigure inside the tank. I wish LEGO includes a printed or sticker piece to represent the pilot the tank. The minifigures selection is great too, having Mando, Grogu and Bo-Katan in one single is very generous to be honest. And this new Bo-Katan is good with a much more accurate hair piece. However, this set is not cheap (even thought still better priced than the Andor set release earlier this year). With a retail price of $95 NZD, just feel too much. And because this is a retailer exclusive sets, it's very difficult to find a place selling this with a 20% off discount. If you are a fan of the Mandalorian show, then this is a must have and I will totally recommend this but if you just a casual fan of LEGO, then you might want to wait for a better discount. Anyway, I'm very satisfied with the end result =)
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Here is my review on 60377 Explorer Diving Boat: THE GOOD: New Marine animals, 3 of them are re-colour but looking good. Surprisingly good looking underwater location build. THE NOT SO GOOD: High price. Originally have no plans to buy this to save money but Amazon AU was selling at 40 NZD, with a new sea turtle, recoloured baby turtle, hammerhead and sting ray, rather then wait for P&B for the animals, it might be cheaper to buy the set. Turns out the animals are pretty good and the location for them is great too. Love the use to the mop piece as sea weed. Depending on how you display it, putting a diver and lock the hammerhead on a sea weed makes it look very lively. The boat is very simple but still looks kinda cool in my opinion. No stickers is a plus but obviously this set is targeting a younger demographic so you can't expect much in terms of building experience. If you have other sets in the same save, the minifigures can be repetitive too. Now, will I buy this set without the discount, probably not with current cost of living crisis. Without discount at $63NZD, it's really a bit too much even when I have the spare $$$. So, if you able to find a good deal or clearance deal and you like collecting lego animals, this is something I would recommend. Otherwise, it's probably just a bit too expensive compared to what you get.
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Here is my review on 76991 Tails' Workshop and Tornado Plane from Sonic The Hedgehog: THE GOOD: Great minifigures A cheaper set to get Tails Tornado plane surprisingly good looking and fun to build No stickers THE NOT SO GOOD: The work shop looks somewhat underwhelming. Personally I think the set is about $15 NZD too expensive if you are paying at RRP. (Luckily I bought this with a discount) This is the slightly cheaper set with Tails minigure and main reason I bought this. Both Sonic and Tails do not disappointed. These 2 are extremely well done. On top of this, the Tornado Plane is actually very good. The wings are brilliant both the execution of the design and the building experience. Also I'm surprised there are no stickers in this set. However, the workshop is a big empty and felt more like a Juniors set type of build but without those big pieces. Considering if you paid full price on this, it really feel expensive with the somewhat too simple looking workshop. I wonder if there was a point LEGO considered an alternate version just the plane plus 2 minifigures with a price tag a little bit cheaper. If you are a fan of sonic, I think you will love this set. It's definitely a set to go for if you are looking for the tails minifigure. And if you are not into Sonic, it's probably a set to skip =)
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Hello EB, Recently I got a few more vintage train sets, and in particular I'm quite excited about 7727 and 7815. These are rare ones from 1983, and I got them both boxed! Check out the reviews below.
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Here is my review on LEGO Dreamzzz 71457 Pegasus Flying Horse: THE GOOD: Cool new parts and minifigures. Nightmare King is one exceptional minifigure! Menacing looking Pegasus. THE NOT SO GOOD: Pricing is rather high. This is my first Dreamzzz purchase and I really enjoyed it. Originally drawn to this theme by all the new parts and minifigures and it does not disappoint. The minifigures are excellent and I'm particularly impressed by the Nightmare King. The sword, the cape are so cool which I'm eager to get extra for other creations & settings. On top of that, the pegasus build is refreshing enough with great colour scheme. It also turns out to be bigger than I'm expecting and look really menacing. The only down side is removing the seat/sable/wings does make the pegasus look rather unhealthy lol. The bird/fly creature also great and this is just one version of the build, it does include instruction to build a butterfly type wing suite for Zoey but I opted to build the bird. I also really like the art work for the instruction booklet. Despite all the positives, the price of some of the Dreamzzz sets do make it a bit challenging in current climate & the number of sets released. Luckily I bought this with 20% off. Now I do look forward to other Dreamzzz sets, hopefully more discounts are coming our way. IF you manage to get a good deal, this is definitely a set I would recommend to anyone.
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REVIEW: 80049 Dragon of the East Palace
Pchan1983 posted a topic in LEGO Action and Adventure Themes
Here is my review on Monkie Kid 80049 Dragon of the East Palace: THE GOOD: Looks great with excellent building experience. The sliding mechanism to reveal inside of the palace is great. Lots of nice references to the source materials. Love the bed build as it looks so authentic. Excellent minifigures collection with more than half are exclusive to this set. THE NOT SO GOOD: The stickers on the pillar can be hard to apply due to the mould injection point. Another epic location build from Monkie Kid. I think the official product image does not do its justice. This set is actually pretty massive and lots of depths. I was slightly surprised when I was building it. I had a blast building this and the end result just look great. Great us to the blue colour and interesting use of pieces to create the exterior design. The interior is full of details too, the bed is just great and so accurate in terms of portraying Chinese bed in the past. One of the best part is the opening mechanism, it just work so well and reveal the main area of the palace which looks great and really love how the windows are built. In fact this so called Crystal Palace area is very authentic to a typical Chinese palace. On top of that you get a good selection of new parts (I love the new glittering fern piece and excellent minifigures! I really need to build an army of the shrimps and crabs. At $320, the price tag is a bit steep but I think this set worth every pennies. It's definitely a recommendation from me. Now you have a location build on each of this area, sky, surface and now underwater. One can only hope LEGO do something for the underworld now :P -
Here is my review on LEGO City 60379 Deep-Sea Explorer Submarine: THE GOOD: Great and interesting submarine build with a very streamline look. Excellent wreck site with SHARKS! The jelly fish build is a nice surprise. THE NOT SO GOOD: It is quite expensive without discount. I really like this one. Originally drawn by the wreck site build and the great white shark, it did not disappoint. In fact, personally I found the wreck site more interesting than the submarine. Very lively looking ship wreck site with some treasures hidden behind. The jelly fish look great! The shark circulating action is really fun. And great way to an another great white shark, perfect for those who missed out few years ago. Having said that, the submarine also have a very refreshing building experience. The sub is way bigger than it looks and have a very nice streamline look. It also pack with details inside. Although it does look a bit similar to the other sub you've seen on the news few months ago but this is absolutely just co-incidence. I really can't find anything that are negative with the set itself, the only downside is the RRP is quite high. Totally understand the higher price with many large pieces included, although it's not breaking the bank expensive but not easily accessible as well. But luckily these kind of sets often have discount attached to it, so you just need to find a good deal. Totally recommend this set to anyone.
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Here is my review on LEGO Friends 41747 Heartlake City Community Kitchen: THE GOOD: Fun build with lots of details. Looking good. Loving the interior builds really reflecting a commercial kitchen. Work both standalone & as an expansion of the Heartlake City Community Center. THE NOT SO GOOD: RRP is very overpriced. A very good looking set with some authentic looking commercial kitchen details. I've really enjoy building this. The foot path, the exterior and interior. Best build is the cook top, then closely followed by the sink. And how these incorporated into the interior is very smart too. The overall build also feature interesting techniques and designs though out. While one of the sell point is being an expansion to the Heartlake City community center, this set itself also work standalone. There are so much to like this set except for the price! In New Zealand, the RRP is $130 NZD, which is ridiculous considering the size of this. Luckily I bought this with a discount. And if you are keen to combine this with the community center, the total cost with. be competing with most of the D2C sets. Fortunately, it's not difficult to get some reasonable discount on this set. A very good set recommend to everyone if you are able to get a reasonable discount on this.
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Here is my review on LEGO city 60398 Family House and Electric Car: THE GOOD: Looks great with a modern design. Some interesting interior details like the fridge & bathroom The glass house patio is looking really nice and fun little build. THE NOT SO GOOD: Extremely expensive at full price. Advertised as modular style but actually not many variation to reconnect unless you buy multiple of this and start making your own creation. It is a very nice modern looking house. While the building experience is very straight forward, I did enjoy it and like the end product. The fridge using the newer door piece is something refreshing. It's also interesting how the bathroom has the shower and toilet but it's very very tight there. Upstairs are the bedrooms and I like how the pillows are represented. Good use of stickers for the kid's TV for his video games. I wish the kitchen stove uses the Queer Eye printed stove piece instead of a sticker though. The Electric car itself is quite up to date with the lights design, but how can it only fit one person while this is a family of 3!? The car port is very spacious and fit the car perfectly with a EV charger. A good mixture of minifigures with some new parts and including a puppy is a plus definitely. However, the main drawback of this set is really the price. at full price, it's NZ$95, this is pretty ridiculous pricing, I probably will hold off buying this if it wasn't Amazon doing a 25% off. Despite how great it looks, still can't justify the full price. Also the box shows how each sections can be re-arranged but the only part there are pins ready for you to customize is really switching the little sections with flowers and between the patio. If you need to customization, you probably need to buy 2! I like the set but with the price, I probably will recommend the Creator 3 in 1 Cosy House instead =)
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Here is my review on 40634 Icons of Play: THE GOOD: 4 recognisable footballer in minifigures. Plus lots of cool minifigures included! New dread locks hair piece in black. Mexican Wave action for the spectators stand. While disjointed, individual are nice on its own and the bench is pretty accurate. THE NOT SO GOOD: Only half a pitch. Not as playable compare to the OG LEGO football sets. Definitely over priced. I like it and I had fun building it but I have to admit there are lot more to be desired if I put away my bias as a football fan, since including recognised footballers is the sole reason I bought this. (plus it was on 20% off during the VIP weekend) The most fun part is the spectator stand both in terms of building and the play feature. Having the fans jumping up and down is brilliant, although my one has a flaw as the part doesn't move aground a freely, this may be due to the alignment of the bricks when I was building it rather than actual design flaw. On the side of the pitch, having a VAR monitor is a nice modern update. The bench also great but I wonder if we ever going to get some clear arch pieces to give it an actual cover. Each of the side builds are still great. It feels like a bunch of $10-$20 dollar sets all in one with half a football pitch rather than one coherent build but this is actually the point of the set given its target age range. Which brings to the major down side of this set, being over-priced. You only get half a pitch and while you can place minifigures anywhere and a movable GK, it doesn't really add much play values compared to the OG football set which is a far superior set in terms of play value. To get a full pitch and buy 2 would have even cost you more than the table football. While there are lot of minifigures and they are excellent, it still feel $50 more expensive than it should be. Even I'm a football fan and with the famous players minifigures, I probably wouldn't have buy without discount unless I have lots of disposable income. But I have to say, having Rapinoe and Sam Kerr as minifigure is unbelievable and lego did well on all 4 players for their likeness. One could only wish they do one with the men counter part featuring Messi, Mbappe ... etc. Also there is a missed opportunity to use actual team kit rather than the LEGO football kit but well if they try to get licenses for each FA it would probably be 4 times more expensive. Anyway, no doubt this is a fun set but it's really not for everyone. There are some cool stuff like the spectator stand which memorable but at the current price, I can only recommend if you really have something you want from this set. Just couldn't find much appeal for a casual fan.
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Here is my review on Disney 100 43227 Villain Icons: THE GOOD: Great decor piece. Brilliantly done VHS tape and watch. High quality printing on those printed pieces. 4 exclusive minifigures. THE NOT SO GOOD: High entry price. Not really Villain Icons. Could have added 1 or 2 more minifigures. May not appeal to a wider audience. Personally, I enjoyed the build and like the end results. I'm particularly impressed with the apple, the watch and the VHS tape. The fact that the VHS tape is so authentic really blows my mind. The watch has a nice look and great printed clock details. The quality of printing of the printed parts are insanely good, which also made me wish the title on the VHS cases are printed as well. While parts of the build are independent, unfortunately the book and VHS cases are all attached to each other. 4 exclusive minifigures is also great and all 4 of them are nicely done. However, can we really call this set Villain Icons? Probably not, in fact I think naming it Villain Icons limited the potential of this set. It is a very nice decor piece but none of the item apart from the apple can be called an Icon of the villain. Younger generations probably don't get what is a VHS as well. Also having a villain theme also limited the chance of having may 1 or 2 extra minifigures without duplicating some other minifigures released in other set. Plus the high price point might limit the appeal to a wider audience as this set really is not for everyone. Even though I like this, I probably will recommend only to Disney fans or LEGO fans looking to build something different.
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Here is my review on 75353 Endor™ Speeder Chase Diorama: THE GOOD: Looks great. Building experience is a lot more detailed than your typical 600 psc set. Absolutely loving the bushy terrain, very good use of the new fern pieces. Can easily remove the star wars printed parts and use it for other dioramas. Great minifigures. THE NOT SO GOOD: You have to display this in an angle, otherwise the tree trunk on the right will block your view on Leia's bike. putting the minifig in the bike and even placing the speeder bike to the diorama can be difficult without having parts falling off. Overall, the is a very good diorama set. It looks great, however you will have to look at it from an angle rather than just in front of you as one of the trunk would block the view of the 2nd speeder bike. Minifigures are great and can't complain on so much details packed in a 600 pscs set. The detail incorporated into the terrain build is excellent and great use of the new fern pieces. And you can easily have a jungle/forest themes dioramas if you take out the star wars themed printed pieces. I did feel it's worth my spending especially I bought this 30% off. I will definitely recommend this set to everyone. While it's still not cheap and it can be a pricey but still cheaper than the other ones and I believe the use of greens in this set do worth the price. Also I think, for people have unlimited funds, buying lots of them would make an epic dioramas lol
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REVIEW: 71795 Temple of The Dragon Energy Cores
Pchan1983 posted a topic in LEGO Action and Adventure Themes
Here is my review on 71795 Temple of The Dragon Energy Cores: THE GOOD: Great looking build and it's surprisingly big! The building experience is a lot more complex than it looks. Some great details through out, I especially love the bridge between the temple and the trunk. Excellent minifigures selection. THE NOT SO GOOD: Can be a bit expensive without discount. One of the action feature feel redundant, the trunk moves but it doesn't seem to do anything apart from moving left and right. This set is unexpectedly big and complex. When I first saw this set when LEGO revealed it, I thought it looks great with cool minifigures, expecting a building experience similar to a mid size location build. It turns out this set is quite tall and the building experience is unexpectedly complex and engaging. The big trunk took a lot more time than expected. The set is packed with excellent action features and details, although one of the action feature (the small trunk with lantern) doesn't really do much apart from moving side to side. But this is very minor, the overall features and details packed into this surpass this small flaw. I particularly like the well and the bridge linking the trunk and the temple. There is also a new way on building some of the roofs which is refreshing. On top of that, the 6 minifigures are excellent! Again Ninjago sets often come with excellent villain! Now this set can be a bit expensive without discount even though the excellence do justify the price tag a little bit. Overall, this is a great set, whether you are a Ninjago fan or not, this is a set you should not miss =) -
Here is my review on 60363 Ice-Cream Shop: THE GOOD: Great looking modern ice cream shop with a very nice sign with melting effect. Also comes with a full roof. Lovely polar bear mascot minifigure. THE NOT SO GOOD: High price without discount. Could have a bit more interior details. Another great LEGO City set from latest wave. I'm surprised how complete this set is. It looks great and with a full roof not like the Grocery Store with a full open roof. Plenty of space inside the shop but of course one could be asking if it's possible to have more interior details. The ice cream shop sign is brilliantly done with the melting effects. The polar bear costume/mascot part also did not disappoint. This is the main reason I bought this set and it's really good. One of the other minifigures also come with a new face but surely this face will be coming with future set. I enjoyed the building experience, nothing too complex and nothing too boring either. The only down side of this set is the high recommended retail price. I bought with 25% discount which made it more reasonable but without discount I probably will have to skip and wait for bricklink for the parts I want. However I'm glad I bought this as the overall result is good. Will recommend this set to everyone as it's better to have a ice-cream shop than keep having ice-cream vans. Now I'm really tempted to buy another one to make a fully enclosed shop, bring on the end of year clearance sale XD
