Lego Review: 76025 Green Lantern vs. Sinestro

Alrighty, RegularVince here with my first content post of 2015: my review for the new Lego DC Super heroes set: 76025 Green Lantern vs. Sinestro.

I wish I could say I've really been waiting for this set, but what I've really been waiting for is a legit Green Lantern that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I really like my arms and legs. I use them regularly.

Back to the set at hand, for the MSRP of $19.99, you get 174 pieces, including three all-new minifigures in Green Lantern, Sinestro, and Space Batman. Yes, Space Batman. He's one of my favorite super heroes, but I really don't think we needed another Batman minifigure to round out this set. I would have much rather seen another member of the Sinestro Corps, or, since this year's DC line seems to be all about full-sized figures, an Anti-Monitor figure. 

You need any more ideas, Lego? You know where to find me.

So let's start things off with the minifigures, and our titular hero: Green Lantern.

As you can see, the minifigure design is based off the more classic Hal Jordan look. Not that this is a problem, I just felt like I needed to point it out, since depending on when you were into the DC properties, he might not be the Green Lantern you're most familiar with. The design of this mini is rather clean, and far less busy than the 2011 SDCC exclusive figure, so it's definitely an improvement. And as you can see, GL comes with a double-sided head, featuring a stern look and a more playful smirk.

My one gripe is an almost non-issue, but it did bother me. The translucent green stud I have GL pictured with is supposed to be his power ring. Pretty simple, right? Well, maybe it was too simple, because Lego didn't actually include this in the set. That stud is just a left over from one of my other builds. Trivial? Yes, but it's something so simple that it's amazing it wasn't included, especially since a quick Google search for Green Lantern shows almost every image with his power ring lit up.

Next up we have Sinestro, GL's most famous villain, even though he's been known to act as the occasional anti-hero, when the mood strikes him. Sinestro also comes with a double-sided head; one stern look, the other a menacing grimace. He also comes with a yellow battle-staff contruct, The minifigure's design is based on his yellow lantern/Sinestro Corps outfit, which I think looks fantastic, but I also would've loved to see him in his classic blue and black outfit. Maybe we'll see this in a later release, since Lego does love to release different versions of the same figure.

Speaking of different versions of the same figure, here we have yet another Batman to add to our already extensive Bat-collection, this time sporting a space outfit to protect him from the harsh vacuum of space. Now why is Batman in space?

Why not?

Anyway, you can probably tell I'm not super excited to be getting another Batman minifigure, but I must say the design is pretty cool, and the amount of accessories he comes with is staggering. Bats comes with two heads: a full-on mask and a double-sided head, displaying a stern look and his trademark smirk; a helmet, two sets of wings, in the open and closed position; a jet-pack, which is actually designed to keep the wing in place, and the new super jumper. giving him the ability to leap into action at a moments notice.

Admittedly, it does have a greater range than seen above, that's just the first video I got, and I thought it was hilarious.

I do have to issue a huge warning about the super jumper: it will damage your minifigure. Not because launching it across the room can ding it, and it can, but because of the way jumper itself is designed.

Behind the pegs where you place the minifigure, the plastic juts out just enough to apply pressure to the minifigure.

As you can see, the damage in my particular case wasn't that extensive, as it simply slightly dented the back of the legs, but I have heard cases online of the legs cracking and splitting because of the super jumper.

You have been warned.

Moving on to the rest of the set, I'll start off with Sinestro's power battery Cage.

I suppose I could've listed this as an accessory for Green Lantern, but this set also comes with his power battery, which he uses to power up his power ring. And since Sinestro is the baddie in this set, of course he wants all the power. So what we have here is a construct used to house the power battery.

The build is pretty simple, but what I love the most is the dome on top of the build. Since it's on a hinge, it keeps the build closed when in the down position, and allows it to be opened up when it's not. The hinge is also loose enough to allow it to be opened with a direct hit from GL ship.

So now that you've seen that cool action feature, let's talk about Green Lantern's ship.

Here we have Green Lantern's fighter jet, what I'm assuming is supposed to be a construct of his power ring, and apart from me wishing there were more clear elements integrated into the build, or better yet, that it was completely made of clear elements, I like the design. It's simple, but honestly, it doesn't need to be anymore complicated, as it perfectly showcases what it's supposed to be.

There are a lot of great design elements built into this ship. The stud shooters are a new design, and built into the wings. I also love how the extra stud "bullets" are built into the wing design. This is something that most sets featuring these types of weapons don't do. And geniusly, the spring loaded missiles are housed within the cockpit, activated by a gear and crank system that runs through to the back of the ship.

As you can see, turning the knob on the back triggers the spring loaded missiles. And because of the way it's designed, you can fire both missiles relatively quickly and reload them without opening the ship. Brilliant.

The missiles also have pretty good range, launching between 6 and 10 feet.

Final Verdict

While I'm not thrilled with having Batman shoehorned into this set, and I'm certainly upset over inadvertently damaging my minifigures with the super jumper, I still think this is a great set to have. Green Lantern and Sinestro have pretty simple designs, but they are based on pretty simple characters, at least from a design standpoint. While I usually don't buy Lego sets for their action features, I can definitely see how this set would appeal to children, which makes the ease of this build all the better. It probably took me about 30 minutes to complete this build, and enjoyed every minute of it. 

So while it does have it's problems, the DC Super Heroes: Green Lantern vs. Sinestro is worth picking up. 

Lego Review: 75055 Imperial Star Destroyer

After building and reviewing the Snowspeeder, the B-Wing, the Mos Eisley Cantina, and the AT-AT, we've finally arrived at the end of our Classic Star Wars journey with the 75055 Imperial Star Destroyer.

This is the priciest set in Lego's 2014 Classic Star Wars line, with an MSRP of $129.99, but don't let the price tag scare you away, this is a massive set. The Star Destroyer measures in at 7" high, 12" wide, and 19" long. The set comes with six minifigures: Darth Vader, an Imperial Officer, and Imperial Crewman, an Imperial Navy Trooper, and two Stormtroopers. It also comes with a Mouse Droid and a microscale Emperor Palpatine hologram.

My biggest fear with this set was that it's construction would be repetitive and tedious, much like the AT-AT. And while there is a lot of repetition here, the Star Destroyer is mirrored down the middle, so I didn't feel like I was building the same thing over and over again. But I suppose this was due more to me building the set over a few days instead of in one sitting, like I did with the walker.

Also, with the exception of the tip of the destroyer, which is the smallest point of the build, it feels very sturdy. Unlike other large builds I've had experience with, like the 7965 Millennium Falcon, I'm not too worried about breaking the build by "swooshing" it around. Not to say the Falcon is flimsy, there's just not as many moving parts here.

With that said, let's get on to the minifigures.

The Minifigures

There are six minifigures included in this set. We've seen all six before in some incarnation, but technically these are all new figures because of the new printings and detail added to this go around. We also have a microfigure in the Mouse Droid, which actually has the most parts of any figure in this set, and a holographic Palpatine. 

But let's start things off with the figure everyone is probably the most interested in: Darth Vader.

Darth Vader

By my count, thanks to a little help from Brick Set, this is the 27th time you've been able to buy some version of Darth Vader, but being that this is the latest release, it is the best and most detailed incarnation.

The biggest change from previous versions is the head under the helmet. Instead of giving us a gray head, Lego changed the color to a darker, almost ashen tan, giving Vader that "my skin hasn't seen the light of day in years" look. There is also a lot of added detail to the face, showcasing his scarring and yellowed eyes. I especially love the slight pink color variation added around Vader's eyes, adding depth to the minifigure. And when you turn it around, you can see even more scarring on the back of his head, somewhat matching what we see in The Empire Strikes Back.

Moving on to the body, there's a lot of detail to be seen. His outfit now has many wrinkles and creases, giving it a more cloth-like appearance. There's also a lot of detail on his belt and chest piece, which really pops due to the use of silver metallic paint for the decals. I should also point out there isn't any printing on the back of the figure, but that's to be expected since I'm sure most people won't be using Vader without his cape.

My only gripe with this figure is the helmet. It looks good, but with all the fine detail added to the body and head of Vader, they could've added some metallic highlights. But really, I'm grasping at straws here. There's a lot to like about this version of Vader. Plus, you gotta give Lego something to update in the future.

Stormtrooper

Moving on to the other minifigures, we have the Stormtrooper. Or I should say the two Stormtroopers, since Lego gave us two in this set. Not that I'm complaining. I love world building, and everyone needs an army. 

As is the trend, there's a lot of detail on this figure that hasn't been seen on previous version of the stormtrooper. I especially love the helmet, as there is black, gray, and blue printing for the decals. Now I'm not sure if the blue printing along the sides of the helmet is just a stylistic choice, or if it signifies something in the Star Wars universe, as the Sandtrooper from the Cantina set has black detail, and the Stormtrooper from the Ghost set has light blue detail, but it's a welcome addition, as it gives a little "pop" to the helmet. Under the helmet, we have what seems to have standard bad guy face for the Lego Empire.

As for the body, there's lots of detail on the front, the back, and the legs. I love the pouches along the belt, and what looks like a single kneepad on the legs. I know it might seem silly, but I always love asymmetry when it comes to armor. 

Imperial Navy Trooper

Imperial Crew

Imperial Officer

I've decided talk about the Imperial Navy Trooper, Crewman, and Officer together, as there isn't that much difference between the three. All three are well detailed along the body and legs, with the exception of the Officer. His body is well done, but he lacks any detail, fine or otherwise, along the legs. Granted, his uniform is supposed to be a solid gray, but solid colors didn't stop Lego from adding details along the legs to the other minifigures in this set. 

Of the three, the Officer is the only mini that has a new head. I love the worried look he has on his face, as he knows he's only moments away from Vader's wrath. I also think the sideburns are a nice touch.

Little Palpatine

Here we have the Holographic Emperor Palpatine. it's a nice little addition to the Star Destroyer. It's molded in clear blue plastic, giving it the holographic look. There isn't much fine detail sculpted into the figure, but it looks the part. You instantly know what it's supposed to be when you see it.

The best thing in this set

Lastly, here's my favorite piece of this set: the Mouse Droid. It's a simple build, and there isn't much to say about it. I just love the way it looks, and wasn't expecting to see it. Hell, I blanked when I first built it, not realizing what it was until I actually dropped it into the Destroyer.

The Star Destroyer

Imperial Star Destroyer

Here we have it, the star of our show, the Imperial Star Destroyer. As I said before, this is a massive build, coming in at over 1300 pieces. It also has a bit of heft to it, which just makes it feel really good in you hands. When I first started building it, I was a little underwhelmed by it's size, as I couldn't really visualize how big it was. But once it came together, I was very pleased with what sat in front of me.

The outside of the build

I know it's not easy to get a sense of scale through pictures, but this really is a big set, I just love the look of the ship from this angle. It just looks imposing. There's also a lot of detail on what's supposed to be the bridge of the ship, at least on the outside. The engines on the back are also well done, utilizing clear blue pieces to signify the flames coming of the back.

It opens!

What I thought was a really neat addition was the housing for extra missiles built in to the back of the ship. It's a simple addition, and a great solution to a problem that wasn't really that problematic. Having bought plenty of sets, I actually just use a cigar box to keep extra, yet necessary pieces, so it's great to be able to keep these missiles with the build at all times.

And the top comes off!

To get to the inside of the ship, the top of the build, which also houses the spring-loaded missile launchers, is removable. I wish it fit a little better, as it slides around just a little bit once you start moving the ship, but it doesn't hurt the overall build. I should also point out that the cannons on the sides of the destroyer are moveable, and since they're built on a track, all four on each side move together at the same time. It's a minor detail, but it's really well done.

Now, as you can see, removing the top doesn't give you that much access to the interior, which Lego did account for.

And it opens up!

By looking at the outside of the build, you can see that it's being held together by hinges. This isn't just a stylistic choice, or simply used to give the destroyer it's angular look. It opens up, allowing you full access to what it inside. Now in all honestly, you don't get that much floor space to play with, but some is better than none, so this is an absolute plus. 

Inside the ship, we have four computer consoles, two seats for the crewman and trooper, a weapons holders, a map table (which actually looks like plans of a Death Star trench), and a table for the Palpatine hologram to sit on. It's a bit cramped in there, but I'm sure someone with much smaller hands will really enjoy getting inside this thing.

Another thing that takes away from the interior space of the star destroyer is the technic build in the middle of the ship. Now part of it does help keep the ship together, but the other part is an ingenious addition to this build: a handle.

It floats! (kinda)

Honestly, I was a bit scared to actually use it at first, since I wasn't sure that it would be able to hold the ship up through extended play. But I've been able to zoom it around my house with no worries of it crashing to the ground. The handle is built solidly. And the balance of the ship is great, allowing it to hang level.

The Verdict

Someone's about to get force choked

And that's the Imperial Star Destroyer. I really enjoyed myself with this build. The minifigures are great, although about half of them are not too exciting to look at. So to wrap things up in a few words: It's big, it's expensive, but it's worth it. This is a great build with lots of features, and lots of playability. 

I have no problem fully supporting your purchase of the 75055 Imperial Star Destroyer.

Lego Review: 75054 AT-AT

After posting my review for the Mos Eisley Cantina last week, I'm officially into the big leagues with the 75054 AT-AT.

The set clocks in at 1137 pieces with five minifigures. The AT-AT itself is pretty big, measuring in over 12" (33cm) tall, 12" long (32cm), and 4" (11cm ) wide. I normally don't focus on the actually measurements, but felt it was warranted this go around due to it's size. The minifigures included in this set are two Snowtroopers, a Snowtrooper Commander, the AT-AT Driver, and General Veers. As a heads up, there are no "good guys" in this set, but it is very much a companion piece to the 75049 Snowspeeder, so you might want to pick that up so your Snowtroopers have someone to beat them. And if you're interested, check out my Snowspeeder review to see if it's worth the extra cost.

The Minifigures

In terms of color, the minis in this set aren't that dynamic, being mostly different shades of white and gray. So I'll start with the AT-AT Driver since he has the most going on visually.

I love the driver's helmet. It's the helmet seen with the Tie-Fighter but molded in gray with black, red, and shiny silver highlights and decals. The torso also has some shiny printing, which looks pretty cool under the right lighting. I'm a bit disappointed the back of the torso doesn't use shiny printing, but I suppose it's the result of the mini spending most it's time hidden away in the cockpit. That being said, there is a lot of fine detail on the torso and legs, printed in light gray to add wrinkles and creases to the driver's suit. The face used is menacing, and reused throughout this set for all minis with helmets. This minifigure also comes with a blaster pistol.

The two Snowtroopers are the same figure found in the Snowspeeder set, so there isn't that much to say. Both figures also have shiny silver print on their front torso. The backpack is a separate piece, adding depth to the mini but makes it easier to knock the figure over. They are solid figures, and my only complaint is the way the clothgoods skirt stick out once folded. Along with the helmet and backpacks, both minifigures come with a blaster rifle.

Upon first glance, it's easy to think the Snowtrooper Commander is the same as the Snowtroopers, but there are a good amount of difference, particularly in the detail. There is no gray on this figure. Where the snowtrooper uses gray hands and hips, the commander is all white. The printing on the front torso is different on the commander, showing his higher rank over the left part of his chest. There is no shiny silver details on the commander's front, but there is on the back. And overall, there is more wrinkle and crease detail on the both sides of the commander. He does not come with a backpack, but he does come with a helmet and blaster rifle.

Finally we have General Veers, the only named character in this set. In line with movie outfits, the color of this mini is a very dark, mute gray. The details are well done, of course, but the front is more plain than the back, which features clothing wrinkles and some shiny silver printing. The face used is different than the other figures in this set, with lots of lines that make Veers look a combination of worried, tired, and inquisitive. It's a good look for someone that isn't supposed to make it out of the Battle of Hoth alive. He also has a headset printed on his head, and comes with a pair of binoculars as his accessory.

The AT-AT

So let's get this out of the way, if you are looking for color, you've come to the wrong place. And if you're looking for a build that isn't incredibly tedious, you've definitely come to the wrong place. The build is time consuming, and somewhat boring, BUT the end result is worth it. What you get with this set is a great build that really shows off the scale of the Imperial AT-AT Walker.

The AT-AT is also pretty detailed, making up for the fact that this set is nothing more than gray on gray on gray. Just look at how imposing the head looks. It's fantastic. My only complaint with head is the lack of up and down motion. The side to side motion is great, on the other hand, and if you open the panels that cover up the walker's innards, you can get an even wide range of motion. The two spring-loaded shooters are located on the underside of the head. It's not the ideal location, but it's movie accurate.

The cockpit works well, but it isn't very spacious. Once you seat the driver, it get's pretty cramped in there, leaving little room for Veers to stand in. Of course both figures do fit, you just can't do much with them in terms of poseability. It isn't that big a problem, but it is something that sticks out.

The sides of the walker opens up to allow access inside the build. You could probably fit about seven minifigures standing upright inside the AT-AT. It's not an ideal situation, but it can work if you want to use the build as troop transport (or just to house your minis, whatever).

The AT-AT also has a trap door on the underside of the body, activated by the plunger pictured on the right. It's a good addition to the set, and something I really wasn't expecting. 

Once you get inside the set, you can see there are a lot of technic pins and pieces holding this thing together. It's well done, but sadly helps add to the tediousness of the build. 

The legs are also constructed of technic pieces, allowing them a good range of motion. Due to the size of the walker, and the fact that it's very top heavy, I was concerned about this build's stability. Thankfully, there's nothing to be worried about. There are a few poses that can't be maintained, but you really don't have to worry about it tipping over. I gave it a few pokes, and it seems like the AT-AT will stay upright unless you're really trying to knock it over.

The Verdict

Apart from the tediousness of the actual construction of this set, I'm really happy with it. It's big, imposing, and looks the part of the AT-AT. The minifigures aren't anything special, but considering the source material was designed to have the Imperials look similar, I can't fault Lego for that.

So do what I did: get this set, start watching the original Star Wars Trilogy, and build this set. At the very least, get some background noise going when building this thing. That aside, the 75054 AT-AT is worth the $109.99 price tag.

Mixel Madness!!: The Wiztastics Review

We're approaching the end of our Mixel journey with the Wiztastics. And after enjoying the Glorp Corp and being pleasantly surprised with the Spikels, I was hoping that I had left the best for last. Sadly, this was not the case.

So let's get the technical stuff out of the way. The Wiztastics are Mixels that are based around magic, hence the use of purple bricks. For the whole set, you'll be getting 195 pieces, which is a pretty good deal for the $14.97 (or $4.99/Mixel) you'll be spending on this set. As per usual with the Mixels, there are lots of horns and ball joints that can be used in a variety of ways to customize your Mixels or construct your own builds.

Magnifo

Looking at Magnifo, I really love the figure's look: somewhat of a classic wizard look that really looks great in purple. And there are some good ideas here. The use of clear blue bricks throughout the body and purple lightsaber blades as wands really helps sell the "based on magic" feel of this set. The cape also looks pretty cute.

But the look isn't all this figure is about. When it comes to play and poseability, Magnifo is lacking. The ball joints used to make his legs actually limit the way you can pose the figure. There is no back and forward motion; only side to side. And the arms are on a hinge joint, so they also have only one plane of motion. There are two more points of articulation. The cape swings up and down, kinda giving it the illusion of wind flowing through it; and his hat can move slightly, although I feel that's more of a design flaw than something done on purpose.

Even though there's a lot going on with Magnifo, I just feel it's one of the least dynamic Mixels, at least as far as Series 3 goes. He looks great but doesn't quite play great.

Magnifo also comes with this set's Nixel.

Wizwuz

Wizwuz is definitely the goofy one of this bunch. his bulbous eyes and tongue sticking out really sells that. And there's a lot of movement with this figure. Both his upper and lower lips are on hinges, as are each of his six legs. Wizwuz.s tail also consists of two ball joints. 

While the tongue helps his look, I'm actually not a fan of it. I love that the mouth can open so wide, but the tongue jutting out just hurts what you can actually do with it. The legs, on the other hand, are great. I love the large horns Lego used as claws, as it really lets Wizwuz get a good grip on anything he can wrap his legs around. On the other hand, having these claws hurts the way the figure can be posed. It's hard to balance the figure if either the front or the back legs are up because Wizwuz is both front and back heavy. The tail looks great but seems to break apart easily, especially if you're trying to play with it. The two back legs also have this problem, as the rounded tops run along the side of body, causing them to pop off easily.

Mesmo

Finally, we have Mesmo. The wings are a nice addition, and a departure from what we normally see with the Mixels. And in this case, the limited movement works because wings are supposed to flap up and down. I don't much care for short legs, but they work well with this figure. He also has a small tail, with a small range of motion.

Mesmo face is very expressive, thanks to the way the eyes are crafted. The use of witch's hats as eyelids are brilliant, and because they're supposed to fit somewhat slanted, you can make him look as angry or dopey as you like. His mouth is on a hinge, and can open a little more than 90 degrees. I also like the use of a small horn on his bottom lip, giving Mesmo a soul patch. 

The Verdict

After building the Wiztastics, I was ready to rip into the set. My first impression was there just wasn't a lot to like here, and it was one of the worst, if the not the worst, set of Mixels I had come across. But coming back to them for this review has somewhat changed my initial reaction. I still think this is one of the weakest Mixel sets, but it isn't completely worthless. The problem is that Mesmo and Magnifo work best when they're simply standing still, as there isn't much dynamic motion to be found out of these two. My favorite of the three is Wizwuz, but having multiple legs has been done better in the past, specifically by Kraw and Tentro of the of Flexers.

Ultimately, I cannot recommend the Wiztastics if you're planning on following the instructions. I haven't built the Max Mixel, so I can't yet say if my feeling on this set will change. But I'm basing this review on what I see in front of me, and I'm feeling is disappointment.

Next week, I'll be showcasing the Max Mixels for each of the three tribes of Series 3, so be on the look out, and thanks for reading!

Mixel Madness!!: The Spikels Review

Last week I highlighted the Glorp Corp and today I'll be reviewing the Spikels, which I have to say, are by far my favorite of the two sets.

So let's get to it!

It isn't that hard to infer that the Spikels are based on spikes, since it's pretty much in the name. Also, the color tan. There's a lot of tan bricks here. Literally. The average piece count for this set is 70 bricks, which isn't bad considering they sell for $4.99 a figure, just like every other Mixel. I suppose the down side to this high brick count is there are a lot of spikes, or horns, but as evidenced by these builds, they can be used in a variety of ways.

Footi

At first glance, I didn't think there would be much to get excited about with this Mixel. But as I continued to play with him, and pose him, I realized how great the build actually is. 

My only real gripe was that the arms are a bit short, but due to their placement (above and to the front of his legs), I realized they actually help accentuate the legs on this figure, which are definitely the star of the show. Footi's legs consist of three ball-joints, allowing him to move at the hips, knees, and ankles. And because his arms are small and compact, they can easily be moved out of the way, allowing his legs to move and be bent almost completely around the body. Speaking of the body, Footi isn't that top heavy, which helps him stand upright in a wide variety of poses. The claws on his feet also help balance the figure.

Footi's mouth is held together by a hinge joist, giving it the ability to open at a full 90 degrees, as you can see in the picture above. This, along with the ease of changing his eye placement, allows for a lot of personality to shine through the figure.

Scorpi

If Glurt was the cute one of the last bunch, then Scorpi definitely takes the cake this time around. His big eyes, combined with his head's ability to turn 360 degrees, definitely add to his cute-as-a-button factor. 

Scorpi's body is very compact in design, and pretty sturdy. He has small legs, which lend to his appearance of a scorpion (hence the name), but the real star of the show is his tail. It's not quite as poseable as Footi's legs, but it still has a lot of mobility. It's designed pretty well, and I love the use of Lego teeth as the stinger. And with a bit of trying, I was able to get Scorpi to balance on his tail, which would work even better on a base plate instead of a table.  

Hoogi

Lastly, we have Hoogi, which is by far my favorite of the Spikels due to the variety of poses I can put him in.

Like Scorpi, Hoogi has a compact body design, with short, stubby legs that help balance the figure, which is necessary because of his long arms. And I absolutely love his arms. Technically, each arm has five points or articulation; the shoulder, the wrist, and each of his three fingers. which allows for a wide range of poses, especially once I realized that his long arms will let you place him in a handstand position. The arms really go a long way in adding personality to the figure, since his face/body is pretty basic. 

Hoogi also comes with the Nixel of this set. Nothing new here, and at this point, I doubt Lego will be adding any new Nixel designs to the sets.

The Verdict

Of the two sets I've reviewed, the Spikels are my favorites, and honestly, they might be my favorites compared to all three series. There's just a lot of playability here. Scorpi may be the weakest of the three in terms of movement, but his rotating head and tail make up for a lack of proper arms and legs. Footi is a great figure, and may even be the best of this set from an impartial stand point, but my standout is Hoogi on account of his arms.

From a monetary standpoint, the Spikels are absoluely worth the $15 dollars you'll be spending on this set.

See you next week with my review of the Wiztastics!

Lego Review: The Milano Spaceship Rescue

Here we are, days before the release of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, which is currently sitting pretty with a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. I'm very excited about this movie, and will be seeing it as soon as I can, but I'm not here to talk about the movie today. Today, I'm reviewing Lego set 76021: The Milano Spaceship Rescue.

I was pretty impressed with this set. It's well put together and a fairly complicated build, took me about two hours to complete. It clocks in at 665 pieces, five minifigures, and a $74.99 price tag.  Having reviewed the other two sets in this line, The Starblaster Showdown and The Knowhere Escape Mission, I must say that I left the best set for last.

On a side note, while I generally prefer printed pieces to stickers, I did appreciate Lego numbering the stickers to match their corresponding placement. This isn't something I've seen before, but it did simplify thing a bit and I hope to see more of it.

The Minifigures

The set came with five minifigures, Star-Lord, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Ronan the Accuser, and yet another Sakaraan Soldier. 

I wasn't too keen on getting another Star-Lord but the mini grew on me once I ripped into the set. And while I would've preferred a second Nova Corpsman, I can't complain too much about having another faceless enemy for the Guardians to beat up on in the Sakaraan Soldier. Not that I'm playing with these Legos, but it's fun in theory.

The Star-Lord minifigure included in this set does differ from the minifigure in the Starblaster set, at least as far as the outfit goes. Here, Quill is decked out in his Guardians of the Galaxy uniform, which looks pretty good. I really like the detail on the front and matches the other Guardians in this set nicely. My one complaint is that the double-sided facial expressions on this figure are also the same as the previous release. While I'm no stranger to receiving the same figure across multiple sets, for $75 Lego could've included some variation.

Star-Lord also come with his signature mask, two blaster pistols, two cylinder pieces to act as his rocket boots, and another weapon that seems to be his "heavy artillery." It's a simple build but looks pretty neat in hand. 

Drax the Destroyer is the simplest of the minifigures, at least as far as extra's go, but the detail on the figure is actually quite amazing. It's really intricately designed and works really well at this scale. 

I love the detail on his back tattoo, especially since they use Lego skulls to make the figure fit better with the Lego universe. Drax also come with two knives that act as his signature weapons.

Gamora rounds out the Guardians, finally giving me a complete set of heroes. The detail is nice, pretty much the same as Star-Lord, except with feminine features. She is a lady, after all. The highlights on her hairpiece are nicely done, as well as the detail on her face. As you can see, she also come with a double-sided face, one angry, the other more sultry, and she has two swords as her weapons.

I really love the detail on Ronan the Accuser. His body is greatly detailed, and the battle damage across the front and back shows nicely. He comes with a standard black Lego cape, but the headdress seems to be a new piece. I also love his hammer, which not only looks great, but is something you actually have to assemble yourself. Ronan also comes with a silver orb, which everyone seems to be after, and a double-sided head.

Overall, the minifigures in this set are really well done and are great additions to the line. You'll notice I didn't talk about the Sakaraan Soldier, but there's no need to, as it's the same figure from the sets I reviewed previously.  

The Vehicles

In classic Lego fashion, we have the larger Milano spaceship serving as the hero's vehicle, and the much smaller Necrocraft servicing the bad guy's. I wish this wasn't the case, but I supposed if you're trying to sell the set to kids, you wanna show off the good guys first and foremost.

The Milano is a beast of a ship, measuring 15 inches wide, nine inches deep and three inches high. It's big enough to fit most off the Guardians (sorry Groot), comes with two flick fire missiles on the under side of the ship and two new blasters along the side which fires 1x1 round pegs. The detail of his build is great, and the ingenuity that when into it really shows. It's really amazing to see what can be done with Lego and this is example to show off.

The top of the ship is removable to fit the minifigures inside. Sadly, it isn't attached to the ship via a hinge put it's still pretty easy to remove and reattach. It's probably a good thing that the designer just got it out of the way rather than having you work around it.

Oddly enough, as great as this build is, the feature I enjoyed the most was the boombox included in the ship. There nothing quite like giving Star_Lord and company a ghetto blaster to accompany them on their adventures.

This time around the Necrocraft is a much better addition to the set than the one feature in the Starblaster set. It's about the same size, and much smaller than the Milano, but it features two missile launchers that are pretty awesome. The range on these missiles are quite impressive, and as I've said in previous reviews, they seem to have come straight out of a 1980s GI Joe action figure.

The ship itself is well built, although the purpose of the fins are still not explained. The front of this ship also has a small platform for Ronan to stand on, which is pretty badass, especially if this is a spaceship.

The Verdict

I'm pretty happy with this set. It's definitely the best overall set in this line, even if it's a bit overpriced. But you can't go wrong with this purchase. I had fun with the build, and kids will definitely enjoy playing with the finished product.