Miles

As stated in the original link to Smashing Bricks, the TMNT theme would most likely be a partnership with Nickelodeon, not Michael Bay's trainwreck Ninja Turtles film. (Which makes a heck of a lot more sense, and would be a cheaper partnership, I imagine.)

This theme certainly does have potential for some really neat pieces. We'll have to see how it all plays out. I'm not sure how excited I am about it, but it certainly does bring back memories of purchasing the Kenner action figures in 1989. The nostalgia might just suck me back in. Who knows? Thanks for the info!

Sorry, my thoughts sort of ran together. The construction with LEGO wasn't ridiculous - more just the idea of a pink and white treehouse inhabited by (presumably) pre-teen superheroes. As a setup, it's really quite attractive.

ROTFL! This is awesomely classic! Thank you so much for sharing this - you started my day off with a good laugh, that's for sure. (And really, construction-wise, it's good. Ridiculous, but plausible at the same time.) Wonderful.

I'm still wondering if we won't get an alternate "non-battle" Elrond in one of the Hobbit waves... I think I'm happily content passing on this one for now. Besides, I just sprung for the Haunted House, and perhaps more importantly, I don't have a game system. The game itself looks pretty awesome, though. More power to those that can play it!

Ha ha, I too am jonesing for someone to review this set. Initially I was going to hold off on purchasing until someone's review convinced me it was worth the price tag, but... I just couldn't. I bought it first thing this morning with the Halloween Accessory Set. It's like I've got a trigger finger just for LEGO.

LEGO Scooby Doo - I love it. The way you tweaked the Friends pieces to make everything look crooked and run down is perfect. Something sinister invades the idyllic neighborhood...

For display purposes, this is by far my favorite set from the first wave of LOTR sets. I feel like I'm cheating on Helm's Deep a bit by saying that, but looking back on the films, the Mines of Moria sequence stands out in my mind far more than the battle at Helm's Deep. I'll take tombs and trolls over yet another battle/siege in the rain any day. I do find it ironic though, that the set with the most play features (and therefore presumably most likely to be enjoyed by the target age-group) also has the most amount of stickers. I mean I was stressed out applying them, I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for a 12-year old. Thank you Hinckley for another outstanding review! Your photography and graphics work are awesome - if I wasn't already sold on the set, I certainly would be after reading.

In thinking about this, it occurs to me that TLG seems to be revisiting their Adventurers line from the late 90's/early 00's. They recently (2010) released Pharaoh's Quest, which tackles the Egyptian Johnny Thunder Theme (1998-2001), as well as the new Dino line for 2012, which - almost set by set - replaces the old Dino Island Theme (2000). The two remaining Adventurers lines that haven't been - rebooted - if you will are the Jungle Theme (1999-2000) and the Orient Expedition theme (2003). Based on the name, I can see The Legends of Chima falling into either of the above categories, though I'd lean towards the Orient / Everest direction. Though it can't be too similar to the Polar/Ice theme they're releasing too... Hmmm. More rampant speculation.

At the current AU price, I can't imagine it'll sell out all that quickly. I'm sure you'll get one with no problems. Though I'm definitely feeling your anticipation over here in the states - this does look like one amazing set.

This review was incredible, and the amount of detail you went into is exactly what I need when trying to determine whether or not to buy a set. Your photography is clear and professional, and I really appreciate the inventory shots of each bag. I'm not sure I can pass this one up now. Thanks!

Aw, thanks guys. I guess that makes this post superfluous. Culture and Multimedia does kinda make sense though - I can't believe I missed that.

Hey guys, I just saw this on comingsoon.com, and thought I'd post a link to the picture here. I didn't see a Lego Video Game forum, so hopefully this is the right place. Gimli and Boromir crack me up in this picture - almost makes me wish I still played video games, lol. http://www.comingsoon.net/nextraimages/legolordoftheringsartlarge.jpg

Oh man, this is hard. After much thought, I'd have to choose set 6270 from the Pirates line, Forbidden Island (1989).

That picture you're referring to was compiled by a fan - it's not an official release, so I'm not sure you can make any inferences in regards to the character order.

I have no words... (However, I do have a rather clear vision of where my income will be going this fall...) Jeez Lego, take a kidney why don't ya?

Holy cow! The Rancor is awesome! I'm having flashbacks to the old Kenner toy I played with as a kid. I've just recently come out of my dark ages and have so far avoided Star Wars Legos because I figure once you start...well, if you're on this board you probably know how that ends... This set along with Jabba's Palace has me seriously thinking about opening the Star Wars door a little bit...just to allow the purchase of these two sets. Only these two. Really. I for one, am glad and relieved the Rancor isn't a brick-built creature - I've always found them to be a bit too biomechanical looking for my taste. Besides, it matches the rest of the Lego Star Wars Universe much better in this form. My one concern is how much of a potential eyesore having Jabba's palace stacked on top of this set could be. I mean, if you had some sort of specialty cabinet built with two shelves - one for each level, it could look pretty cool. But for the average person sticking the whole think on top of a shelf or dresser....

I love your display! (Especially Helm's Deep.) I was thinking of making a huge display of all the Lord of the Rings Sets myself - more of a shadowbox setup - kind of an homage to the Classic Castle and Pirate dioramas in the old catalogs, when I ran into an intellectual stumbling block. Because they represent scenes from a movie (Or story, really), they can't all exist in the same place at the same time. I mean, there's only one Frodo after all. How can he be in 2 places at once? I haven't been able to resolve this issue in my head - though perhaps I'm waaaay overthinking it, lol. Maybe I'll just have to pick one set... Thanks for re-jogging my brain on this topic!

Wow, I'm really loving these! I think your vision of a Fell Beast is my favorite so far...

Oh, I so love this.

I just heard back from Lego, and apparently the part I requested (LOTR spear) isn't available at this time. They said I was more than welcome to contact them again in the future when the part becomes available. (Though I'm not sure how I'm supposed to know when that will be - it was on the list of items to select for replacement.) In reality though, these are children's toys and I guess I shouldn't let myself become too obsessed with expecting perfection. It seems Lego certainly spoiled me through the early 90's in that regard. Though perhaps my 11 year-old self wasn't quite as discerning, either. On the building front, I finished Helm's Deep last night, and it's HUGE! No problems or missing parts to speak of, and - aside from the stickers - no hassles at all. Except now I have to figure out where to put it...

Thanks guys, maybe some of it is just the plastic being manufactured these days. Kinda makes me sad. Lego however is replacing both of them, and waived my offer to pay. Thier plastic may not seem quite as good as it used to be, but they're customer service is still fantastic. Kudos to them on that end. I assembled my Orc Forge today, and aside from a small kiniption fit while tying string with tweezers, I'm happy to report that I had no problems of any kind. It's really a great little set, though I anticipate replacing the light brick with some flicker LED's from a model train supplier. (I just can't help myself. ) I'll keep everyone updated as I get to the rest of the sets.

Hi everyone, I've been visiting this site semi-regularly since the announcement of the Lord of the Rings product line, and in addition to getting me all excited about it, this forum has rekindled my love for Classic Lego Castle Sets. I started this topic because as I've returned to Lego as an adult and started assembling the Lord of the Rings sets, I've encountered some (albeit fairly small) problems with the quality of the plastic. I've only assembled 2 kits so far - Gandalf Arrives, and the Uruk-hai Army. What's odd is that I had problems in both sets. (Now I'm kind of afraid to open the rest of the line I have waiting in my closet. ) In the Gandalf Arrives set, the spine edges of the book cracked immediately upon closing it, which, aside from the unsightly white lines is probably okay as long as I don't intend to open it again...though being made for kids, how the heck is it going to stand up to the abuse they'll probably put it through? In the Uruk-hai Army set, everything was fine until I went to put the spear in one of the minifigures' hands. It seemed to require a bit more force than I ever remember needing stocking up my Wolfpack armies or Islanders, and when it did finally snap in, it maganged to lift off a layer of plastic 'skin'. (It sort of looks like it's shedding/peeling now.) Perhaps it's just the brown plastic; it does seem a bit softer than the old spears, though that's relying on a 20 year-old memory. Or I could just be on an unlucky streak. Anybody else have any thoughts or similar experiences? After an 18 year lego absence, this isn't quite how I imagined my return going... (Though I am finding the new horses and incredibly detailed printing quite fun. )