75188 Star Wars Resistance Bomber

Reviewed by Johan Kruger (SAFOLs Member, jhbLUG Member)

In celebration of Star Wars day I found the lack of review for Star Wars sets disturbing. So decided to do a review on 75188 the Star Wars Resistance Bomber. This set was released all the way back in 2017. This set was based on the opening scene from Star Wars the last Jedi where the resistance mount a last desperate escape from the first order right after star killer base was destroyed in the last movie. Ever since that scene I knew I wanted to get this set. This I would say is the first Star Wars strategic bomber role aircraft and made me think a lot of the older warplanes, like the Boeing B-17 and Avro Lancaster with manned turrets for protection.

In terms of the set it is made out of 5 numbered bags but also does contain some stickers as well. Bag 1 and 2 builds the bottom half of the set including the start of the bombing bay, bag 3-4 is the top half of the bomber and lastly bag 5 is the turrets and finishing details. 

Bag 1-2
Bag 3-4
Bag 5

When fully assembled it is an impressive sight and nice size ship that is very swooshable.

The set also has some nice play features like the bombs that can be dropped and very well hidden spring stud shooters.

In terms of Minifigures the set comes with five Minifigures: Vice Admiral Holdo, Poe Dameron, three resistance bomber operators, Nix Jerd and 2 generic units a pilot and a gunner.  They also all have alternate faces. The pilots have very nice prints and could even be used to make a WW2 bomber pilot with the breathing masks if one wanted to reuse them for MOCS. Even the turrets would not look out of place on a WW2 bomber.

The inclusion of Admiral Holdo and Poe is a bit strange as they did not feature in that scene but still nice Minifigures to add to your collection.

Normally the review would have been done by this point, but LEGO® did something very strange with this set. After a few fan complaints with the bomber pilot figure the set was later released with a new figure.

Finch, however, has his five seconds of fame. He first appears in the scene right after Blue Leader piloting an A-Wing, in which Tallie says “Bombers, keep that tight formation. Fighters protect the bombers. It’s not every day we get a shot at a dreadnought, so let’s make this count!”

 Later into the movie, Finch responds with “Copy that, Blue Leader,” and as the scene pans off, we hear his voice from off-screen saying “You get us there, we’ll give it to ‘em!”

At ten minutes and four seconds, we see him for a fraction of a second screaming “Look out!” before his demise from the attack blast of a TIE fighter.

The minifigure is a very good copy of the original character, even matching the helmet design. Although in terms of new parts, it is only the head and helmet that differs from the original design. If you don’t have this set yet it is worth while looking out for a later released set with the new figure.

Lastly, I decided to make a few changes to the bomber using the extra parts and moving a few parts around.

Placing the cheese slops at the back and also using the extra parts to add greebling to the top of the set makes a big difference already in the appearance.

Lastly if you wanted to improve the appearance even more a few additional part would be needed from your own stash.  This involved mostly placing LEGO® tiles on the side and top of the wing. If I had more slopes I would have placed them all along the top wings and even more greebling on top.

70834 – MetalBeard’s Heavy Metal Motor Trike! Review

By Rakesh Gosai (SAFOLs Brick Deputy)

Power into battle against Sweet Mayhem and Star with THE LEGO® MOVIE 2™ 70834 MetalBeard’s Heavy Metal Motor Trike! It features a built-in MetalBeard minifigure head, rotating turret with adjustable shooting cannons, adjustable shark shooter with snapping jaws, crow’s nest and flag and a huge front wheel. This fun-packed construction toy includes an Apocalypse-borg Benny minifigure and a Sweet Mayhem mini-doll figure with cool weapons and accessories, plus a brick-built Star figure to recreate action-packed adventures from THE LEGO® MOVIE 2.

Measures over 6” (17cm) high, 12” (31cm) long and 7” (19cm) wide

Let’s get into the details of this set, it comes with 4 numbered bags, 1 that is not numbered, which contains the four back wheels, front wheel and rim. This trike is classic steampunk style and would fit in well on the scene of Mad Max.

Bag 1 contains the mini-doll Sweet Mayhem, with anime style hair and helmet. Star toy which doubles as Sweet Mayhem’s glider. Nothing complicated in this build so far.

Bag 2 has no minifigures in it, just more LEGO® bricks. I found this stage very interesting as the trike resembles a miniature version of Metal Beard’s Sea Cow Ship and as you progress, you will build on the trike’s engine components from page 26 onwards. At the end of bag 2, the set resembles an engine complete with 4 exhausts!

Bag 3 contains the Apocalypse-Borg Benny minifigure and Metalbeard. As you progress through the bricks, I got a sense that I was building the internals of Metalbeard and wondered how this would fit in with the trike. Once you get to the end of page 47, Metalbeard is seamlessly integrated into the trike… I guess that’s the power of the brick!

Bag 4 contains the remainder of the bricks plus I needed to include the contents from the unmarked bag. It’s at this point where I could see the “ship” start changing into a trike. Metalbeard’s arms are a shark-canon and a double barrel canon.

I really enjoyed this build, the overall stance of the trike has a chopper bike feel but was disappointed with the lack of suspension on the front wheel. The double barrel canon works really well but the shark-canon does not work well at all. The colour scheme works well and the play-ability of this set will keep you entertained! Great use of parts and techniques, and is visually a fun set.

Reviewer Photos

21317 – LEGO® Ideas Steamboat Willie Review

By Barry Kay (SAFOLs Brick Boss, CapeLUG EXCO, Batman … Ssshhhh!)

When I first saw the LEGO® Ideas Steamboat Willie set, I felt that it was a very good depiction of the boat from the original Disney classic short film.

While reading some posts on Facebook regarding the set, I came across one comment saying “I don’t like it because it is Black and White. It should have been made in colour.” To that I replied “If it was in colour it wouldn’t be Steamboat Willie, but just Mickey Mouse on a boat.”

Although the set is not the small, quick and easy to build souvenir that the original fan designer, Máté Szabó, had intended, LEGO® designers John Ho and Crystal Bam Fontan have turned it into a functional work of art.

The Build

The build begins with the internal structure and workings of the boat, with a combination of System and Technic bricks. The internal structure is very well constructed to keep all the parts firmly intact. The setup of the wheel and gears form the basis of the mechanism that rotates the paddles and moves the funnels up and down as it is pushed along. It is quite remarkable to watch the pieces fit into place and the mechanism move as you build. It is also interesting that a black and white build is so colourful on the inside.

Once the interior structure and mechanism are built, we complete the hull of the ship and move onto the black and white deck and cabin. After building and mounting the funnels, they are able to move up and down, but not side to side. The remainder of the vessel comes together quickly and easily.

Some really nice details have been added to finish off the build.

  1. Monochrome Friends Bird on a Utensil Telescope to portray a Parrot on its’ perch.
  2. Printed 2×2 brick with Potato Bin printed on the sides, which can be placed on the deck or attached to the crane.
  3. The crane with a gear mechanism and handle to raise and lower the hook that is attached to a string rope.

The Minifigures

In this set we get monochrome Mickey and Minnie. Mickey has a tall sailor hat and Minnie a small round feminine sailor hat. Both connect to the head with a small pin (like the Friends head pieces).

Minnie comes with a white acoustic guitar and 2×2 printed tile music sheet for the tune “Turkey in the straw”.

One may ask, what is special about these minfigures when we are also getting them in the new Disney Collectable Minifigures Series 2?

Well, apart from the guitar and printed music sheet tile, these minifigures both have silver printed feet. Mickey has silver printed pants and Minnie a silver printed skirt. Both hats also have some sliver printing.

The Series 2 CMFs will only have plain white printing where these have the silver.

Conclusion

I feel the price is a bit high compared to some other Ideas sets, but it is a fun build and interesting to get the moving parts working. If you are a Disney fan then you will love it, as that is what it is; True Iconic Disney.

All sizzle and no steak: A user’s review of the LEGO® Technic 42096 – Porsche 911 RSR

By Morné Gouws (SAFOLs Brick Deputy)

What had the makings of an innovative creation from LEGO® Technic becomes a bland venture into roads well-travelled.


As an avid LEGO® Technic fan, I leapt at the chance to review the LEGO® Technic 42096 – Porsche 911 RSR. I couldn’t help but compare it to my other builds and while glamourous and sexy, it lacked the finer workings that could’ve made it great.

The build

The LEGO® Technic 42096 – Porsche 911 RSR is a standard build, beginning with the front and rear axle, suspension and transmission before moving onto the more complicated steering mechanism.

From there, you’ll move onto the bodywork, starting with the sides and doors where many of the detailed stickers come into play. The headlights are bulkier than the original car but fits quite well with the design. The bottom of the front bumper uses the gear racks that can be found in the bucket wheel excavator, but in black.

We then move to the back of the car to make the engine cover and back bumper. There are some interesting techniques used to keep elements at certain angles. The engine cover is a bit difficult to open up but gives you full access to the engine.

A nice addition to this build as some of the interesting facts that you’ll find in the instructions booklet.  

What’s done well

One of the best things about being a LEGO® enthusiast is discovering how creative and intelligent the designs can get. The Porsche 911 RSR is no exception. A lot of effort has gone into mirroring the design of the real deal – most notably around the bumper and framework of the car itself.

Overall it’s an excellent model but don’t expect it to match up to the LEGO® Technic 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

The design is packed with details, both inside and out – expectedly since you get over 50 stickers in the set. You’ll spot details like the map of the track, the rear-view camera, etc. so if you have a keen eye for detail above functionality, this one’s for you.

This one would’ve been great to motorise as a standout feature and with some tweaks like HOG steering, stabilised gear rack, higher clearance, shifters and a geared up engine it could become an ultimate play set.

What could’ve been better

Even the most patient builder will balk at the massive 13 unnumbered bags, so be prepared to look hard for the parts you need.

The back engine cover is a clunky piece of creation which holds back its sleekness and basic steering functionality lends it to the standard expectations of a Technic build.

Verdict

A little more fizzle than sizzle but a good choice for the Technic novice.

Sidebar:

What you’ll find in the box

– 1 580 pieces

– 2 large sticker sheets of 52 individual stickers

– 13 unnumbered bags

– 4 loose tyres

70840 – Welcome to Apocalypseburg!

By Raymond Mc Pherson (SAFOLs Brick Deputy)

I had the privilege of building Welcome to Apocalypseburg, the largest set currently released for the LEGO® Movie Part 2. Here are my thoughts and review of this great piece (or shall we say pieces).

As this set sat in my lounge the temptation to build it since it arrived was huge. Unfortunately as an AFOL Adult things take our time such as working is always priority (We need a way to fund our hobby somehow.) So with a limited timeframe I started to put this together part by part until the masterpiece took shape.

The first thing and most obvious in the beginning was the Box. A huge colourful box which is great as it depicts the built set in all its splendour and shows off some of the play features that the set has to offer. The box contains numerous bags and some that accompany the smaller bags. There are 30 bags overall.

The instructions manual is a rather large book, which is to be expected for a set this size. The book details the development process, interviews and an interesting section (the first that I have seen or are aware of) that explains how to pick the set up.  

You start by building the first section of the base, which is actually half of the entire base clipped together. Later on you will build a mirror of the base you are building at this point. This follows by building Larry the Barista’s Coffee shop, which is nicely detailed and forms a central part of the story’s location. The second building is Scribble Cop’s (previously known as Bad Cop/Good Cop) jail cell and interrogation room.

We then move to building a gym and shower with a bath of sorts. Both of the builds in this are impressive as you can see externally that these were supposed be vehicles at some point, but have been utilized in different ways. I like the inclusion of the punching bag in the Gym as it resembles a DUPLO® block and it is obviously being punched out of the frustration that the denizens of the ex-Bricksburg feel.

The next phase of the build consists of building Chainsaw Dave’s Camper van, which is adjacent to the shower Tub combo. Chainsaw Dave is a post-apocalyptic version of Surfer Dave who can be seen in the first movie.

Batman with his Tyre Outfit/Armour is right at home here within his Merch Shop, which includes some hidden Easter Eggs as well. This section marks the beginning of the Statue of Liberty build, which is formed out of Technic pieces to construct the statue leaning on its side. The Technic system being integrated with Classic system bricks here is great. The Technic allows you to construct in an angle that will not be possible with system bricks.

 The Technic frame and inclusion of System Bricks meld well together and exposed elements are well hidden so that you cannot see the inner workings of the model so it displays well.

A tattoo parlour and clothing shop showing Post-Apocalyptic attire for sale is next to build. The Harley Quinn Minifigure (Suicide Squad version) is right at home here. The base and arm of the statue is being extended piece by piece as we move along.

My favourite part of this set comes up next. This is the building of the Statue of Liberty Head and Crown. The techniques that are used to construct the face and crown of Lady Liberty are amazing and awe inspiring.  The fact that this could be put together with normal parts and still contain an inner observation deck in the head of the statue is fantastic. The Torch that is fitted to the arm of the statue forms the final part of that section.

The Minifigures included in this set are:

Scribble Cop

Larry the Barista

Fuse (The Welder)

`Where are my Pants` Guy

Roxu

Chainsaw Dave

Mo-Hawk

Harley Quinn (Suicide Squad version)

Emmet

Green Lantern

Batman

Lucy

If you are building this set then make sure you count and pick out all the pieces required as per the top left of the page, instead of just following instructions and building as you see the parts inserted. You might miss something minor and then run into a problem where there is a connection needed and that is the part you missed, and you might face major deconstruction to get back to it.

Ultimately, this is a 360-degree playset and where the margins of the base will not fit in greatly with your existing City layout or integration thereof. There are as always ways and means to make it work, it is LEGO® after all. Being a play set it does provide fantastic play scenes and options to bring the LEGO® Movie Part 2 to life.

Pictures

70827 – LEGO® Movie 2 Ultrakatty Warrior Lucy

Reviewed by Chris McGee (SAFOLs Member, jhbLUG Member)

The turn of the New Year brings with it a new outlook for some, a fresh start for others and of course, new LEGO® sets for the lucky ones. Early 2019 will also see the theatrical release of “The LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part”, and with it being based on the famous building block system and following a successful first film, we are getting a whopping nineteen sets released for January (I am still unsure of distribution availability of all of these and it excludes Duplo® sets and the polybags) with the first wave. We also have confirmation of a collectible minifigure series, and I am sure a second wave will be lined up. So this also means that 2019 could come with a number of unplanned expenditures as well.

Although my first choice for a set would have likely been set “70841: Benny’s Space Squad” (hopefully a future review), being an 80’s child an all, the Ultrakatty set hooked me following the official release pictures. The battle-hardened, super-sized version of Unikitty is a great example of the post-apocalyptic theme the sequel is going for.

The Build:

The main build, being Ultrakatty, is fairly straightforward, but with some nice ideas for building body structures along with the horns and armour. The legs are on ball joints on the shoulders and hips, with hinge pieces at the knees and ankles (those are printed fire on the pieces above the paws). This gives the giant cat some good poses alongside the four ball joints on the tail and one used for the neck. There is even a hinge based join on what is probably the lower abdomen just above the hip which gives a nice articulation point along the back to raise the tail higher.

The legs, body and head are littered with spiky detail, probably bordering on too much though depending on your personal taste. The three larger spikes on either side of the head are on ball joints with the head, and each are clipped, give a good range of movement to what can only be described as the ‘mane’. My favorite part though has to be the shoulder padding armour, which is attached via a clip and small skateboard wheels and hangs over the top of the front legs. The wheel being clipped gives minimal friction and moves up and down seamlessly with the shoulder on the ball joint and I have yet get it caught. A few stickers give the detail on the armour plating on the sides of the body and shoulders.

Ultrakatty also gets three different facial expressions (all printed on a 1×5 brick which is two bricks in height), which get a lovely variety of expressions to please everyone and help with playability. My preference is to still keep the friendly face going as the norm. The build also allows for a relatively easy replacement of the face when wanted, and is still quite sturdy when built.

Within the set is also a brick-built Duplo® figure which we saw at the end of the first LEGO® movie, placed in to be the antagonist of the scene. It has a quaint build, with good bright colours which contrast nicely to the generally earthy colours used on Ultrakatty. The mouth can’t fully close, but can open nice and wide. The build has the ability to turn the eye from a ball joint behind the head.

The Minifigures:

The set come with two minifigures, being Emmet and Lucy. The latter being geared up for battle as the set name suggests, along with set of goggles, scarf, quiver, a cross bow and beautifully printed shield made from a stop sign. Emmet is a very similar figure to those from the original movie sets, although his printing is scuffed and faded given the apocalypse and all. He gets two facial expressions also set to the scene. The expression showing the terror and panic is a firm favourite of mine.

Warrior Lucy also gets some similar styled clothes compared to the first film, although the printing for her torso is new as well, and arm printing (both arms), and a new leg print representing leather and padding. I am not sold on the tan printing to outline her hips though. The great updated mould for her hair now comes with goggles set above her colored highlights. She also comes with two scene setting expressions.

Playability:

The set works well together and does enough to set a scene and the Minifigures included are the main stars of the franchise, although an additional antagonistic Duplo® villain would’ve been great. Ultrakatty is just ideal for what it needs to be and can be moved around easily with very few parts becoming detached. Although I noted that the spikes became an annoyance when setting up poses (results will vary based on your patience here). Another good feature is that this set can be combined with set 70829 (Emmet and Lucy’s Escape Buggy) to create something new and take the play further.

The verdict:

Overall, I liked building the set, and I enjoy the set for what it is. I feel that the spikes may just be overdone as it is annoying to get poses right without knocking them out of place, but think that it is also perfect for setting the scene and will depend on one’s own preferences. The prints are great in the set and getting a larger version of Unikitty as “Ultrakatty” makes it special amongst the other sets coming. I will be looking forward to the other sets if this is the standard.

10264 – Creator Expert Corner Garage

Reviewed by Thys Brits (SAFOLs Member, jhbLUG Member)

So, the 1st of January arrived, after much anticipation from the AFOL community, bringing the release of the Corner Garage, set 10264 as the annual modular Creator Expert set, for 2019.

The announcement of the set on 3 December came with the usual amount of feedback from the LEGO® community, a lot of it negative, similar to that for the previous modular, the Downtown Diner, set 10260. I was also not really convinced about the set, but recently have discovered that LEGO® often surprises me from what you see on the box, compared to what is inside. In short, I think the Corner Garage is a great set, very much different from most of the previous modular sets, and I’ll explain why I think so.

Firstly the basics, as is tradition with a product review such as this. The box is the standard size as the previous modular buildings. Some people have suggested that LEGO® are cutting down on box sizes, taking the environment into consideration, which can be seen in many of the new sets also released on 1 January. This is not the case with this set though. Opening the box reveals six sets of numbered bags for the 2568 pieces, with the sand baseplate and two loose grey plates. These are used along with bag set 4 for the first floor of the building, which is odd, since bag set 5 also contains these same plates to be used as the second floor of the building.

Bag sets:

  • 1 and 2 are used for the ground floor
  • 3 for the courtyard cover and the tow truck
  • 4 for the first floor
  • 5 for the second floor
  • 6 for the roof.

The build took me about five to six hours altogether. Detailed images can be seen at the the bottom of this review from the Official LEGO® press release. However I put together a little display of the set with a few other sets, particularly the two modulars now retired, the Brick Bank and Detective’s Office.

First off, the ground floor, which houses the actual garage. There is a lot of tiling to be done in this section, as about half the baseplate is covered with tiles for the filling station drive-through / courtyard. The interior of the garage is very simplistic, housing a manual lift module, which can be operated with a sliding mechanism from the back of the building, which is rather well thought out and one of many nifty design features in the set.

The other interesting design feature is that of the garage door, which doesn’t use the standard sliding-into-the-roof of previous sets with garage doors, but rather a roll-up mechanism. This leaves a lot more open space when opening up the set to play with it. The garage also has a toolbox on wheels, a wheel-alignment station and a cashier’s desk with cash register. Clever placement of 2×1 bricks with a technic pin extension on the exterior wall houses the display of spare wheel rims. All these features make me feel that the set actually got the wrong name, as this is, in fact, a tyre shop, not a garage.

The courtyard section is also very cleverly put together. To my mind, this was what LEGO® was trying to achieve with the set – showing us how to build at angles. Most LEGO® sets are built square, but this set has several examples of how to build across the normal straight lines. The petrol pump section is one, whilst the front of the building is the other.

After the ground floor is the tow-truck. Another part of the build that I feel sets elements of the Corner Garage apart for me from other LEGO® sets. Compared to cars in City sets, it is a truly Creator Expert build, very rounded off and also featuring some features from older sets, such as the front fender, which is similar to that of the fire engine from the old Fire House modular set’s fire truck. The towing mechanism is also detailed and not just a simple up-and-down swivel. In short, it adds to the set’s appeal, instead of detracting from it.

The first floor of the building houses a vet’s office. This is where most people found the set odd, since very few places in real life would one find a vet’s office on a first floor of a building, as well as finding much above a garage. However, I don’t mind it at all, seeing as LEGO® is supposed to be built using imagination and children’s make-believe.

The floor is divided into two sections. Firstly, the vet’s treatment room, featuring a fish tank, a desk with a built desk lamp, what looks like an incubation station, hosting a frog in the incubator, along with some bottles and a printed dog biscuit 1×1 round tile, a treatment table with a bunny and a research station with a built microscope. Second is the reception area, featuring a small balcony, two couches, a coffee table, pot plant and stand with a parrot on it. This is one section that I feel could have had more in it. The couches are put together very simply, however, this may also be a way for LEGO® to show how very simple techniques still work for complicated displays. The two sections are also another example of angled building, with the wall between then running diagonally across the floor. The windows of both the first and second floor also feature some SNOT (Studs Not On Top) techniques.

The second floor is a very simplistic lodging of what appears to be a young man, as it features a small micro-build truck on the one wall, a rock-and-roll poster and nothing much else, apart from the couch, TV and bunk-style bed. The kitchen build is quite detailed and the room also has a corner-toilet. The TV set also shows some clever techniques. Again, I suppose this floor could have been something completely different and much more detailed, as many people have hinted at. However, I still enjoyed putting it all together.

The last bag set contains the roof section. This features a door to the roof and a pool recliner with an umbrella for someone to tan on the roof, a flower bed and the rounding off of the building’s top. There are a lot of small pieces to put together in this, with 24 quarter-round tiles used for decoration on the front, along with 24 of the new 1×1 Roof Tile, of which there are 80 in the set. The set also features a number of other new(er) parts, such as 6250018: Plate 1X2 W/ Vert. Tube and 6217876: Tile 2X2, W/ Deg. 45 Cut. MOC’ers will love adding these parts to their collections.

In summary, if this were my first modular building, I would be enthralled. I think the reason people have had so many negative comments around the set is because there are now so many other sets, and MOC’s, out there. One other thing to remember is that many of the modular have very little interior detail, as mostly these are used as display pieces. I enjoyed building the set and will recommend it to anyone. The only real downside of the set is the price, with less than 100 parts more than the Downtown Diner, it costs R600 more than the previous release. A lot of people will hope this set will be released to stores other than the LEGO® Certified Store so it can become available on sales.

21315 – Ideas Pop-Up Book

Reviewed by Chris McGee (SAFOLs Member, jhbLUG Member)

Simple but fantastic…

A couple of years back I joined the LEGO® Ideas website to discover a wealth of great designs and builds. The main reason for this was due to the Ideas set 21305 which got me into the LEGO® lifestyle again and from the instruction manual realized that this was fan made and that more MOCs were on the site waiting to be discovered.

My first encounter was aimed at following JKBricksworks (fan designer Jason Allemann who designed the maze) and there I found and adored the pop-up book design. The design itself was basically a tan cover with brick built writing across the front and spine of the book. The book even contained a latch with which to keep it shut. The entry was a joint effort with fellow fan designer Grant Davis. Needless to say, I was hooked on the Ideas concept.

When I heard that the set had been selected to become a set, I was thrilled, and couldn’t wait to see the final product. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed when the set pictures were released, as LEGO® had gone an extra step, and given a wonderful colour mix to the book. They had also put in parts for an extra story, bringing the part count to a healthy 859 pieces, and taking the theme towards a couple of well known fairy tales. The price point then is very good, with nothing in the set needing to be licensed or any unique molds, and retails at R1,199.99.

I was sold instantly by the look and theme which reminds me of medieval times, and really hoped the build would meet the expectations.

The Build

The book part of the build has a lot of very similar pieces and colours, making the numbered packets very handy (packets 1 through part of 3 build the book cover and the tan ‘pages’). This build was not as repetitive as expected given the look of the book, and gave me enough turns to keep me intrigued. I would suggest that one avoids building the book at night as the contrast of the black and dark green pieces used therein can make you life a bit difficult in bad light.

The book is nicely designed to effectively open and shut without becoming misaligned after repetitive use. In fact, it almost feels simple in its construction, making me question why nobody has really done/attempted this before (from a LEGO® stand point). The exterior of the book is beautifully finished with a brown trim and great printed parts. The main front tile is just amazing with its ‘Once Upon A Brick’ title, and slightly gold printed detail. The inclusion of the fan creators names as additional tiles is also a lovely touch by LEGO®.

That then puts the pop-up mechanism up front, and this again is simple yet fantastic in how it opens up each time with such smooth, fluid movement. The pop-up displays are also nicely suited to the main colour backing being dark green.

The inclusion of two stories was a lovely touch. Little Red Riding Hood was the first within packets 3 and 4, and Jack and the Beanstalk coming in packets 5 and 6. Both have been carefully planned to fit the specifications that would allow for a seamless book opening and closing experience. The specs referring to the width (closed) as well as height and length for the movement and storage. The cottage is a more traditional scene, and also comes with some interior props to have fun with. The beanstalk though has an unusual mechanism, which again works excellently given its nature.

The colours across both the builds work well with the main book cover and given how these actually stand out, it is easy to understand why the dark green was chosen vs the original tan. Some special side builds are provided within each scene. The cottage gets a built bed and coffee table with a matching pink mug and teapot. The beanstalk scene gets a number of microscale builds (houses, trees, clouds and a castle in the clouds) all of which bring the giant to a more believable size.

The Minifigures

Yep, we also get some great, and unique minifigures for this one and key characters for each of the story builds. Red Riding Hood, her grandmother and the wolf (wonderfully disguised in broken reading glasses and granny’s pyjamas)are provided to the cottage scene. Red comes with a lovely printed dress piece (same mould as the used for Minnie Mouse in the Disney collectible minifigure series), as well as a cloth coat piece, and a dual-molded hood in red, with a strip of hair across her brow. There are also some cookie printed 1×1 round tiles and a basket included for accessories to the scene.

While with the beanstalk scene, we get a great nanofigure representing Jack and then a standard minifigure as the giant, each with some great unique printing (keep your eyes peeled for the golden goose). Although no accessories are provided for these characters (almost wish there was a golden egg and/or something to represent magic beans in here), the figures provide a great ensemble to the micro-scale scene.

The Verdict

These are the type of sets which I really enjoy, as it effectively spawns creativity while building. Around halfway through building the cottage I was thinking of what I would like to do as a pop-up display, and my mind was filled with various ideas. Honestly, this ranks in my top 3 sets of the year that I have had the pleasure of building, and any items I have mentioned which have negative connotations, I see as ‘nitpicking’. This is a great set, and a must have for anyone, and if I may be so bold, an ideal set to get multiples of.

40341 – Xtra Polybag

Reviewed by Rakesh Gosai (SAFOLs Exco, NMBLUG Member)

LEGO has recently re-introduced accessories packs. Receiving this before it got released was a delight. LEGO previously released the first five accessory packs and three Xtra-themed play-mats, but today we’re looking at the 40341 Sea Accessories. It will be available in January 2019.The packs include only accessories with no minifigures.

These are the 32 elements included in the pack:

  1. Treasure Chest (Top & Bottom)
  2. Barrel
  3. Shark & Lower Jaw
  4. White 1×1 Round Plate x 2
  5. Red 1×1 Round Plate x 2
  6. Pirate Map
  7. Dark Brown Sabre Hilts x 2
  8. Parrot
  9. Spear x 2
  10. Binoculars
  11. 24 Facets Jewel x 3
  12. Stars x 2
  13. Fish
  14. Surfboard
  15. Oar
  16. Clamshell
  17. 4L bars x 2
  18. Orange Cone
  19. Flippers x 3
  20. Plate 2×2 with Round Bottom

By far my two favourite elements are the Parrot and the Shark, one can never have too many of these in your collection. I’m glad that LEGO has been issuing themed-based accessory packs. It gives immediate access to some Xtra elements to add to your collection! The LEGO Xtra 40341 would go together nicely with the LEGO Xtra Sea Playmat 853841.

75954 – The Great Hall

Reviewed by Suzette Coetzer (SAFOLs Member, zaLUG Member)

The Great Hall is a magical room in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with an enchanted ceiling to look like the night sky. It held fantastic feasts and events such as Halloween, Christmas and the Triwizard Tournament; and holds significant memories of both tragedy and triumph such as Cedric Diggory’s memorial and the defeat of the Darkest Wizard of all time, Lord Voldemort. As a huge Harry Potter and LEGO® enthusiast, I was in ecstasy when LEGO® released The Great Hall and could not wait to start building a part of, what has been for me for many years, the greatest place in the Wizarding World.

It started out quite straightforward, the same way the modular buildings usually do, except that it is not built on a base plate but on different shapes and sizes of plates. As the build progressed I started recognising, with each step exactly what is was that LEGO® had tried to re-create and marvelled at the cleverness of the techniques used to get the effects just right. I also enjoyed discovering the distinct details that the designers added by incorporating more than one movie/book into this set and of course, to unearth new parts that LEGO® had developed is essentially an AFOL’s Holy Grail. I was, however, a little perplexed with the build of the Basilisk, which felt neglected in comparison with the Phoenix (albeit the latter is smaller and quite lovely) and I have decided that the Basilisk will have to undergo some modifications to be complementary to the rest of the set’s techniques and design. And since I “ooh’d” and “ahh’d” so many times during this build, it took me about 3½ hours to complete a set with only 878 pieces.

I have been a Harry Potter fan for many years and I must say that building these new LEGO® Harry Potter sets has been quite an enjoyable experience. I am sure that most would enjoy these builds as well, although the full experience can only truly be attained by a Harry Potter fanatic who has the knowledge to spot the hints of references to events that the Muggle-eyes overlook ?