Yearly Archives: 2016

Giant LEGO Samus Aran is here for all your Metroid fighting needs

Back in December 2013, Finnish builder Eero Okkonen wowed us with a Bionicle / Technic build of Samus Aran in her Zero Suit. Almost three years later and he’s at it again, this time with the famous heroine in her Power Suit.

This huge build (this time built with regular bricks) is a sight to behold. Thanks to the large size, the builder really got to do some impressive shaping, especially nailing the spherical pauldron. The colour choices too are superb, with the azure blue Arm Cannon being both a literal and figurative highlight.

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The school year has started at microscale LEGO Hogwarts Castle

You’re a bit late, but given that we’ve just discovered this tiny Hogwarts Castle, I believe you’ll be able to start the term without issue.

Kit Bricksto build this beautiful micro-scale Hogwarts and it’s just adorable. It’s very recognizable, with the greenhouses and great hall, and that lovely courtyard (no word if this is before or after book 7).

Shiver me timbers! LEGO pirate ship be ready to set sail, me hearty

Arrrrrr, ’tis time to set sail and plunder some lesser vessels with Jerome Kloou and his fantastic LEGO pirate ship, La Saignante. This galleon has three masts, some impressive rigging, and cloth sails. She is displaying the Jolly Roger and has 14 cannons, so not a ship to be taken on lightly. There is no-one in the crow’s nest at the moment so all the pirates must be ashore drinking rum and spending their booty.

Jerome has added some wonderful details, with those 14 cannons and a ‘below deck’ prison cell for naughty pirates who are caught eating extra rations or stealing some of the Captain’s treasure for their own pockets.

The crane is functional and can move up and down, or left and right, to transfer the stolen booty from the ship to the shore. It seems as though the lookout has ‘dropped his pretzel’ from the crows nest earlier …that’s not an official pirate knot.

Admire this LEGO droid — you have 10 seconds to comply!

By not skimping on the size of this build, Chinese builder chumuhou (楚沐猴) has managed to create this near perfect LEGO replica of the terrifying ED-209 prototype law enforcement droid from the classic sci-fi movie Robocop:

Scaled-down Freemaker ships prove that less is more

The jury may still be out on whether the new LEGO Star Wars 75147 StarScavenger and 75145 Eclipse Fighter sets are really any good (read our full review and see what you think). Either way, fans of the new Disney show LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures will certainly get a kick out of these cleverly constructed, totally swooshable, and arguably superior “microscale” versions by UK builder Cole Blaq.

No matter where you go, there you are

To you, it’s probably the classic 80’s cult movie you’ve never actually heard of. To me, it was a recent opportunity for some late night cable TV nostsalgia that only lasted ten excruciating minutes. But to the rest of the world the 1984 sci-fi western rock-n-roll action melodrama The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is surprisingly highly rated and surprisingly influential. Surprising then that no-one has ever given us a LEGO recreation of the movie’s iconic Jet Car. Thankfully, fan builder SPARKART! has finally corrected that oversight:

I can only hope that this iconic movie vehicle ends up as some future LEGO Ideas set, alongside the Delorean and Ecto-1. Then again, to quote the movie’s titular hero, “If all wishes were gratified, many dreams would be destroyed”.

Portrait of a legend: Grouch Marx in LEGO

If anyone is suited to a LEGO caricature, it’s Groucho Marx. Paddy Bricksplitter has given us a wonderful portrait of the comedy legend, and there is absolutely no doubt who is staring at you from from the frame. The bushy eyebrows and curly hair are instantly recognizable, and the cigar is perfect.

The attack of the Spiny Scallworm

As fantastical as many of the LEGO Castle creations we feature here on The Brothers Brick are, it’s actually not very often that we see a fantastical creature wreaking havoc among the people and structures that comprise most of these medieval scenes. Wookieewarrior remedies that situation with a monstrous worm emerging from the earth to rip through a round tower. The worm itself has lots of great details in black, but the yellow minifig hands stand out (literally) as wonderful spines. The tower includes lovely details as well, including reused LEGO sprues from three-leaved plants as vines. Potted flowers add a spot of color against the gray tower, and the rounded landscaping of the base is excellent as well.

Be sure to click through to the photo and zoom in for more details, including the priceless expression on the hapless farmer’s face.

A good place to catch your breath — or have your breath catch

The dark primeval swamps of a fantasy world are always a place to be on your guard. They may be silent, too silent perhaps, but the heavy air laden with motes belies the danger of Tirrell Brown‘s bog. This great little vignette has some amazing fen flora made of classic LEGO bushes turned upside down and capped with 4×4 domes. The glowing Galaxy Squad alien eggs add to the mystery and otherworldliness of this everglade.

Japanese serenity recreated in Danish bricks

“Elaborate” and “enchanting.” As simply as that, these two words define Japanese culture for me. Surprisingly, this pair of words perfectly suits these two LEGO creations below.

Andrew JN charms us with this tiny diorama. It is hardly bigger than a medium Creator set, but take your time to choose what exactly you’re going to behold first: an astonishing roof, some charming usage of color in trees or river water calmly flowing by.

Gzu Bricks presents us another tiny vignette featuring one of the giant bonshō bells. I especially love that both creations are of the same concept — Japanese architecture surrounded by Japanese flora — but look how different building techniques are! Gzu Bricks’ build might look a little simpler, but I can’t imagine anything that could make it more complete.

LEGO chestburster from Alien is horrifyingly awesome

Back in 2007 we blogged an awesome LEGO creation by the Arvo Brothers which featured a chestburster emerging from some unlucky person, in a recreation of a scene from the classic Sci-Fi horror film Alien. Well not only have the Arvo Brothers now updated their build with a base and some new parts to improve the design, but they have also finally published instructions!

The updated version has a white base similar to the base created for their recent Alien Project and changes to the teeth and nose area. The blood pool also has some fantastic sinewy arterial red parts that add to the horror and seem more anatomically realistic.

The seeping blood spilling from the larger pool, through the base and onto the floor, is undoubtedly my favourite part. I hope this doesn’t reflect any morbid tendencies I may have! Building instructions are available by contacting the Arvo Brothers via email arvo@arvobrothers.com and should be on their website soon.

Bowser, LEGO King of the Koopas

Sculpting an organic shape in LEGO is tricky. Nathaniel has pulled this off spectacularly with King Bowser, who is offering you a blue shell. I don’t think I’d trust Bowser with that, but that’s just me. This build is just lovely: that expression! The big hands with claws! The hair and shell!