We already saw its box art and packaging, and this time, we have our first look at the LEGO Ninjago Movie Collectible Minifigure checklist courtesy of LEGO Quick Review. Sightings and reports of this CMF’s availability has been making rounds on the Internet, and now we get to see its official checklist. There’s a total of 20 minifigures to collect, and the ones that I’ve set my sight on are the Jay Walker (#6) and Flashback Garmadon (#15) minifigs.
The checklist also provides some pretty exciting details on how to assemble the more complex minifigures. I find it interesting how the oriental skirt wraps around Master Wu’s minifig – quite ingenious actually.
If you’re eyeing to collect all 20, you’ll be happy to know that there are exactly 3 sets of 20 minifigs per box. You have the usual option of feeling your way through each blind bag, or just grab the entire box (if you have the cash to burn) and share the rest of it with your ninja friends. The LEGO Ninja Go Movie Collectible Minifigures will be available to the general public starting in August of this year, while the film itself is slated to hit theaters on September 22.
Now that we’re already halfway through the year, LEGO has started to reveal some bits of info on what its seasonal Christmas ornaments will look like. Brickset has once more updated their database to include two of this year’s Christmas seasonal sets: the LEGO Creator Santa Claus (30478) polybag, and the LEGO Christmas Ornament (5004934) set. Last year, we had a total of 7 seasonal sets from LEGO, so we can also expect a few more to be announced later on within the year.
The LEGO Creator Santa Claus (30478) is a pretty straightforward build, consisting of a brick-built figure of St. Nick which is relatively easy to build using some LEGO parts that you may already have. Though it’s quite simple, the design is fun to look at and will look nice together with last year’s Little Elf Helpers (40205).
The LEGO Christmas Ornament (5004934) seems to borrow the idea from 2016’s seasonal rehash of the Gingerbread Man (5005156) in terms of using its packaging as a decorative element. However, though the set includes two children minifigures and a trike, gift box and a mini RC toy car, I couldn’t help but think that LEGO could have done better. Instead of using a cardboard with a printed brick-built Christmas tree, LEGO could have thrown in the actual bricks needed to make the tree printed on the box. To top it off, it’s quite an irony to include a traditional Christmas star built with actual LEGO pieces, and have it placed on top of the cardboard packaging. Personally, I’m not a fan of LEGO builds or sets or minifigs that use its packaging as an additional decorative element so I’ll probably pass on this one, unless it’s a free promotional gift.
We have no word yet on when and where this seasonal sets will be available, but my best bet is that it is slated to be a free promotional just in time for the holiday season. I just hope LEGO will come up with another excellent Christmas collectible such as last year’s LEGO Snowglobe (40223).
This year’s LEGO Inside Tour has already been concluded, and though it has been weeks since the last batch of tour participants left the LEGO Group’s headquarters in Billund, their experience during the tour and the things that LEGO has unveiled in the process, is of great significance even for us LEGO fans residing in this corner of the globe.
Since its beginnings in 2005, the LEGO Inside Tour offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the LEGO Group. From their staff and designers’ day-to-day activities, to the daily operations of their production plant where the iconic bricks are made, tour participants get to see a glimpse of how LEGO is devoted and passionate in creating the coolest toy ever created. At the end of the two-day tour, LEGO caps off the experience with a very unique gift that each participant gets to bring home that perfectly sums up the LIT experience.
Each LEGO Inside Tour commemorative gift is unique in itself, with a new one released every year thoughtfully designed under close collaboration with Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, TLG’s current owner and grandson of LEGO founder Ole Kirk Kristiansen. Needless to say, this commemorative gift represents everything that is close to the heart of LEGO as a respected company, and symbolizes TLG’s significant milestones throughout the years.
If you recall, last 2016’s LEGO Inside Tour saw the reveal of the LEGO Truck Show (4000022) as its gift to participants of the tour. The set looks back at LEGO’s marketing efforts back in the late nineties where they opted to go mobile in promoting the LEGO brand among children and adults. More like LEGO’s version of a travelling road show, the LEGO Truck Show has proved to be popular during its heyday, with children excitingly waiting for the famed yellow Volvo truck to appear in their neighborhood. It represented a significant milestone in the life of TLG where the company can get to bring the creative fun of the LEGO brand to kids across the globe.
Each LEGO Inside Tour set, like 2016’s LEGO Truck Show, represents a very important landmark for LEGO. This year, LEGO has invested a great deal in envisioning another very important event in the life of the company. Under the helm of LEGO’s current CEO Bali Padda, the LEGO House – whose construction began in 2014 – is expected to open to the public on September 28, 2017.
Things are gradually taking shape within the LEGO House, with three large-scale, brick-built dinosaur models stealing the scene. However, awesome as these builds are, they are eventually humbled in comparison to the colossal, Tree of Creativity which stands in the middle of LEGO Square. The Tree of Creativity stands at over 15 meters tall and is made mainly of standard brown, black, and green bricks totalling to more than 6.3 million pieces. It represents everything that is important to LEGO, its history, vision and aspirations. Check out the video below courtesy of Beyond the Brickthat shows the fine details of the Tree of Creativity and the rest of the cool things inside the LEGO House.
In the midst of LEGO House stands one of the world’s most iconic LEGO models, at over 15m tall and packed full of details and surprises even the most avid LEGO enthusiast cannot fail to be impressed by the Tree of Creativity.
Originally the team had a few more ideas for alternative models, but in the end it was the tree that won because the idea was so strong. The base and roots of the tree represent the LEGO Group foundation in wooden toys and at the very top LEGO minifigure workers are building new branches using a giant crane. Just like LEGO House itself.
The unique LEGO model is built by hand from 6.316.611 standard LEGO bricks and took 24.350 hours to assemble.
2017 is a big year for LEGO, especially when the doors of the LEGO House open to public for the very first time come September 28. It is no wonder then that this year’s LEGO Inside Tour pays a fitting tribute to this magnificent tree, dedicating this year’s LIT commemorative set to this fitting metaphor. The LEGO House Tree of Creativity (4000024) set stands as a reminder of the strong and humble roots of LEGO, and the ever expanding horizon that its leaves and branches reach.
Since only a few blessed souls get to attend the LEGO Inside Tour on a yearly basis, we are thankful to the Brickfinder for sharing the following images for all of us to see and appreciate. These images give us a closer look at the miniature model of the Tree of Creativity of the LEGO House, plus some background information about the set.
Stuart Harris, Senior Experience Designer and overall responsible for the large-scale models that will go into the LEGO House, shares his thoughts about the LEGO Tree of Creativity.
The Tree of Creativity is beautiful in itself, but it is also a metaphor for the LEGO Group. It’s stood the test of time and has grown over many years, which represents the continual growth of the company. The base and roots of the tree represent our foundation in wooden toys and at the very top you’ll see the tree is ‘unfinished’. Minifigure workers can be seen building new branches using the giant crane sitting at the very top, representing the on-going renewal and development of the LEGO Group.
Credit goes to Mr. Robin Yeo and Brickfinder for sharing these images.
What do you think about this year’s LEGO Inside Tour Tree of Creativity set? Do you think LEGO made a right call in choosing this as a commemorative LIT set? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
From the tiniest adventure on the high seas with the Mini LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean The Black Pearl MOC, Tyler now set sail for his next LEGO build based on Disney’s latest film instalment, Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales. Based on a particular scene where Jack Sparrow pays a visit to the newest bank in town, Tyler’s next LEGO POTC MOC perfectly captures the irreverent fun and chaos that Jack Sparrow and his gang incited. Now, if you haven’t seen the film yet, these are just minor spoilers that I’m sure you will not mind brushing off aside. Nevertheless, the scene was hilariously great that Tyler opted to dedicate this LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean Bank Heist MOC on this one.
On the outside, the bank features two opening doors in the front with some space for receiving bank customers and guests. Tyler even adds some neat details such as a tiled floor, which you can see by removing a portion of the roof. Further front, you have a bank vault with an opening door, filled with some nice gold elements.
Trusty old Gibbs also joins the fun in this bank heist scene with his team of horses pulling their prize across the street and throughout town. To make this MOC mobile, Tyler added some wheel pieces at the bottom to help it slide around easily.
If you’ve seen the film already, you know that at some point Jack and Gibbs ran into an obstacle when they reached a bridge that was too small for them to go through underneath. Since Jack has been such a never-say-die character, you can expect things to get crazy after this. They decided to crash into the bridge making the vault burst from behind the bank itself as the horses pull it through. To capture this fun and intense scene, Tyler cleverly recreated it by adding an awesome play feature to this MOC.
By pushing and sliding the second detachable roof top towards the bank entrance, the back side of the bank opens allowing the vault to be dragged by the horses attached to it. The vault itself is integrated within the bank that when you put it back in, it has a locking mechanism that snaps it back in place using a hinge and several rubber bands. This feature allows you to drag the bank together with the vault and when you slide the rooftop again, it releases the vault once more. It’s a really great play feature that shows how creative Tyler can be. Just have the bank’s rooftop bump on to something to release the vault and you can easily recreate that hilarious scene. Watch the video below and see how Tyler did it.
Now if you want to build this model, we have good news for you. All you have to do is head over at Buildbetterbricks.com and download the instructions. For a very minimal fee, you can have the digital instructions in pdf format plus a complete parts list of all the 630 LEGO pieces that Tyler used to create this MOC, including a Stud.io file which you can import to Bricklink so you can order the parts that you need. Additionally, Buildbetterbricks have also updated its listing to include the building instructions for another fan favorite, the Custom LEGO GOTG Starlord’s Walkman so be sure to check it out as well.
A few days ago, we saw the release of the building instructions for some of Tyler’s awesome MOCs particularly the massive, UCS-styled LEGO GOTG Vol. 2 Milano and Baby Groot MOCs. In case you missed it, the instructions for building these awesome creations are now available at Buildbetterbricks.com for only $8 and $5 respectively.
This time, from the far reaches of the galaxy, Tyler’s brick-building adventure now brings us to the high seas with his next swashbuckling chibi-sized MOC, the Mini LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean The Black Pearl MOC. Done in the same style to that of the LEGO Star Wars Microfighters, this micro sized version of the larger LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean The Black Pearl (4184), is the closest miniature counterpart of the iconic ship that we can ever have, perhaps even better than that of LEGO’s polybag version the Mini Black Pearl (30130).
Tyler admits that this micro-sized Black Pearl was a bit of a challenge to make since packing all the details of the larger ship into one small build is not really a walk in the park. We have several pieces placed on the side for its cannons, and the sail in itself has a very nice feel, with Tyler even managing to create that curved look with just a few sloped pieces. Needless to say, he was really glad how it turned out, especially once you place Jack Sparrow’s minifig at the helm of this mini Black Pearl. Here’s Tyler with more info on this impressive build.
So if you’re into micro-scaled versions of the most popular LEGO sets around, be sure to check out the building instructions for this Mini LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean The Black Pearl at Buildbetterbricks.com. For a minimal fee of only $3 USD, you can have the full instructions in downloadable PDF format, a parts list, and Stud.io file so you can easily import the parts list into Bricklink.
While you’re at it, be sure to check our FREE – yes, FREE – building instructions for our super micro-sized LEGO GOTG Vol. 2 Milano also available at Buildbetterbricks.com. This fun and easy MOC is a fitting contrast to its larger predecessor, with only 12 pieces needed to build it. Its Tyler way of paying it forward for the huge support that you’ve shown for his work.
Do you have other ideas and LEGO creations that you want Tyler to build? Let us know in the comments below!
If you recall, the July LEGO Store Calendar already teased next month’s exclusive VIP set. We don’t have the faintest idea then on what it could be, considering that we already have the most recent LEGO Creator Expert Carousel (10257). But thanks to Hoth Bricks, we now have info on what this mystery set will be.
Already listed on Brickset, the LEGO Creator Expert Double Decker Bus (10258) is slated to be the next Advanced Model set that takes cue from its smaller cousin, the LEGO Creator London Bus (40220). It is expected that the July D2C exclusive will be a faithful representation of the iconic London Bus that may probably designed to be at a minifig scale.
Interestingly, the LEGO Creator Carousel (10257) designer video may have already hinted on the Double Decker Bus when it featured one the LEGO designers having a doppelganger of some sorts.
It also seems that LEGO intends to have this mini-versions and large set counterparts as main staple of its Creator line. In 2011, we saw the Volkswagen T1 Camper Van (10220) getting the LEGO treatment and two years later, having a mini-me version in the form of the Mini VW T1 Camper Van (40079) polybag. Then just last year, we have the Volkswagen Beetle (10252) and its smaller cousin the Mini Volkswagen Beetle (40252) LEGO Store promotional.
If this indeed our July LEGO Creator Expert Store exclusive, then we can expect an official word from LEGO anytime soon. The LEGO Creator Expert Double Decker Bus (10258) will be available for early VIP access from July 17-31, retailing at 129.99 Euros. What do you think about this set brick fans? Will you fancy building yourself a Double Decker Bus? Let us know in the comments below, or head over at our Facebook page to share your thoughts.
LEGO has been faithfully recreating some of the most memorable scenes in the movies as long as I can remember, and now that LEGO’s partnership with Disney is on full swing, especially with the advent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), we can certainly expect more awesome sets to be released later on, even until 2020.
Suffice it to say, it is not only LEGO that is excited about these sets, but also dedicated fans who wish to see some of their most memorable movie scenes conveyed in LEGO form. Tyler is no stranger in this genre, and we’re undoubtedly impressed by his level of creativity and imagination. If you’re not familiar with his work yet, just click on any of the links below and see how he recreated some of the best scenes memorable characters, and iconic objects from our most-loved films, even upcoming ones.
This time around, Tyler becomes more inventive by adding additional life-sized MOCs into his roster of creations, specifically by giving life to one of Marvel galaxy’s cutest Guardians, none other than Baby Groot. Take a look at this video.
Tyler never missed out on the details: from Baby Groot’s Ravager garb to the excellent articulation in virtually all of Baby Groot’s joints for a more dynamic posing. Its scale and size is well-balanced and is evenly proportioned which gives this LEGO Baby Groot MOC a very lifelike feel. The best part of it is that Tyler was able to capture Baby Groot’s temperament with his clever use of LEGO pieces. The mouth and eyebrows can all be adjusted to convey either an angry look, or emphatic understanding.
Admittedly, this is one of Tyler’s best work yet and will probably sit on his shelf or desk for a very long time.
Finally, his latest movie-inspired creation is a shout out to one of the coolest upgrades to our webcrawler’s costume. Based on MCU’s Spider-Man Homecoming film slated to hit theaters on July 7, the Spider-Drone (as Tyler opted to call it), is the built-in device that pops out from the emblem of Spidey’s costume, which is by the way, crafted by Tony Stark himself. It didn’t get that much of a screen time in the official trailers, but seeing it in action will surely be one of the coolest part of the film. Here’s Tyler with his brick-built, life-sized version of the Spider-Drone.
Similar to Baby Groot, the Spider-Drone features a lot of articulation using several ball joints and hinges located in its thorax. Tyler adds a propeller underneath its lower extremities to give the Spider-Drone its flight capabilities as seen in the trailer. That part of the abdomen, which connects to the thorax, is likewise articulated to give the Spider-Drone a lifelike feel and pose. It’s kind of a cool to have it standing around with its abdomen slightly raised – it can easily be looked upon as a real spider if viewed from a distance.
Do you have any other films that you wish to see in LEGO form? Drop us a note in the comments below, or tell us what you think in our Facebook page. Disney and Marvel’s Spider-Man Homecoming will swing into theaters on July 7, 2017. Credit goes to Huxley Berg Studios for the front page photo seen above.
Tyler is back with another ‘wish set’ and this time, from the epic film series, Lord of the Rings. If you’ve missed his earlier MOCs that you wish could have been released as official LEGO sets, be sure to check his 3,000-piece, UCS style GOTG Milano and Star Wars The Last Jedi Resistance Skimmer. Based on J.L. Tolkien’s classic books, The Lord of the Rings is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated film adaptations of all time. It has a storyline so rich in imagery and fast-paced action that it is kind of hard to put down your finger and choose what particular scene is the best. One particular scene in the first LOTR film, The Fellowship of the Ring, shows the band of Hobbits led by Frodo seeking shelter in an inn where they eventually came across Aragorn or otherwise known as Strider at that time. Called as the Prancing Pony, the inn has established a name in itself as a popular pub and stopover for weary travelers. This is also the place where Frodo first unwittingly used the Ring and caused quite a commotion.
This time, Tyler has rendered this scene in LEGO bricks, complete with all the important details, characters and play features that surely make it as a must have, LEGO ‘wish list’ set. So let’s take a look.
As always, Tyler outdid himself again with this LEGO LOTR Prancing Pony ‘set’, with all its subtle details and use of clever building techniques. From the Prancing Pony signage piece (less the stickers), to the nice details on the windows and lattices, everything is spot-on in such a relatively small scale.
Same as his previous videos, Tyler was kind enough to show and teach some building techniques in creating this set, particularly on how he managed to create the angled window roofs of the Prancing Pony using Technic parts.
Of course, like any other LEGO sets, the Prancing Pony set comes with a couple of play features, especially on the inside. Turning around, you’ll see all the significant parts of the inn perfectly conveyed in their miniature LEGO form. It has detachable stairs, a table with several nice details such as a goblet, candlestick, and a pint, and of course the bartender’s area where Butterbur served the young masters. Upstairs, you also get to see the bedrooms as included in that particular scene: one on the left where Aragorn kept watch over the ghostly Ringwraiths, and the other featuring a Hobbit-sized bed.
And finally, we have the minifigures! This is one LEGO wishlist set that is a sure winner in terms of the minifigs included with it, if ever LEGO officially made it as an official set. It comes with all four, young Hobbits (Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam), Aragorn, Butterbur the bartender, and two shadowy Ringwraiths. In case you want to know, you can get all these LOTR minifigs from the Attack on Weathertop (9472), The Mines of Moria (9473), and Shelob Attacks (9470) sets.
So what do you think brick fans? Will you pick up this one if ever it becomes an official LEGO Lord of the Rings set? What other LOTR scenes would you like to see rendered in LEGO bricks? Let us know in the comments or head over our Facebook page to join the discussion.
Every now and then, we feature a top 10 Brick List that showcases the best, LEGO creations out there, and even those that we wish to see in the future. For this week, we would like to share our selection of the best Marvel-inspired LEGO MOCs, thanks to the efforts of our Brick List researcher and narrator James Hicks. In no particular order, this is our take on the best Marvel-themed MOCs around.
If you recall, the Sentinel has been the mechanical bane of the X-Men for as long as they can remember. When the X-Men TV series took off in the 1990s, it even started the season by paying tribute to these technological atrocities. This brick-built version of the walking behemoth was perfectly captured by Australian builder Henry Pinto using 7.5 kilograms of LEGO bricks just in time for the Sydney Brick Show in April last year.
Tim’s MOC captures the apparent frustration of the web crawler as he tries to save everyone on this construction site, against the unholy allegiance of super-powered villains collectively called as the Sinister Six. It’s just a terrible lot to be caught in.
This is by far THE best LEGO Ghost Rider MOC that we have ever seen for a while. Dennis managed to recreate the horrifyingly cool atmosphere that surrounds this Marvel hero from hell using mostly LEGO technic parts for the motorcycle build, and Bionicle pieces for the Ghost Rider himself. Dennis also underscored the Rider’s terrifying presence by adding plenty of flame elements around it.
Of course, our very own Tyler Clites also makes it to our Top 10 Marvel-inspired LEGO creations, with his own version of the adorable Baby Groot as seen in the first Guardians of the Galaxy Film. This fun version of Baby Groot highlights Tyler’s impressive building techniques as he captures the looks of Baby Groot dancing to the tune of the Jackson 5.
Glen Bricker lives up to his name by building a modest looking LEGO version of the famed X-Men Mansion. On the outside, there seems to be nothing special about it, but once you turn it around, then the Mansion reveals its inner working in all of its modular glory. The build itself is layered and I love the many possibilities that its modular design can offer. Glen has also included the iconic Danger Room at the bottom of the Mansion.
This MOC is inspired by Superior Iron Man #1 comic. The build cleverly portrays Magneto as he ‘lifts’ the vehicles around and throws them towards She-Hulk. Ben uses several transparent rods to hold the vehicles in place, giving the impression that they are suspended in mid-air. I also like the painstaking details that Ben added to the pavement using a handful of circular gray plates and studs.
With so many things going on in this MOC, it’s kind of hard to decide where to start first. We have Ice Man, Doctor Octopus, Iron Man, and a host of Marvel superhero legends battling it out in front of a humble comic book store. It features several fight scenes among the heroes and baddies of Marvel such as the Green Goblin vs Spider-Man, Captain America going on a free fall, Ice Man joining the fray, Rogue jumping into action, and Iron Fist ready to take a swing with his destructive knuckles among many others.
Thornsten’s MOC seems to look like it leaped from a comic book page. Spider-Man seems to get more than what he bargained for when he confronts Sandman and his intimidating sand creation. The building techniques used in creating the ‘sand hand’ gives a seamless effect throughout the build. Throw in a terrified crowd of minifigs, and you have one action packed scene straight from the comics.
This Marvel creation is based on the original Dark Phoenix Saga published in 1980. We see the Jean Gray’s minifigure as it is engulfed in flames. Alex made very good use of various red flame pieces and lighting techniques to create that mesmerizing effect of showing that breaking point in Jean’s psyche. It is a very impressive build that seems to come alive as a set.
This MOC by Australian YouTuber and LEGO aficionado that goes by the name DownUnder Bricks, was put on display during last year’s Brickvention in Australia. The level of detail on this MOC starting with the pond and garden beds outside the Avengers HQ, and even Tony Stark’s bar and lounge, is absolutely impressive.
So what do you think of our list? Did we miss out on anything that you may have liked? Share us what you think in the comments below, or tell us your favorite Marvel-inspired LEGO MOC in our Facebook page.
Who says being a LEGO fan ain’t tough? Next month’s Block’s Magazine Issue #31 shows what a UFC mixed martial artist and a budding LEGO Master Builder have in common. Issue #31 also gives an in-depth look at ‘cyberpunk’ building, and what it takes to re-create the sci-fi, over-the-top, apocalyptic, LEGO aesthetic.
Issue #31 also puts LEGO Technic’s latest remote-control creation and puts it under the harshest road tests. Will the LEGO Technic RC Tracked Racer (42065) stand the most gruelling tests that the Blocks magazine crew can think of? We shall see. Finally, the latest waves from LEGO Dimensions, NEXO Knights and DC Superhero Girls also get a share of the limelight with some pretty cool reviews from the staff, who perhaps can give us an idea on what the future holds for these themes. If you recall, there has been plenty of talks surrounding LEGO Dimensions and NEXO Knights, where these relatively young themes is rumored to be cancelled any time soon.
Better grab your bricks and get ready for some serious brick-building action!
Blocks Magazine is available both in print and digital formats. You may visit their website for more information on how to order your copy, or visit any Barnes & Noble bookstore nearest you. As a side note, Wildcard Toys are also offering several back issues that you may have missed, so be sure to check on them as well.
Brick Factor, famous fans and Cyberpunk in Blocks magazine Issue 31
There are all kinds of LEGO fans around the world, and the latest issue of Blocks magazine demonstrates that by talking to a mixed martial artist, competitive builders down under and one of the most dedicated collectors.
We take a look at Australia’s answer to The X Factor, as the country’s first LEGOLAND Discovery Centre looks for its resident Master Model Builder. If anyone is planning to enter one of these contests one day, it’s a must read account of the ropes that these LEGO building professionals go through to get there.
Cage Rage British Featherweight Champion Brad Pickett talks to Blocks magazine about his love of the brick, sharing his experiences balancing his LEGO hobby and UFC career. Lewis Aylmer shares his fascinating story of LEGO collecting, based around classic 1960s sets that are rarely seen in person – the images of his collection alone will fill fans with envy.
RC Tracked Racer from the LEGO Technic range gets put through the paces in the Blocks Review section, to see how it stands up to different terrain. Creator, Friends and NEXO KNIGHTS are all put under the spotlight too to see which sets are worth picking up and which are worth skipping.
Cyberpunk gets a deep dive in this month’s build section, with Cole Blaq analysing what LEGO fans do in order to recreate the unique aesthetic found in stories such as Ghost in the Shell. The best builders in the genre demonstrate how to create awesome Cyberpunk settings, before Ghost in the Shell itself gets the LEGO treatment.
To subscribe to Blocks magazine and get your monthly fix of LEGO content delivered straight to your door, visit www.blocksmag.com.
