Perfecting 4184 The Black Pearl

When the first images of this set appeared the response from the AFOL community was largely disappointment bordering on disgust. 

I personally felt, and still feel, that this was unfair.  To Lego's credit, with the parameters they had to operate in, I thought they did a pretty good job.  There is a front deck (unlike the Brickbeard's Bounty) and the rear cabin is enclosed (unlike the Queen Anne's Revenge).  There are three masts and the center one has three sails (unlike any of the older ships).  On top of that you get some exclusive minifigures, if that floats your boat (pun completely intended) or could get it even cheaper if you were willing to pass on them (I bought mine on Bricklink for 40% off sans figs).  Furthermore, if you take into account inflation this set costs the same amount in today's dollars as the original good guy boat: 1989's Caribbean Clipper. 

Put those two side by side and I wager you will begin to think that maybe the Pearl isn't so bad after all!  For the price you pay I think you get an excellent model.  Thank you your honor, I rest my case!

However, if you compare the Pearl to the ship as seen in the movies, or even the Lego video game, even I will admit that it is not at all a faithful recreation.  The cost of the exclusive parts for the minifigures and the pressure to maintain the $100 price point meant something had to give.  Accordingly, movie accuracy was sacrificed. 

So I set out to see if, without adding hull sections, I could make the model more movie accurate. Along the way I added a few details that I think all Lego ships should have and the result was fantastic.  Below are some pictures illustrating what I did. 

I completely redid the back.  I added more windows and changed their color as well as making the entire shape more accurate by cantalevering out the cabin and adding the sloped roof.  The ship in the movie also had decorative supports underneath the windows which I mimicked using minifigure megaphones.

I added a working mechanism for the anchor to the front, extended the deck, added stairs up to the deck and installed hatches to access the hold below which I sealed off. 

The middle section was finalized by adding a walkway from the front to the back which tied into the stairs that came as part of the original model.  You can also see the cantalevered windows in the back and the redone shape of the top deck.

Just like when I modified the Queen Anne's Revenge I also made instructions for how to do these modifications so I will be able to recreate them in the future.  Overall I really liked the improvements and felt that they make a great ship even better.

Lame Movie Scene = Lame Set

4183 The Mill
The Chronicler's Rating - 2/5
Price ~ $40.00
Year Released - 2011

In the case of Star Wars it is so easy.  With 6 movies, a tv series and a host of video games and other material from the expanded universe Lego has an almost endless pool of material to draw from in order to create new and exciting sets.  From locations to vehicles there are a lot of options.  This is not the case however in some of the other franchises Lego has ventured into.  I saw it first in a few of the Indiana Jones sets that just left you saying "um I recognize that is an accurate recreation of a scene from the movie but... it is kind of lame". The Mill is such a set. 

Once you create the ships and a few of the more famous locales like the Fountain of Youth and the Isla de la Muerta (which Lego has done) the pirates franchise doesn't

have a lot of other noteworthy locations to turn into sets.  The problem with this set is that it is hard to imagine anything to really use it for.  Lego has released an actual mill set in the Kingdoms theme (7189 Mill Village Raid) that has a working windmill which operates the mill equipment in the building so I can't even say that this set would work in a medieval setting as an actual mill because there is a much better offering concurrently available.  This set has no equipment inside other than the bell and the wheel is built not to grind grain but detach so the young builder can recreate that ridiculous scene from the movie which tried to be funny but to most was just lame.  The fact that this set is recreating such a lame scene does not help it much. 

FOR PARENTS

This set is not designed to create great play possibilities, it is designed to recreate a scene in which the primary appeal was witty dialogue and a ridiculous set of circumstances.  In my opinion the movie failed on both those counts but even if it had succeeded that is very difficult to recreate into a satisfying Lego set.  The result is a set I would advise you to avoid.  If your child is interested in the mill aspect of this set for a medieval story head over to the Kingdoms section of the store and pick up 7189 Mill Village Raid as it is a much better set. 

FOR KIDS

On every front I would advise you to spend your money on a different set.  The pieces on this set can be found in almost any castle set, the figures are available in other sets (or will be soon) and the play possibilities with The Mill are so limited that I think it will quickly bore you.

CONCLUSION

for the most part Lego has done an excellent job of making great sets from the Pirate's franchise.  Unfortunately, with The Mill they were undermined by the fact that this is not the greatest scene and therefore the need to adhere to movie accuracy resulted in a lame set.  Spend your money elsewhere.

Happy Building

The Lego Chronicler

Undermined by Price

4194 Whitecap Bay

The Chronicler's Rating - 3/5

Price ~ $80.00

Year Released - 2011

In the last few years Lego has undergone a subtle yet undeniable shift.  In comparison to just a few years ago the would be buyer's dollars just do not go as as far as they used to.  With rising manufacturing costs, more and more themes requiring licensing fees and straight up general economics this shift was somewhat inevitable but that does not make it an easy pill to swallow.  Lego has tried to mask this fact by increasing the piece count of sets dramatically over that same timeframe but those pieces are small (which is the point, they add far less plastic to the production cost than their counterparts from years past) and don't add a lot of bulk to sets.  On some sets it is less noticeable than others but Whitecap Bay is, unfortunately, not one of them. 

The large price tag on this set is truly a tragedy for two main reasons.  First this is a fabulous set and secondly it is without precedent in Lego's history, never before has there been a lighthouse set in a Pirate theme.  The play possibilities of this set are extraordinary.  You can play along the story lines of the movie (this is after all a recreation of a scene from the latest film), it can easily be incorporated into an existing pirate collection, or it could be a historical lighthouse in the harbor of a modern city.  With great colors, excellent construction and architectural details I really like this set.  The only problem is price. 

FOR PARENTS

Even if value is not one of your major considerations in buying a Lego set for your child or grandchild it is hard to look at this set and not think "they want HOW much???".  As great as it is, once built, it is hard to believe that it cost so much.  Because of how little I feel you are getting for your money on this set I would recommend that, unless your child has their heart set on it or are huge fans of the latest Pirates movie, you look elsewhere.  The smaller sets for more money phenomenon has not hit all sets and themes equally, it is still possible to get more for your dollar (a good place to look is in the non-licensed themes such as City, Ninjago or Castle).  Another option is to get 4183 The Mill which is cheaper and could be easily modified into something resembling Whitecap Bay with a few pieces from your child's collection.  If, however, you can absorb the price, and your child loves the Pirates movie or pirate Legos in general then I would highly recommend this set to you. 

FOR KIDS

This is a great Lego set.  Whether you are looking to add to existing pirate collection or start a new one this set would make a great addition.  They only thing you need to think about is whether or not you want it enough to spend this much money on it.  Lego sets like this can easily turn onto disappointments if you are expecting it to be huge and then find that it is not as big as you thought.  Get this if you have thought about it and still want it otherwise I would spend your money on something that gets you better pieces for the money. 

CONCLUSION

This set is without precedent in the history of Lego Pirates (both the recent theme based on the movie and the long running Pirate theme that preceded it).  Beyond being the first historical lighthouse set ever produced there have only been 2 other lighthouses of any type in the modern era of Legos (6414 Dolphin Point from the Paradisa theme from the early 90s and 5770 Lighthouse Island from the Creator theme this year) so this set is truly in elite and unique company.  Not only that but it has excellent play value along with great construction and pieces.   Its only weakness is price and that weakness is, unfortunately, quite looming.  If you can stomach the price get this set but if you cannot and must look elsewhere I don't blame you. 

Happy Building

The Lego Chronicler

Perfecting the Queen Anne's Revenge

If you have purchased 4195 Queen Anne's Revenge, first off major kudos to you, and secondly you may have noticed that while the outside is breathtaking the inside is... a little spartan.  There are a few key features that, in order to meet their price point, Lego omitted from this ship.  I recently set about to see if I could remedy those deficiencies and was very pleased with the result.  So pleased in fact that I can honestly say, with these modifications, the Queen Anne's Revenge is my favorite of all my ships (surpassing even 10210 Imperial Flagship).  To do this I cannibalized 4191 Captain’s Cabin for a few specialized parts and added some extra pieces from my own collection. Here is what I did.

THE FRONT DECK

While the Revenge did improve upon 2009's Brickbeard's Bounty in that it did have a front deck the 2 small pieces Lego included are just not satisfactory considering the ship's  size.  I modeled my improvements off the first Lego pirate ship: 1989's Black Seas Barracuda.  That ship included holds beneath both the front and rear decks accessed by hatches.  I created the same thing here. 

As you can see there are two hinged hatches.  I have extended the deck to just before the first cannon port where I have added a solid wall with a ladder built into it.  I moved the anchor assembly up onto my deck and added a simple locking mechanism using a spare hinge piece.  To round it off I added a few small holders for weapons and called it good.  Nothing I did changed anything about the way the ship is built in the directions, I just filled it in.  A future modification I may try is to make the entire front deck removable and add a furnished crew quarters beneath... we will see.  

THE REAR CABIN

What I felt was the most major deficiency of the Revenge was that its rear cabin was not enclosed.  This has been my biggest pet peeve with all of the smaller Pirate and Imperial Guard ships Lego has produced through the years.  The minute I saw pictures of this set I knew that I would be adding a door to that cabin.  The result is, I feel, a door and facade that blends in perfectly with the rest of the ship making it impossible to tell where the original design ends and the modifications begin.


The 6x4 stud brown plate for the door came from set 4191 The Captain's Cabin.

This is the door assembly up close.

THE REAR DECK

In keeping with what I did in the front I also finished out a small rear deck immediately in front of where the rear cabin attachs.  I added two more hatches to access the space beneath and also a small extension out over the cannon well with a fourth large bone as a rail.  The hatches provide access to the area beneath the rear cabin which the instructions left empty but I finished out as the ship’s galley in a similar manner to the rear of the Imperial Flagship. 


You can see the two hatches with handles next to the support for the mast and
the stove for the galley on the left as well as table and supplies on the right.

MISCELLANEOUS

I incorporated many of the special elements from set 4191 The Captain’s Cabin in various places as well as connecting the front and rear decks on the sides of the cannon well using 3-1x8 peg black plates per side.  The end result is a feel a much more complete set than the original.  I am thrilled with how it turned out.


You can see the 1x8 stud plates that I added here, the ones
on the right end are missing for comparison.

The globe from The Captain's Cabin was a great new piece,
I mounted it near the ships wheel as shown here.

I created detailed instructions for these modifications so they can be recreated the next time I assemble the ship.  If anyone is interested in them let me know and I can send them to you.    

Happy Building
The Lego Chronicler

Worthy Of Joining The Hallowed Company

4195 Queen Anne's Revenge
The Chronicler's Rating - 5/5
Price ~ $120.00
Year Released - 2011

This set joins a hallowed company, revered the world over by kids right on up to the hard core Lego enthusiasts: the large scale Lego pirate ships (large scale defined as having a wide hull and 2 or more middle sections).  It is an elite company which, despite spanning over 2 decades is, with the addition of the Queen Anne’s Revenge is comprised of only 5 other sets: 6285 Black Seas Barracuda, 6286 Skull’s Eye Schooner, 6289 Red Beard Runner, 6243 Brickbeard’s Bounty and most recently 10210 Imperial Flagship (this last one is not technically a pirate ship but it fits in the category of large scale ships).   Lego enthusiast far and wide generally consider the large scale ships to be the holy grails of Lego sets and will argue to the bitter end which one of these revered sets is the best; with their respective opinions being heavily influenced by whichever one they happen to have in their collection.  On the addition of this set to my collection I am fortunate enough to have 4 of the 6 so I can hopefully bring a somewhat objective opinion to the table in this review.  My thoughts can be summed up in one brief sentence: this set is magnificent.

The Queen Anne’s Revenges is heavily influenced by its predecessors, despite the fact that it is first and foremost a re-creation of the ship seen in the movie.  When considered in this vein Lego has done an excellent job of balancing three potentially contradictory goals: creating a movie accurate model, incorporating the hallmarks of the great Lego ships of the past and keeping the price within a reasonable range.  For this delicate balancing act they are to be heartily commended.  I would place this set squarely in the middle of the pantheon of large scale Lego ships ahead of the Brickbeard’s Bounty and the Red Beard Runner and beaten only by the Barracuda, Skull’s Eye and Imperial Flagship.  Considering that all 3 of those latter ships are generally considered by fans to be in the top 10 of best Lego sets ever produced this is hardly a demerit!   

I could fill several pages with observations on the positives of this set as well as the aspects that are influenced by its predecessors.  However, as this forum is meant to primarily inform potential buyers I shall settle for summarizing a few of the main attractions.  First off, this ship is huge due to the inclusion of 3 middle hull pieces.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the measuring standards and design of Lego pirate ships here is a brief tutorial.  All Lego pirate ships have the same basic construction there are front and rear hull pieces joined by what are referred to as “middle pieces”.  The number of these middle pieces are the defining characteristic that determine how long the ship is.  Only one ship, 10210 Imperial Flagship, has ever had more than 3 (and that set was a collector’s model so in some ways it doesn’t count) so this set is tied for second longest ship ever produced alongside the Skull’s Eye and the Barracuda.  The color scheme is beautiful and it has stunning architectural details due to the inclusion of numerous small pieces (a major plus!).  Furthermore it has a middle mast with 3 sails which no other set except for 10210 Imperial Flagship, has ever had, and more cannon ports than any other ship ever produced (I must quickly point out however that only 3 cannon’s are provided so not all of these ports can be armed at the same time without the addition of more cannons).  And finally, it is just stunning to look at.  I have always had a soft spot for how magnificent Lego pirate ships look and this one continues that tradition, a true feast for the eyes, especially from the front!

FOR PARENTS

As a child I longed for a Lego pirate ship with nearly every beat of my little heart.  Due to their expense it was not until much later in life, when I could earn my own money that I was able to finally add one of these treasures (and subsequently several more) to my collection.  Trust me when I say your child or grandchild will adore this set.  If it is at all possible for you to make it happen get this treasure, it will be enjoyed for generations. 

FOR KIDS

Whether it’s that you like the movies, just want a pirate ship, or need an opponent for another ship you already have there are a thousand reasons to get this set.  Save your allowance and birthday money and add this to your collection, you will love it!

CONCLUSION

I must confess I was nervous when I heard that Lego was getting into the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.  When the Harry Potter franchise temporarily replaced the long running Castle theme in the early 2000’s the need to make the sets movie accurate precluded the inclusion of the aspects which made the Castle theme what it was.  Harry Potter wasn’t a bad theme, it just wasn’t Castle.  I was worried that in the name of “movie accuracy” the ships in this new theme would not have the magic of the great ships of the past.  I was delighted to discover that, although definitely a re-creation, the Queen Anne’s Revenge does not look out of place alongside such legends as the Barracuda or Skull’s Eye and is worthy of being included in the pantheon of Lego pirate ships on its own merits.  The positives of this set are so overwhelming that the few minor demerits my trained eye can see are not even worth mentioning.  I will go a step beyond recommending and say that if you only get one large set in 2011 make it this one, you won’t regret it. 

Happy Building

The Lego Chronicler