It’s just a little over a month until the première of The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. Is there a better way to get ready for the new adventures other than to treat yourself with one (or maybe two, or three, or nineteen) of the nineteen new themed sets? It seems like anyone will be able to find a set that suits their taste, but there is only one that got a lot more attention than the others — 70841 Benny’s Space Squad. The set can be described as a “Classic Space battle pack”; sounds like an adult LEGO fan’s dream, doesn’t it? Let’s get the set assembled and take a closer look at the new minifigures…
The box and its contents
The box is actually smaller than one might expect it to be. It’s only when you open the set that you realise the minifigures and the accessories make up almost half of all the pieces in the box.
The building process
There are only 68 pieces in this set, so, of course, it’s not about the complexity of the builds or any extravagant building solutions. This section of the review could have been easily omitted if it wasn’t for the set’s outstanding concept and incredible vibes. Yours truly is just a 25-year-old AFOL, who never got any of the LEGO Classic Space sets from the late 70’s into the 80’s. And once I opened the bags, I realised these are the very same pieces and minifigures I’ve seen for so many years in other people’s creations! And now I have not just one, not two, but four amazing minifigures (even a pink one!) as well as a bunch of pieces to create my own spaceships and rovers.
The minifigures and pieces
70841 Benny’s Space Squad is not just a LEGO set, but rather a set of minifigures. The squad consists of four Classic Space minifigures. We already know Benny from the first LEGO Movie back in 2014, but Kenny (in yellow), Lenny (in pink) and Jenny (in white) are just joining the adventures.
And as a side note, this crew of colorful characters just goes to show that anybody can be a “spaceman” — we’re just using the term as a nod to the retro days of the 70’s.
The original LEGO Classic Space sets included spacemen in 5 colors — red, yellow, blue, white and black. The spacesuit color helps to indicate the spaceman’s specialisation. Wearing blue, Benny is a soldier, Kenny is supposed to be a scientist, while Jenny’s white suit is the uniform of explorers. None of the original minifigures was dressed in pink, so we still have to find out what Lenny’s occupation is… Maybe a mechanic?
The spacemen are built of the same pieces in different colors. Obviously, this is the first time we’re getting a pink spacesuit, as well as air tanks in pink. Additionally, all the new, old-style helmets are new molds that look exactly like Benny’s but without a crack.
Benny is the only one of the squad capable of multiple emotions. His second face looks pretty shocked, but his mates’ classic smiles always stay unreadable. Tough guys.
One more piece of interest is a 4×2 slope with the Classic Space logo printed on it. The piece only appeared in 70816 Benny’s Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP! in 2014, so its return in one of the cheapest sets will be very welcomed by many fans.
The finished set
Once assembled the set becomes a stunning collection of Classic Space figures and accessories. It feels like someone who spent his or her childhood playing with LEGO Classic Space sets is sharing their favourite bits with kids of today.
The main build of the set is, of course, the spaceship. Not the spaceship, spaceship, SPACESHIP!, but a tiny one. It is almost a copy of a model like 885 Space Scooter or 6803 Space Patrol, but revived with new elements.
You’ll need a spaceship to travel between planets. But on a planet’s surface a spaceman needs a reliable rover — just like this one.
It is so small, it could be an advent calendar mini-build. And, again, rovers can be found in many original sets; for instance, the iconic 886 Space Buggy from 1979. Although, the new version has no spare studs for air tanks, it can fit two minifigures and even a couple of tools in the back.
Finally comes the spaceman’s best friend, a robot. Its design is also borrowed from the original sets; see Classic Space Droid for reference.
Functions and playability
Before we speak about the possibilities of the set, please keep in mind that it has absolutely no special parts like shooters, gears, springs or even hinges. It is just four minifigures, two vehicles and a robot. And yet, I didn’t expect this many play scenarios from this set. You can explore, you can rescue, you can fly around or drive back and forth; the set easily proves one of LEGO’s main fundamental rules — just give children bricks and let them create their own adventures.
The format of the review we use here on The Brothers Brick doesn’t involve more than 40 pictures for a small set like this one, but I could hardly stop taking pictures of these lovely spacemen. I tend to think it’s the models’ simple designs that make your imagination work to add emotions, sounds and many more details to these simple toys in your hands.
Among the countless licensed LEGO themes, which bring dozens and dozens unique pre-determined pieces, this tiny, simple set feels like a breath of fresh air — although, it’s almost literally a set from the 1980’s.
Final thoughts
LEGO Movie 2 70841 Benny’s Space Squad feels like a set that we don’t deserve. Everything about it — its price, number of minifigures, its concept and designs — looks and sounds like something that cannot exist among modern LEGO themes and series. The set is what LEGO looked like 40 years ago — and it still works perfectly fine today. And, no doubt, the set will be praised by many toy photographers who are in love with not only LEGO minifigures, but also LEGO Classic Space characters. This tiny set has so many things to love about it that it simply leaves absolutely no space for any criticism.
LEGO Movie 2 70841 Benny’s Space Squad includes 4 minifigures and 68 pieces and retails for £9.99 / $9.99 / 9.99€. The set will be available at the usual retailers soon.