Yearly Archives: 2019

Behold the Argonath, the Pillars of the Kings

Gondor is the greatest kingdom of Men during the Third Age of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth. Its northern borders are marked by The Argonath, a pair of huge statues standing on the banks of the River Anduin. Jason Pyett has taken on the challenge of building a LEGO version of this dramatic location from The Lord Of The Rings, and the result is an impressive piece of microscale building.

The statues tower above the river, their left hands raised in warning to the enemies of Gondor. The choice of colours and level of detailing manage to evoke the idea of weathered stonework, and the proportions of both figures are nicely done. Fun fact: Jason has built the movie version of this monumental pair — depicting Isildur on the left, and Elendil on the right, armed with the sword Narsil. In the original description from the books, the statues depicted Isildur and his brother Anarion, and both were armed with axes.

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LEGO Star Wars 75252 Ultimate Collector Series Imperial Star Destroyer [Review]

The LEGO Star Wars line’s latest massive set in the Ultimate Collector Series is 75252 Imperial Star Destroyer, clocking in at a whopping 4,784 pieces and two minifigures, with a price to match the part count (US $699.99 | CAN $849.99 | UK £649.99). Depicting Darth Vader’s flagship Devastator seen at the end of Rogue One leading into the first moments of A New Hope, this is the first UCS ISD since 10030 in 2002 and the first UCS set since 75181 Y-wing Starfighter nearly 18 months ago. But is there more to this huge LEGO set than gray wedge plates? Let’s find out…

Read our full review of LEGO Star Wars 75252 Ultimate Collector Series Imperial Star Destroyer

From the origins of shred

During the 1950s, the now-prolific Jim Phillips designed the Screaming Hand image, which later in 1985 became the instantly recognisable logo for the well-known Santa Cruz Skateboards company. With impeccable attention to scale and detail, LEGO builder Brick Flag brings this true icon of skateboarding culture to the Brick. As a builder with a history of skateboarding, I too have attempted to build this gnarly skate totem, though with much less success than this great representation. The colour scheme for such a depiction is pretty unavoidable, though the dark azure is utterly prefect for such a build. The part selection has been superbly chosen considering the limited piece pallet available.

The Screaming Hand has represented hardcore skaters practically the world over for around 35 years, and this LEGO creation has done it justice in many ways. Before we go into its details, take a moment to observe the similarities when held against the original. The shaping has been achieved beautifully, considering the form and function of the human hand. Yet the I can still hear a ripple through the readers/builder at home, lamenting the colour selection for the ball joint and socket modified plates, which are sadly only produced in greys.

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Used car for sale: 1971 plates. Buyer must collect. Price: $9.5m

It’s the most expensive car ever made, and although four models were manufactured originally, only one remains on the planet. Three Lunar Roving Vehicles were carried to the Moon on Apollo missions 15, 16, and 17, with one spare kept behind on Earth. Those four aluminium-framed buggies cost a grand total of $38m back in 1971, making each of the four worth nearly $10m back then. You have to imagine if someone were to salvage the buggies from the lunar surface now, these things would be priceless. If you fancy a Lunar Vehicle of your own, it’s probably not worth saving up, and consider rather taking a leaf out of Robson M‘s book and building a LEGO version.

This is a cracking little LEGO model — relatively simple construction, but immediately recognisable with just enough detail to capture its inspiration. And the presentation is top-notch, perfectly echoing the high-contrast photos of the Apollo missions. My only gripe? Those rubber tyres. The real LRV had aluminium mesh wheels to cope with the extremes of temperature and to throw off the lunar dust. But tyres aside, I still want one of these to go with my 10266 Lunar Lander set — turning it from a depiction of the first manned landing, into one of those last trips (for now) which we took to our nearest celestial neighbour.

Raawwr! No one beats a Tyrannosaurus Rex

We’ve covered Jonas Kramm‘s series of vignettes based on Jurassic Park all the way up to the climax of the movie. Has it been a thrill-a-minute? You bet your 65-million year old amber cane it has! The last we saw, the power to the park had been turned off by Dennis Nedry as he attempted to steal and escape with frozen dino embryos. This of course caused havoc at the park, with all the dinosaurs escaping; this is not a big problem when we’re talking about a mild-mannered Brachiosaur, but it is when there are T. rex and Velociraptors amongst the beasts.

And that is exactly the issue Dr. Sattler has as she tries to restore power to the security system; she has climbed down into the maintenance area, only for a nimble and crafty raptor to attempt to eat her. They can open doors, you know. Jonas has packed the small footprint of the vignette with loads of details, especially the black fencing that forms the border. The grating everywhere gives it a technical look, perfect for a breaker room, and the panel with the lever looks great. The raptor bursting through to eat Ellie is terrifying, though, so let’s move on to a happier scene.

Click to see the final two vignettes in this epic series

Craft me a hammer, sword, or a horseshoe or two

Growing up in the 1990s, one of the things that made LEGO castle sets so appealing was the way in which they were advertised; catalog images were perfect at world-building, with sets placed within carefully crafted, colorful environments. Robbadopdop‘s blacksmith shop evokes those fond memories, and his attention to detail would have impressed my 8-year-old self ten times over. There’s plenty of clever parts usage to appreciate here, including a minifigure ruff for flower petals, hair representing the end of a mop, and disposable sprues from plants with 3 large leaves for green vines winding up the side of the building. The building itself employs an excellent use of color and utilizes a diverse range of parts, which helps it feel both gritty and fun to look at.

One of the coolest details is the way the roof flexes, complete with staggered shingles. If you’re wondering how this detail was achieved, Robbadopdop has shared pictures of the internal structure. He used rigid tubing, which can be easily cut to size and is flexible enough to shape, and the roofing was then draped into place. The end result is fantastic.

A gardener’s worst nightmare

If you have a green thumb, running into a loathsome worm could leave you with no thumbs. This slimy, purple annelid with two massive claws was built by Duncan Lindbo, and it looks terrifyingly awesome. Purple, dark pink, and orange elements complement one another nicely, along with a drip of neon green drool. What really makes the build is this hilarious photo, driving home the point of how disgusting a loathsome worm is. It’s a truly unique way of displaying one’s brick-built creatures.

A closer look reveals Duncan put a lot of heart into his build…literally! The beast’s underbelly is comprised of 3×3 heart plates and 1×1 heart tiles. Don’t let all the love and playful colors deceive you, though; the worm’s mandibles are reminiscent of the Predator’s, and they look ready to inflict some serious pain (along with a deadly dose venom). Everything about it screams. “you can look, but don’t touch!”

Church of the Holy V-8

When I saw this image I said to myself-there’s something vaguely hot rod-ish about that church. Then I said, maybe I’m just a crazy car-guy instilling my crazy car-guy values into everything I see. Quit being weird and move on with your day! Because that is the kind of dialogue I have with myself. Then I read the title “Mechanical Church” and thought, “the fact that it looks kinda-sorta like a hot rod was totally Alego Alego‘s intent!” Who is crazy and weird now? Still me, probably, but at least in this case I have been validated. By using two engine cylinders and a radiator grille for a door it looks like the builder could lift the church from the grounds and install it in a hot rod, and the results would look pretty cool. If you do this Alego Alego, I suggest you call it “Holy Roller” or “Holy Roadster”. Brilliant idea or no?

Parachuting into a wild adventure

Over the years, Marcel V has graced our pages as an impeccable example of all the things that make a creation exciting. Marcel seamlessly harnesses vignettes, storytelling and parts usage in a stunning way, and all without missing a beat. Case in point: his most recent work titled Emergency Landing. Inspired By Jonas Kramm and his incredible Jurassic Park vignettes, Marcel has chosen to build within a base of approximate 16×16 studs. With in this small space, the builder has packed in a brilliant little scene, oozing with lush detail.

I love having my eyes constantly drawn from one side of the build to the other just to soak in all the elements. The 1×1 3-leaf piece introduced last year has made a great impact on this build, showing up in two shades of green and giving the scene more depth. The tangled parachute made from two blue triangular sails has been nicely achieved, threaded over some gangly tree trunks. Trees aside, it’s the light bluish grey rock walls in which they spring from that set the scene for me. The white collared bird appearing on the right-hand side is another superb display of parts usage. A combination of minifig parts make up this specimen, such as a bushy minifigure hair piece, ruff and plume, just to name a few. The fact that a lot of it is held together with a rubber band only makes it better.

To see more of Marcel V’s work, check out this incredible build that had me stumped.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for September 21, 2019 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the third week of September 2019.

LEGO launches a new worldwide campaign. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS: This week we got a look at some new holiday Brickheadz, reviewed the delicious Winter Village Gingerbread House and puzzled our way through LEGO’s new ad campaign.

LEGO Star Wars UCS Imperial Star Destroyer and Winter Village Gingerbread House now available for VIPs – Two new LEGO sets are now available, so act fast to get the Star Wars UCS Imperial Star Destroyer and Winter Village Gingerbread House before they go out of stock and have to be backordered.
Christmas themed BrickHeadz LEGO 40353 Reindeer, Elf and Elfie revealed – We’ve spotted another Brickheadz coming to celebrate the winter holidays. Will this set be in your Christmas stocking?
LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71025 Series 19 Feel Guide [Review] – Whether you’re hunting for a whole Series 19 set or just a few special characters, our Feel Guide will help you get exactly what you want!
Devour the delicious LEGO 10267 Winter Village Gingerbread House [Review] – Join us as we take a bite into the delicious Winter Village Gingerbread House and give a taste of what you can expect from this savory build.
Announcing the TBB Banquet brick-built food collab for BrickCon 2019 – Do you like brick-built brunches? Studded snacks? How about AFOL appetizers and MOC munchies? Then you’ll want to attend the TBB Banquet!
LEGO launches “Rebuild the World” campaign to inspire creativity in kids around the globe – See how many Easter eggs you can find in this video launching LEGO’s new “Rebuild the World” initiative.

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed FAQ , Facebook – LEGO® Legacy: Heroes Unboxed is currently in soft launch. What does that mean?
How To Get The Entire Batman Arkham Trilogy And The Entire Lego Batman Trilogy For Free, Right Now (On PC), Forbes – Right now the Epic Games Store is offering the entire Arkham trilogy for free in addition to the entire Lego Batman trilogy.
LEGO launches first book for adults promoting mindfulness and wellbeing, iNews – First LEGO book that is not for children joins host of self-help mental health tools.
Overwatch’s Bastion Gets LEGO Makeover With New Skin, Screen Rant – Blizzard revealed a new Overwatch LEGO Bastion skin, which makes the lovable robot appear as though it were made entirely of LEGO bricks.

The Jeeps and Explorers that everyone wanted

Can there ever be enough dinosaurs in the world? Well, in a world without any living dinosaurs, I would have to say no. Where’s the Deinonychus with a saddle to take me for a ride, or the Quetzalcoatlus flying service I dreamed of as a kid? Nowhere, since places like Dinotopia and Jurassic Park only existed in science fiction. Jonas Kramm tries to fill some of the void inside me with his awesome vignettes from the first movie of the Jurassic franchise, which is appreciated but never enough.

Speaking of voids, that is just what Jonas fills in this next set of builds, with both the Ford Explorer and Jeep Wrangler many fans of the film complained were absent from any of the official LEGO sets so far (especially the huge 75936). The Jeep stolen by Dennis Nedry is stuck in the mud and high pointed on a log, and the hapless tech wizard has been blinded by the toxic spit of the Dilophosaurus. A stud shooter is cleverly used as the log under the Jeep, and the crowbars make a great frame for the windshield as they did in LEGO set 75916‘s Jeep).

Click to see the rest of these dino-riffic vignettes

A new take on the jet-assisted Chevy

Have you heard the urban legend about the JATO rocket car? If you’re unfamiliar, it’s the story of a man who straps a rocket engine to his Chevy and ends up embedded in the side of a cliff. As cautionary tales go, it’s a pretty straightforward one: Don’t strap a jet engine to your vehicle. Pasq67 thinks otherwise, at least when it comes to the world of LEGO. Benny and Lenny are going for the ride of their lives in a 1970 Chevrolet C10 Pickup with a serious need for speed. The base vehicle has all the clasic lines you’d expect, and the rocket is a well constructed nightmare of high speed bad decisions waiting to happen.

The multiple air intakes fit well with the mix of Technic and system parts, and the trans-orange discs make for an excellent hit of explosive force just starting to push the car forward. Lenny had better hold on to that pretzel…