rodiziorobs

That settles it. I'm leaving work early and hitting every WM and Target from here til home...

Not the comics I have read (which isn't exhaustive, but it's something). Although, I agree with BrickG above, and prefer the stories with Warrior Thor rather than his secret identity Thor. "Donald Blake" was actually used in the first Thor movie as his pseudonym to get him away from SHIELD, which I thought was a brilliant gag. My favorite iteration of Thor is from the cartoon Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, where Thor was very brave but proud, bullheaded, and impatient, usually charging into battle foolishly before really thinking things through. At one point a villain even makes fun of Thor's bravado, right before taking him down. I also really like Hemsworth's take on Thor, and am excited for this movie--in part to see him front and center in the MCU again, and also because of the embarrassment of talent involved, both in front of and behind the camera. Also, that was one of the best cut trailers I've seen in a long time. Nice use of Zeppelin, too.

I have never played Bravely Default but as soon as I saw this scene I immediately thought it had to be from there. (I know the game from its great soundtrack!) The whole build is really fantastic, and shows what I always kind of thought the scene would look like. Great job!

While I wasn't searching for an image of the mystery character I wasn't exactly avoiding it either--and I happened across it here. I think the figure is excellent--nothing special in the sense that it is just as impressive as any other in the series. It probably is my #2 or #3 favorite for this series, and one I will definitely try to get multiples of, but probably no more than 3 (which is the most I've ever acquired of any CMF, with both the Frightening Knight and the fantastic Amigos Amigos Amigos Mariachi Serenader ).

I agree with @Sven F that part of the fun of Lego for me is making things work within the system. That being said, I don't mind when others use custom parts: to each his own. I do occasionally use some Tyco parts from the 80's/early 90's that are literally the same quality as Lego. Those are mostly 2x4s or 2x2s that go in as filler, although they also have 1/2 size bricks (1 1/2 height of a plate) that come in useful with SNOT, but since my collection has grown I have mostly quit using them. It makes it easier to build for competitions when I don't have to rely on using them.

For me I'll for sure try and get 2x or more elf girl, 2x or more battle dwarf, and no more than 2x retarius sans net. I would also like to pick up 1x vet, 1x butterfly girl, 1x chef, and 1x surfer. If funds allow I'll try and pick up 1x rocket boy, 1x retro spaceman, and 1x strongman. The rest don't really appeal to me more than a hairpiece or single accessory, so they aren't really worth it. Thanks for the review; I almost read Brickset's, but saw that they had broken it up into multiple posts (gotta keep them clicks coming!) so I came here instead. It's a bit lengthy, but at least it's all in one place. And, since I missed out on the first ten or so series, it's nice to see the retrospective. Edit: I may or may not get a mystery character, too. I haven't gone looking for it yet; I can wait.

I have had the same problem, both for the Dragon Sanctuary and the Secret Marketplace-seems like I can't find either for much less than 2x the price, even used! All of the Elves sets I have (I have skipped a few that interested me less), I have managed to pick up for less than RRP, either by waiting for clearance or sales or just scoring big on eBay, but with those two that never happened; one day they were just gone from shelves and that was that. I'm still keeping my hopes high and my eyes open. Thanks @NathanR for the B&P suggestion, I have never used them and I'll have to check it out.

Officially, there isn't; however, if two projects were approved in the same review, they would be competing for the same production resources on their way to market. So yes, while the projects in a review don't go head-to-head, I am sure the review board and designers have take into consideration the allowances TLG has given them, especially if they want to greenlight more than one project. I have no evidence for it (nor the memory for which projects have been approved for each review), but it seems to me that all else held equal, if one project passes review it would be less likely for another from the same review to also pass.

I neither like nor dislike the source material, but I have to say: that Flintstones project looks like a fantastic production. It's not too big or unwieldy, but has a substantial build and good mix of minifigs. Source material aside, it is pretty much an ideal Ideas project submission. That's what every Ideas project should strive to be.

I agree, your custom elves look great! I have been hoping for awhile that minidoll variety would increase to make it easier for good customs, and your photo is proof that we're getting there, however slowly. Obviously there is no way 'dolls will ever have all the options that minifigs do (they have about 40 years to catchup!) but I wish we could see a little more variety in them, particularly in Elves (or other non-city-type outfits--I would love a sci-fi/space minidoll theme). In the meantime, the occasional new character or variants of existing characters will have to do.

I agree completely with @Oky on the upcoming "live-action" Lion King. It's like how they touted the Jungle Book remake as live action and then showed that the only thing that actually went in front of a camera was Mowgli. I hadn't thought of it before you said it, but I think you're right about these remakes essentially being Disney's way of hanging their old classics out to dry as obsolete, which is sad. I like the innate expressiveness of hand-drawn, where "good" doesn't have to equate to "photorealistic." Not that Disney's recent offerings are bad, but rather than making cinema-as-art they seem all too content to make cinema-by-accountancy. It makes the works less endearing, less charming, and less risky. By definition, the movies aren't bad because they are calculated not to be; they are a finely polished version of adequate, but rarely daring or memorable (especially compared to their animated ancestors). They are perfectly fine, watchable, and may include some fantastic added details here and there, yet ultimately they feel somewhat rote and hollow. But, like you said, when Disney can make All The Money, it won't stop. Heck, all of us who saw Beauty and the Beast opening weekend did our part to ensure that. Let's just hope that somewhere in the inevitable onslaught of "live action" cartoons we can find one or two that are truly magical while we enjoy all the rest of the good.

Fred Meyer/Kroger in my area has nearly their entire selection (other than the newest waves) clearanced out at 20-40% off. Not sure if it's chain-wide but probably worth checking out if there is one near you.

Guess I'll double post... I saw Beauty and the Beast over the weekend, and my earlier thoughts on it weren't unfounded. I feel since it is deliberately so similar that it practically begs to be compared to the 1991 cartoon which, overall, did it better. Where the new version differs, it shines, but where it mimics it generally falls flat. Specific notes are in the spoiler below. Anyway, the movie exceeded my expectations, and despite my grumbings I actually thought it was pretty good; I wouldn't mind seeing it again. The supporting cast is excellent, and the changes made overall are fitting. It does have its issues, though, most of which come from an unfavorable direct comparison to the cartoon and a miscast lead. Pros: Stanley Tucci, countless widows, Days in the Sun, the delightful omission of Human Again, Maurice, best beast transformation, Mr. Potts. Cons: Chekhov's music box, I've Grown Accustomed to her Only Facial Expression, Take a Ride on the Magic Book, It's All Been Done Before. 3.5/5.

For me? Thanks! You guys are the best.

Rats, I was hoping to finish one final build that has been sitting half-completed on my desk since...November? Sometimes that's just the way things go. Congrats to Octan, and also to everyone who built during the course of the game! A big thanks also to my fellow Masters of AwesomeNess, Talent, and Incredible Superpowers. The themed weeks and set recreations were particularly fun, and of course the hilarity of the stories and all the amazing talent you all have. Special thanks to @Bob De Quatre for all the incredible work, @SpacerSteve (and @Big Sal) for the great team leadership, @pombe for...keeping things interesting. Also to @Dannylonglegs @EpsilonEta @LucasLaughing @woofmcmoose (among many) for the occasional collab and inspiration. I look forward to AG2 and all that it will bring.

I also don't own the elf, but wish I did. I do have the tribal woman, and she is great. A very close second to the elf IMO.

Pink Tutu Batman ftw!

Thanks for the trailer, I hadn't seen it yet. The series looks like it will succeed on being reminiscent of the original without trying to be the original. I'm in. Wait, only on cable? Crap. Maybe it will eventually make its way to Netflix...

It's terrible when you come across something like this at work and everyone around eyes you questioningly...but you know you can't bother explaining why you're laughing.

Dino tracker

I wouldn't have thought of this, but I can totally see it happening!

Great photos, especially the inside view of the wing mechanism. I had tried to discover its workings from other pictures but it is much different than I thought. I think you've just finally convinced me that I can't let this one slip by. I am still put off by having skipped so many of last year's sets and not being able to find them anymore. Thanks for the review!

Since only one of my S17 list was right I took most of these from there. I don't think most of these even could appear in the same series, since some are pretty similar, but here goes: 1. Frontiersman - a Daniel Boone type, reuse the Wiley Fusebot coonskin cap and include a dual-molded musket 2. Future cop. Basically a RoboCop rip-off. 3. Violinist - Concert black dress (with printed side slit?), new violin mold, and I'd be fine with a 3m bar for the bow despite the inaccuracy. 4. Rodeo Cowboy - showy outfit, lariat, and printed chaps (molded is too much to ask for). 5. Reptile keeper - similar to the skunk catcher but with a lizard or iguana, and food instead of a net. They could even reuse the Pascal mold from Disney Princesses. 6. Exterminator - with insect (fly? ant? whatever), reuse the welder's gear with printing and give him the headgear from the current volcano sets. 7. Movie critic - new popcorn bag accessory and printed 2x2 round tile with film reel printing 8. Old World Hunter - with musketeer hat, printed gauntlet, falcon accessory, and blunderbuss 9. Giraffe suit - I stole this idea from Robert8's designs. I would not be surprised to see it made eventually. 10. Maritime Explorer - Shakespeare's ruffled collar, puffy shirt printing a la Seinfeld, golden astrolabe and/or armillary sphere 11. Medieval minstrel/troubadour - new lute mold 12. Alien hippie - like your typical upside-down teardrop-headed alien, but with tie-die shirt and flower accessory 13. Steampunk cyborg/automaton- please oh please oh please oh please... 14. Lion costume - bashful face printing (cowardly lion) 15. Shepherd boy - not modern like the recent farmer, nor medieval; this would be more of a young king David type with new sheep mold, staff, and lyre 16. Flamenco dancer (male) - counterpart to the female from a few series back, with a pompom hat. A rose printed across his teeth would be awesome.

I am surprised I got one right; with all the language clues and other guesses I couldn't even remember my official guess list from the other thread, I had to go look it up (Circus strongman, btw)! Thanks again for the games, looking forward to S18 (even if it will be a year away until we know the result!)

Those holes are nice, though, since they can accomodate accessories such as feathers and flame pieces and the like. It's nice to know that these kinds of odd questions do have answers.