Posts by Daniel

Awesome minifig-scale Bubble Ship from Oblivion

No matter what you might have thought of the 2013 sci-fi film Oblivion, starring Tom Cruise, you can admit it featured some sweet tech. From the electric motorbike, to the huge water hoovers, to that giant upside-down pyramid, the film’s visuals were stunning. One of the most iconic vehicles was the super-maneuverable light plane which was quickly nicknamed the Bubble Ship. This stunning model by Riskjockey captures the stark, delicate visual aesthetic from the film, including swiveling landing gear. I love the smooth engine pods and the clever use of the new gyro-sphere and hatch from the Jurassic World theme for the cockpit.

Another nice part use is the large triangular panels used to create the geometric symmetry of the fuselage of the ship.

This is not the first version of the Bubble Ship–or even the second–that has been featured here on TBB over the years since the movie’s release in 2013.

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Ghost speeder is scary cool

The animated series Star Wars: Rebels introduced, in my opinion, one of the most unique new ship designs since the Millenium Falcon. Hera Syndulla’s Ghost is a cargo ship packing enough firepower to take on a squadron of TIE fighters. The Ghost is also one of the more colorful ships in the Star Wars universe, with its teal, orange, and yellow highlights. This color scheme is reflected well in this speeder bike by SweStar. I love the black mechanical details along the bottom, including a few gold rings from the Lord of the Rings theme. And props for the use of official stickers from the LEGO set.

If this speeder bike looks familiar, the builder was inspired by another bike recently featured on TBB, the B9-Sokudo by Legofin.

Sauron looks pleased with his creation

Sauron, the evil creator of the One Ring at the center of the Lord of the Rings books and movies spends the majority of his screen time as nothing more than a giant flaming eye at the top of his dark tower of Barad-dûr, he does make a brief appearance at the beginning of the film version of The Fellowship of the Ring, in the physical form of a towering spike-armored figure with a mighty mace, which he uses to lay waste to countless enemies. Aaron Newman has built an amazing model of Sauron poised at the edge of a lava flow, holding up his creation, perhaps just after pouring his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life into the One Ring.

The distinct helmet and armor feature some of the new blades found in many of the Ninjago sets released last year, as well as a very nice ragged cape made from a couple of large capes. I am especially glad that Aaron chose to build his model in gray rather than black, as it would have been much more difficult to see all those great details.

Clean-up in the speeder bike garage!

If you were to set out to build a speeder bike inspired by a sperm whale, you probably couldn’t do a better job than this one by LegoFin, although judging by the toppled oil drums, this particular bike likely won’t be winning any environmental protection awards. I love the slender but comfortable-looking seat and the color scheme, which matches the large white front with a subtle bit at the back. The fins and the transparent blue details reinforce the aquatic theme.

I’m picking up an anomaly in Lab 2 – or it’s picking me up

Soil contamination can spell disaster when you are growing crops to feed hungry colonists, and it looks like trouble may be growing in this dimly lit laboratory. But the more I look at this lovely scene by Jon Blackford, I find myself wondering, is the lavender-colored plant with the tentacle the anomaly? Or are they supposed to look like that, and it’s the rest of the plants in this bed that are wrong.

One of my favorite features of this scene, aside from the lighting, which really sets the mood, is the rear wall of the lab, with pipes to deliver water, or whatever it is that these plants need to thrive, and the drains along the base, for easy clean-up. And don’t miss the subtle detail of the cheese slopes along the lower edge of the scene.

Duel of the Fates

Often considered one of the best lightsaber duels in the entire Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, the face-off between former-Jedi-master-turned-pincushion Qui-Gon Jin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul has inspired many LEGO fan creations over the years. This tribute by LEGO 7 features sculpted figures on a simple base. Both Obi-Wan and Darth Maul are fully poseable and ready for action.

And after the director yells “cut!”…

Obi-wan: “Wow, those lights are hot. Hey Maul… wanna grab a drink at Dexter’s later?”
Darth Maul: “If You’re buying.”

Classic Maul.

Super spiffy speeder bike and rider

The hovering speeder bike is a subject that has inspired many LEGO fan creators over the years, with many science fiction movies, comic books, and anime providing plenty of inspiration. Examples from popular culture often combine real-world mechanical bike features like windscreens, stickers, pedals and thrumming engines with fantastical fins, guns, and even bigger jet engines. Minifig scale versions are fairly common, but Djokson has opted to build a larger scale speeder bike complete with a sleek and racy rider.

Among the key details that get my heart racing are twisting flexible tubing running the length of the bike, connecting the front and rear engines to the fuel supply. Rubber tires turned inside out give the rider’s hips a smooth transition, and those boots made from just a few parts are a great visual focal point.

In space, no one can hear you curdle... milk

Spaceships are gray, tractors are green, but this is the coolest space tractor I’ve ever seen. When it comes to colonizing the universe, it takes more than just guns and gunships. There is work to be done and to get the job done, you need to bring the right tools. This wonderfully detailed harvester by Onkel Ton combines farming equipment with space exploration and the finished product would fit right into your favorite science fiction story.

I love the use of stickers from the interior of the Millennium Falcon. One of my favorite techniques used in this industrial vehicle is the use of several stacked wedge plates of varying lengths to create vents along the top and the front of the cab. Also, the multiple wheels on a delicate suspension give the harvester the versatility to conquer rugged terrain.

A curious building in complicated times.

Steampunk is always a favorite subject for many LEGO fan creators, allowing builders to combine Victorian-era architecture with science fiction to build fantastical worlds with their own rules. This residential workshop for a family of watchmakers by Andreas Lenander features some nice architectural details, like the windows, which make use of white flower elements between round bricks. The white tooth part is great both as part of the window and as an accent in the divider between floors, which was common in Victorian residential buildings. And don’t miss the unicorn horn used as a door handle. Also, bonus points for using Dumbledore’s beard and hair for the whimsical proprietor on the roof.

One fancy bike for a fancy rider

It looks like the classic chopper is never going out of style, as demonstrated by this futuristic looking bike with swooping handlebars by Eero Okkonen. I love the way that the wings on the rider’s boots are picked up as a detail on the back of the bike. One missable detail is the red bumper part used to support the rider as he’s leaning into those sharp turns.

I don’t know about you, but I am also getting a definite Akira vibe with those big red angled parts at the front and back of the bike. And speaking of red parts, the macaroni pipes give those boots quite the look.

If you like this model, be sure to check out some other creations by Eero recently featured here on TBB.

The little gray engine that could

Trains are complicated machines, especially steam-powered locomotives, which are a blend of smooth metal curves and a myriad of moving parts. Capturing this magical combination of sleek and mechanical details at a small scale can come down to a single part choice, and Niklas Rosén has really done it with his micro-model built around this Technic spring-loaded shooter. The curved lines along the side are reminiscent of riveted sections on the boiler. Meanwhile, the creation is finished off with a pair of driving wheels represented by hubcaps from the Speed Champions theme, and the smaller wheels are represented by printed 1×1 round tiles.

This terrifying mech will whip you into a frenzy of fear

Insects and arachnids are a constant source of inspiration for builders of LEGO mecha, and it is easy to understand why. Between the exoskeletons, the many-jointed limbs, and the way that many of them scuttle and scurry, there is something magical and also terrifying about them. This upright mecha by builder [VB] is inspired by one of the scarier arachnids I can think of, the whip spider.

Not only do the extremely long arms with menacing claws closely resemble its real-life inspiration, but the builder has included some actual whips as part of the mech’s hip section. I also love the use of printed fan tiles for eyes.