Last weekend, the latest Jurassic movie opened to a respectable $148 million, albeit to fairly mixed reviews. Our reviews of the latest LEGO set tie-ins have also been rather mixed, but there are still some gems worth taking a closer look at. 75927 Stygimoloch Breakout is one of the smaller playsets, with only one dinosaur and two minifigures, built from 222 pieces. The set retails for $29.99 in the US ($39.99 in Canada | £34.99 in the UK). At first glance, the set is easy to dismiss as a generic holding pen with a small laboratory and observation area, but the set has a bit more going for it. Let’s take a closer look. The box, instructions, & sticker sheet The smallish box includes just two numbered bags, with the dinosaur in its own packaging and the single instruction booklet and the sticker sheet loose in the box. The sticker sheet...

I still remember He-Man and the Masters of the Universe during the days when there were no on-demand streaming services and we actually had to plan and time ourselves to catch the next episode. Then there was the daily bombardment of commercials to mesmerise us with fantasy scenes that we would recreate if we could only get our hands on these tempting toys. Johan Alexanderson has masterfully recreated the Castle of Grayskull play-set together with tiny characters to represent the plastic figures — like a time machine to tease our nostalgic memories. The model built features the same concept as the original design from Mattel back in the 80s. It has the capability to swing the castle open and closed to reveal play features at the rear. Making their appearance as part of the now converted play-theme into LEGO bricks are the unforgettable Orko, Man-At-Arms, Skeletor, and many more in a...

Cut-away LEGO builds are sometimes difficult to do, and tough to make look right. Giving the illusion of a sneak peak into a building takes clever skill when also trying to maintain structural stability. But Carter Witz is one of those builders who has that talent. His Viking longhouse he built for the Summer Joust 2018 contest is sure to be a favorite! Real-life Viking longhouses were made using some combination of timber, stone, or peat bricks, and had thatched or turf roofs. They were also lined with bench-like platforms for sitting and sleeping, and occupants did everything in these structures. Privacy sure must have been scarce! Carter’s LEGO version comes complete with the customary central hearth where the family both cooked and did iron-work. I love all the little details, but one of my favorite parts is the cloaks hanging on the “clothesline”. The post A look inside a Viking...

Look out, the amphibious space invaders are coming! Far from piloting mysterious saucers, however, these toads have tech much more familiar, needing a massive rocket to break the planet’s gravity. As usual, the ever-prolific builder Karf Oohlu employs interesting elements at every turn. Two stand out among the lot, though, with minifigure hands deftly employed to create a stud-reversal beneath the cockpit, and light covers doing double duty as space helmets–an easy-to-miss detail of the landed astronauts. The post Amphibious space invaders appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Chris

This Friends-themed Star Wars diorama by Tyler Sky is simply delightful! I can’t imagine these mini-dolls preparing for a battle, but it’s pretty much a winner in my books anyway. It’s got a great theme, and the Friends sparkle isn’t overwhelming–just enough of a touch of the familiar colour palette to give it the feeling of a semi-serious scene from Heart Lake City. The mini-dolls sporting Rebel helmets are a perfect fit as the brave pilots. A closer look shows the typical slot where the Astromechs are seated is now co-piloted by favourite furries, with a transparent dome for protection. Theme aside, the construction of the Friendly Y-Wing is also quite well thought out. Clever uses of parts include a basketball net for the ion jet turbine exhausts and tread links to form the vectral rings at the very end of the engine pods. The post Heartlake City Central Base Station appeared first...