Sunday, July 24, 2011

LEGO Pirates of Caribbean #30132 Captain Jack Sparrow Review

Theme: Pirates of the Caribbean
Name: Captain Jack Sparrow
S/N: #30132
Year: 2011
Pieces: 4
Minifig: 1
Price: RM-, SGD-, USD-, GBP-

Polybag
This is one gift that comes with the purchase of the games, but you can get them separately online. Anyway the polybag did not comes with the name, just number of pieces and the serial number. There is nothing more than just words at the back of the polybag.

_MG_2500 _MG_2501

Content
Inside the small polybag is four pieces of parts that a minifig need, a head, a headgear which is nicely packed in a plastic, a torso and a leg. No other accessories or instruction though.

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Minifig
Guess is the rare Jack Sparrow that the collectors need if they want to complete the whole Jack Sparrow collection. The torso's design are different from all other Jack Sparrow minifig and it is printed both side as well. Guess this is the voodoo doll that Blackbeard made.

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_MG_2504 _MG_2505 _MG_2506 _MG_2507 _MG_2508

Completed model
If you are not a gamers, guess is wise a choice to get this separately as the price is reasonable if you compare with the game.

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Playability: 2/10 No playability here except for the assembling process and moving hands and leg.
Building experience: 2/10 Guess most of us will not expect any experience from a minifig.
Parts: 4/10 The head, torso and legs are rare as it is different.
Value for money: 10/10 I am very satisfied with the price I paid but not sure about others.
Overall: 4/10 If you are a minifigs lover like me, then you just got to on it.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean #4192 Fountain of Youth Review

Theme: Pirates of the Caribbean
Name: Fountain of Youth /Aqua de Vida
S/N: #4192
Year: 2011
Pieces: 125
Minifig: 4
Price: RM119.90, SGD59.90, USD19.99, GBP19.99

Box
The box is as informative as any other Pirates of the Caribbean set. The front shows you all the details that are needed like the serial number and name of the set, minifigs included with their name and also a nice picture of the play set that are serve with a beautiful background. The top side of the box shows the actual minifigs scale and you can see Blackbeard there while the back shows you the function of the plastic waterfall mat.

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Content
There is this properly packed poster, instruction booklet and a Hector Barbossa card, two bags of bricks and a plastic mat that has the waterfall printed on it and to my surprise this set eventually sell at a higher price here compare to Isla De La Muerta, which has more pieces, better accessories and minifigs.

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The card quality is not as good as those trading card like those Pokemon, that you get from the booster pack, is just a card with some sort of code that you can use on the LEGO site. The poster again have the map to Fountain of Youth and some pictures of these cute minifigs at Fountain of Youth.

_MG_0006 _MG_0007
_MG_0008 _MG_0009

Accessories
Not much of a rare accessories here except for the nicely painted Blackbeard's sword. You can see that this new nice is nicely mold with a little details on the handle and is a little bigger compare to the normal sword that we have.

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Minifigs

I guess I do not need to snap the picture of the common skeleton which I think most of us already own at least one. Anyway, all the minifigs got their torso printed on both side and only Jack Sparrow have two expression printed on the head. All of their headgear are printed too. So what's rare here is Hector Barbossa which you only get in this set, and Blackbeard which only can get in this set and Queen Anne's Revenge (#4195).

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Here's the common Jack Sparrow with the two boring expression that you get in Captain's Cabin (#4191) and even The Mill (#4183).

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Waterfall

I guess this is what is written in the set description at LEGO Shop, the waterfall. Judging from the playability, I suppose this waterfall has become the entrance to the Fountain of Youth. I like the round grill bricks by the way.

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_MG_0016 _MG_0017 _MG_0018 _MG_0019

Fountain of Youth
My first impression on this set after watching the movie, this set is totally different from what it is seen in the movie and I think is the worst set in this line. Is good you get a lot of translucent parts like here, a printed part and a lot of dark green parts, but design wise. . . what on earth is this, is not any close to the Fountain of Youth??? So again, they try to sell the minifigs.

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Extra pieces
Here are the leftovers with me after I assemble everything. If you are a sword lover, this theme supplies you with a lot of them.

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Completed model
This set do include you with some nice minifigs and even rare ones, also a few nice parts are included. But the whole thing seems like do not have any connection with the movie itself.

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Playability: 2/10 There's totally no playability here, walking through the plastic fall is not a playability.
Building experience: 4/10 Nothing funs here since there is no playability.
Parts:6/10 Not that bad, you get the round grill parts, translucent part and dark green parts.
Value for money: 6/10 Not that worth it, you might think is worth if you are a minifigs collector.
Overall: 4/10 I just buy this to complete the theme and also for the minifigs.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean #4181 Isla De La Muerta Review

Theme: Pirates of the Caribbean
Name: Isla De La Muerta
S/N: #4181
Year: 2011
Pieces: 152
Minifig: 4
Price: RM109.90, SGD50.90, USD19.99, GBP19.99

Box
The front of the box shows us the whole playset and the minifigs that are included in this set. It was a nice box art with useful details like the minifigs name, serial and name of the set. The top side of the shows us the scale exact scale of Elizabeth Swann and the back of the box shows us the playability like it usually does.

Box
Box1 Box2

Content
The box is fully packed with four bags of parts, a bag of instruction and poster, and a rowboat. There is no space left with all these things in it and I suppose the box is fully utilize.

Content Content 1

To download or view the instruction, please click HERE.

Below are pictures that shows the both side of the poster:


Accessories
There are again alternate parts for the coins, I do get a set with the gold chrome old coins (which I myself very much prefer it) and now the one I open comes with this brownish coins, which all of them have 10 as a mark instead of others like 5 or like those we see in the box art. There is no extra gold bar too, compare with the set that has gold coins.

Accessories

Minifigs
We got a Jack Sparrow with a different expression and zombie face, Elizabeth Swann, Hector Barbossa and the cursed Barbossa. They all got their torso printed both side except for cursed Barbossa.

Minifigs Minifigs1

Now these two below got two expression that you can change:

Expression Expression 1

Rowboat
Finally I own one of this rowboat from a small set. I do not collect pirates theme actually with an exceptional to this one. They seems worth it. Back to the rowboat there is a light at the front and two seats but too bad, Miss Swann cannot sit.

Rowboat Rowboat1

Treasure Chest
The chest although is small, but I like the looks of it, and it were decorated with gold bar and gold crystal. The chest can be open with a little push on the cover.

Treasure chest Treasure chest1 Treasure chest2

Isla De La Muerta
Here's a mini version of Isla De La Muerta (I suppose this is what it call, do correct me if I am wrong) which have a little playability that I will show later. You can see there is a number of 1x1 round plate lying around, which I think is the loot. There is a torch hanging on the wall too. Now we will see it from different angle:

Isla
Isla1 Isla2 Isla3 Isla4

First the rowboat really fits the entrance, but Jack Sparrow cannot use the oars to row the boat when he enters into the cave. I like it when it can fit the boat.

Entrance Entrance1

One of the playability is the falling mast. All you need to do is to push the technic pin and the mast will fall and block the entrance.

Mast Mast1

And the last playability is Hector Barbossa transformation (just like Darth Vader transformation) . . . errr. . . I think is some sort of transformation happening over here too. The platform that the two Barbossa is on is rotatable. I snap three picture to show a sequence over here.

Barbossa Transformation Barbossa Transformation1 Barbossa Transformation2

Extra pieces
Here's the extra parts that are left and hopefully I'm right.

Extra pieces

Completed model
This set comes with great parts and mot importantly the price which I think is very well price. I think you should get a set of this as it comes with great parts, and minifigs.

Completed model

Playability: 8/10 Points are given to the entrance and transformation playability.
Building experience: 6/10 Is a fun building experience especially the chest and the cave.
Parts:8/10 A lot of accessories, rowboat, what else can I ask.
Value for money: 8/10 Considering the minifigs and accessories, also some of the plate, is worth getting.
Overall: 7/10 Love the whole set, although the cave is not that good in design.