Tacitus

Love it! Okay, so I've a question on SNOT technique that's been bugging me for a while. Are the SNOTed sections, like this roof, for example, ever connected, or are they "floating?"

OOH. Good call! I forgot about the Jet Pack box. There's also a Mayan temple in the background of the Gold Hunt image...but I think we're probably pushing our foreshadowing luck with that one. Of course, that's what the Indy sets are for.

I think it looks great. Can't wait to see the interior all built up.

I'm not too interested in the sub, but that Volcano base is awesome! I was hoping that Dr. Inferno would get a base. I think you can see it drawn faintly in in the background of the Turbo car chase set box picture. I wonder if that means that LEGO will do an oil-rig platform like the one pictured in the background on the speedboat box. The AGENTS line is so much better than I expected it would be.

Plural, this is just a model of the cargo plane that Indy and Mutt use to travel from the US to Peru. In the movie, it is mostly seen with a world map as a backdrop, and with a red line trailing behind it. There is also a scene of Indy and Mutt inside the plane- Indy is falling asleep, and Mutt is checking the fasteners on his motorcycle.

That truck is over the top! I was surprised that the back was only filled with a few boxes, though. I think it would be a perfect space for a Smile-X gas mobile laboratory, and a great way for the Joker and Harley to spread the laughter. The little Penguin gallery is a nice little scene, too. Now, how about building the Penguin's Iceberg Lounge?

Neat idea. If I can find the time to do it, I've got a prequel story that just needs to be told...

Can't..resist...the unibrow...must obey.

I was waiting for it....

Just a little FYI, if it hasn't be reported yet. The new Castle sets are now available at the US S@H. People have been spotting them at TRU, and at the TRU website, but now, at least as of 1:55am, there officially on sale by LEGO. Finally.

Thanks for the review. I was on the fence before about these sets, and I think you've pushed me over. Funny thing is I was just at TRU today, and they had nothing. But, I just went through the (USA) TRU website, and, after some searching, found that most of the Agents line, the new Castle stuff, and even a few new Batman items are available online. So, if you're feeling impatient...

I recognized many of the sets that I, too, had and sold during my childhood. I particularly remember having that little spacecraft and that version of the police station. I'm bemused at how much the LEGO models have advanced in complexity from those days (when almost every building was a box), to now, when we have big construction crane sets, Cafe Corner, etc.

They're probably just attempting to reduce paper waste by reducing the size, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. So, magnifying glass on!

I had to go with number one, although none of them were particularly exciting. The scene description alongside the Palpatine's Arrest image leads me to infer that we might have a swappable-head feature for Palpatine, since the transformation is mentioned in the last line. Since I missed out on the last version of the Emperor, it would be nice to have another chance at the gray-head version. Slave I option is boring. The last one that came out was good enough...although maybe they will redesign it with a cargo hold instead of that missle. And, as much as I'd enjoy a Mon Cal minifigure, I think A-wings are super dull.

I hope iamded likes it, because you did a great job building the mech!

I didn't realize that the sharks would be so large. It looks like the minifigures will fit in their mouths. But as much as I like the sharks with "laser" beams, it is hard for me to get excited about more vehicle sets. The non-stop barrage of action vehicle sets since the Batman line began (i.e. Crystal Skull, Speed Racer, and even Star -another spaceship?- Wars) is getting tiresome.

Oh, yes. I was there, too. Picked up the Cutter and the River Chase. I was disappointed that the Temple wasn't on sale, though. I was planning on getting that.

I agree with Asuka, but would only add that there is something about it that I find creepy. Before I checked your reference photo, I thought it was a mechanical version of one of those Dark Crystal landstrider things ...which are also creepy.

I would just like to back track with a layout suggestion. Maybe think about enclosing the Temple Escape set so that the set looks more like a cave. Something as simple as putting a few BURPS along side of it would do the trick. That way, it'll look more like a long cave, as it was in Raiders, and you won't be able to look inside the temple while passing it by in a boat. As for the new sets, you could very easily make a Russian camp deep in the forest. The non-vehicle parts will certainly mix in with the jungle very well. I would probably put the new temple set in a central jungle location, but with your layout, you'd have to redo the water area, which would be a pain. But wherever it goes, I think that it should definitely look like it is surrounded on all sides by the jungle.

You, my friend, are MOC-making-machine! Awesome Shanty (and tractor)!

Tough call. In all honestly, I didn't think that the ultimate duel was that interesting, so I passed on it. It was too much of a playset. The transformation annoyed me because the Darth minifigure didn't have a cape. Lame! I did buy the 2002 Slave I. This is the Jango version, right? I think it was worth it for the Fett family. The 02 Slave I had kind of a flimsy construction, and the proportions were off. But, the newer Boba Fett version is a far superior model, and it comes with IG88 and Dengar! So, you might consider that as a better alternative, unless your really out for prequel era sets. You should check out the www.brickset.com reviews to get other opinions, too. I find that site very useful.

Thanks for the great review, svelte_corps. I've been wanting to see this set in detail since it debuted at the conventions. I have to say that, on the one hand, I agree that the minifigures, the crystal skulls, and the colors are great (I even like the waterfall), but, on the other, I kind of think that the set itself is a disappointment. It looks like they tried to accommodate design and playability needs, but really didn't come through on either. So, as you pointed out, the mid section doesn't really fit in with the other parts, and the trap sequence doesn't really flow, either. But, perhaps your right, and all will be answered in the film. I was surprised at just how empty the temple looked in the photo taken from above. They really should have gone the extra mile and made the temple look more like a temple, and not worry so much about the action features. Eh, but so it goes. But, I, too, am a sucker for tombs and temples, so I won't be able to pass it up. Archaeology on!

Thanks! The black walls were actually the original pieces for the King's Castle, which was that "legendary" set they put out a few years ago as the KK line was winding down. I think LEGO was trying to go retro with the black walls, and pay homage to the old Black Monarch's castle. The mash-up turned out better than I expected, although it ain't perfect for sure. I tried to limit it to just the pieces found in those two sets, which is why the upper level blacksmith has both a black and a dark green floor. Mistlands Tower was certainly an odd ball set, but I thought that the "crystal ball level," the magic-shield blacksmith and the cool front gate had to be kept in some way. I find that I don't have a lot of time to MOC, so I end up either combining sets, or MODing them, as I did with the Dwarf Mine... although that one got so big that it probably crossed over from MOD to MOC. Thanks! Yep, it is a blacksmith. Two, actually. There is the one on the ground floor who is the original LEGO blacksmith dwarf from the King's Castle, and the magic-shield making blacksmith on the upper level. He came from the Mistlands Tower set. The way I see it, the little guy on the ground floor is the blacksmith for the knights, etc., and the other blacksmith is the King's private arms maker, and probably an alchemist, too.

Wow. I'm trying to wrap my mind around how you built it...