Faefrost

It kind of looks a bit like the CMF surfer dudes hair mold, just mirror imaged so the part is on the opposite side?

I wonder why they don't simply use the Harry Potter Invisibility cloak piece as a play feature for when Frodo or Bilbo are wearing the ring?

Helm's Deep (TY Amazon!!!). Such great figs.

Didn't their previous "Legends" re-releases of classic sets do very badly in terms of sales? The true collectors hated them because they weren't the originals. The newer kids hated them because they were old school designs without the cool newer features and looks. It was one of those things that everyone said they wanted, but once getting it everyone complained about? I'm thinking we may see some more classical European themes. More of a Renaissance Italy style of designs. Something more inspired by stuff from media such as the Assassins Creed games.

That is kind of what I thought, and it is a point thta has always confused me about him? In the Two Towers he clearly says he is there under the orders of Elrond and seems to indicate that his company is of Rivendell? This may also simply be confusion because they never really laid out the hard boundaries between the various elvish societies in the movies. so yeah, depending on how you interpret where Haldir is from it is either 5, 2 and 0 or 5, 1 and 1. I do so wish they had released at least one minifig with an elven style helmet. That way we could make an attempt at building an army and not have them all quite so blonde. On a side note. If Lego does do a large D2C exclusive set to close out the Middle Earth line, like they did for Harry Potter, I think I have found the perfect scene or setting. If you want to end it, then do it where it ends. A Grey Havens set. The Grey Elven ship. A small dock. Bilbo's cart and Old Bilbo, Fancy Dress Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippen. Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel and Celeborn. Just my speculative 2c

I think there are actually 7 diferent elf minifigs that we have positively seen (either out now or will be out in a matter of days). 2 out in the LotR sets, 1 as the preorder bonus and 4 in the new Hobbit sets out next month. Of them we have 5 of the Mirkwood Wood Elves (including 2 versions of Legolas), 2 Rivendell Elves (Elrond and Haldir) and sadly none of the Lothlorien ones as of yet. And even sadder none of the generic helmeted archer elves from Helms Deep. Outside of Haldir none of them are really suited to army building. (Maybe the guard and wine butler from the Barrel set?)

My thoughts? Frodo and the Ring. My best bet is a small inexpensive set meant to give that the impression of that classic scene from FotR, seen in both film versions of the movies, where the hobbits hide in the roots of a tree while a Nazgul rides by, while on the road to Bree. I kind of hope I am wrong about that. The onlt two other direct confrontations between Frodo and Nazgul besides Weathertop, were the ride to Rivendell after Frodo was stabbed, which would be awesome! Several mounted Wraiths and a good way to put Arwen in a set. Or the scene in Two Towers where Frodo is facing the Wraith on the flying Fel Beast. Which is kind of boring. And if they were to build a fell beast, they would be much better doing the Eowyn vs the Witch Kind fight. Pirate Ship - I actually think this one is probably the most likely on this list. Pirate ship is obviously a not too bad translation of Corsair. The ships are distinctive. They would appeal to both Castle types and classic Pirate fans. They would add an interesting new style to the ships. Possibly something between PotC ships and the Ninjago ship. The ships were one of the few large vehicles to appear in the movies, and they have two scenes. The one where Aragorn takes the ships and the one where the dead pour out to help save Minas Tirith. While brief scenes, they would make for spectacular sets using all sorts of Lego elements. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas, Anduril, some nice skellie warriors and some Corsairs. Lots of good potential to make an all time classic set there. The Eagles set we know we will see at some point. It's too iconic a scene. How it will look remains to be seen.

Growing up, back when I would still get my nightly story read to me by my father, we had this big book of nursery stories. The first story in it was "An Unexpected Party" the first chapter of the Hobbit. I learned to read in Bag End. I am so thrilled to finally have a nice representation of it for my office bookshelves. Of the others, only the Worg set is really catching my eye.

Ugh! This could be a worrying turn of affairs for a few of our beloved Lego licenses if it turns out to be true. Right now it is rumor only. http://geek-news.mtv.com/2012/11/05/disney-buying-hasbro/

This was really the first time they have bumped into any real major licensing issues to deal with. Prior to this the only ones they had were small vanity licenses like the Japanese sub and Minecraft. That's a world of difference from BTTF or Zelda.

Sigh! I know the LotR folks are rabid. Heck I'm one of them. But can we just accept that lotR is essentially the Harry Potter replacement in Lego's catalog. It is that same basic target market. Yeah they might get some new customers and fans with the more medievel classic fantasy. But the numbers while impressive, will still be a successful niche Lego product. We will probably (and hopefully) get 10 years out of LotR and Hobbit sets. They won't hit Star Wars numbers but they will land around HP. But Friends is something else. I know many of we classic fans do not understand or appreciate it. It isn't dialed into Lego's original market. It isn't directed at the Geek/Nerd/AFOL sub culture. What it is directed at is that other 50% of the child population that Lego has not yet been able to tap. And this time it's working unbelievably well for them. Think of it this way. 70% of the purchasers of Lego LotR sets are probably people who have bought other Lego sets. Castle, PotC, SW, HP, whatever. They are feeding and keeping their principle market. And growing it a bit with newcomers. Now look at Friends. 90% of Friends customers are first time Lego buyers/players. Almost every person buying Friends stuff is a new customer. And they can't produce enough to keep the shelves stocked for them. LotR is a classic and beloved franchise. The products of which will be loved and cared for by collectors for years to come. We will probably see 50 or more LotR sets. (we hope). Friends however is a license to print money. it's striking gold in the basement of the family house. It's finding out that your late crazy uncle Jebediah was secretly a millionaire industrialist and left you everything. lotR is succesful. Friends is an order of magnitude beyond it in terms of what it has done for the company and out hobby.

There was a report in the US that the FB was being discontinued back around May or June. It mostly disappeared from the shelves. Then all the stores seemed to get one more full restock. So they must have done another production run of the set. The GE is probably in that same boat. S@h is out of stock, and what is out there is what is there, unless they make another run. Keep in mind they do not always discontinue sets in the order they were released. The Death Star set is the shining example of this. At a certain level of demand they will typically make more.

If I remember it right ALien Conquest, Atlantis, Pharoahs Quest, Power Miners and Dino had interconnected back stories. Somehow hey all pointed back to the Alien Emperor as the main underlying bad guy. The most obvious connection was the Aliens were the ones that created the mutant sea creatures that the Atlantis team encountered. Is it just me, or does he box art look suspiciously like 2010 Star Wars?

Put my bet down as $5 that the next new set will be UCS Darth Vaders Magical Castle. Ponies will be involved. Scary Sith ponies.

Your's look great. European trucks tend to be a little shorter, narrower and more enclosed than their American (and Canadian) counterparts. It's mainly an evolution from the environments they are meant to operate. European old world streets are much narrower and more confining for big trucks. Whereas Europe because of its more widespread urban density, most individual trucks do not need to carry as much supply hose. In America the streets are wider, but the distances are greater. So in many cases American trucks are designed to pump or relay water for a more extended distance, up to several miles/km so they will carry a larger on board water tank and a much longer lay of supply hose on each. . (This is one of the areas where the designs are converging a bit). The other big difference in design is a core one from the manufacturers. European Fire Trucks tend to be big vans. Everything carried inside, and accessed via doors and panels. Very sleek boxy looks. America trucks tend to follow an operational design aesthetic not unlike a traditional American pick up truck. With hose sitting as a flat load in an exposed rear bed. It gives the trucks their distinctive varying elevation profiles.

I think there is more to it then that. It's 4 billion, plus Lucas walks away with somewhere around 2 1/2 % ownership of Disney itself. Which is not trivial. The fact that Lucas was essentially a private soul proprietor allowed them more flexibility to do that sort of deal. But even Disney agree's they got it cheap. GL wanted to retire and wanted someplace safe to preserve his work and legacy.

That's a wonderful store. I love the color choices. You wouldn't think they would work on paper. By looking at them they just pop perfectly. is there any interior in the upper floors? BTW I feel guilty about this. I know "Fishmonger" is an ancient and respected profession. But it is one of those job names that you can't help but look at and either giggling oddly, or staring suspiciously as if it is some sort of crime of deviancy.

It's been noted that it is missing from the American and Canadian catalog's, but still shows up in some, but not all of the european ones. A safe assumption is that it is probably nearing its EOL. Even if it is not being pulled from the shelves, the fact that it is being dropped from some versions of the catalog, even if just for space, kind of indicates that the end is nearing. Best guess? The US and Canada have probably already received their last restocks of the set. Some of the European channel still has another shipment of them pending. But pretty much what is on shelves or in the supply chain is the end of it.

I suspect that much of that stemed from a poor understanding by some retail employee that Lego lists The Hobbit sets and LotR sets differently, but essentially treats them as the same theme. So no LotR because of all The Hobbit sets in that release cycle. Looking at that ad, I am now thinking that they will alternate some. The Hobbit sets for Winter for the movie releases and LotR sets for summer release. Sound plausible? PS is it me, or does Elrond have a suspiciously Aquaman look to his body?

Is there any truth to the rumor that Disney wants to do at least two more PotC movies? and if so we might see some new sets in 2014 to go along with it? Until then I suppose that the Croc boat thing could be used as the basis for some sort of Victorian Steam punk'ish MOC maybe? Something in a Jules Verne'ish sort of vein? I know, I'm grasping.

I think they thought it would be safer at sea, and they were hoping to run well south of it to get out of harms way. I think the shear size of the storm and its area of effect is part of what caused a bad decision. And even then they probably would have been fine if they didn't lose steering control. Very sad. Thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those missing or lost.

I think Lucas is a little different in his issues. Lucas is possibly films greatest landscape painter. He creates and populates these full living breathing compelling worlds. More than any other director he was the first to fulfill the promise of Hollywood to believably give us things that did not and could ever possibly exist. Before Lucas Sci Fi was either near future space race stories, (2001) or it was what were essentially stage plays on a future theme ( Star Trek, Forbidden Planet). Lucas changed all of that. Even at his worst in the prequel trilogies he still had that gift. (Look how many around here go crazy collecting clones.) Lucas has a great eye for things. He creates images that burn themselves into your brain, even when he doesn't realize it. (Cases in point, Boba Fett, Darth Maul). Where he falls apart is the people parts. The words and the story specifics. This was masked in Star Wars (note I will never ever refer to it as "A New Hope") and Empire by the fact that budgetary and ,for SW , studio production restrictions resulted in a much needed form of natural editor. Irving Kirschner was able to take the torrent of brilliant imagery that flowed from Lucas and burn away the fluffier elements and strip it down to what needed to be there. And that's really all Lucas needed was a really good editor. Someone who could tell him no. Someone with the freedom to tell him something was stupid. There actually is a really good SW story buried somewhere in the PT. part of the problem is it really is only about 2 movies worth of story. A little more critical feedback earlier in the process would have made a world of difference. But sadly Ewoks and the PT's are monsters that we he rabid fans made. Remember to complete Star Wars Lucas signed away his paycheck. All he kept was the merchandising rights. By rabidly buying every Star Wars product we could get our hands on, we gave Lucas the strength to fire the editors that he so desperately needed. That is the one thing that we can almost guarantee will never happen. KoToR has to many ties and licensing issues with Bioware and EA. unless Disney suddenly buys out EA they won't go near it for a movie. Lego and Disney have a huge and longstanding relationship that has worked out well for all involved. PotC, PoP, Marvel Superheroes, Duplo Princesses, Cars, Toy Story, etc. if anything this will just strengthen the SW line.

Or Disney may actually release a new "special anniversary edition" of the movies that includes the long gone original theatrical release versions. It's way to early to tell. as far as any new movies? If we can get something of the quality of Avengers or the first PotC movie we will be in nerd heaven. If we get something on par with Prince of Persia or Thor or Captain America we will be at the least satisfied and more content than we were with the PT. If we get something like the later PotC movies or John Carter, we will burn the studio to the ground and nail the mouse to a tree as a warning to others.

I don't know on that. Keep in mind Lucas has a long relationship with 20th Century Fox, and through them relationships with MGM and UA. Hence the extremely large Star Wars and Indiana Jones presence in the Disney owned "Hollywood Studios" park. So given that there are a great deal of fairly unknown back end relationships (one of the benefits of Lucas being wholly private) there may have been a lot going on regarding both this merger and any new movies behind the scenes for quite a long time. I can tell you I was in Hollywood Studios about two weeks ago. One of the things I noticed was just how wholly a ton of the merchandising was blending Star Wars and Indiana Jones with existing Disney properties. The shear amount and prominence of Mickey Mouse and Muppet themed Star Wars toys and action figures was actually kind of shocking. So much so that I was actually wondering if a Lucasfilm deal was in the works. As far as Disney making a Star Wars movie? Let's be honest with ourselves. Star Wars at it's best is the ultimate "popcorn movie" series. Not deep filmaking. And honestly Disney has some of the best people for this sort of thing in it's stable right now. John Lassiter? Jerry Bruckheimer and his crew? Joss Wheedon? The entire Marvel comics creative team? Right now this is possibly the best place for SW to be. And as collectors of licensed merchandised product from these movies (yes this is where the TLDR post spins back to Lego related ), Disney has one particular habit that should be making us very very happy. Disney does not have a habit of "reboot'ing" things. Almost their entire empire is built on nostalgia,a nd from building off of and growing existing properties. Not recreating them. They leverage the nostalgia. They blend the old with the new. They may move a property forward in time, or into another generation (ie Tron), but they don't normally simply remake. (well unless moving it to a non conflicting medium, animation to live action such as 101 Dalmations. But even then they tend to keep the core characters very intact). This si very very good for we Lego collectors. How many people here want a "new! Taylor Lautner as Luke Skywalker!" minifig? Or a "Glenn Close as Obi Wan Kenobi" one? Disney is the least likely studio to do this sort of thing. In making new they tend to dislike invalidating that which has gone before. Compare this with what Paramount did with Star Trek and the 2009 JJ Abrahms reboot. They put out a highly successful movie. A true blockbuster. But in doing so they literally destroyed 30 years worth of steady merchandising. So much so that even discount houses wouldn't touch the stuff. ("JJ'Prise toys ended up bulk landfilled. Syndication on all shows died in North America, etc.) So hopefully given their history Disney will give us lots of new Lego stuff that goes with the old, instead of retooling and rebooting everything.

If nothing else it means we might finally see some reprint volumes of the classic 70's-80's Marvel Star Wars comics, giant bunny people and all. (c'mon admit it. You all want a Jaxxon minifig.) From our Lego perspective I suspect this pretty much guarantees a strong continued Lego SW presence. (and possibly muppet Star Wars minifigs?)