ResIpsaLoquitur

I'm not sure of any sets that come with this exact configuration of parts. If you have a Lego Store near you, you can try their Pick-A-Brick wall and see if it has the parts you need. Or you can try the Pick-A-Brick option on shop.lego.com and order the exact parts you need (I did this once and actually found it to be pricier than expected, and it took forever to come in the mail). Or you could order the parts on Bricklink. If you're lucky, you'll find one seller who has all the parts; realistically, you may need to go through two or three. Another option is to keep your eye on the model's Brickset page. As of this writing, they haven't put the parts list in yet. However, once they do, you should be able to click on the individual pieces in the inventory and find other sets containing those pieces.

I just ordered one on Bricklink for $4 or $5 US. It's a lot more expensive on eBay, but you might Bricklink it for a reasonable price. Then you just need to track down the few pieces that differentiate it from Emmet's car.

Just curious, do things like Metalbeard consistently maintain the same parts in the movie? There were times where the Movie seemed the "cheat" and parts would spontaneously generate where none had been there before. For example, there's a moment where Unikitty "walks," and her 1 x 3 sloped legs are replaced by something larger in order to simulate her walking. There's also a wacky example in Business' tower where Metalbeard turns into something (I won't spoil what) which isn't possible with his parts in the film or the toy. Point is, I'm wondering if Metalbeard looks exactly the same through the whole movie, or if the toy version appears at some point based on the animators' needs.

I can't figure out how to use spoiler tags. I figured a white text against the white background would be good enough.

Was anyone else horrified when the Man upstairs used the acetone on the Lego? I realize his intent was to put things back the way they were, but my reaction was "that's going to melt them and wipe the paint off everything!" Also, did the Micro Manager from this month's Lego Store mini build appear anywhere? I realize that there were a zillion things going on, but I spotted a lot of stuff in the movie--he got by me if he showed up at all.

My first minifigure was probably a little man with a hat in one of the early 80s Basic sets. I no longer have those, so I have no idea where that guy went. However, I still do have the original Castle ghost from the late 80s/early 90s, whenever he came out. As of last night, he now has an orange rubber band around his head--he's now our <spoilers>Ghost Vitruvius.</spoilers>

Kinda but maybe not related: has anyone seen the McDonald's cups yet? They went "now available" on the Happy Meal website on Friday. However, I've been to McDonald's twice in the last two days, and they still have the Adventure Time stuff.

I'm surprised that Super Cycle Chase and Bad Cop's Pursuit weren't two-in-one sets given what happens in the film. ...then again, I didn't get a good look at whether the film alternate builds are possible given the pieces in the sets. After all, Metalbeard had some really weird alternate builds that had nothing to do with how he appeared in film.

Also the helmet with the ponytail. If you feel a helmet with no ponytail, it's Emmet.

Well, now I feel like Finn's dad. I gave my daughter my blessing to disassemble any Lego set in our basement and rearrange it as she sees fit. ...except for my Monster Fighters Haunted House. That stays at it is.

Yeah, thanks for the instructions. It means a lot since I wasn't able to get out.

So...pretty close to 3177, but you need several of those flat round trans tiles. Darn. Those are hard to come by...I have ONE spare. Bricklink, here I come!

Whew, thanks for reassuring me. I can live without a sticker. I just ordered 3177 Small Car, and I only need (I think) a few small pieces to convert it to Emmet's.

Oh yeesh. I just noticed that Emmet's car in the movie has a unique "radio" tile. I am hoping this isn't some exclusive piece that appears in tomorrow's TRU set, as I'm not able to make it to the free build.

Got my Pajamas Emmet today. The theater only gave me one even though I had three tickets (one child). My wife plans to raise a stink tomorrow.

I notice that he's not-quite-film-accurate. Movie Emmet's cowboy hat looks bigger and has attached hair. I still want him. Grrrr.

Brickset has a review of the three TLM polybags here. I'm not aware of any new ones, though I'd love it if we'd get a Benny polybag. I mean, Benny has a VERY SPECIFIC part, and it often seems that polybags are a means of exhausting limited-use molds. I'm chagrined and disappointed that I need to buy a $100+ set to get him. Heck, if he were on a keychain, I'd get that and clip it to have a cheap Benny. Heck, I'd love it if Lego would rerelease something like this as a polybag with Benny in it.

The McDonald's cups are available starting tomorrow, so I added a firm date for that. I also added that the Piece of Resistance and Super Secret Police Enforcer Polybags are now available. (Still no idea on the Wyldstyle bag yet.)

Just got my tickets over at the Regal. Unfortunately, they said I can't pick up my Emmet(s?) until tomorrow.

I need that Pajamas Emmet. I wonder if I can get multiples if I buy my three tickets separately.... Still grumpy that I can't get a Wild West Emmet, though.

I just reviewed the Micro Manager mini-build, which is now posted here. It's awesome!!!

It's that time again! The first Tuesday of the month means that the Lego Brick-and-Mortar Stores have put out their Monthly Mini Builds for the kids. The Stores do these once a month (at least) to get you into the store and spending money. However, you do walk out with some free bricks and a possibly functional model. I recently reviewed all of 2013's MMB's in this article. I also reviewed last month's model here, where you can see I quickly copied-and-pasted this introductory paragraph because I need to put my daughter to bed. If you're sad because you don't have a Lego Store near you, that's ok, because Lego publishes the instructions for each month's builds on their website. If it's not up yet, it should be soon. If you haven't noticed, there's been a TON of promotions of late for The Lego Movie, which premieres across the U.S. this Friday. (Other countries, check your schedules. I think the UK gets it this week too, while other countries need to wait a bit.) Today, the Lego Store jumped on the bandwagon by having their monthly mini build be a themed item. To my knowledge, this is the very first time the Store has done a themed, promotional mini-build. Usually, it's something very generic and seasonal. For example, last month's promotion was a snowplough for January (makes sense, it's cold); next month's is a bird in a tree (obviously for spring). The rest of the year's schedule hasn't been released, but expect some summer items for June through August, something spooky for October, and something festive for December. I could be wrong, but I bet I'm not. But this month? It's a tie-in to a promotional line! How does it stack against the TLM sets you've been buying? Read on! Set Title: Micro Manager Set #: 40095-1 Theme: Monthly Mini Build Pieces: 50. FIFTY! (Monthly Mini-Builds tend to be between 20 and 40.) Minifigures: None Year of Release: 2014 Price at release: Free! FREE! FREEEEEEEEEEEEE! First things first. When you get in line outside the store, you get a ticket with the parts list on the back and a picture of the item on the front. It's got a spot to write in the builder's name so you can proudly display it at home. My daughter actually went and wrote her name in, so Where Are My Pants? Guy is protecting her privacy (but not his). This is the usual one-sheet of directions you get with the MMBs. I'm not sure if posting both sides violates copyright, but there's actually only three steps on the other side and it's very easy to build on sight at that point. This build comes with an incredible number of pieces. We've gone to 18 MMBs at the Store now, and they've never gone much past 40 pieces. This one came with 50 (plus spares). I see a few spots where they could have lowered the piece count, so I'm surprised it's this many. I'll take it! Starting the build here. A double layer of 1 x 2 plates with "up" SNOT sides forms the core of the robot. Two more 1 x 2 plates with the "down" SNOT sides will complete the sides. The only oddity is that there's no reason for them to have used red in here, as you can't see it in the finished model. I don't mind the red, but they could have gone with any color and had the end result be the same. Continuing the build here, you stack the SNOT sides with 2 x 2 red plates. The result almost looks like a Lego Games die stripped of the rubber layer. It's an interesting build, but it really comes together in the end. The bottom layer is a metallic octagonal piece with various odd pieces and supported by four trans-red dish pieces. Again, a neat little build. I was terrified that the clip arms would snap when my daughter put them on, but they've held on fine so far. Don't forget the 2 x 2 round plate on top of the octagon; you won't be able to support the box portion without it. Almost done. Here's the Micro Manager with his brain exposed so you can see how it all comes together, minus the face. The finished product. Ahhhh! It's alive! Let's get out of here, pants! Seriously, this guy should be a welcome addition to any TLM scene you plan on making. He's got a chainsaw and a hammer; who wouldn't be scared of that? I am shocked...SHOCKED...at the spares that came in this set. I was expecting the Battle Droid arm and the 1 x 1 studs. However, the spare SNOT pieces was an unexpected surprise. These are the largest spare pieces I've ever gotten in a set, particularly an MMB. I had to look at the kid next to my daughter to make sure it wasn't a fluke--he had the spares as well. I'll take them. If you brought two kids and have some spare black 4 x 4 plates, you could get started on another Micro Manager. CONCLUSION Design: 9/10. I love it. I'm not sure of the arm, since most of the Micro Managers in TLM sets use ratcheted/Technic arms. This guy uses Battle Droid arms. Since he's free, I'm not complaining, but I'm curious if he's film-accurate. We'll find out this weekend. Parts: 10/10. Absolutely no complaints here. The SNOTs are awesome, and there's plenty to use here even if you don't want a Micro Manager. Build: 8/10. My daughter mostly built this on her own and did fine, but I could see a kid struggling with the SNOT techniques. I wonder why they didn't use SNOT bricks instead of the plates? That might have cut down on the part count. Oh well, it still works. Minifigs: N/A. But for $3, you can add someone from the Collectible Minifigure Line for the Micro Manager to chase. Playability: 10/10. We're going to be having fun with this guy. He's very functional, and I'm guessing that he's fair game to blow up when our Lego citizens have to convert their vehicles into weapons. Price: 10/10. It was free! Free! Overall: 47/50. So very close to a 50. I'll be looking very carefully in the film to see if this guy appears anywhere. The official sets all use different types of Micro Managers; the only consistency is that they're black boxes with red eyes. Even if he doesn't appear in the Movie, he sure looks like he could. As a reminder, Toys R' Us is having a free build of Emmet's car this Saturday. The car looks very similar to the City Small Car from 2010, so if you have that set and can't get to a TRU, it should be an easy conversion with a few parts swapped. Also, Barnes and Noble is doing some "Build the Lego Movie" event in early March. This film has resulted in a plethora of freebies, so take advantage, people!

Thanks! I need to keep an eye on the PAB wall for some appropriate greebles. SNOT pieces seem to be hard to come by at my shop, and most of the BLEY pieces are standard bricks.

We are more than ready for this movie to start! I'm jealous of that press release collectible tin. I decided to go and make my own little theater! Lord Business is annoyed that he can't see over Lincoln's head, though.

Background: I don't buy a lot of Lego Star Wars stuff. It's not that I don't want to; it's that it's pretty expensive and I can't keep up. Plus, I have a daughter whose priorities lie more with Friends and City than with Star Wars. I may pick up a few small sets on clearance here and there, but that's it. ...except for the Advent Calendars. Love them or hate them, they're a quick source for minifigures and parts. Plus, I often find them on clearance, and they make a great gift for my godson. I have the 2011 and 2013 sets on a shelf waiting to be opened (I need to scrounge together the cash to retroactively pay for them, lest my wife get upset). I did, however, get the 2012 set as a Christmas gift this year. But where to put all those minifigures when I don't have a lot of SW sets to display them with? I'm sure they make great supplements to existing scenes, but what do you do with a lone Rebel Trooper? Ta-da. I used a lot of my Collectible Minifigure stands that were lying around. I wanted something Death Star-ish, so I got a load of dark bley bricks from the Pick-a-Brick at the store and put this pyramid together. It's laid out thematically. Each column represents one of the films (I, II, III, IV, V, and VI). Each row represents a theme of character, so the bottom row is "Droids," the second is "Clones," the third is "Heroes," the fourth is "Hero Pilots," the fifth is "Evil Droids," and the last is the Christmas characters. (R2-snowman is in the IV row because, although he's in all six movies, he historically debuted in A New Hope.) I stuck some silly free characters in the next-to-last row: Young Han, and Ceremony Luke, Han, and Vader. I may pluck them out if I decide they don't belong in there or I need free space. When I open the other calendars, I'll put the others in as appropriate and maybe update this post. Oh, and I've supplemented the display with a few characters from the Planets series and other sets. That's why the "Clones" row is almost full--the EpII Clone is from the Coruscant planet, the Sandtrooper is from the 2010 Landspeeder, and the Biker Scout is from a 2001 set. I really want to get the Microfighters Clone Turbo Tank just so I can get the EpIII clone in there. This is intended as a tabletop or desk display, and it works great where I have it. Your thoughts are appreciated--I'll update it when I eventually add other characters.