Maybe it’s the choice of dark orange and nougat that made me think of Mars when I saw this microscale build by Jake Hansen, and maybe the tall chunky shape reminded me of termites, but whatever the inspiration behind this model, the part usage is off the charts. One of my favorites is the older wheel axle holder attached to the upside-down steering wheel. The chrome cylinders, as well as the many stacked gears, create interesting textures when combined with multiple sizes of wheel rims.
Category Archives: LEGO
LEGO reveals Jurassic World sets for Spring 2022, including 1,200-piece Jurassic Park diorama [News]
This morning LEGO has revealed three new sets from the Jurassic World franchise, including two sets from this summer’s upcoming Jurassic World Dominion film and one from the original movie that kicked it all off, Jurassic Park. The classic film set, 76956 T. rex Breakout, is a 1,200-piece diorama meant for display that features the long-awaited Ford Explorer tour vehicles, along with a minifigure-scale version of the famous rampaging tyrannosaur we got in 75936 Jurassic Park: T. rex Rampage from 2019. All three sets are available now for pre-order from LEGO with an availability date of April 17. Additionally, the Jurassic Park set is also available through Target.
Check out more info on the sets below, and don’t miss the other new LEGO sets for Spring 2022:
- LEGO Art Batman Mosaic
- LEGO Art Elvis Presley Mosaic
- LEGO Brickheadz 40548 Spice Girls Tribute
- LEGO Creator
- LEGO Dots
- LEGO Marvel Infinity Saga Thor’s Hammer
- LEGO Ninjago
- LEGO Speed Champions
- LEGO Star Wars Helmets Collection (Luke Skywalker & The Mandalorian)
- LEGO Star Wars Dark Trooper Attack
- LEGO Technic lineup
- LEGO Technic 42141 McLaren Formula 1 Race Car
Click to see more images of the Jurassic World sets
Grogu’s Force lessons
I don’t think it’s any secret that most people’s favorite The Book of Boba Fett episodes were largely Fett-less. Jonas Kramm has paid tribute to the show’s identity crisis with his latest build based on Episode 6. In this scene, the child Grogu faces off against a Jedi Training Droid on the planet where Luke is establishing his new school. Jonas has packed a lot of accurate detail into this 14×14 vignette, from the bamboo forest to the flintlock weapons used as twigs in the water. I appreciate the round quarter 1×1 tile in Ahsoka’s hand, acting as the small package that the Mandalorian left for his foundling. But, perhaps the most accurate detail of all is that this scene also contains an entirely artificial recreation of Mark Hamill. Special effects jokes aside, if you dig this build, make sure to check out Jonas’s other vignettes of the show here and here.
An elegant tracery of lines and curves
Some LEGO builds inspire moments of quiet contemplation. This elegant inked fan by Dad’s Bricks evokes that feeling for me. The life-sized shaping is excellent, and the delicate line work created by rods and slightly curved tubing offsets the the bright red of the flowers. Take a closer look and you can spot 1×1 heart tiles in pink, creating a tiny clovers of brightness to contrast to the rich colors. The pen, stand, and brush are almost afterthoughts – but they blend seamlessly into the full image and add real-world context to this piece of art.
Be sure to check our archives for even more artistic expressions in plastic.
This Zaku model from Gundam has some great proportions
LEGO builder Mingki_5729 has built this classic enemy grunt unit, featured across multiple Mobile Suit Gundam series. The chunky rounded form of the Zaku is accurately recreated in this build, from the wide calves to its broad shoulders. The model also looks to be poseable thanks to ball and socket joints. That sand green horn which looks perfect on the shoulder is fairly rare, having currently only appeared in four sets in that particular colour. Fun fact, the design of the actual Zaku took inspiration from a standard business suit—it’s amazing where designers get their ideas from!
This Martian Botanical Unit is like, far-out, man!
We’ve seen plenty of LEGO space rovers lately but Isaac Wilder clearly has a good sense of humor about his. With its 3D-printed custom rims, it’s more of a psychedelic VW T2 campervan than a Mars rover. However, should we ever explore Mars, there is some good reasoning for having a mobile botanical unit to either analyze and collect the plant life that may be discovered there or to seed our own once we terraform the Red Planet. Along with it, you would certainly need a gentle, laidback botanical enthusiast with a knack for making plants grow. Do we know anyone like that? This dude definitely doesn’t harsh my mellow! If you’re hip to it, why not discover other reasons why we think Isaac Wilder is, like, one with the universe. While you’re at it, don’t bogart the love. Be sure to check out these space rovers built by others, brah.
LEGO Star Wars Helmets: 75343 Dark Trooper, 75328 The Mandalorian, & 75327 Luke Skywalker (Red Five) [Review]
The Helmets Series has been a massive success since its introduction, capturing iconic characters across Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. While the troopers and TIE pilot may excite some, Boba Fett and Darth Vader proved to be the great lures for dual fans of LEGO and Star Wars, especially those who grew up with the original trilogy. After all, the set’s 18+ rating was definitely targeted at the more…tenured fans. Given how many helmets have permeated the slew of related works though, the designers have a wealth of inspiration for their next models. Much like the fans, the designers must have felt like something was missing. We got plenty of “bad guys” but where were the “hero” helmets? Well, two out of three new helmets recently announced by LEGO may debatably balance things out:
75343 Dark Trooper | 693 pcs | US $59.99 | CAN $79.99 | UK £54.99
75328 The Mandalorian | 584 pcs | US $59.99 | CAN $79.99 | UK £54.99
75327 Luke Skywalker (Red Five) | 675 pcs | US $59.99 | CAN $79.99 | UK £54.99
Be sure to check out our reviews of previous reviews of the Star Wars Helmets collection:
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.
LEGO reveals 40548 Spice Girls Tribute BrickHeadz set featuring all 5 members [News]
LEGO’s instructions portal has given us a spicy sneak peek at an upcoming BrickHeadz set, 40548 Spice Girls Tribute. The set features the most BrickHeadz yet with all five pop stars in their iconic costumes. There’s no word yet on when the set will be available or how much it will cost, but given that LEGO is already uploading images of the set, it’s a good bet it will be March 1 release along with a slew of other sets.
Update: LEGO has now officially revealed the set, so check out more info on it below, and don’t miss the other new LEGO sets for Spring 2022:
- LEGO Art Batman Mosaic
- LEGO Art Elvis Presley Mosaic
- LEGO Creator
- LEGO Dots
- LEGO Marvel Infinity Saga Thor’s Hammer
- LEGO Ninjago
- LEGO Speed Champions
- LEGO Star Wars Helmets Collection (Luke Skywalker & The Mandalorian)
- LEGO Star Wars Dark Trooper Attack
- LEGO Technic lineup
- LEGO Technic 42141 McLaren Formula 1 Race Car
Intricate and mysterious LEGO cathedral
I am totally impressed by the architectural skills of Lego builder Hobo Sapien and his digital creation titled Cathedral of the Great Visage. This is a fictional cathedral but it’s actually a fairly accurate layout for an Early Gothic-era Cathedral. Who would have thought my art history would come in handy one day? So get ready: I am going to lay down some knowledge like a lintel on a post (sorry). First off, the silhouette of the building is pretty good. You have your giant rose window centered right above the front entrance. Beautiful! The buttresses are flying (as they should be). The designer used ingots and Microfigures in a clever way to recreate the archivolt over the main entrance. The peak at the top is a traditional-styled gable, but you don’t often see them filled with a wizard in handcuffs (though that is some cool creative license).
The interior is pretty neat too! Looking across the transept you have a nice view of the altar with the ambulatory wrapping around behind it. The Ionic—actually, I think they’re Corinthian—columns draw the eyes up to the vaulted ceilings. It is all lit by mysteriously glowing candles which provide this really mystical vibe. Man! LEGO bricks are cool.
This 5,000+ piece, 6+ pound Slave-1 is worth risking a disintegration for.
As Disney+’s The Book of Boba Fett comes to a close, it’s a fitting time to stop and take a look back to our first introduction of the bounty hunter who began our love affair with the Mandalorians – The Empire Strikes Back*. And who better to be our guide than Hannes “Marshal Banana” Tscharner? Hannes has previously brought us amazing renditions of other Star Wars vehicles like the Millennium Falcon and the Jawa Sandcrawler. But this time, Hannes teamed up with builder Kevin J. Walter aka Skywalter with the goal of creating the most accurate Slave-1 model ever built in LEGO. Kevin is no stranger to IP spaceship builds himself, and has previously wowed us with his Stargate and Star Trek work. The Slave 1 took the pair a year and a half to complete. But, like any bounty hunter worth the price, they delivered on their goal with stunning results. So, without further ado, let’s take a tour of this Empire-era Firespray-31.
Atlantean jetbikes and umbrellean jellyfish
Whenever Steven Erickson and Mark Erickson get together you know it is going to be LEGO magic—underwater magic, in this case. But maybe that’s my undying urge to live my life as the mermaid I know that I am—or at least was in a past life. Or maybe it’s the amazing underwater creatures that these builders created.
Using the jellyfish mask for a jellyfish isn’t groundbreaking, but it is nice to see these odd parts pop up in creations. The true brilliance is the use of the trans pink umbrella to create an even bigger jellyfish. The leaf parts work great representing the tentacles. The Bionicle Olmak mask works great as an underwater vehicle. The only thing I am not sure about is the faucet used as a steering wheel.
The original custom van
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with vans. When you say the word van, imagery of minivans and hideous box shapes spring to mind. But there are some undeniable gems among the chaff, and the original Ford Transit Mk 1, which went into production in 1965, is one of them. This beautiful LEGO rendition by OutBricks is minifigure scale and 7 studs wide, which is an impressive feat. It manages to capture the chunky 1960s stylings well, right down to the gently angled sides. The best part, though, is the sideways half arches used for the wheel wells.