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In continuing with LEGO’s rollout of upcoming sets in 2018, we now have our first official images from the LEGO Creator line. As it seems, the multibuild theme sets are still going strong with the inclusion of three (4) more vehicles and a modular type sets. My personal favorite is the Modular Skate House (31081) with its bright color scheme and varied play features. Check these out.
After the reveal of the first LEGO City set of 2018, the Dirt Road Pursuit (60172), now comes the rest of next year’s City-themed sets. LEGO servers were recently updated to include six (6) additional sets, with the first 2 coming from its new Mountain Police subtheme. Take a look.
Compared to The LEGO Batman Movie where the minifigures are the most in the spotlight (after all, it’s BATMAN), in The LEGO Ninjago Movie which premiered last month the figures/characters are equally identified with the sweet vehicles and mechs they ride. In fact, the machines are often the subject of choice for plenty of promotional material for the film.
In the wake of the movie’s release came – of course – the landslide of tie-in Lego Ninjago products to hype it up, from the minifigures to the vehicles they rode in. Perhaps one of the standout designs for the whole adventure was the wedge-shaped Ice Tank piloted by Zane the Ice Ninja (voiced by Zach Woods).
LEGO pretty much agrees with the fan-audience opinion, if going by the effort they put into designing the real-plastic counterpart of the “LEGO Ninjago Movie” mech. The Ice Tank is even the centerpiece of a “Make and Take” special event this upcoming Saturday at certain Toys ‘R’ Us stores in the UK.
The actual, brick-built version of Zane’s mech – the LEGO Ninjago Movie Ice Tank (70616) – is undoubtedly sweet, but at 914 pieces to work with, that is not one that a newcomer might actually choose to pick up and start building.
Fortunately, LEGO has got the rookie builders covered too, with a smaller and more basic-skill alternative mini version in polybag . It’s just the thing for its 6-12 age bracket, or simply those who are lacking in shelf space for the normal-sized one.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie Ice Tank (30427) polybag is a new major achievement in downscaling LEGO models. When you put the finished polybag version next to the larger 70616, they could easily pass for parent and child, LEGO brick-wise. Builders will be amazed at how 71 pieces can come together to form a truly mobile Ice Tank with approximated details and fully-working miniature tank treads.
Needless to say, this is a worthy buy for fans of The LEGO Ninjago Movie, especially those who are only now getting a start in the wonderful world of building with LEGO.
This next MOC from Master Builder Tyler will make you shiver in nightmarish delight. Alright, I know… enough with the Halloween puns already, since this next brick-built rendition from Tyler will surely add smiles to any LEGO and Tim Burton fan (myself included).
If you grew up in the 90s, then it’s hard to miss out on one of Tim Burton’s classic cult favorite, The Nightmare Before Christmas. For those of you who are not around yet during this time (it was released in 1993), it tells the story of the King of Halloween Town, the self-absorbed, but good-willed Jack Skellington as he tries to take over Christmas and spread holiday joy – but in his own terms. As you may have guessed, that led to some seriously, nasty problems. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, I highly recommend that you watch it.
As a tribute to one of the most loved and impressive films of that time, Tyler impressively managed to recreate Jack’s iconic home using a combination of impressive building techniques and a flair of creativity. The result? Jack Skellington’s House in magnificent LEGO form! Let’s take a closer look.
To begin with, let’s try to look at the impressive features of this MOC starting from the bottom, and working our way up. Beginning with its front gates, Tyler managed to recreate the entrance to this spooky house using gate pieces attached to angled columns. On top of the columns, you can see how Tyler cleverly recreated the eerie cat-like statues using a combination of clips and several robot arm pieces. When you open the gate, you’ll see that Tyler has demonstrated yet again, his exceptional building skills when he recreates that rickety, ramshackle of a stairs. Though it was a bit longer, windy, and twisted as you can see from the film, the stairs on this MOC needed to be a bit shorter to make the build stable and sturdy. Nevertheless, Tyler still managed to capture that Tim Burton feel with this set.
Leading on top of the steps is Jack’s one-eyed front door. Tyler added a typical eye piece (I’m assuming it was from a Mixel set) that represents a peek hole which is actually an eyeball embedded on the surface. The door actually opens and leads to a rather narrow corridor, and because of the relatively small space, there is nothing much to add to this section, which is fine since most of the build’s highlights or features are focused on the next part of Jack Skellington’s house.
If you turn it around, you’ll see that Tyler added more details such as holders to place one or two spiders, and a ladder that leads to the upper room of the house. Going back to the front, you’ll see that Tyler also managed to emphasize the house’s shabby, dilapidated look using building techniques that allows for angled columns and roofs.
On the sides, you’ll see another ingenious way on how Tyler achieved those sloped walls of Jack Skellington House, keeping up with Tim Burton’s vision of a gravity-defying structure.
Moving forward, we have a balcony with that same ramshackle feel, and windows on the side that gives you that Victorian, gothic look. The interior is jam-packed with nice details as well, including a chair for a minifigure, Christmas decors and some items that represent Jack’s horrific gifts to children on Christmas.
Now the roof was structurally impressive to say the least and perhaps the most telling feature of this MOC. The odd sloping angles are spot on, and the inclusion of the weirdly twisted chimney, tops it off. But that’s not all – it even opens in the middle to reveal the interior, allowing you easier access to its play features.
And finally, we have our custom-printed, Jack Skellington and Sally minifigures! I really love how these guys turned out – with the fine, ragdoll prints on Sally, and the black and white stripes on Jack. Both of them have side, back and arm printing, while Jack comes with two minifig heads each of which showing a different expression. Perhaps one thing that I would like to see on these custom minifigs are dual printed heads and perhaps, an accessory or two.
In case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s Tyler on his take with the custom LEGO The Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Skellington House.
If you love this one and would like to give it try, be sure to check out BuildBetterBricks.com to see how you can come up with your very own nightmarish creation. Purchasing this set of building instructions allows you access to its full, PDF file together with a parts list and a convenient Stud.io file for easy access and purchasing over at Bricklink.
So what do you think brick fans, will you give this a try?
LEGO is such a major toy and media brand all over the world that it is no surprise that they have gotten their own line of theme parks, starting with their first at Billund in Denmark (near the original LEGO factory site). Today, Legoland is a major tourist destination, with no less than eight theme parks under that banner in seven countries.
Merlin Entertainments, the UK-based theme park company that is the majority owner and operator of the Legoland parks, has three more projects underway: two in Asia and the third stateside, Legoland New York which has just started construction.
It was Merlin Entertainments CEO Nick Varney, who declared the official launch of Legoland New York. Construction would begin soon at the proposed site at Goshen in Orange County, New York following the approval of the town board.
Once building is completed sometime in 2020, the park, located due south of the former Arden Hill Hospital, is expected to open seasonally from April 1 to November 1 and will be the ninth Legoland in the world. While the theme park itself is seasonal, Merlin Entertainments is also erecting a nearby Legoland Hotel, one that will be open all year round.
The Legoland parks pride themselves on being a world of fun and adventure for families with young children. Their rides and attractions are mostly being given educational and learning elements, geared for child guests of ages 2 to 12. The same can be said of the Legoland Hotel, with its interactive environment featuring plenty of LEGO models and brick-themed guest rooms.
The New York theme park will join with its older Legoland siblings in Denmark, UK, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Dubai and the US (Carlsbad and Florida). A tenth Legoland in South Korea is also in the works with a 2019 completion date.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie hit cinemas around the globe last month, but LEGO is going to keep the hype for the film going long after the box office has run its course through its many tie-in products. As it seems, toy store chains that carry the LEGO brand are only happy to help out.
This usually takes the form of hosting “Make and Take” events, where skilled little builders can bring home their individual creations, and UK’s Toys R Us in the UK will be having one of these on the weekend, October 28.
As announced via TRU UK’s official blogsite, the LEGO model to build and bring home is a variant of the technically impressive LEGO Ninjago Movie Ice Tank (70616). Though the blogsite didn’t mention exactly what particular Ice Tank variant that children can make and take home this Saturday, our best guess is that it could be the Ice Tank (30427) polybag, or even a smaller version of it. TRU is known for offering its unique versions of smaller LEGO sets during these building events, so this is exciting to see.
Will this be given away this weekend at select TRU UK stores? We’ll just have to wait and see.
So if you happen to be near at any Toys R Us branch in the UK, then be sure to drop by this Saturday before noon (from 11AM to 1PM) to take part in this make and take fun. Take note though that not all TRU UK branches will be running the event.
For your guidance, the LEGO Ninjago Movie Ice Tank Make and TakeEvent will NOT be available in the following stores: Northampton Weston Favell, Nottingham Victoria Centre, Hemel Hempstead, Peterborough Serpentine Green, Blackburn, Sunderland, Glasgow The Forge, Edinbugh Fort Kinnaird, Craigleith, Carlisle, Crystal Peaks, Chester Broughton, Cardiff Queen Street, Staines, Derby intu, Aberdeen Union Square, Doncaster Frenchgate, Kingston and Banbury.
If someone were to say that 2014’s The LEGO Movie from Warner Bros. was a “disguised pilot” designed on purpose to spawn a media franchise, well, they might be on to something. After all, one of the major supporting characters in the film went on to headline his own LEGO Batman Movie earlier this year.
After The LEGO Batman last February, and The LEGO Ninjago last month, more feature films are still on the way, one of them being The LEGO Movie Part 2. Now, another supporting character from the original film, Princess Unikitty, will be getting her own spinoff on television.
This coming Friday, October 27, Cartoon Network will premiere from Warner Bros. a special sneak preview episode of the animated series “Unikitty!” a joint American-Danish production from WB Animation and the Lego Group.
We first had a glimpse about this series when an ‘unintentional’ reveal was made through a trailer ad from Cartoon Network Russia last April. It was later on confirmed, and officially announced at this year’s San Diego Comic Con. The series stars Tara Strong as the voice of Princess Unikitty, a Master Builder herself, and ruler of the magical Cloud Cuckoo Land as seen in The LEGO Movie. A trailer for the preview entitled “Spoooooky Game,” was released this week and it promises plenty of fun and laughs.
Unikitty! follows the titular minifigure cat princess as she tries to rule cloud Cuckoo Land by spreading positive vibes and stamping down on negativity, though her efforts to do so can take a toll on her own temper leading to the occasional “rage-out.” She is accompanied on her adventures by brother Puppycorn, scientist Dr. Fox, bodyguard Hawkodile and Flain the firebird.
Joining Tara Strong as voice talents are Grey Griffin, Kate Micucci, Roger Craig Smith, Eric Bauza, and H. Michael Croner. With a theme song performed by Japanese metal idol trio Babymetal, Unikitty! will air the “Spoooooky Game” special at 6:15PM EST this Friday, on Cartoon Network. The series proper will start sometime in 2018.
The Holidays are fast approaching, time for retail chains to start hyping up their products at customer-enticing prices. One of the early birds in promoting new LEGO products at awesome discount prices is none other than Target.
With the release of the latest version of their annual Toy Book Ad for 2017, the hottest toys to buy with the Christmas shopping rush so close. Leave it to Target to make sure that they have every new item imaginable on children’s wish-lists to be represented on their Toy Book, and leave it to LEGO to secure a permanent fixture within its pages.
Featured on the LEGO Brick Bash segment of the Target Toy Book 2017 are some of the most sought-after and season-appropriate play-sets and mini-figures, as well as a series of nifty promotional items for LEGO shoppers this late October and all through November.
Target’s first giveaway in this vein kicks off on October 29 until November 4, where guests purchasing $30 or more worth of Lego Batman products will receive a free LEGO Batman Movie Kiss Kiss Tuxedo Batman (5004928) Keychain polybag, normally available for $5.99 by itself.
Following that, from November 5 to 11, a $35 or more spent on all LEGO products will entitle you to a free LEGO Seasonal Christmas Ornament (5004934), saving $6.99 for shoppers.
Next on the freebie list, from November 12 to 18, Lego Star Wars product shoppers will be pleased to know that for a minimum $30 purchase they will also get a free LEGO Star Wars Mini Millennium Falcon set ($4.99 value). Though this version of the Falcon may be a bit of a downgrade as what we can find from its counterpart in this year’s LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar (75184), it is still a nice LEGO freebie that Target is throwing in.
The Falcon, as rendered in this year’s LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar.
It’s a great way to celebrate in advance the release of “Star Wars – Episode VIII: The Last Jedi” on December. The last day of this promo period will even be capped off by a grand LEGO Star Wars In-Store Scavenger Hunt offering even more giveaways galore.
Last but not least, from the 19th to the 25th, a minimum $30 Lego purchase nets a free LEGO Seasonal Santa Claus (30478) polybag set, as Thanksgiving and Black Friday gives way to the main Holiday season.
Earlier this year, we ran an article discussing the facts surrounding the rumored cancellation of LEGO Dimensions. However, it seems that these rumors are now set in stone and that the curtain has finally drawn to a close to another awesome LEGO theme. It is with a sad note that we need to share with everyone that LEGO Dimensions is canceled.
If you recall back in 2015, LEGO tried its hand at the toys-to-life video game genre, alongside Disney Infinity and Skylanders, capitalizing on its minifigures depicting various licensed characters from Warner Bros. and other well known IPs. In partnership with game developer Traveller’s Tales, LEGO Dimensions brought to life a total of 64 sets and an impressive line of collectible minifigures, some of which you can never find in any existing LEGO sets. Some of these are the more recent ones including the Teen Titans GO! Team Pack (71255), the Goonies Level Pack (71267), and the Beetlejuice Fun Pack (71349) just to name a few.
While LEGO promised a line of regular set releases for three years, Warner Bros. just announced this week that they will be wrapping things up a year sooner. So it was Monday, October 23, that the sad news broke out via LEGO Dimensions’ official Twitter page.
From building and rebuilding to the most bricktacular mash-ups, the Multiverse would be nothing without our amazing community. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/NEDbBXqjyZ
Sadly as it turns out, the recent batch of LEGO Dimensions sets that were released last September 12 will be the very last for the video game franchise, thus formally ending the golden age of toys-to-life gaming.
Though we can expect that LEGO will no longer release additional Dimensions sets after Wave 9, they assured fans that they haven’t completely pulled out the plug on LD. The game’s servers will continue to run and provide the necessary game updates and support for still active gamers.
This development may be disappointing to fans of the video game, but understandable given that LEGO Dimensions is the last bastion of the now dying toys-to-life segment (perhaps except for Nintendo’s line of Amiibo figures), and was unwittingly competing with consumers for other LEGO branded Traveller’s Tales and WB Interactive game titles. It also means that planned expansions for Year 3, such as for The Flash and Minecraft, will remain unrealized.
Meanwhile, as LEGO Dimensions’ game servers remain active, its Starter and Expansion Packs will continue to be sold, and might even be discounted when the Holidays come, perhaps except for those highly collectible sets.
So what do you think about this piece of news from LEGO Dimensions? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
The official images for the coming 2018 LEGO City set, Dirt Road Pursuit, were posted to the LEGO servers recently. These are not yet for sale, but looks like LEGO.com is getting ready for the holidays.
