Still Raindrop

This is an excellent airport! It reminds me of the Colorado Springs airport. The viewing gallery is brilliant--the way you've taken the pictures makes it look like the real thing. Great work.

I had to go with 7744. I like the design the best--it really seemed like an return to the classic style. And updated return, but a return nonetheless. I was actually pretty sad when I had to take this one apart due to its taking up too much space that my modular MOCs needed.

Ah, I see now that it's a speed camera. I suppose that does add something, but it's odd to have a sidewalk without a road. Oh, well--a roadplate would drive the price up. It does have a very Mad Max vibe--it also reminds me of the red car from the World Racers "Wreckage Road" set, just scaled down (and that set reminded me of Mad Max, as well).

I wasn't too enthusiastic about the bank on first sight, but it is growing on me. I hope we get a good view of the interior soon--as well as a look at what the background element in the police chase set is. I see what you mean, although I do have to say, the new motorcycles do have three distinctive "flavors," one of which looks rather like a Harley (you can see this in such sets as the Chauchilla Cemetary set and the new Golden Staff Guardians set). The others look like dirt bikes and touring motorcycles. That's what I meant by realistic--you get different, more detailed fairings. But in being more detailed, they grew too large. That was my point. On that subject--while I do like the new motorcycles (though they look silly when a minifigure is standing next to one, as they're huge), I wonder at the scale issues that will be brought up with the inclusion of the trike. As long as LEGO only released one motorcycle size at a time, one could imagine that all motorcycles were that size in LEGOLand. However, since they're re-releasing the trike, which is to scale with the old motorcycles, in a line alongside new motorcycles, the new ones will look all the larger. It's an odd choice, and I wonder if it will be changed.

While I agree that the trike itself is not "<insert that tiresome argument>" (and I really, really dislike the indiscriminate use of that word to signify a part or set that someone doesn't like), it did come around as the replacement to the motorcycle during the Town Jr era. Perhaps that's what Rick meant. And exon, I'm not sure what bikes you're talking about in regards to smoking drugs. The new motorcycles are oversized, but also more detailed than the older ones, with more accurate fairing.

By the way, can anyone tell what's supposed to be in the background of the police chase set?

I really like that new police cruiser in the bank set, but I'm less enthusiastic about the return of the trike. I mean, the size is more accurate than the size of the new motorcycles, but why not bring back the old motorcycles, if they're going to re-use an old mold? I have never seen a police officer riding a motortrike, but I've seen plenty mounted on motorbikes.

So, it appears that the only way to unlock new levels on the website's game is to enter codes--one can't move up by completing previous levels. Interesting. Also, the website lists the female character as Helena Skvalling, but all the official product descriptions still call her Helena Tova.

Or you could just go the LEGO online store and select your language--the set descriptions are up there.

Much as it pains me, I had to vote for the Spirit of Luis. I really loved the old Adventurers line, but Pharaoh's Quest has really been impressing me, creating sets that I like even better than the ones I was nostalgic about. Of course, Bi-Wing Baron will always have a place in my memory.

I just noticed something interesting. Winter Toy Shop came out and contained two minifigures with the old, unrealistic, Ice Planet 2000 skis. Less than a year after that, Series 2 came out with the wonderful new skis and ski poles. Now, less than a year after the Winter Village Bakery (with its ice skaters wearing the best current solution), we will get wonderful new ice skates.

Wow... if I want to keep within my budget at all, I'll have to keep some of my Series 2 limits in place. For that series, I only got minifigures that would be useful in my town one way or another (with a few exceptions--I'm still working on making the Mexican and the explorer fit in). I'll definitely try to get the punk, the skateboarder (I hope there will be back printing) and the artist to use around town. Perhaps the hockey player and figure skater, too, so that I can have the minifigures of me and my wife go ice skating. And a gnome. And perhaps the surfer and scientist. Darn, this is going to be tough! As far as the gnome hat goes, I hope they don't use it for a Santa minifig--it doesn't look much like Santa's hat at all (at least, not one that I've ever seen).

Thanks for the good review! I was always a bit disappointed with Onua Nuva--he seemed a downgrade from the original in nearly every way. I don't like the mask as much as I liked the original Pakari, and the "quake breakers" seemed ridiculous to me. The claws of his previous incarnation had many uses for tunneling underground, but these aren't (at least, I don't think that chainsaws are used for tunneling).

I wouldn't go that far, but that's because, as an English major, words like that rub me the wrong way

I would guess that the "Spirit of Luis" (not Louis) is a sort of homage to the Spirit of St Louis more than anything else. It's clearly not trying to be the same plane. Perhaps Luis is (or was) a LEGO designer, or perhaps there's some backstory there.

You're welcome. Honestly, though, I don't think you'll regret it.

That hair has been around for a while; I think it first appeared in dark brown at Mutt's hair from the Indiana Jones sets. It appeared in black not long afterwards (and is also available in tan and dark orange).

Bricklink has a pretty comprehensive catalogue of minifig images.

I agree! Back before LEGO was making minifigures with shorts, this was OK with me. But now that several minifigures have shorts or skirts printed on their legs, the lack of short-sleeved shirts seems odd.

Really? Was it just a mistake, or did it come with a sticker for the shield?

Thanks for the review! It was good, although I would have liked a few more pictures (for example, the plane with the minifigure in it, or a closer picture of the grabbing arm). I think I like the looks of the set a bit better than you do, and may pick it up if I have enough money. I do think it odd that they chose to include a window, though--it only draws attention to the fact that there's not a place for Jake to look out. Out of curiosity, how were the Adventurers planes <insert that tiresome argument>?

I completely agree! It's something I can't quite put my finger on, but all the Atlantis sets I bought have been pretty quickly disassmbled.

So, I just had a short play session with this set (that's what I love about action themes--I build my town for display, and I give the characters backstory, but that's about it. When I get an action theme set, I play with it, even at age 21). It was great! It really brought me back to the days when I was nine years old, playing with my first Adventurers sets. This may be partly because Jake Raines is stated to be an American and, at least here in the US, Johnny Thunder wasn't identified as an Australian until around Dino Island, so I gave him an American accent to start. But that's just minor--the experience of playing with this set made me want to collect a few more Pharaoh's Quest sets. What a great line!

I do wish that I had my old Johnny Thunder heads (they're scratched up), as I think that the original face was more dashing than the Orient Expedition one, and would have made for a better comparison shot.

I can see the weather pun in Mac McLoud (cloud), but I fail to see it in Helena Tova. I know there must be something I'm not getting....