Tag Archives: Lego

#0430: Santa Claus

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , ,

SANTA CLAUS

LEGO MINIFIGURES

Hey, it’s Christmas, which happens to be my winter holiday of choice. But, let’s be all inclusive with the holiday wishes: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Happy Yule, Happy Festivus, and in general Happy Holidays! Hopefully I didn’t leave anyone out, but feel free to leave snarky (or even non-snarky) comments if I did. So, how about something festive to review?

I’ll be digging into my LEGO Minifigures collection again, looking at another Christmas-themed minifigure. This time, it’s the big man himself, Santa Claus!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Old Saint Nick is the 10th figure in the 8th series of LEGO Minifigures. Santa is about 2 inches tall and he features 7 points of articulation. The figure is, of course, based on the classic Santa Claus look (which was actually created by Coca Cola, by the way). Santa’s built on the usual LEGO body, with additional pieces for the hat and beard. The LEGO body is a standard, so no problems there. The beard is piece that’s seen use a few times, and a couple of them have even been for previous Santas. The hat looks to be a new piece, and a well done one at that. It’s a pretty straight forward Santa hat, and it works really well. Santa is molded mostly in red, with white for the hands and yellow for the head. There is paint on the front of the head and the torso. Some of the more recent LEGO Minifigures have detailing that goes around the torso, but that’s not the case here. It’s worth noting that there is a full face under the beard, which is a nice touch. Santa has a big grin that pretty much no one’s gonna see, unless you’re one of those weird people that prefers him clean shaven, which is just a bit strange. Santa includes a bag of toys and a display stand. The bag is a new piece and it fits nicely in his hand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I honestly don’t remember where I got this one. Going by my records, it’s the only Minfigure I have from Series 8. I know I didn’t pick him up on purpose, so I must have just grabbed a single blind bag at random. He’s not a bad Minifigure, though he’s not the most thrilling figure the line has offered. Man, I can’t believe I don’t remember where I got this figure….

#0382: Pretzel Girl

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with ,

PRETZEL GIRL

LEGO MINIFIGURES

There’s no doubt that LEGO is the king of construction toys. However, in the world of block and mini figures, they have a bit of competition. They seem to have found their niche, though, focusing on fun character archetypes, which can be used to populate many of their building sets. I don’t follow the line religiously, but I do pick up a pack every now and then. Today, I’ll be looking at “The Pretzel Girl.”

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Pretzel Girl is figure #3 in Series 11 of LEGO Minifigures. She appears to be somewhat based on a German servant girl type of look, although pretzel’s aren’t what they’re most associated with serving. It seems they’ve tweaked her ever so slightly to make her more all-ages friendly, which is completely understandable. She’s about 2 inches tall and she’s got the usual 7 points of articulation. Like all the others in this line, she uses the basic LEGO body as a starting point, with a sculpted hairpiece and a cloth skirt added to complete the look. The hair is new to this figure, and it has the proper braided look. The skirt is handled in much the same way as capes are, just around her waist instead of her neck. Everything else on the figure is handled using painted details, which are all quite well done. Everything is nice and cleanly applied; all the detail lines are nice and sharp. Most of the detail work is on her face and torso, which are both great, but there is also some added color on her feet to represent shoes. Such things are traditionally not present on LEGOs, so it’s nice to see them here. The Pretzel Girl includes, unsurprisingly, a pretzel, as well as the usual minifigure display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The Pretzel Girl was picked up at the same time as The Barbarian I reviewed last year. I picked up a decent selection of blind bag figures, and she happened to be in the set. I wouldn’t say she’s a figure I was dying to have, but she’s a solid minifigure. And, as an added bonus, she works really well as crowd filler for a large display of LEGOs!

#0355: The Dino Hunter

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DINO HUNTER

LEGO MINIFIGURES

Generally speaking, the figures in the LEGO Minifigures line are based on basic stock character ideas. Occasionally, they’ll break out into things that are slightly more genericized versions of popular characters, (such as the Barbarian, which appeared to be a take on the movie version of John Carter). More recently, they’ve also been using it to add additional figures to some of their in-house lines that aren’t in production anymore. That’s the case with today’s figure, the Dino Hunter.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Dino Hunter is the 10th figure in the 12th series of LEGO Minifigures. The Dino Hunter is meant to be an additional teammate for the human characters in LEGO’s Dino line from 2011. There was only a single female character in that line, so this figure seems to be an attempt to avert the tokenism. The figure is about 2 inches tall and sports 7 points of articulation. The Dino Hunter is built using the standard LEGO body, with a sculpted hairpiece which looks to be new to her. It’s a nice piece, with a longer ponytail than the usual female hairpiece. The rest of the details are handled via paint, and they’re done very nicely. She features details on just about every piece, a rarity for LEGOs. The detail present on the figure is all really nice, and I love the little bits of damage here and there. The figure is rounded off with a bow/arrow, a needle (in the familiar Dino green), and the standard Minifigure stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Just like the Swashbuckler, the Dino Hunter was picked up from a Toys R Us on the way back from a beach trip with my Super Awesome Girlfriend. She just happened to be one of the two packs I picked up at random. I was a big fan of the Dino line, so I was thrilled to get this figure. Those were some pretty cool figures, and the Dino Hunter really takes it to the next level!

#0354: The Swashbuckler

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with ,

SWASHBUCKLER

LEGO MINIFIGURES

The last few reviews have been a bit on the lengthy side, but fear not faithful readers, today’s will be on the shorter side.

Excluding Minimates, my favorite minifigure line (and most people’s favorite) is the LEGO Minifigure line. Usually, said Minifigures could only be gotten by buying one of LEGO’s sets, but in the last few years, LEGO’s had some success with their line of blind-packaged Minifigures. Today, I’ll be taking a look at the Swashbuckler from the most recent series of the line, which has just started hitting stores.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Swashbuckler is figure #13 in Series 12 of LEGO Minifigures. He appears to be modeled after an Errol Flynn style adventure hero, which is a pretty classic type of character. The figure is about 2 inches tall and it features 7 points of articulation. The figure uses the basic LEGO body as the starting point, with a hat with a feather in it. The feather is a piece that’s been used a few times before, but the hat appears to be a new piece. They both work well for the desired look, so that’s good. The rest of the look is handled via painted details. He features detailing on his torso and face. The facial expression is pretty much perfect for the style of character they’re going for, so that’s good. The torso depicts a billowy shirt that is open to reveal his chest, which admittedly looks a bit cheesy. But, hey, that’s the style, right? The Swashbuckler includes a foil for proper swashbuckling, and the standard Minifigure display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The Swashbuckler was picked up from Toys R Us, on the way back from going to the beach with my Super Awesome Girlfriend. I saw the display on the way to the register and pretty much grabbed two bags at random. The Swashbuckler is definitely one of the cooler figures in the series. It’s a somewhat cheesy look, but sometimes you have to be cheesy!

#0254: Cyclops

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CYCLOPS

S-WORLD MINIFIGURES

Cyclops1Lego

Okay, one last look into the dark back alley of toy collecting that is bootleg toys! I’ve looked at Black Lantern and Captain America, now I move on to the franchise that actually introduced me to the world of bootlegs, X-Men! See, back in the 90s, I so loved X-Men figures that I actually ended up with at least one knock off, but that’s a story for another review. Today, let’s take a look at Cyclops.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Cyclops is yet another Bootlego from the very generically named “S-World Minifigures” line. As with Cap, I haven’t been able to tie him to any particular set. Cyclops is about 2 inches tall and has 7 points of articulation. He’s on the same Bootlego body seen before, which is an impressive mock of the original. He looks to be based on Cyclops’s 90s look, which is also the main look he sports in the Lego Marvel video game. His one add-on piece is a hairpiece, which is the same as the one used on Black Lantern, which is in turn a copy of one of Lego’s basic hairpieces. Cyclops’s paint is perhaps the least impressive of the three bootlegs I picked up, but it’s still surprisingly good for a bootleg. The only real issue is that the yellow used is a bit too thinly applied, which allows the colors under it to bleed through. Cyclops is accessorized with two Lego antennae cast in translucent red plastic and a black display stand. I assume that the antennae are meant to simulate Cyclops’s optic blasts, but they just end up looking goofy. Also, the stand is notably not the new piece seen on the other two, but rather a copy of Lego’s own minifigure stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

Like the previous two Bootlegos, Cyclops was purchased from a dealer at Mego Meet, prior to my knowledge of their sketchy nature. I’m actually quite fascinated by how close to the real thing all three of these were. I’m also impressed by the fact that these have such a large selection of lesser characters and looks. Obviously someone involved with S-World Minifigures is a comics fan who wanted more characters.

Cyclops2Lego

#0253: Captain America – Rescue Version

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CAPTAIN AMERICA – RESCUE VERSION

S-WORLD MINIFIGURES

CapRescue

Today continues my first real look into the seedy underbelly of toys: Bootlegs! Yesterday, I took a look at Black Lantern Hal Jordan, who provided me a chance to acquire one of my favorite characters, albeit in a slightly less default look, in the Lego style. Today, I’ll be jumping over to the Marvel side, with a one of my favorite non-default looks of a character.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Captain America is just as much a bootleg as yesterday’s Black Lantern, which means he’s not officially tied to any series, outside of the vague “S-World Minfigures” printed on his display stand. Unlike Hal, I haven’t even been able to tie this one to a larger set. He’s just here. Cap stands about 2 inches tall and has 7 points of articulation. He’s built on the bootlego body, which is a near perfect replica of the real Lego body. The figure is based on Cap’s “Rescue” look from Captain America: The First Avenger, which is a look I quite like. He features one add-on, a helmet, which seems to be a bootleg of the piece used on Lego’s green army men from Toy Story. The figure’s paint is once again impressive for such a back alley figure. The eyes are perhaps a bit soulless, and the helmet has been incorrectly adorned with a star instead of the proper A, but otherwise, everything looks pretty great. The figure is accessorized with a shield (based on his pre-circular one), a machine gun and a display stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

As with Black Lantern, I picked Cap up from a dealer at Mego Meet, before fully knowing the details of his creation. Cap is actually still more of a mystery to me than the other two I picked up, as I have yet to find any evidence of other people having this one. Nevertheless, I’m a big fan of this particular design for the character, and I was thrilled to be able to acquire in yet another style, even if he is less than official.

#0252: Hal Jordan – Black Lantern

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HAL JORDAN – BLACK LANTERN

S-WORLD MINIFIGURES

BlackLanternLego

Yesterday, I spoke of the somewhat complicated nature of knowing just who Green Lantern is at any given time. Well, today, I’m adding yet another layer to that. Not only is it possible for Green Lantern to be any number of individuals, but thanks to writer Geoff Johns, it’s also possible that they may not be Green Lantern, but instead they might be a whole other color of lantern for the day. During the event Blackest Night, Nekron and Black Hand (who both have figures reviewed on this site; check them out!) created their own brand of lantern, called the Black Lantern. Essentially, they were zombies, reanimated various dead heroes. However, given the number of heroes who have died and returned through other means, they figured it would be a good idea to grab those guys too. Which is where today’s figure hails from.

Also of note, there’s another new concept for this review: bootlegs. Bootlegs are unauthorized reproductions or imitations of existing characters or toys, usually done on the cheap, and meant to nab the casual buyer who doesn’t really know any better. Today, I’ll be looking at the first of a few bootleg Legos, or Bootlegos if you will.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Black Lantern Hal Jordan, being a bootleg, has no official series he is tied to. Near as I can tell from the research I’ve done, he’s from a larger set of Green Lantern themed Bootlegos, produced under the name “S-World”. Mine was purchased on his own, so I can’t really speak to the others. The figure stands about 2 inches tall, and has 7 points of articulation. The quality of the plastic used is a little different, but for all intents and purposes, this guy was built on a standard Lego Minifigure body. His sole add-on is a hair piece, which also appears to be an almost exact replica of one of Lego’s generic male hair pieces. The rest of the figure’s details are handled via paint. The painted work is quite surprising for a bootleg. It rivals official Lego work, and is a step above the work being put out currently by some of the bigger toy companies. The details are applied exquisitely, and capture the Black Lantern design very well. The figure includes a light sabre hilt and two clear blue blasters, which I believe are meant to be some sort of makeshift lantern, and a display stand with the S-World logo on it. Interestingly, the stand is different from Lego’s own Minifigure stand, making it the only unique piece present!

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I picked up Black Lantern Hal Jordan and two other “Bootlegos” from a dealer at Mego Meet. They were simply labeled “Lego Figures” so I didn’t know their exact origin when I bought them. They came in small sealed bags, like you would find inside the box of a real Lego product, so I wasn’t sure if they were some kind of promotional item or something. Some research later clued me in to their bootleg nature, but I must say, I’m really quite impressed with these figures. The quality is almost exactly that of real Lego product, and they’ve actually gone a lot deeper with their character choices than the real Lego stuff has. I’m curious to see if they stick around much longer, though…

#0125: Fitness Instructor

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with ,

FITNESS INSTRUCTOR

LEGO MINIFIGURES

So, just so everyone knows, I have seen the LEGO Movie, and it is indeed as awesome as it should be.  Go see it.  Go!

Okay, so now that your back, please enjoy this charming review of yet another LEGO Minifigure, from LEGO’s line of blind packaged minis.  This time, it’s the Fitness Instructor, here to get all your other LEGOs into shape, 80s style!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Fitness Instructor was the 2nd figure in the 5th assortment of LEGO Minifigures.  She’s modeled after the fitness instructors one would see on a workout take in the late 80s and early 90s. Obviously, she’s built on the basic LEGO body, which stands about 2 inches tall and has 7 points of articulation.  Her only sculpted piece is her hair, which is one of the basic LEGO female hairpieces.  The figure features painted details on her face, torso, pelvis, and legs.  The details are actually pretty darn good, and are more intricate than one would tend to expect from a LEGO.  The figure definitely has the right look to her, with a headband leotard and clashingly colored tights, and that wonderful can-do smile that all those fitness instructors seem to have.  The Fitness Instructor has a pick boombox, which I sadly lost prior to taking the photo, and the standard black stand.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The Fitness Instructor is a great example of the LEGO minifigure line taking an idea that I have no interest in owning as a figure, and interpreting it in such a way that it’s too perfect to not own.  I truly applaud them for this.

#0074: Barbarian

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BARBARIAN

LEGO MINI FIGURES

I’ll be taking a look at another entry from the always cool LEGO Minifigure line.  Getting the figures relies mostly on blind luck, but you luck out occasionally and get the figure you want.  This is one of those.

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Barbarian is the 1st figure in the 11th series of the LEGO minifures line.  The Barbarian is on the usual LEGO body.  The LEGO Minifigures are generic characters, but occasionally are influenced on an existing character.  The Barbarian draws a lot of his inspiration from the lead character from the recent John Carter movie, with a fair bit of Conan thrown in.  He has a medium length hair-piece that I do believe was first used on Aragorn from Lord of the Rings.  Practically every piece of the figure has some form of paint detailing.  Everything is really sharply executed, and the fine details are really cool.  This guy looks like a seriously battle-hardened warrior.  The Barbarian includes two swords and a black LEGO stand.  The swords are a bit rubbery, but do the job, and the stand is as good here as ever.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I picked this guy up at a bookstore at the beach, while staying there for a friend’s wedding.  I picked up a sizeable selection of the bagged figures, hoping this guy would be in the mix.  I like the John Carter influence, and since the chances of getting any kind of officially licensed toys from the property seem slim at this point, that’s who I’ll be using him as.

#0070: Gingerbread Man

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GINGERBREAD MAN

LEGO MINIFIGURES

In the spirit of being festive for Christmas, I’ll be looking at something vaguely Christmas related.  It’s another figure from LEGO’s Minifigures line.  This time depicting everyone’s favorite Christmas themed cookie (okay, maybe not everyone’s­) :  The Gingerbread Man

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Gingerbread Man is the 2nd figure in the 11th series of the LEGO Minifigures line.  He uses the traditional LEGO body, but he has a specially sculpted head in place of the usual piece.  It’s a really cool piece, and looks perfect for its intended use.  The Gingerbread man is molded in a creamy brown color, and has detailing to represent his icing details.  In addition to the icing, he’s also got a slightly darker brown detailing to show the texture of the gingerbread he’s made from.  It’s a subtle effect, and could have easily been left out, but the extra mile really adds to the figure.  The Gingerbread Man includes a mug and a LEGO stand.  The mug has painted letters that read “DUNK ME!” which is another really cool touch.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

I picked the Gingerbread Man up along with several others from the same series from a bookstore at the beach while vacationing.  I think he’s really cool, and is definitely a shining example what LEGO can do with the line.