Tag Archives: Reviews

Not sure which LEGO sets to pick up for yourself? Need ideas for that LEGO fan who already has more LEGO than he or she can possibly build with in a lifetime? Nervous about the quality of the custom accessories that tempted you at your last LEGO convention? Read our reviews of LEGO sets, books, accessories, and more right here on The Brothers Brick.

LEGO Star Wars 75291 Death Star Final Duel takes us to the Emperor’s Throne Room [Review]

With beloved minifigures and generally excellent vehicle designs in the LEGO Star Wars theme, location-based playsets often get a bad rap by comparison. Back in 2016, I described 75137 Carbon Freezing Chamber as half-formed, oddly over-engineered, ugly, and ultimately baffling — one of the worst LEGO sets I’d reviewed in recent memory. Then in 2018, we argued that the $350 75222 Betrayal at Cloud City doesn’t even live up to LEGO’s own product description, despite some stellar mid-scale vehicles and improved carbon-freezing chamber. Given that history, we were skeptical of 75291 Death Star Final Duel (US $99.99 | CAN $139.99 | UK £89.99), which includes 775 pieces with five minifigs and will be available starting September 1st (with the now-standard caveats about COVID-19 shipping). But has LEGO exceeded our low expectations?

Read our hands-on review of LEGO Star Wars 75291 Death Star Final Duel

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LEGO Star Wars 75280 501st Legion Clone Troopers with AT-RT & BARC speeder [Review]

The summer 2020 lineup of LEGO Star Wars sets has added a number of sets inspired by Star Wars: The Clone Wars, including 75283 Armored Assault Tank with Ahsoka Tano and one of her unique Clone Troopers. 75280 501st Legion Clone Troopers adds the elite infantry that Anakin Skywalker leads into battle as part of the Grand Army of the Republic. The set includes 285 pieces with the four Clone Trooper minifigs and two battle droids, and is scheduled to be available in the US starting September 1st from LEGO (US $29.99 | CAN $39.99 | UK £24.99), though actual availability may vary significantly due to COVID-19.

Before we dig into the details of the set, it’s important to briefly correct some earlier reporting, which indicated that this is part of the minifigure-centric Battle Packs line of sets within LEGO Star Wars. Although the set does include four “army builder” Clone Troopers and a pair of battle droids, the inclusion of two substantial vehicles places this within the realm of standard LEGO Star Wars sets, not Battle Packs.

(And yes, I inverted the torsos on a couple of the nearly identical Clone Troopers as you can see in some of the overall photos, but thankfully we caught it during photography and the detailed minifig photos are correct.)

Read our full review of LEGO Star Wars 75280 501st Legion Clone Troopers

LEGO Star Wars 75283 Armored Assault Tank (AAT) from The Clone Wars season 7 includes Ahsoka Tano and Ahsoka Trooper [Review]

Season 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars concluded on Disney+ recently, converging the storyline from the long-running animated TV series with the events portrayed in Revenge of the Sith. The season also wraps up a key storyline about Ahsoka Tano, connecting to her appearance as “Fulcrum” in Rebels. Because of this, LEGO fans have been excited about the inclusion of a new Ahsoka minifigure alongside a special “Ahsoka Trooper” in 75283 Armored Assault Tank, announced as part of the summer 2020 wave of LEGO Star Wars sets. The set includes 286 pieces with two minifigs (plus two battle droids), and will become available in the US on Sept. 1st, but may be available already in other regions (US $39.99 | CAN $49.99 | UK £34.99) due to logistics and supply chain challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read our hands-on review of LEGO Star Wars 75283 Armored Assault Tank

LEGO 75551 Minions: Brick-built Minions and their Lair [Review]

We’ll have to wait until July 2021 to see Minions: The Rise of Gru in theaters, but in the meantime we can at least play with the LEGO sets. We’ve already taken a hard look at 75549 Minions: Unstoppable Bike Chase and found a lot of problems there. But what about the other currently available offering? 75551 Minions: Brick-build Minions and their Lair retails for US $49.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £44.99 and spans 876 pieces including three Minion minifigures. That sounds pretty good on the surface…but is it? Let’s find out!

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Ninjago 71719 Zane’s Mino Creature [Review]

Here at The Brothers Brick, we’ve explored all the summer 2020 Ninjago sets…all but one, that is. There…lurking in the corner…it’s 71710 Ninjago: Zane’s Mino Creature. And, spoiler alert, this one is a little different from the rest of the wave. Part of the “Game Experience Inside” group, this set has odd build choices that make it feel like either an early version or a late addition to that sub-theme. Available now for US $49.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £44.99, is this 616 piece set worth your time and money? Read on and see!

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LEGO Ninjago 71717 Journey to the Skull Dungeons [Review]

The summer 2020 Ninjago line contains a lot of big sets, but what if you’re on a budget? Coming in at 401 pieces, 71717 Journey to the Skull Dungeons is currently available, and pretty affordable at US $29.99 | CAN $39.99 | UK £24.99. Can it keep up with the excitement present in the rest this wave? Read on and see!

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Ninjago 71721: Skull Sorcerer’s Dragon [Review]

We’ve already shown you the ins and outs of Wu’s Battle Dragon from the summer 2020 Ninjago sets, but that’s not the only dragon in this series. No, there’s another, larger, offering to be had. 71721 Ninjago: Skull Sorcerer’s Dragon (US $79.99 | CAN $109.99 | UK £74.99) is just over three times the pieces…for four times the price. Is it worth it? Let’s take a detailed look and find out.

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The LEGO Technic 42115 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 rolls in: the good, the bad, and the ugly [Review]

Back in 2016, LEGO Technic did a new thing: it drastically raised the bar for LEGO sets targeted at adults by creating the 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS with not just a complex and detailed design, but also premium packaging befitting a luxury product. Two years later, the Technic team followed it up with a stunning recreation of one of the world’s most expensive vehicles, 42083 Bugatti Chiron, and we hailed both vehicles as among the best sets LEGO has ever produced. Announced last month, now LEGO Technic is back for a third time with another supercar, the 42115 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37. Revealed by the Italian brand late last year, the Sián marks the company’s first hybrid vehicle in its 57-year history. The LEGO model is available now with a retail price of US $379.99 | CAN $489.99 | UK £349.99 and includes 3,696 pieces. Has LEGO struck gold three times in a row with Technic supercars? Yes, but not without some unfortunate missteps. Let’s take a closer look and unpack the good, the bad, and yes, even the ugly, in this lime green speed demon.

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Ninjago Legacy 71704: Kai Fighter [Review]

The Ninjago Legacy theme revisits classic Ninjago sets with updated builds and designs. Turning back the clock to Season 3, the 71704 Ninjago Legacy: Kai Fighter reprises 2014’s 70721 Kai Fighter, more than doubling that set’s 196 pieces to a much heftier 513 part count. This new version retails for US $39.99 | CAN $49.99 | UK £34.99 and is available now. Is it a worthy upgrade to the classic set? Come along as we run through the highs and lows of this new set!

Click to play along with us

LEGO 71705 Ninjago Legacy: Destiny’s Bounty [Review]

As the heroes’ mobile headquarters, Destiny’s Bounty is a key vehicle in the Ninjago universe. We’ve seen three versions of it before, and the Summer 2020 Ninjago wave brings a fourth in the form of an updated “Legacy” version. 71705 Ninjago Legacy: Destiny’s Bounty is available now for US $129.99 | CAN $159.99 | UK £124.99. As a callback to the earliest days of Ninjago lore, can this set hold up to fan’s nostalgic expectations, as well as providing something new? And what appeal does it have for those of us who just like ninjas but don’t have any real context for the set? Read on and see!

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LEGO 42107 Ducati Panigale V4 R motorcycle [Review]

You may have seen our news announcement awhile back featuring the 42107 Technic Ducati Panigale V4 R motorcycle set. The set comes with 646 pieces and marks LEGO’s first license with Ducati Motor Holding. This is also the first motorcycle model in LEGO Technic history to include a gearbox. The 42107 LEGO Technic Ducati Panigale V4 R is rated for fans aged 10+ and will retail for $69.99 USD | 54.99 GBP | 99.99 CAD. The press release states the set has already been available since June 1st but LEGO.com cites it as “coming soon”. They call it a superbike but is the set really super? We’ve had a chance to review this set so read on to see what we think.

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LEGO Jurassic World 75939 Dr. Wu’s Lab: Baby Dinosaurs Breakout [Review]

Whatever creature you create, here’s a lifehack to make everyone adore it: make it a baby. It has been proven to work with alien babies from a galaxy far, far away, but it also works with creatures populating the Earth; dinosaurs are no exception. The name of one of the latest LEGO Jurassic World sets, 75939 Dr. Wu’s Lab: Baby Dinosaurs Breakout speaks for itself. This medium-priced set comes with 164 pieces and includes two minifigures and two adorable dinosaurs. Let’s build it and see if these sweethearts are worth the set’s price tag of US $19.99 | CAN $29.99 | UK £17.99.

Click here to read the review…