Falls Far Short...

4644 Marina
The Chronicler's Rating - 2/5
Price ~ $50.00
Year Released - 2011

The last true marina set was 1994's Sail and Fly Marina and for those of us who can remember that set this one, unfortunately, looks downright spartan by comparison.  In the City theme especially Lego has, over the past several years, reached back into its own history and drawn inspiration from some of the great sets of the past.  Many of the recent sets that have done this have been able to capture the magic and masterpiece of their predecessors (the last two police stations and last two fire stations are prime examples as is this years Queen Anne's Revenge).  Unfortunately, 4644 Marina fell far short of its inspiration. 

On paper these two sets have pretty much the same components, docks, a restaurant and sea going craft.  But the older set, in every respect, did each one of those so much better that this set looks incomplete by comparison.  Everything about this set feels shortchanged, the dock is pitifully small (Lego made it look bigger by adding the bridge so it would be longer but it's an illusion), the boat (it's really a raft) is small and essentially just one big piece and the restaurant and "life guard stand" are built like facades as opposed to actual structures.  Contrast that with the Sail and Fly Marina which had 2 gorgeous speed boats (comprised of no large pieces) as well as a small motor boat and a (beautiful) seaplane all with separate berths on a huge dock which was flanked by an enclosed restaurant and boat repair yard complete with crane for lifting the speedboats out of the water. 

FOR PARENTS

There is nothing in this set that your child cannot build with pieces I am certain they have in their collections.  Nothing about the construction of this is difficult and none of the pieces are rare.  Considering the price tag there is really no reason to get this set unless your child has requested it specifically and even then I would suggest you try to talk them out of it.      

FOR KIDS

Marinas are a blast and I would highly recommend that you get one for your collection, just not this one.  The pieces on this set are not very good and for the price you pay you don't get very many of them.  Furthermore you can easily make something as good as this set on your own with pieces from your collection.  Spend your money on some of the cool boat sets that have recently been released and build your own marina. 

CONCLUSION

The Sail and Fly Marina set the bar very high for this type of set.  Even factoring in the fact that this set is not meant to be a recreation of that masterpiece and taking into account the more expensive production costs Lego is facing this set still falls way short.  With as many other great sets as are currently available right now I would encourage you to spend your money elsewhere.

Happy Building

The Lego Chronicler

Take Advantage Of This Opportunity

4645 Harbor
The Chronicler's Rating - 4/5
Price ~ $90.00
Year Released - 2011

Over the years there have been several short lived themes that are revered as something close to holy by Lego enthusiasts.  One of these is the Nautica theme which came and went in the late 80’s and early 90’s.  If that theme is hallowed its holy grail would be 6542 Launch and Load Seaport, closely followed by that set’s little brother (for those who couldn’t afford the elder’s hefty price tag) 6541 Intercoastal Seaport.  Perhaps sales were not as high as we enthusiasts would think but for some unknown reason Lego waited over 15 years, until 2007, to release another harbor set: 7994 City Harbor which was so shamelessly inspired by the Launch and Load Seaport (and why not that set was pretty much perfect!) that it is safe to say it was essentially copied (though it was not quite as good).  When that last set vanished quickly from shelves I figured Lego would likely wait another decade and a half to release another so I was pleasantly surprised to see this offering only a few years later.  Harbors are wonderful sets enabling all sorts of adventures to be acted out that are hard to create on your own or with other sets and this one, though not the best, will work.     

This set differs from all its predecessors in that it is a commodities harbor as opposed to a cargo harbor.  The ship, crane, truck and conveyor belt are meant to convey and transport grain, represented by tan colored cylinders (most of you will know them as “cannonball” pieces).  My honest guess is that this change was driven less by Lego trying to be original and more by an attempt to drive up the piece count (and therefore the price they can charge) while minimizing the manufacturing costs (those cylinders take a lot less plastic than the containers found in previous offerings).  Even with that change the characteristics that make harbor sets great are still here. 

FOR PARENTS

There are some sets that any kid can easily make using pieces from their own collection (see my review of 7869 Battle for Geonosis as an example) and their model will be at least as good if not better than the official set.  Harbors however, are not one of them.  The boat hull in particular as well as the cranes and various other components are difficult to build on your own (boat hulls and other curved shapes are among the most advanced Lego building techniques and beyond the capability of most kids).  Your child will find endless uses for these pieces and they are not found on many other sets so I would recommend that you take advantage of this opportunity while you still can. 

FOR KIDS

Think of what you could do with that boat hull.  An exploration vessel?  A battleship?  A luxury ocean liner?  The possibilities are nearly endless not to mention playing with it as is.  If you missed (or were too young for) the City Harbor set from a few years ago I would recommend that you take full advantage of this second chance and get this set.  Who knows Lego may decide to repeat history and not release another one until you are in college (that was the case with me)!

CONCLUSION

In the limited pantheon of Lego Harbors this set is not the greatest, but none of its shortcomings diminish its ability to enable every type of story, adventure and creation that its predecessors did.  If you have any of the previous harbors there is no reason to get this set but if you don’t then I would recommend it to you as there is no guarantee a better offering (or if history is to repeat itself another offering at all!) will be coming and every collection needs a harbor, they are great sets.   

Happy Building

The Lego Chronicler



Mid Year Buying Guide

With the mid-year sets starting to slowly seep out from The Lego Company it is time for the first ever buying guide in which we present The Lego Chroniclers top picks out of the 2011’s initial sets in each major pricing category.  We will do this twice a year, once right now as the mid year sets begin to come out and the second right before Christmas.  Without further fanfare, here they are: 

UNDER $10

This is the category that has been hardest hit in recent years as Lego sets have gotten more expensive, $10 just doesn’t go as far as it used to!  Searching through the sets the award goes to 7279 Police Minifigure Collection. 

The challenge with a small set is that usually they are not designed to be “stand alone sets” meaning that you can really only play with them effectively if you have one of the larger sets from the same theme (2516 Ninja Training Outpost is a good example of this, on its own this set will quickly become boring, but as a training station alongside 2504 Spinjitzu Dojo it would be much more fun).  Police Minifigure Collection manages to give the young builder everything the need to have a satisfying police chase right out of the box: multiple crooks, something to rob (an atm) and two police officers (one on a vehicle) to chase them.  You also get some of the new special pieces that have been incorporated into the latest wave of police sets (most notably the crowbar and the painted police dog).

$10 TO $30

This was a hard category to decide a winner, more Lego sets fall into this price range than any other.  After much consideration 7325 Cursed Cobra Statue rose to the top of the pile. 

Hailing from the new (and excellent) Pharaoh’s Quest theme this set does very well across the board.  It provides an excellent play experience (even if you have none of the other Pharaoh’s Quest sets) a decent selection of pieces (most notably the multiple ball and socket joints that form the cobra, very useful in making one’s own creations) and is not too bad on value in terms of pieces per dollar.  However, what ultimately pushes this set to the top (there are a variety of other sets that meet those first 3 criteria) is its incredible cross over potential.  That snake could be used as an alien in a space setting, a sea monster in a pirate setting, a mad scientist’s creation in a city setting and the work of an evil sorcerer in a castle setting just to start the list!  Not to mention that the off-road jeep it comes with is awesome! 

$31 TO $50

A unique opportunity occurred this year.  Lego released a very rare type of set (though why it is so rare is a mystery which continues to befuddle me): a bank.  3661 Bank & Money Transfer takes the prize for this price category. 

Considering the near religious release of new police and fire stations the absence of a long line of banks through Lego’s history is a puzzling mystery.  Though there are not very many previous offerings to compare it to Bank & Money Transfer is not only the best by comparison but an excellent set when considered objectively.  Everything needed for a very satisfying heist story is here, the bank itself is very detailed (containing an awesome vault!) and it comes with an excellent array of vehicles.  The only problem with this set is that the building is, relative to many other city sets, tiny, being constructed on the smallest baseplate produced.  Still this is overcome by the fact that the playability this set is fantastic, it has good pieces and that it will provide many hours of enjoyment.

$51 TO $80

The winner for this category hails from another historically overlooked category of sets: excellent bad guy bases.  The prize goes to 2505 Garmadon’s Dark Fortress.

I use the adjective excellent intentionally here.  Unlike banks there have been no lack of nefarious layers for the various Lego bad guys through the years.  The problem is that excellent ones have been rare (some of the most notorious entrants in the hall of shame include every bad guy base from the Alpha Team theme as well as the more recent 7947 Prison Tower Rescue from the Kingdoms theme) and the few that have been produced (such as 8637 Volcano Base from the Agents theme ) have been short lived and had a very limited release.  This set joins the limited company of excellent bases.  From excellent pieces to great design (including lots of prison space which is an absolute necessity for a bad guy lair) and a relatively decent price to boot this one is, in the words of our previous review, a “nearly certain winner”.

$81 TO $100

I don’t know if there is a single type of set that has had more incarnations in Lego’s history than police stations.  Without fail every 3 to 5 years or so a new one comes out.  With so many entrants into the category one that rises to the top in terms of excellence is worth noting and that is exactly what has happened this year with 7498 Police Station.

Obviously influenced by the holy grail of police stations (1993’s 6398 Central Precinct HQ) and its immediate predecessor (2008’s 7744 Police Headquarters) this station does everything right.  Jails, extensive office space, a full 3 stories, vehicles and lots of accessories this is the type of set that kids won’t be regretting having later because something better has come out.  A better police station is not likely to come out for awhile so get it while you can!

OVER $100

I must confess that I tend to not be a big fan of the Harry Potter sets as I feel that they usually sacrifice excellence as a Lego set on the alter of movie accuracy.  However, 10217 Diagon Alley is a glorious exception to this rule. 

Though it is technically a Harry Potter set Diagon Alley’s product number places it in the “Special Edition” category of Lego’s product line amongst other masterpieces such as 10196 Grand Carousel or 10210 Imperial Flagship which, due to their size and complexity (not to mention price!), are not generally within the means of young children and are meant to be more of a collector’s item for older builders.  With beautiful architecture, excellent pieces and a host of unique building techniques this set is truly breathtaking.  It also has excellent crossover potential as it would look right at home in a colonial village being raided by pirates or as a historic district in a town.    

So there you have it, if you are looking for a birthday gift or a graduation present (Don’t be fooled, Lego sets make great graduation gifts for certain people, I got several back when I graduated from high school and was thrilled!) these would be the recommendations I would give you. 

Happy Building (and Buying!)

The Lego Chronicler

A Potential Dissapointment...

7065 Alien Mothership
The Chronicler's Rating - 3/5
Price ~ $60.00
Year Released - 2011

For those of us who were collecting Legos in 1997 it is impossible to look at the Alien Conquest theme without memories of its predecessor, the UFO series, coming to our mind.  While not a continuation (like the Pharoah’s Quest sets are to the original Adventurers theme) it draws heavy inspiration.  In the last few years there have been an explosion of sets and themes like this which are modeled after those of the 90s when I (and likely many of Lego’s current set designers) was caught up in the childhood passion of collecting and playing with these plastic bricks which some of us have never stopped loving.

This set is modeled after the darling of the UFO theme: 6975 Alien Avenger.  Back in 1997 this was the must have set of the year.  Comparing the two, highlights this set’s merits and demerits.  Both crafts are intended to be “capital ships” which have 2 requirements: size and fire power.  The Avenger left no question in these departments, the Alien Mother Ship however is a bit harder to take seriously in both.  With only 1 figure and a single cockpit this set has all the hallmarks of a fighter, the only thing “mother shipish” about it is the size of its outer ring (which is roughly proportional to the Avenger), but with nothing in-between the cockpit and the outer edge the ship lacks a sense of “heft” which all of the great capital ships of Lego sets past have had (compare with 6975 Alien Avenger, 6873 Deep Freeze Defender and 6982 Explorien Starship).  More importantly WHERE ARE THE WEAPONS?  What captured the heart of every young boy in 1997 was the fact that the Alien Avenger was, simply put, BRISTLING with guns.  Mounted on turn tables it had several batteries of heavy lasers which dwarfed any armament seen previously on Lego space sets.  With this set we are to believe the independence of the earth is threatened by a little green man armed with… tiny radar dishes?  Seriously look at the picture, the guns on this craft are constructed of the tiniest radar dish pieces.  So while this set does have size and firepower they don’t command the same respect.

FOR PARENTS

Man versus aliens is a winning strategy.  This theme represents the 4^th use of this motif in Lego’s history (the UFO theme of 1997 and 2 separate Mars Mission themes one in 2001 and the latter in 2008.  That last theme had an alien mother ship which was, in my mind, far inferior to this one).  Its continued use is testimony to the characteristic which this set does share with its predecessor in equal portion: incredible playability.  This ship can war against other spacecraft, be incorporated into a Star Wars collection or terrorize a city (or for the very imaginative invade a historical world, who says that these guys couldn’t have been more advanced than mankind in say, the middle ages).  The Alien Avenger vanished from store shelves over a decade ago and while this set does not in my mind rise to the same heights, the core of what made that earlier set great is present here.  However, I will warn you that there is a great potential for disappointment here due to the reasons I mentioned above. 

FOR KIDS

If you love space sets or the City theme and don’t mind its puny guns and relative lack of heft you will love this spaceship.  If you had a much older sibling I would dig around in their collection to see if you have any of the old UFO sets before you buy, but if not this set will allow you to play a man versus alien storyline.

CONCLUSION

If your family has an Alien Avenger then I would spend your money elsewhere but if not then this set will suffice as an acceptable alternative.  Beware of the potential for disappointment but in the absence of better set this one will work. 

Happy Building

The Lego Chronicler

A Once In A Lifetime Opportunity

3661 Bank and Money Transfer
The Chronicler's Rating - 4/5
Price ~ $50.00
Year Released - 2011

When one surveys the multi-decade longevity of the Town/City theme there are two types of sets that it is staggering how few versions have been produced: hospitals and banks.  Since the advent of the minifigure in the late 70s there have been only two hospitals (6380 Emergency Treatment Center in 1987 and 7892 Hospital in 2006) and before this model only two banks (1490 Bank in 1990 and 6566 Bank in 1997).  This has always baffled me considering that Lego has produced a new police station or fire station, without fail, every 3-5 years over that same timeframe.  It seems to me that banks for the crooks whom the police are chasing to rob and hospitals to take the burn victims of all the houses that the fire department is saving would be the perfect counterparts to those more prevalent sets.  The purpose of this brief history lesson is to highlight the following: this set is a rare treasure.  It is bar none (even though there are not very many to bar as I have just shown) the best Lego bank yet produced and, if history holds true, there may not be another version of it for years (just look at the hospital sets, almost 20 years separated them!) so grab it while you can!

FOR PARENTS

If your child is a fan of the Town/City theme then I would highly recommend this set.  It is a fairly simple construction so it should not frustrate a young builder (the town sets often appeal to the younger spectrum of Lego’s audience more than some of the other themes) but also has enough detail to please an older one.  Everything your child needs for a satisfying heist story is here, including both crooks and police, giving this set high marks for playability.  It also contains an excellent collection of parts that will have many versatile uses when your child (inevitably) disassembles this set to make their own original creations.  On top of all that the number of pieces you get for the price is better than most of its 2011 contemporaries making this set a fairly good deal for the more value conscious shopper (as a quick aside the city sets tend to have higher value in terms of pieces per dollar due to the absence of Lego having to pay any licensing fees).  In short a great set with lots of possibility.  Only reason to avoid is if your child has no interest in City sets whatsoever, this one would feel a little weird all by itself even though it could be played with in that setting.       

FOR KIDS

A chance to own a Lego bank may not come along again for a long time.  If you are trying to build a realistic and complete City this is a great opportunity to add a building that a lot of your friends (and especially you older siblings) won’t have.  If you have other police sets especially this will make a great addition as your crooks will have a place to rob, I highly recommend it. 

CONCLUSION

I would recommend that you get this set for 2 reasons.  First off it is a rarity for a bank set to even be available and if you think about it that is very odd.  Why Lego does not release more of them is a mystery to me, all the more reason to get this excellent set while you can.  Secondly, this set has exceptional playability and will provide an excellent set piece for robberies and high speed chase stories.  Grab it before you have to wait another decade!

Happy Building

TheLegoChronicler

When Compared With Past Stations One Of The Best

7498 Police Station
The Chronicler's Rating - 4/5
Price ~ $100.00
Year Released - 2011

For the past 20+ years Lego has released, without fail, a new police station every 3 to 5 years.  Some have been excellent (1993's Central Precinct HQ), others have been terrible (1998's Command Post Central) with most falling somewhere in the middle (1996's Metro PD Station for example).  I am pleased to say that Lego has done very well with this installment, when compared to its many predecessors it emerges near the top of the list. 

This set draws obvious inspiration from its immediate predecessor, 2008’s 7744 Police Headquarters.  Most notably the dual jail cells, lower level garages, the color scheme and the included vehicles.  However, this station is not a copy and has some very distinctive features.  This set represents, as far as I can remember, an original concept in terms of city buildings.  The L shaped design joined by curved windows is an architectural feature that has not appeared in any other Lego City building to date.  I must say with how pleasing it is to the eye I hope Lego continues with this type of construction!  It is also a full honest to goodness 3 stories which puts it into very exclusive company (most 3 story buildings have a single room at the top, this has a whole floor).  7744 Police Headquarters was 3 stories but the bottom was garages which don’t, in my mind, count.  In terms of number of rooms I think only the Central Precinct HQ had more, making this one of the largest police station sets ever.    

FOR PARENTS

If your child loves the City theme you can't go wrong with a police station and you can have peace of mind buying this one knowing it is one of the best thus far released by Lego.  The only stations that I would say are better than this one are 6398 Central Precinct HQ and 7744 Police Station.  The playability of this set is such that it will provide many happy hours of play for your money and it has good pieces that can be used by your child easily in the construction of their own creations.       

FOR KIDS

No city collection is complete without a police station.  I myself have 3 of them in my collection, a main headquarters and 2 smaller auxiliary stations.  If you enjoy the city theme this would be a great set to add to your collection.

CONCLUSION

 No City collection is complete without a police station.  Having lived through most of the previous offerings you won't do much better than this one.  The only major demerit is that the price to piece ratio is worse than most previous sets; in other words you are getting a bit less for your money as far as the piece count.  Lego appears to have stretched those fewer pieces well though as I don't see anything major that this set is missing which others had.  Kudos to the designer. 

Happy Building

TheLegoChronicler