LEGO® pieces, new set reviews, building techniques and brick model ideas
Nevertheless, despite their long partnership with the LEGO Speed Champions line, Ferrari always brings something new to the table. Take last year's 1970 Ferrari 512 M for example: a totally unique addition to the LEGO Speed Champions garage and maybe the best building experience of that lineup. Despite my initial reservations, the Ferrari 812 Competizione still proved to be an impressive set.
Today we’re taking a look at LEGO® Ideas 21339 BTS Dynamite, a set that uniquely has been based on a music video. More specifically, the music video for Dynamite by BTS. For the uninitiated, BTS is a mega popular Korean K-Pop band with a massive worldwide following.
21339 Dynamite gathered the required 10,000 supporters to enter the LEGO Ideas review process before being approved in February 2022 to become an actual LEGO set.
What if LEGO® Jurassic World sets had brick-built dinosaurs? I was intrigued by the presence of one in 2022's 76956 T.rex Breakout, and wanted to check it out to see if LEGO succeeded to bring the prehistoric predator to life with so-called normal pieces. Also, a brick-built Tyrannosaurus is definitely easier to refurbish than one of those prefabricated dinosaurs, so I gave mine bit of a facelift.
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| Left: ©2022 The LEGO Group. Right: Eero's revised version. |
The super cars of Pagani blur the lines between automobile and art. Horacio Pagani's latest masterpiece, the Utopia, would look equally at home in a museum or a garage. I'm not a big car fan by any means but even I can appreciate this work of art! Let's take a look at the LEGO® version of the stunning 'hyper car of the future'.
The LEGO® City Stuntz subtheme uses a number of unique elements in its sets' novel play features. Today, I'm taking a look at 60338 Smashing Chimpanzee Stunt Loop from 2022, which offers a nice sampling of the specialized elements featured throughout the Stuntz range.
The Porsche 963 is the German automobile manufacturer's newest race car and draws inspiration from the 956 and 962 from Porsche's 1980s racing days. It was revealed last year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and just made its racing debut last month at Daytona. Better still, next month it's getting a brick-built replica in LEGO® Speed Champions 76916 Porsche 963, which we are looking at today.
Today's review is for all dog-lovers! Join me on a journey through Heartlake City in search of canines in need of rescue.
The January 2023 wave of LEGO® Friends sets bring us forward in the timeline with the original group now all grown up and the introduction of a new group of 8 brand new characters. To get to know them better the theme gives us a look into their rooms with 4 new sets showing their hobbies and interests: 41739 Liann’s Room, 41740 Aliya’s Room, 41754 Leo’s Room and 41755 Nova’s Room.
The sets average around 200 parts, and are available for £17.99 / €19,99 / $19.99 / AU$32.99. I assume the rooms of the other 4 friends will show up in future?
Apparently it’s a new trend: Tiny Houses. On one hand, I like the concept: less room means less building materials, heating, maintenance and footprint but just thinking about living in one makes me claustrophobic. I’m not a fan of small spaces. I need room to breathe and move...besides, where would I store my LEGO in a Tiny House?
The next set from the January 2023 wave of LEGO® Friends sets under my review is another shop: 41729 Organic Grocery Store. With 830 parts, it sits within the top 5 largest sets out of the wave, and includes some nice new elements. So, grab your cart and load up with MOC-feeders.
LEGO® BIONICLE® has had a surprisingly turbulent life cycle for a LEGO theme. It initially debuted in 2001 and ran until 2010, supported by comics, novels, and films. In 2015, the theme would receive an ill-fated reboot, which lasted only until the end of 2016. Despite these ups-and-downs, BIONICLE still has an avid following among a certain sect of LEGO fans.
Later this month, BIONICLE once again rises from the ashes in the form of 40581 BIONICLE® Tahu and Takua, which will be available as a gift with select purchases over the $100 / €100 / £90 threshold between 27 January and 9 February, 2023.
In August 2022 the world of LEGO® Super Mario™ expanded yet again with 71408 Peach’s Castle Expansion Set. Today we're playing a bit of catch up with a look at the new elements and prints it introduces, as well as a handful of MOCs inspired by its inventory.
The new year brings us a brand new group of Heartlake friends and according to the press release they'll meet each other at school. So naturally a school comes in the new wave of LEGO® Friends. We've seen 2 previous school sets (5 if you count the Art, Theater and Performance sets), and I’ll be schooling you today on the third: Friends 41731 Heartlake International School. With 985 pieces it's the second biggest set in the January 2023 wave, so sit up, grab your pencil or laptop and pay attention!
Thomas Jenkins has already reviewed the largest offering of the January 2023 wave of LEGO® Monkie Kid sets, 80045 Monkey King Ultra Mech, and I have taken a look at 80040 Monkie Kid's Combi Mech and 80041 Mei's Dragon Jet in a combined review, plus 80043 Yellow Tusk Elephant. Today it is the turn of 80044 Monkie Kid's Team Hideout.
After examining all of the new elements found in the January 2023 LEGO® Friends wave, it’s time to take a look at the largest of the sets, 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores. With 2010 parts, it's not just the largest piece count of the wave, it's the largest ever in the 10 years of the LEGO Friends theme. It's even the first LEGO Friends set to have a 12+ age recommendation.
I’ve been hoping for a Modular-sized LEGO Friends build, and this set comes close. Let’s find out if that 12+ mark is warranted.
As I write this review, my part of the UK is inches deep in snow and has plunged to sub zero temperatures. Cold winds brought here by the Nindroid’s new beast, perhaps?
Part of January’s LEGO® NINJAGO® ‘Core’ subtheme release, 71786 Zane's Ice Dragon Creature doesn’t tie to the TV show and so it’s free to just be its own thing. And an awesome-looking thing it is too. Today were are reviewing this huge, glacial-coloured hexapod.
Thomas Jenkins has already reviewed the largest offering of the January 2023 wave of LEGO® Monkie Kid sets, 80045 Monkey King Ultra Mech, and I have taken a look at 80040 Monkie Kid's Combi Mech and 80041 Mei's Dragon Jet in a combined review. Today I'm turning my attention to 80043 Yellow Tusk Elephant, which sits in the middle of the range, and I will be assessing 80044 Monkie Kid's Team Hideout very soon. For brevity, I will refer to them by their set numbers in the text below.
