Posts by Norm Harper

LEGO Marvel 76217 I Am Groot [Review]

Groot, the lovable living tree from the Guardians of the Galaxy series, was making baby versions of characters cool long before Grogu introduced the term “Baby Yoda” to the pop culture lexicon. As Rocket Raccoon’s loyal partner in crime, he steals scenes by just repeating the words “I am Groot” for all of his dialogue (and, let me tell you, the urge to turn in this review with “I am Groot” repeated over and over was strong). Now LEGO is releasing a 1:1 scale build of this extraterrestrial Ent in his youthful form so you can have a Baby Groot of your very own. 76217 I Am Groot is a 476-piece set releasing June 1st in the UK and worldwide August 1st for US $54.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £44.99

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

I…am…Groot. (I had to get one in)

This 9,500+ piece LEGO Cobra Terror Drome will have G.I. Joe running for cover.

The new partnership between LEGO and Hasbro has prompted plenty of discussion about what the future could hold. Builder Big Easy Bricks has crafted my dream new set with this incredible take on the Cobra Terror Drome playset from the original G.I. Joe toy line. While the military theme of G.I. Joe might conflict with some of LEGO’s brand philosophy, some of the line’s more fantastical hardware isn’t too dissimilar from the likes of Ninjago or Nexo Knights, and the Cobra Terror Drome is a perfect example. It’s a high-tech, octagonal remote headquarters unlike anything that exists in real life. So, let’s knock out a couple of Cobra Troopers, slip on their uniforms, and infiltrate the interior of this Cobra headquarters for a full tour.

Cobra Terror Drome 01

Click here to continue reading

This amazing Optimus Prime isn’t Optimus Prime

No, you read that right. This incredible build by Student Scissors is actually the Transtector of a human known as Ginrai. Transtectors, if you’re not familiar with the term, are non-sentient Transformers controlled by humanoids, and there’s a good reason Ginrai’s Transtector looks an awful lot like Optimus Prime. But all that is beside the point in appreciating this impressive build. If you want to call it Optimus Prime, go ahead. Truth be told, we did end up getting the Ginrai figure imported to the States rebranded as “Powermaster Optimus Prime.”

Lego Transformers: Ginrai

Anyway, convoluted franchise history aside, this fully transformable semi-truck doesn’t just convert into a robot, it also comes with a trailer that the main cab can combine with to form Super Ginrai. That Student Scissors made the combined form possible with enough articulation to put the original Ginrai toy to shame is an impressive feat. That it was accomplished at such a small scale – a truck mode that’s only four studs wide – is extra incredible.

Lego Transformers: Super Ginrai

If transforming LEGO sets are your thing, be sure and check out our review of LEGO’s upcoming official take on the Autobot leader.

An Avengers vignette that leaves an impact

Can you believe Marvel’s The Avengers just turned 10 years-old? To celebrate the momentous occasion, Okay Yaramanoglu has crafted a vignette replicating the Battle of New York from the film’s third act. Everyone’s here, from Cap to Hulk, keeping the city safe from the Chitauri. (And if you look closely, you’ll even spot a cameo by a certain scribe of super heroic shenanigans, True Believer!)

Avengers: The Battle of NYC

But my favorite detail is the pavement that’s been cratered in by a good ol’ fashioned Hulk-stomping.

Avengers: The Battle of NYC crater

LEGO The Transformers 10302 Optimus Prime is more than meets the eye. [Review]

In the early 1980s, an actor named Peter Cullen told his brother Larry that he was using their shared car to go to an audition for “the voice of a hero truck.” Larry, a decorated Marine officer, gave Peter some advice on how to play an effective leader, “Be strong enough to be gentle.” Peter took Larry’s words to heart and earned the role of Optimus Prime, commander of the Autobots. The show Peter Cullen was auditioning for, The Transformers, was basically a commercial meant to sell repurposed toys from Japan to kids in America. It wasn’t supposed to create an icon. But, when Optimus Prime was killed on-screen in The Transformers: The Movie, the backlash was swift and immediate. Peter Cullen’s “strong but gentle” performance had turned Optimus Prime into something more than just an action figure in the eyes of the audience. The Transformers team quickly set to work on a series of episodes to revive Optimus Prime in Season 3 of the show, and Optimus would remain one of the few constants of the ever-evolving franchise from then on. Now, nearly forty years later, that original incarnation of Optimus Prime has been given new life once again as a fully transformable 1508-piece LEGO set. LEGO The Transformers 10302 Optimus Prime will be available June 1st, for US $169.99 | CAN $219.99 | UK £149.99

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Clicking here to read more is the right of all sentient beings.

These microwaves won’t reheat your leftovers

We’ve covered tiny boats by A Brick Dreamer before. But boats don’t get much smaller than this six-piece schooner. What’s most impressive, though, is that this minuscule mariner gets rocked by waves that actually work, thanks to some tricky Technic techniques. Good thing that lighthouse is there to warn it away from the microscale cliffs.

Microscale LEGO with Working Waves

Have a look at how the full model functions in the video below.

Even in the future, it’s all about marketing.

Sebastian Bachórzewski shows us a glimpse of the future with this one block stretch of a cyberpunk city. Futuristic flourishes like the hover police car and the archway made from curved gear racks immediately catch the eye. But Sebastian went above and beyond by creating a working video billboard. Sebastian loaded a phone with custom advertisements made in Procreate and then slotted that into the side of the building.

The City

When the city is all lit up, that billboard helps give this future scene an incredibly modern touch.

The City

Fabuland celebrates LEGO’s 90th Anniversary

Stewart Lamb Cromar regularly delights us with his Fabuland creations. But his work has never made us this hungry before. To celebrate LEGO’s 90th anniversary, Stewart has crafted a layer cake large enough to be the party venue for these Fabuland mice. We can almost taste the numerous 1×1 round tiles acting as sprinkles, and the dozens of Unikitty tails subbing for piped icing…but, unfortunately, the mice are making us second guess having a slice. At least one of them is willing to vacuum up the crumbs.

‘Lego Mouse Party’ ???????? (1/7)

A sci-fi build that tickles us pink

With a cheap string of LED lights placed inside a tube of transparent bricks, Andreas Lenander has added some big budget atmosphere to his latest build. The resulting rosy glow perfectly illuminates the power core chamber, creating a sci-fi scene that you can almost hear humming with life. The roller coaster track used as scaffolding adds an industrial flair that makes this power source feel functional, while also casting some subtle zigzag shadows onto the surrounding walls.

Power generator on Epsilon IV

This LEGO bloom turns a magical artifact upside down

Some new LEGO Botanical Collection sets are dropping just in time for Mother’s Day, and they seem to have planted the seeds of creativity in the larger LEGO community. Dawn Sloboda, from LEGO Masters Season 2, brings us this single bloom with a magical twist. Dr. Strange’s Cloak of Levitation gets put to use to make some of the best petals we’ve seen on any LEGO flower. Here’s hoping Dawn didn’t have to endure any multiversal dangers to get her hands on four cloaks.

This giant sword store has a blade for every occasion.

Combining medieval combat with big-box convenience, Jon & Catherine Stead bring us Swords ‘R’ Us, the one-stop shop for blades of every kind. And not just blades, but spears, shields, clubs, tridents. Anything you need to vanquish your enemies can be found here.

Swords 'R' Us MOC - 1

Get your list and saddle up, ’cause we’re going shopping.

LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71033 The Muppets [Review]

When The Muppet Show debuted in 1976, it was an unconventional piece of television, to say the least. And it was also a near-instant hit. The weekly struggle of Kermit the Frog trying to put on a variety show with the help of a human guest star (and a plethora of bears, pigs, dogs, weirdos, and monsters) would go on to become the biggest TV program in the world. The show came to an end in 1981, with the Muppet gang arguably at the height of their popularity, and the Muppets would continue to delight audiences in TV specials and on movie screens for decades to come. Nowadays, new Muppet content is sparser than it used to be. But you can’t keep a good frog down. LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71033 The Muppets brings Kermit and 11 of his closest friends back together for a most sensational, inspirational, celebrational good time. These blind-bag figures will be available starting May 1, 2022, and will retail for US $4.99 | CAN $4.99 | UK £3.49

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Without further ado, it’s time to meet the Muppets.