Lego Review - Minifigures Series 11 (71002)

It’s September, which means it’s time for a whole bunch of new Lego releases. And this is the one I’m probably most excited about for 2013 – series 11 of the Minifigures range!

I began collecting the Lego Minifigures around the time that season 4 was released. From 4 -7 I was fairly obsessed with them, and would do my utmost to build complete sets, whether or not I particularly liked the included characters.

But my interest gradually waned as the series continued, for a variety of reasons. Series 8 and 9 had a few cool figures, but I certainly didn’t feel the old desire to get all of them. And I was particularly disappointed with series 10 – though Mr Gold was an attractive prospect from a collector’s point of view, I didn’t think he was that great a figure on his own merits. Perhaps if they ever do Mr Glow-in-the-Dark I’ll be more interested…

But series 11 is a real return to form. There’s a nice mix of original characters again, as opposed to simply gender variations on older releases. I’ve now purchased five minifigures – I don’t know if the bump codes and barcode systems are in effect for this series, but I’ve always relied more on feeling the bags to get the characters that I wanted. So after a good deal of fiddling, I ended up with the Barbarian, the Yeti, the Evil Mech, the Constable and the Island Warrior. So let’s get into it!  

 

 

The Barbarian is the figure that I was most excited about from this series, strange as it may sound to some. To the untrained eye, he’s quite plain and doesn’t have a lot of accessories. But I am a big Conan the Barbarian fan. Though I was familiar with him by reputation for many years prior to actually encountering him (via sources such as He-Man and Dungeons & Dragons), I was properly introduced to the character around 2007, when I sat down and watched the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger movie – surprisingly enough, called Conan the Barbarian.

Instantly it became (and remains) one of my favourite movies. Shortly afterwards came the purchase of The Complete Conan Chronicles, a compilation of the original Robert E. Howard short stories from the 1930s. Rarely have I come across an author that I have enjoyed as much - I like to think he's influenced my own writing, though it may not be so evident on this blog. Howard died tragically young as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot, but his work left behind a legacy that has grown to encompass a multimedia empire – not to mention the many derivatives the character spawned in his wake.

I have been hoping for a Conan minifigure ever since I saw the Jungle Boy “Tarzan but not Tarzan” minifigure in series 7. And though this minifigure is not technically Conan, I daresay it’s about as close as we’re ever going to get. And that’s good enough for me. Close observers will notice that his belt is even adorned with an eight-pointed star, similar in design to the sunwheel-type necklace that Arnold wears in the movie. It’s a nice little touch.

The figure comes with two swords, but I generally prefer to pose him with just one. It feels more right to me that way...But of course, now I want an elaborate skeleton and throne set-up, to hand over the sword... 

Overall – very satisfied with this figure.

 

Evil Mech

As the (presumably) more sinister and evil counterpart to the Robot in series 9, this robot actually looks kind of like a cyborg ninja. Add a ninja/samurai sword and you're there.

I think he’s quite cool, but to me he doesn’t actually scream “VILLAIN.” But I do think he fits in nicely with the Galaxy Squad theme, which has yielded at least one of my all-time favourite Lego sets – the Vermin Vaporiser.

The only real downside about the figure is that his gun needs to be held sideways, due to his large chestplate. However, it’s nothing to get too upset about, and the gun works quite well with other Space-themed minifigures that don’t have chestplates.

Overall: very pleased, and hoping that more sci-fi-oriented Space themes are on the way.

The Yeti

I would not be able to tell you how many hours I have whiled away reading about UFOs, alien abductions, the paranormal, the “unexplained” and – of course – cryptozoology. Suffice to say, it’s a lot. As an adult I am far more sceptical than I was a child or teenager, but a part of me does still hope that Bigfoot and his icy counterpart, the Yeti, turn out to be real one day.

I tend to have reservations about novelty heads for minifigures. Some are quite good, but others tend towards the rubbish – the early versions of Yoda, for instance. Still, I went ahead with the purchase, with the idea that I could make some good action photos of him and the Barbarian fighting.

After opening the bag, I’m quite pleased – but I can’t help but feel that he should look angry, as opposed to the neutral/disgruntled expression that’s on his face currently. But this largely comes down to me purchasing him as a foe for the Barbarian – taken on his own merits, he’s quite cute. He also comes with a transparent blue ice block (popsicle for my American readers), which is a giggle-worthy inclusion.

Overall – satisfied. But I’d like to see a Yeti done like the Hulk, as a bigfig.

The Constable

My father is English, and I am very much an Anglophile as a result, so I have a soft spot for the Constable. He’s doesn’t look like he could double as an action hero, unlike the previous, American-style police that have been in the minifgures range. But he looks like he could be an extra in a Famous Five or Secret Seven novel, and that makes me happy.

Overall – Jolly good, eh? Splendid!

 

The Island Warrior

I suspect this figure is meant to harken back to the mid-90s Islanders that were released as part of the Pirates line, though taken at face value this figure is a curious mash-up of stereotypes – specifically, Hawaiian and Maori, though there's more than a hint of pulp adventure story in there too. 

The mask is very tiki-like in design, but the face beneath is decorated with Maori-style facial tattoos. To me, the hair (though not the bone through it) also looks somewhat Aztec or Mayan in style.

He too was purchased with the intent of making him a foe for the Barbarian – intentionally or not, with the mask on he does somewhat resemble some kind of 1930s-witch doctor stereotype. But he just looks too friendly without the mask (facial tattoos notwithstanding), and much more of a warrior. Perhaps the two of them can be allies instead, against some kind of evil wizard…stay tuned for photos with Lego Saruman.

Overall – quite a cool figure, particularly for Pirate fans. But a little on the racially insensitive side…

I should also add that this figure was ridiculously difficult to find. I had to do a lot of searching to get him. I don’t know if he’s packed into boxes in small numbers, or if he’s just quite popular.

The Others

For the most part, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve seen of the other figures in Series 11. Though I don’t think I’ll get them all, I would have without hesitation a couple of years ago. Aside from the four I’ve already got, the main “want” I have from series 11 is the Scarecrow. I’m yet to encounter him in the wild – I suspect he may be one of the rarer figures. The Welder is probably my other main want. I think he’d look cool with the hazardous materials guy from series 4.

The Holiday Elf seems to be ridiculously easy to find. He’s a decent fig, but he doesn’t really grab me. Maybe if I’d picked up the Santa from series 8 I might have been more inclined. I feel similarly about the Bavarian Lady – it doesn’t seem right to get her without having Lederhosen Guy from series 8.

The Rock Climber also seems to be quite easy to pick up as well. Decent figure, but not really up my alley. I did buy him for a rock-climbing friend, though.

The Saxophone Player looks just like a member of the Blues Brothers, and were I to buy one of him, it would be necessary to buy two. Very cool. He would also be great for those looking to make a Mac Tonight custom, though that may be a little obscure these days.  

One that I think is bound to be a fan favourite (if perhaps not one of my own) is the Gingerbread Man. He’s quite a clever addition to the line. He looks nice, cheery and happy. I could see him getting added to my collection eventually, but I’m not quite sure where he’d fit in.

The Diner Waitress is not the sort of figure I’m really after, but I do like her accessories – a big bowl of ice-cream and a pair of rollerskates. I feel similarly about the Scientist and the Grandma – though in their cases, it’s a set of two lab beakers, and a cat.

The one I’m probably least excited about is the Lady Robot. Though I liked the male version in series 6, consciously retro things are very hit and miss for me. I tend to prefer my robots looking more Pacific Rim than Forbidden Planet.

Overall

Though I’m quite pleased with what I’ve seen of series 11, I do have a couple of criticisms. The earlier minifigure series seemed to use a cheaper plastic than “normal” minifigures, that often had somewhat wobbly legs and arms. This was resolved in series 3 or 4 (and to be honest, I bought so few of 8-10 that I don’t know if it was an issue again then), but it seems to have returned for series 11.

But this is the best series of Minifigures Lego has produced in a long time. I look forward to what series 12 brings. Lego seems to use these ranges as testing grounds for potential new themes – so I'm also keen to see what larger themes we may see over the next couple of years. 

If you're keen to get another opinion, I'd also suggest checking out this review at ItsAllTrue.net  – it does have nicer pictures than mine...  

So who's your favourite from this series? Comment away!

 

Jungle Hunter Predator Review

Jungle Hunter Predator

Company: NECA

Series: Predators - series 8

RRP: approx. $29.95 AUD

The Background

I’ve started buying action figures again after several years out of the game. My last big purchases were from the ’03 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, so I’m pretty out of date with what has been coming out over the last…well, decade, really.

I’m a huge fan of action figures, but I’m quite fussy when it comes to actually plonking down money for them. They take up quite a lot of room, and they’re not easy to store, unlike books, games, DVDs or CDs. Even Lego can be dissembled and stored in a box or bag.

 

But I recently purchased an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie boxset, watched Predator for the first time in a number of years, and decided it might be nice to have a Predator sitting on my shelves – specifically, the Jungle Hunter Predator. Credit must go to www.ItsAllTrue.net for making me aware of the range to begin with. So, armed with my credit card and searching online, I placed my order. I ordered Dutch too, as I mentioned here. But as much as I like Dutch and Arnie, the Predator is the true star of the show. The movie is named after him, after all.

"Do you even knife, bro?"

 

The Figure Itself

 

Online sources tell me that this is a new Predator sculpt, apparently replacing an older model which has been used for most of the prior series. It doesn’t look drastically different to me, but granted I haven’t owned any of the previous versions.

I’m particularly impressed with the skin. The paint job has done a good job of making him look clammy and slimy (though it hasn't shown up in the photos as well as I would like), as well as giving his skin a mottled look. There are no paint issues worth getting upset about, and his bone necklace and adornments are impressively sculpted and painted too. Similarly, the armour and mask have been nicely done. Most areas have a subtle brown wash over them, giving them a worn-in look.

In a nice touch, the gauntlet blades are extendable. Be gentle, though. I could see these breaking very easily in careless hands…

There are some minuses. The plasma-caster backpack is a little bit iffy – the piece clicks into place, but his dreadlocks (predlocks?) get in the way a little bit. Tilting his head works around this a little, but I have concerns about maintaining this pose long-term. The dreadlocks are made from soft rubber and I can see them getting warped in time – not to mention that it means he can really only have his head at one angle while the accessory is attached.

                                         

          Two deadly predators. It's nice to see them together in an Instagram besties shot.

 

However, the plasma-caster gun itself is also adjustable. You’ll need to jiggle it a bit to get it to stay in a certain position (it’s very easily bumped out of place), but it definitely looks cool once you’ve got it there.

More irritatingly, he doesn’t seem to be going so well with the standing business. He’ll stay upright for a certain period of time, but the hip-joints don’t seem to be tight enough, and so he’ll eventually totter over. He hasn’t really suffered any damage as a result of this, but he’s staying lying down for the time being, until required for photos. I can deal with this, but those looking for something that’s capable of permanent display may want to consider carefully. It may just be an issue with my particular figure.

As a more minor point, it’s a shame that the mask isn’t removable. I can see how it might be a casting issue – but later this year a 2-pack is being released with versions of Dutch and Predator from the film’s final fight, which does have a removable mask. There have already been a few Classic Predator variations in this NECA line, so I have to question whether an entirely new figure is necessary for this feature.

 

For the most part, I’m pretty happy with the Predator. He towers over Dutch, as he should. I was a little concerned that they’d both be the same height. He’s not quite as easily posed, due to the armour plating, tubes and whatnot that adorn him, but it’s still not hard to get him into some good positions for photos.

All three of my NECA figures put together for scale. Pretty good for the most part, but I can't help but think that Dutch should be more noticeably shorter than Robocop, though....

 

Overall

From what I’ve been reading online, people seem to be more excited about the Dutch figures in series 8 and 9 than the Predator. This may be because there have been an awful lot of Predator figures from different companies over the years, and so it’s harder for a new one to stand out from the many that came before. In contrast, there’s been very little of Dutch.  Being a relative newcomer to the series, I think they’ve done an exceptional job of sculpting Arnie’s likeness – and I’m hoping for another Conan line – but the Predator himself is the one I was most excited for.

And for the most part, he delivered.  Looking back over this review, I seem to have spent more time talking about the negatives than the positives. But you shouldn’t get the impression that I’m unhappy with the purchase. The figure is apparently quite screen-accurate, takes good photos and makes a worthy adversary for Dutch...

"Let's see you make fun of my knife now!"

 

…and Robocop....

                                                 

The box for Nightfighter Robocop mentions that his new armour makes him invisible to criminals...I wonder if the Predator sees the irony in being stalked by an invisible foe?

                                                   

"Dead or alive, you're coming with me, creep."

Of course, if Robocop did kill the Predator, presumably another gang of Predators would turn up and give him some kind of obscure gift as they carried off the body.

…and Raphael!

 

 

 

So overall, the Jungle Hunter Predator gets a rating of “very pleased.”

 

 

"South America was a long time ago, Dutch. The Predator's dead. He can't hurt you now."

"DON'T TELL ME HOW TO FEEL MY FEELINGS, ALEX!!"

 

 

NB: Keep in mind that the price indicated is retail only. This figure is already tricky to get hold of – mine came from www.Popcultcha.com.au – but on eBay, I’ve already seen him selling for upwards of $40 (Australian).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 
 

Action Figure Review - Jungle Encounter Dutch (NECA)

Figure: Jungle Encounter Dutch
Company: NECA
License: Predator (Series 9)

RRP: $24.95 -$29.95 AUD

 

The Background

Predator is a classic of the 1980s. Watching it more than a quarter-century after its release it’s easy to see that it’s not a perfect film, but it’s far more than the sum of its parts. It’s ridiculously silly, yet never falls into parody. And the Predator itself is a very frightening, yet very cool-looking Stan Winston creation.

But today, we’ll be looking at the other star of the film – Dutch, as portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Specifically, the Jungle Encounter Dutch action figure.

I’ve been spending a lot of time spent over at www.ItsAllTrue.Net, and I can’t deny that I’ve been heavily inspired by them to do this action figure review – and, I must admit, they were the inspiration for my more regular Lego reviews too. It was actually through them that I discovered NECA was releasing these 25^th anniversary Predator action figures. The guys over have got their reviews down to a fine art, and if you’re remotely interested in action figures it’s well worth your time to check them out.

The NECA Predator series has been running since 2010, apparently  in tandem with the release of the film Predators (which I still haven't seen), There’s been a mix of original film, Predator 2, Predators and even a few “fanon” action figures released over this time, and the range is quite impressive for its attention to detail.

Series 8 and 9 are the most recent releases - though at least up until series 11 is planned - and they're both based on the original movie, to coincide with the film’s 25^th anniversary. It's a nice touch, and it would be nice to see the second (admittedly inferior) film get some similar action figure love in the next couple of years.

 

The Packaging

The box (not pictured) is nice enough – it’s roughly in the shape of a Predator in profile. The copy on the back of the box does a good job of conveying the backstory , and all the photography for the figures themselves is excellent. However, I do tend to prefer NECA’s clamshell cases. This does become something of a moot point, as I’ve never been one to keep action figures in their packaging – I guess I just prefer them.  

 

The Figure Itself

The figure's front and back views  

 

I am yet to see a NECA figure that didn’t deliver the goods in terms of attention to detail, even if I didn’t particularly like the property it was based on, and this figure is no exception.

Across series 8-9 there are four different variations of Dutch, all of them good in their own way. But I chose this particular variant of him as it also looks quite a bit like Arnie’s character from Commando – Colonel John Matrix. I doubt we’ll see a Commando line anytime soon – but the idea of a matching Bennett figurine is certainly an entertaining one.

The likeness on the face sculpt is quite good overall. The original review I read over at ItsAllTrue.net noted the impressive detail on the stubble, and I’m inclined to agree. This is a level of detail that’s I’ve rarely seen on toys in this price range, and I’m also particularly impressed with the fact that they’ve managed to make him look sweaty, as though he’s actually been spending time in the jungle.

The only real problem with the likeness stems from a small paint issue on the lips. I ordered my figure online, so I wasn’t able to check the paint job before purchase. Not anything worth getting too upset about, but if you get yours in-store I’d suggest checking a couple of different figures first.

Dutch comes with three accessories – a rifle with grenade launcher attachment, a pistol and a knife. Nothing too complex, but I’ve never been a fan of toylines that give movie or TV-based characters a zillion different accessories that are never seen or mentioned in the original property.

The articulation is good, as well. You can get Dutch into a lot of different poses, and combined with the great sculpt, it’s pretty easy to get some good photos. I want to take him out to some bushland and do some location photos with him and the Predator, though that may have to wait for another day.

However, the figure isn’t perfect. The knife can’t really be held by either of its hands, so stick it in the holster if you don’t want to lose it. The pistol can also be a bit tricky to get into the right hand as well, as it’s made from somewhat harder plastic than you might normally expect. Additionally, the pistol holster does not seem to want to close properly – you can see it dangling in the photos.  

Still, these are relatively minor issues, and don’t spoil my enjoyment of the figure at all. I ordered the series 8 Jungle Hunter Predator too, and they work quite well together...but more on him in a future review, hopefully.

 

Overall

I am very, very pleased with this figure of Dutch. Though he’s quite basic, it works to his benefit, not his detriment. The great likeness of Arnie really elevates it above your average “adult collector” movie tie-in.

With that said, I’m not super-keen on the other figures in series 9. Though I might be sold on the Water Emergence Predator if he glowed in the dark (and the same goes for the upcoming Heat Vision Dutch from series 10), I don’t think there’s enough reason to purchase it if you’ve already got the Jungle Hunter Predator (i.e. the standard or “Classic Predator” from series 8).

Jungle Disguise Dutch looks kind of cool – and it’s a very cool part of the movie – but he does also look a bit like he’s a regular Dutch action figure who’s fallen into the toilet. So I’ll probably pass on that one too...

What I would have liked to have seen – and I know I’m not alone in this – is the other squad members from the film. I have read elsewhere that NECA have said that they will not be doing this, and I suppose I can understand why. I would imagine getting all of the likeness rights would be expensive, and I daresay that none of them would sell as well as Dutch. Nonetheless, the thought of a screaming one-armed Carl Weathers variant action figure is an intriguing one.

Still, the fact that NECA now have such a good sculpt of Arnie makes me hopeful that we’ll also see some other Arnie properties released by NECA. Conan the Barbarian had a small series few years ago – which is now reselling for a pretty penny on eBay – but they were more akin to statues than action figures. Time for a new one? Hopefully!

 

And of course, having Dutch means that you can have awesome  1980s team-ups which never happened, but would have been great. Here we see Nightfighter Robocop and Dutch teaming up to take on crime!

 

 

Lego Review - Legends of Chima - CHI Worriz

Set: 70204 CHI Worriz

RRP: $22.99

Pieces: 55

Build Time: around 15 min

Package photo courtesy of Brickipedia

The Background

I haven’t been particularly interested in the Legends of Chima theme so far. Debuted earlier this year, the storyline centres around several groups of anthropomorphic animals battling one another for control of “Chi”, a mystical energy source that borrows a little (but not too much, from what I can tell) from its martial arts namesake.

Package photo courtesy of Brickipedia (http://lego.wikia.com)

It’s not a bad premise, but the creatures look a little too cartoony for my tastes, and it annoys me that the Wolves are one of villainous factions (though I do like that the Lions are good guys). Also, I wasn’t really sold on the ripcord racer gimmick.

Nonetheless, some of the sets have been quite impressive, particularly after the first wave. The Lion CHI Temple (70010) is exceptionally striking. Still, it wasn’t until I saw that a series of Ultrabuild figures had been released, that I got interested. A giant wolfman? It would be pretty difficult for this to go wrong.   

Friends who know me will attest to my obsessive love of wolves and wolf-related merchandise – in fact, I’d say at least 90% of the appeal of this set lies in the fact that he looks much like a gigantic werewolf warrior. 

 

The Werewolf Warrior strikes a majestic pose atop the iPad

 

Naturally, werewolves are my favourite monster from folklore. Traditionally they tend to be depicted as evil, though I tend to think of them in a different fashion, typically as good guys, rather than villains of the night. Zombies and skeletons, though? Generally, not so much…

Officially, this guy’s name is “Worriz”, but I don’t much care for it. He looks too tough to have a name that rhymes with “Morris.” Nonetheless, I don’t think I’ll call him “Grimripper” or anything else that sounds like it could have come out of a 90s Image Comic (as entertaining as some of them were). Though it’s not particularly creative, I think “Werewolf” will do sufficiently well for the time.

The Build

I haven’t previously owned any Ultrabuild figurines. I remember the original Bionicle series impressing me all the way back in 2001 on first release, but of course I was in high school then and owning something like that would have been ridiculously “uncool.” More than a decade later, I don’t feel the same kind of concern. As C.S. Lewis once said, “When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” Whether the creator of Narnia and famous Christian apologist would have approved of adult collections of Lego is of course open for debate.    

I digress. I was pleased at how quickly I built him, considering I hadn’t built one of these before, but also a little disappointed that it was as easy as it was. Nonetheless, I like the concept of a DIY action figure, which is essentially what these Ultrabuild figures are.

Werewolf’s articulation is pretty good; the balljoints at each point of articulation allow a good range of motion, and it’s pretty easy to get him into some cool poses. However, I did find that his shoulder spikes do interfere a little with certain arm movements, as do the size of his paws.  While these might be more serious issues for those looking to play with their figures, if you’re looking at him as more of a display piece, it’s usually pretty easy to find a workaround.

Werewolf and Nightfighter Robocop duel! (later becoming friends, of course)

 

In terms of accessories, Werewolf is armed with a two-bladed sword and defends himself with a shield in the shape of a buzzsaw blade. The build does a nice job of making it look like his gigantic paw is holding the sword, but it’s actually connected by balljoint. The shield can also be mounted on his back, via a hole.

The balljoint holding the sword.

The shield, mounted on Werewolf's back

 

My only real complaint is that it would be nice if Werewolf came with an alternate head, too. His angry face is great, but it would be nice to have something a little more neutral too. Still, on the whole there’s a lot more to like than there is to dislike.

Big Werewolf meets minifig Werewolf

 

Overall

Although I don’t think I’ll pick up any of the regular Legends of Chima sets, I’m very impressed with the Ultrabuild figures. I could see myself picking up a couple more of these guys, particularly the Raven and Crocodile. Alternatively, I could also see myself getting a Hero Factory mech or two and staging Pacific Rim-style battles in the loungeroom. There could be some good photo ops in that.

But for the time being, Werewolf is something of an anomaly in my collection – though as you’ll see below, he does look good attacking the treehouse.

Attack taking place in kid's imagination only, of course. The mess this would leave in real life would be difficult to explain to the kid's parents

Overall, I’m giving Werewolf an 8/10.

The set in its entirety

 

Lego Review - 9461 – The Swamp Creature

Set: 9461 – The Swamp Creature

RRP: $12

Pieces: 70

Build Time: 10-15 minutes

The Background

I’m more than a little late reviewing this particular set; Brickipedia tells me it was originally released back in May 2012, though I don’t recall ever seeing it until closer to September/October 2012. Just in time for Halloween, I suspect.

The backstory to Monster Fighters is something to do with a whole bunch of classic horror monsters in Lego form (vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein’s Monster, mummies, ghosts etc.) each owning a piece of a “moonstone”, which I believe is some kind of magic rock. When Lord Vampyre (the main villain) collects them all, the world will be drawn into a state of permanent lunar eclipse, and the monsters will invade the land of the minifigures.

The "human" minifigure characters are less than pleased with this state of affairs and are looking to stop this evil occurrence. From a story point of view, it’s then up to the individual purchaser to decide which side emerges victorious. One might reasonably ask why they can’t just sort out some sort of mutual agreement, I suppose, but let’s not dwell on the details.

I don’t know that I rate Monster Fighters as a theme all that highly; a number of the main monsters have already appeared in various collectable Minifigures series over the last couple of years, and a lot of them looked better there, in my opinion – though granted, some of the Monster Fighters versions do glow in the dark. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, that can be a real clincher for me (and by the way, I did end up buying the glow in the dark Robocop recently).

 

 

The Minifigures

Given my generally unimpressed demeanour, you’re probably wondering why I bought this kit at all. Well, the minifigures were definitely the main reason behind this purchase – the “Swamp Creature” minifigure specifically. He’s not officially Gillman (of Creature from the Black Lagoon fame), but he’s about as close as we’re probably going to get.

He comes with a standard wooden spear, a piece that’s most frequently been seen in Castle sets. It’s good that he’s got an accessory, but I think it would have been cooler if he had one of the golden tridents that were featured in Atlantis (though I suppose it would have been less “swampy”). I think I’ve got some lying around somewhere, so I may substitute this in future.

                        The Swamp Creature, with his portion of swamp and Moonstone

 

 

Speaking of Atlantis, I think he fits in quite well with the sea monsters that came with the Atlantis sets that were released a couple of years ago. When I finally get around to setting up my City of Atlantis set again, he may pay a visit to the underwater denizens of that legendary city.

You’ll recall I mentioned earlier that I liked the fact that some of the monsters in this theme glow in the dark. Well, this is one of only two sets in the theme that don’t feature glow in the dark pieces. It’s a shame, because Swamp Creature has some green highlights on his scales that would have looked great if they glowed. Nonetheless, this is a minor quibble, and on the whole I’m very pleased with him. $12 purchase price justified right there, for me. 

In contrast, I wasn’t particularly interested in the minifigure of the actual Monster Fighter – Frank Rock. In monster-oriented media, the humans tend to pale in comparison to the monsters themselves. They’re just not as visually interesting, and tend to be fairly thinly drawn as characters. At first glance, Frank Rock was no exception. With his large Polaroid-style sunglasses and greaser hairstyle, I initially thought he looked just like Elvis, sans-sequinned bodysuit. An Elvis minifigure would be cool in many other settings, but not this one, and his smirky expression makes him look kind of like a jerk. However, closer inspection reveals him to be a little cooler than I first thought. He’s got impressive little details all over his face, including stubble and little bruises/scars.

                                                      Frank Rock? Or Elvis sighting?

Best of all, the reverse of his head is also printed, sans-sunglasses. With this expression, he looks a little more hardened and serious – like someone who’s actually spent some time battling the creatures of the night. He also looks more than a little like the legendary Bruce Campbell, which does tie in well with the Monster Fighters theme. Give him a Lego chainsaw instead of a hand and a sawn off-shotgun, and he'd pretty much be Ash in Army of Darkness.

He’ll probably never be my favourite minifigure, but he was a pleasant surprise especially considering that I thought he would be nothing more than a Mr Generic McBoring monster prey.

                                                          Frank Rock with his swamp boat.

 

 

The Build

There are two builds in the kit – the piece of swampland and a swamp boat.

The swamp section takes all of a couple of minutes – it’s a brown base with some stones, some swamp weeds, a fish and the Swamp Creature Moonstone piece. There’s also a frog, which is a neat little touch. Small as it is, it’s surprisingly effective at conveying the required swampy atmosphere. It could also be repurposed as part of an Atlantis diorama, or even with the Treehouse’s (set 31010) water area.

On to the swamp boat – like its driver, the swamp boat ended up being much cooler than I expected. It’s like a mini-hovercraft, though this one shoots flick-missiles, and is also armed with two pistols mounted to the front. It too was quite simple to build, but it demonstrates an effective use of minimal pieces in its construction. It’s also a nice middle ground between the extremes of the implausible (but awesome) science-fiction Galaxy Squad vehicles, without moving into the “impressively-realistic-but-a-little-boring” territory that City often veers into. An interesting novelty - there's not a lot of Lego vehicles that look like this one.

Overall   

I don’t see myself picking up any of the other Monster Fighter sets - though the werewolf does intrigue me - but I am glad that I got this one. $12 for one great (and one good) minifigure, as well as a cool vehicle is hard to argue with.

Though the kit itself will not grab the more dedicated builder, the Swamp Creature minifigure alone was worth the price of admission for me – everything else was a bonus. I’m giving it a 7.5/10 for minifigures, but in building terms it’s more like a 5 or 6/10. 

 

And as for who won? Well, I don't think of the Swamp Creature as evil, more misunderstood. So after a hard-fought battle, Frank and Swampy became good friends.

 

                                                        The set in its entirety

 

 

 

 

Lego Treehouse Review

Set: 31010 3-in-1 Treehouse

RRP: $49

Pieces: 356

Build time: 1 hour or so for the Treehouse

Released: mid-2013

My Lego purchases tend to be very minifigure driven. As a result, I don’t pay much attention to the Creator theme. The miscellaneous mini-vehicles they produce are quite impressive to look at, but aren’t really within my spheres of interest. However, every now and then they’ll produce a more typical Lego set that could fit comfortably within the City theme, and some of the ones released this year have really grabbed me.  

What differentiates Creator from other Lego themes is that the pieces included in each Creator set can be built in not one, but three ways. Cool as this is, it’s also where my main gripe with Creator stems from. Readers of my age will probably recall that once upon a time, most Lego sets functioned as a 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 kit. As I recall – and anyone is welcome to correct me on this, as I’m doing my best to recall a period going back 20 years or more – most Lego kits would depict the primary build on the front of the box, and then 1 or 2 other builds on the back of the box. You’d only receive instructions for the “main” build, but the others tended to be sufficiently simple that you could work them out just via looking at the pictures.

Of course, one can certainly argue that the kits and minifigures are frequently of a higher quality than those of 20 years ago. But it still annoys me a little sometimes, particularly when I’m looking at kits that go for $50+.

But I don’t like complaining and I’m getting well off track. So today we’re going to look at the Lego Treehouse – my first Creator kit.

 

 

 

 

The Minifigure

The minifigure that comes with the set is okay; it’s a little boy in a red cap, with a plain blue shirt. He does the job, but I’m a little disappointed with him. He just seems a little bit too generic. Maybe a print on the front of the shirt or something would have been good?

 

Nonetheless, I’ve given him a name – Adam Brickston – and Adam’s accessories do give him an edge he wouldn’t otherwise have. The treasure map is great, and the walkie talkie is pretty cool. The wagon is nice, but I can’t help but think it’s a little unsanitary to carry around a pizza in it, without a box, plate or any other form of container.

 

There’s also a buildable dog. It’s a nice touch, but I think I would have preferred one of the German Shepherd-style dogs that appear in some of the police sets. The upside is that this one does look less intimidating than your average police dog.

The Build

I have been a fairly anxious person for most of my life, though this has begun to change within the last couple of years. So it was with some interest that I read this article on Surfing Pizza a couple of months ago. Among a number of other things, it mentions that Lego can be a great structured activity for those who experience anxiety disorders.

Reading this got me thinking, and made me reflect on how much I had enjoyed Lego as a child, and still do as an adult. Indeed, building Lego is a process that does help me relax and unwind - even though I don't think I have a full-blown anxiety disorder. I think I also like Lego because I know that – unlike many other areas of life – if I follow the instructions as outlined I will get the desired result, regardless of any other problems in my life. It may sound simple, but this is actually very soothing. Certain sets may be challenging for my skill level, but I am yet to meet any that have come close to defeating me.

In general, I tend to prefer the more fantasy-oriented Lego to their more “realistic” counterparts.  However, I felt that this particular set straddled the two realms nicely; it’s realistic enough that it could sit out the back of one the Creator houses, but it’s also something of a kid’s dream treehouse – the sheer size of it, coupled with extra features like the telescope and the treasure map hiding spot, make it an ideal base for hours of shenanigans.

 

There’s three different builds to this kit, but the treehouse itself is the one I bought it for. The other two are perfectly fine – and I’ll probably get to building them eventually – but they just don’t grab me in the same way. They also look a little more like adult’s buildings, which don’t sit as well with the included minifig. I don’t know if they have official names, but they appear to be something like a two-storey playhouse and a waterfront shack.

If/when I get around to building them, I’d like to review them too – so stay tuned on this page.

 

Overall

When I first saw this set, I liked the story possibilities of it – specifically, that it’s a hub world for the other Lego I own. Galaxy Squad, Atlantis, Batman, etc – it’s all a product of this particular kid’s imagination. This sets up some intriguing possibilities for zany crossovers in the future, so keep your eye out for photos. I know I had very little respect for licensing rights in my own childhood playtime – Adam may be much the same. 

 

(I’m well aware, of course, that this is a bizarre reason to buy a Lego set - but there's few sets that lend themselves to photos like the one above.)

 

Overall

The minifigure gets a 5/10. He does the job, but he’s a little bland. The build I give an 8/10. It was very enjoyable to see it all come together, and it also leaves more possibilities for the other two, should Adam ever need to take his imagination on vacation. I’m exceptionally pleased with this new treehouse.