An expensive set that brings out all the rarities
The wave of Ninjago Movie themed sets have come around to a halt now with only the Ninjago City Docks 70657 on the shelves after June 1. Overall, expectations were quite high for the movie, especially with the fantastic results from The LEGO Movie and LEGO Batman Movie. But it seems that it wasn’t a hattrick for LEGO. The LEGO Ninjago Movie performed lower than expected and box office wise received significantly less compared with the other two LEGO animated/stop-motion films.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie line produced 34 products targeting all age groups, from Juniors to the exclusive big-ticket collectors. One set that caught my attention from when the official images were released, was the Master Falls set, but hey, everyone has their own favourites. So why is this mid-sized set any different? Read on to find out.
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There is lots to love with the set. It can be easily located in the film which is a pivotal point in creating sales and attraction. The box contains 312 pieces which can still be bought in stores today.
Australia $44.99
United Kingdom £24.99
United States $29.99
The box art has been done really well here and promotes the set nicely. The main character Lloyd is pictured on the side of the box with his different mould. Green eyes. Fittingly appropriate.
Four minifigures are included, with three of them being of interest.
Kai is wearing his symbolic red Spinjitzu clothes shaped as a gown with Japanese writing saying fire. The pants have been beautifully decorated with red diamond shaped imprints on the front. He carries two swords on his back held together by a shoulder pad. Not shoulder pads. Wouldn’t it make sense to have protection on both sides? The hairpiece is a new mould which suits Kai as it does look like a flame on his head. The back torso is hidden by the sword carriers so which when removed, reveals a version of the lotus flower but looking more like the atom symbol⚛. Kai also features a double face. One where he is smiling whilst on the other looking determined or annoyed.
Garmadon essentially comes as a one-and-a-half figure. The inclusion of another customer moulded torso makes him a good head taller than standard minifigures. The extra torso mould looks identical to any other torso but is slightly smaller and can't have another body sit on top (as you may have figured out when trying to stack minifig bodies on top of each other). Both torsos feature the multiple abdominals (8 pack? Who's counting?) and extensive body build up along with all the tiny hairs covering his chest.
The single sided face has lots of detail, from chin hairs to fang teeth, bushy eyebrows, and plenty of wrinkles! The red eyes sure do pierce through all the black. The addition of a small camouflage cape going over his shoulder features plenty of black stripes, perfect for the location of the set. There is also a conical Asian hat in dark brown which is also a sensible inclusion to the jungle setting.
The design of Sensei Wu uses great colour blending with the white and tan. He comes with a wavy beard, a stick, and flat conical Asain hat. The shirt has minimal printing with only his buttoned robe. To make the clothing look more realistic, the bottom half of the gown is made from fabric and needs to be manually placed on. This job can be slightly fiddly. The tan pants have no printing except for the shoes which are brown. On the back, Sensei Wu has a red lotus flower which looks more like the atomic symbol. The face is quite detailed with age well depicted through the white hairs and wrinkles.
The skeleton figure features nothing special. It's just your typical skeleton looking guy. An interesting fact is that this particular design has only appeared in 4 sets since 2013, two of them in the seasonal theme.
The wave of Ninjago Movie themed sets have come around to a halt now with only the Ninjago City Docks 70657 on the shelves after June 1. Overall, expectations were quite high for the movie, especially with the fantastic results from The LEGO Movie and LEGO Batman Movie. But it seems that it wasn’t a hattrick for LEGO. The LEGO Ninjago Movie performed lower than expected and box office wise received significantly less compared with the other two LEGO animated/stop-motion films.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie line produced 34 products targeting all age groups, from Juniors to the exclusive big-ticket collectors. One set that caught my attention from when the official images were released, was the Master Falls set, but hey, everyone has their own favourites. So why is this mid-sized set any different? Read on to find out.
-----------------------------------------
There is lots to love with the set. It can be easily located in the film which is a pivotal point in creating sales and attraction. The box contains 312 pieces which can still be bought in stores today.
Australia $44.99
United Kingdom £24.99
United States $29.99
The box art has been done really well here and promotes the set nicely. The main character Lloyd is pictured on the side of the box with his different mould. Green eyes. Fittingly appropriate.
Four minifigures are included, with three of them being of interest.
Kai is wearing his symbolic red Spinjitzu clothes shaped as a gown with Japanese writing saying fire. The pants have been beautifully decorated with red diamond shaped imprints on the front. He carries two swords on his back held together by a shoulder pad. Not shoulder pads. Wouldn’t it make sense to have protection on both sides? The hairpiece is a new mould which suits Kai as it does look like a flame on his head. The back torso is hidden by the sword carriers so which when removed, reveals a version of the lotus flower but looking more like the atom symbol⚛. Kai also features a double face. One where he is smiling whilst on the other looking determined or annoyed.
Garmadon essentially comes as a one-and-a-half figure. The inclusion of another customer moulded torso makes him a good head taller than standard minifigures. The extra torso mould looks identical to any other torso but is slightly smaller and can't have another body sit on top (as you may have figured out when trying to stack minifig bodies on top of each other). Both torsos feature the multiple abdominals (8 pack? Who's counting?) and extensive body build up along with all the tiny hairs covering his chest.
The single sided face has lots of detail, from chin hairs to fang teeth, bushy eyebrows, and plenty of wrinkles! The red eyes sure do pierce through all the black. The addition of a small camouflage cape going over his shoulder features plenty of black stripes, perfect for the location of the set. There is also a conical Asian hat in dark brown which is also a sensible inclusion to the jungle setting.
The design of Sensei Wu uses great colour blending with the white and tan. He comes with a wavy beard, a stick, and flat conical Asain hat. The shirt has minimal printing with only his buttoned robe. To make the clothing look more realistic, the bottom half of the gown is made from fabric and needs to be manually placed on. This job can be slightly fiddly. The tan pants have no printing except for the shoes which are brown. On the back, Sensei Wu has a red lotus flower which looks more like the atomic symbol. The face is quite detailed with age well depicted through the white hairs and wrinkles.
The skeleton figure features nothing special. It's just your typical skeleton looking guy. An interesting fact is that this particular design has only appeared in 4 sets since 2013, two of them in the seasonal theme.
Completed Model
Once built, the finished product looks very appealing. The bridge uses the medium nougat brown colour which forms the hanging arch so appealingly across the steep, jagged cliff. It's a great scene for a battle which has further been aided by the inclusion of two technic pins in some of the holes on the bridge. The bridge is also guided by railings, weighted down by some clips and t-bars.
The scorpions placed at the foot of the bridge contribute to a more sinister atmosphere, especially since they're lined up right underneath the flames of transparent orange fire, a perfect setting for a fight.
The design team has adapted the setting well into this set. The dark grey rocky cliffs and lushes green combined with spots of brown and tan, really convey a sense of ruins and remoteness.
This set has been well equipped to be played with, with the wooden bamboo prison cell naturally fitting in with the surroundings. It features a pull down door so a prisoner can be kept safely inside and has been fitted with a 2x2 plate w/ reduced knobs [Design Id: 33909] so it can be easily lifted off and transported, fitting with the movie. The colour combinations of olive green, tan, and brown work in harmony to depict the jungle theme.
Even the base hasn't been forgotten. The pointy rocks piercing out of the water surely add to the dangers of the bridge but more blue plates would have been welcoming for the sides. To make the build sturdy, the designer created a peak made from rocks with a 1x1 round tile on top to cope with the play factor. I tried it out myself without the support pieces in and after considerable force, the bridge does give way, so well done LEGO for factoring that in.
The tan and sand green doorway suggest a temple or ancient artefact which is the only obvious section of the build that does not appear in the movie but was also necessary for the build to make it more appealing and attractive to the buyer, as well as contributing to the jungle theme.
The design team has adapted the setting well into this set. The dark grey rocky cliffs and lushes green combined with spots of brown and tan, really convey a sense of ruins and remoteness.
This set has been well equipped to be played with, with the wooden bamboo prison cell naturally fitting in with the surroundings. It features a pull down door so a prisoner can be kept safely inside and has been fitted with a 2x2 plate w/ reduced knobs [Design Id: 33909] so it can be easily lifted off and transported, fitting with the movie. The colour combinations of olive green, tan, and brown work in harmony to depict the jungle theme.
Even the base hasn't been forgotten. The pointy rocks piercing out of the water surely add to the dangers of the bridge but more blue plates would have been welcoming for the sides. To make the build sturdy, the designer created a peak made from rocks with a 1x1 round tile on top to cope with the play factor. I tried it out myself without the support pieces in and after considerable force, the bridge does give way, so well done LEGO for factoring that in.
The tan and sand green doorway suggest a temple or ancient artefact which is the only obvious section of the build that does not appear in the movie but was also necessary for the build to make it more appealing and attractive to the buyer, as well as contributing to the jungle theme.
Conclusion
Overall, this is a precious set features rare and unique pieces that complement each other nicely to set the jungle theme. It is the most expensive price per piece ration wise compared with all the other Ninjago Movie sets but that shouldn't throw you off buying this set. It's for fingers play around with, but the play features could have been improved by changing the bridge structure so planks can be broken off to emphasise how unstable the bridge is. The Ninjago Movie theme was rated Theme of the Year which is an amazing feat for the theme.
Summary Ratings
Parts: 9/10
Minifigures: 7/10
Build: 7/10
Appearance: 8/10
Total: 31/50
Summary Ratings
Parts: 9/10
Minifigures: 7/10
Build: 7/10
Appearance: 8/10
Total: 31/50
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