Legos, anyone?

[technoblue]

What did Lego do to the Ship in the Bottle set?

I was thinking about picking it up, but I don’t know much about it.

I’ll be getting Voltron for sure, but as others have noted it looks like I won’t be keeping the out-of-the-box look for long (like UCS Hulkbuster). I want something like the original articulate lions too. All that stuff will have to be modified I guess. I wonder how much the extra mod parts will cost on top of what Lego wants for the base set?

* sigh *

[M'Kyuun]

As for the ship in a bottle, the original submission featured a larger, more detailed ship. LEGO's version is greatly simplified.

For modding Voltron, I'd keep an eye out for Kelvin Low's inevitable mod. He did a really nice bit of modding on the Hulkbuster. On Flickr, he goes by Chubbybots.

[technoblue]

Thank you, @M'Kyuun. That’s unfortunate about the ship in a bottle. I’ve also seen reviews noting that the released ideas set isn’t easy to move around once complete. That is, the bottle pieces can come apart, which can lead to a potential disaster.

Chubbybots mod for the Hulkbuster is excellent. I have it. I’ll keep an eye out to see if he or anyone else comes up with something like that for Voltron. 

Edited June 30, 2018 by technoblue

[Beltane70]

Would it be correct to assume that they'll keep the Voltron name on the Japanese sets as well?

[M'Kyuun]

Good question for LEGO directly. In Japan, Voltron was originally called Beast King GoLion, or at least the portion that featured the Lions in the American adaptation. It would follow that LEGO, a global brand, would be savvy about such things, especially since they had to purchase a license to use the Voltron name and likeness. I have no experience to speak from, but I'd assume LEGO tailors its packaging according to the languages of its various markets, as it seems illogical and insensitive to assume everyone reads and understands English, and in this case, is familiar with an American adaptation of a Japanese property.

During my two years in Okinawa, I never purchased any LEGO off-base. In retrospect, I don't recall seeing LEGO in the hobby store near Kadena, and I never did any shopping in Naha, which would have been a better market. This was back in 1990-91, and LEGO has expanded quite a bit since then. If we have any Japanese residents here, they may be able to provide a better answer, as I'm sure word is out that this is coming soon.

[sketchley]

5 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Good question for LEGO directly. In Japan, Voltron was originally called Beast King GoLion, or at least the portion that featured the Lions in the American adaptation. It would follow that LEGO, a global brand, would be savvy about such things, especially since they had to purchase a license to use the Voltron name and likeness. I have no experience to speak from, but I'd assume LEGO tailors its packaging according to the languages of its various markets, as it seems illogical and insensitive to assume everyone reads and understands English, and in this case, is familiar with an American adaptation of a Japanese property.

During my two years in Okinawa, I never purchased any LEGO off-base. In retrospect, I don't recall seeing LEGO in the hobby store near Kadena, and I never did any shopping in Naha, which would have been a better market. This was back in 1990-91, and LEGO has expanded quite a bit since then. If we have any Japanese residents here, they may be able to provide a better answer, as I'm sure word is out that this is coming soon.

I occasionally purchase Lego here in Japan.  There seems to be two versions of the packaging available to retailers: one with the English name written on the front, and one without.  I haven't examined it minutely, but everything else about the packaging appears to be the same (choking warnings in various languages, etc.).

[no3Ljm]

Next Lego Creator product.

[M'Kyuun]

More precisely, the prevailing opinion is that it'll be the Aston Martin DB5, with all of it's gadgetry. Never in a million years did I think LEGO would ever do Bond, but they've been making some surprising choices for licensing over the past couple decades, moreso just in the past four or five years.

Still, I doubt we'll ever see official Terminator, Predator, or Robocop stuff, even though by today's standards, the first two movies would probably be PG-13. Too many F-bombs and wetwork in Robocop.

[Tking22]

43 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

Never in a million years did I think LEGO would ever do Bond

Oh man this, Bond is just never something I ever thought we would see. If true? I'm am all over this, one to open and build, one for brand new in box. Bond has always been one of my all time favorite film franchises, I've owned every film in 7 formats, I may actually, physically NEED this.

[technoblue]

I wonder how well Lego will fair with the artsy curves of the DB5? If the Volkswagen sets are anything to go by, Lego might get very close to the car's silhouette and we might get some new pieces out of it too. That would be fun. 

[M'Kyuun]

Very true. LEGO created those quarter curves specifically for the Volkswagon Beetle set, as nothing in the current inventory served. So yeah, it's absolutely possible to see new parts, if not some nifty techniques, come into play for this. I'm excited to see the final result. I'm not as into Bond as TKing22, but I like to watch a Bond film from time to time- the cars with all their special modifications have always been a highlight for me- love that sort of thing. It's also why I enjoyed M.A.S.K. when I was a kid. Never had any of the toys, but boy did I drool over pics in the Sears and J.C. Penny catalogs- yep, I'm old.

[David Hingtgen]

I read that Lego paid $$$ for the Bond license for use in Dimensions—but with that killed, it’s “use it or lose it”——so we get a DB5 set.   

[sh9000]

 

[Tking22]

Wow, that looks frakking brilliant! I can't wait to get my hands on that beast! This set still looks incredible to me, nitpickers be damned. I think I'll actually be getting two of these sets, one to open and build and one for MISB, which I NEVER do for Lego sets.

[M'Kyuun]

That video: lots of tell (in German), short on show. Skip to about 6 minutes in if you want to see him unbox the parts and do a speed build. I was hoping he'd show off more of the functionality, but once he forms Voltron, just more talking.

Anyways, it's even more of a parts-former than I originally surmised. Dismayed and disappointed; I really hoped this would be the impetus for some much needed new joints, and given the long development time, I was quite hopeful. I wish they'd stayed more faithful to Lendy Tayag's submission; his version is fully poseable without need for parts-forming.

On a positive note, pics of a few LEGO Movie 2 sets are popping up-scroll down a bit: https://www.thebrickfan.com/

Looking forward to that Friends Spaceship. Hoping for lots of space stuff from this movie.

Edited July 13, 2018 by M'Kyuun

[anime52k8]

On 6/28/2018 at 8:45 AM, David Hingtgen said:

Lego seems to be doubling down on what they did with “ship in a bottle”   (Far less cool than the original idea)

 

The original ship in a bottle would have been stupidly expensive and the bottle looks better on the production kit anyways.

[David Hingtgen]

Stupidly expensive? Relative to the same company’s $800 Millenium Falcon?

[anime52k8]

ok, "Stupidly expensive" is a bit of an exaggeration. The Falcon is a special case though because Star Wars Fans are obsessive.

[sh9000]

 

[M'Kyuun]

Love the personal insights that the designers have been including in the Designer vids of late; I'm always interested in the process and the people behind the sets. I wish someone would write a biography on Jens Nygaard Knudsen, the creator of the minifig, Classic Space, the first LEGO trains, and numerous other advancements and themes during his 32 year career at LEGO. 

That said, it doesn't change my disappointment that, once assembled, Voltron is immobile from the waist down, and involves parts-forming of the chest and thighs to change their orientation instead of hinges. Vehemently wish beyond words that they'd found a way to make this sucker super poseable, even at that scale. Alas, modding.

Edit: As for David's observation, I've got a rather large box of "stupidly expensive" Millennium Falcon sitting in my living room, which I managed to get for the bargain basement price of $525, nearly the same price as the 2003 UCS Falcon, which I also have. No regrets, and thank you LEGO VIP Program.

Edited July 15, 2018 by M'Kyuun

[Kelsain]

My brother in law is planning on getting the Lepin version of the Falcon. I’ll be watching how that goes...

[kanedaestes]

Yeah bigger items I definitely can justify the price for. The smaller pieces not so much at times 

[M'Kyuun]

9 hours ago, Kelsain said:

My brother in law is planning on getting the Lepin version of the Falcon. I’ll be watching how that goes...

Now that you mention it, my neighbor said he bought the Lepin set and I've never asked him how it was. I've seen reviews on other Lepin sets, and the comparisons were usually decent, although some parts wouldn't have good fit or functionality. One specific example I remember is that the canopy wouldn't close all the way flush on their version of the blue and grey X-Wing from TFA. The reviewers even swapped canopies between the actual LEGO set and the Lepin. The LEGO canopy worked perfectly on both models, but the Lepin wouldn't sit flush on either, so definitely some mold issues. I believe there were other issues as well, but I can't recall them now. Suffice to say, quality wise, you get what you pay for with LEGO, in most cases (some sets are a little high priced for the parts count or for just what the model offers). LEGO has really good customer service in my experience, so if there are any issues with parts being broken, distorted, or only partially molded (I've had all three issues), they'll replace the parts no questions asked. Doubt you'll get the same service with Lepin. Just sayin'

8 hours ago, kanedaestes said:

Yeah bigger items I definitely can justify the price for. The smaller pieces not so much at times 

Mileage varies greatly in this area, methinks, depending on what you like, how you value a set (price to parts ratio vs the appeal of the model itself, etc), how much you enjoy building, rarity, nostalgia, etc. I've personally spent a fair bit to obtain a number of Classic Space sets that I wanted since childhood, and even a few that I had as a kid that got torn down and used for parts in other models and such. My CS nostalgia runneth deep, so emotionally I feel the value when I buy these old sets and put them together- it's just pure joy. OTOH, I still find joy in any number of modern sets, discovering new techniques, new parts, and almost certainly just from the models themselves. I collect across many of LEGO's themes, so at this point, after 40+ years, my collection is stupid large and eclectic, but even with house space dwindling, I consider it money well spent.

[Tking22]

I know there's a lot of jalops and car folks that are hating on this, but I'm not a car guy at all and can care less about little inaccuracies, this thing looks gorgeous! Also, available TODAY for VIP! I ordered three, one to open and build, one for MISB, and one for a good friend's b-day. Working ejector seat, bullet shield in rear window, rotating license plate, tire slashers, hidden phone in the door, concealed computer in the dash, pop out machine guns under the headlights, this thing is loaded with little details and gimmicks! I can't wait to get mine in.

[M'Kyuun]

Beat me to the punch; I was just getting ready to post this. The back of the box shows all the features. Sorry for the smaller pic; I attached it initially before successfully linking the larger pic. Editor won't let me delete the smaller pic.

Not a car guy either, but given that they not only had to make it resemble a real car, but also incorporate all the Bond gadgetry, I think the designers did an admirable job. Making anything curvy with LEGO is a challenging proposition, and I doubt that many of the car folks hating on this have ever tried building something like this, let alone the features and all the safety and other constraints the designers work under, at this scale, and pull it off so well. But y'know, haters gonna hate. This set 'll still do well, as there are lots of Bond fans.

Moreover, at a glance, it looks like a nice parts pack- lots of rounded light bley parts-yummy.

 

 

 

Edited July 18, 2018 by M'Kyuun

[Tking22]

34 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

Not a car guy either, but given that they not only had to make it resemble a real car, but also incorporate all the Bond gadgetry, I think the designers did an admirable job.

This is the highlight for me, had Lego designed this like one of their other car sets where the goal is to JUST make it look like the vehicle, I'm sure they could've gotten closer. But, having to incorporate all of the gadgets and gimmicks that make this car a Bond car, it was NEVER going to be super accurate to the vehicle itself, which I am perfectly fine with. Make the car as accurate as possible, but the gadgets and gimmicks are the "point" of a set like this, and agreed, I think they did a pretty fantastic job.

Edited July 18, 2018 by Tking22

[technoblue]

Wow! I really like the side profile that shows the ejector seat gimmick.

Another Lego car for the "to build" list. I've been saving up for the Technic Chiron too.

[sh9000]

 

[Tking22]

My three DB5s will be delivered to work today! I totally paid for 1 day shipping after ordering through VIP, VERY pricey, especially for three, but damnit if that doesn't look pretty much EXACTLY how I wanted it to, gimmicks, gadgets and all.

[M'Kyuun]

I've been admiring Mike Psiaki's MOCs for years- just a super talented guy, so I was thrilled to find out he'd become a LEGO Designer. From time to time, you see the stuff some of these AFOLs produce, and you think, 'man, I wish this guy or this gal worked for LEGO'. Mike was definitely one of those folks in my mind. Having the VW Beetle, and seeing the work that went into the DB5, glad he got the job, as we the fans are the better for it.

[obakesan]

Well, I think the DB5 is great, and yes it's pretty challenging to get that rounded shape with bricks which by their nature are blocky.

I also quite like the gadgets, it ads something to the car and is what makes the car, within the 007 world, what it is. A detailed, but no gadget version of the car, just wouldn't be James bond-ish. This really reminds me of a giant version of the old corgi diecast toys they did with the gadgets popping out. Mine is on the way, should be a fun built and nice display piece.

Voltron is on my list too, hits the spot for as I love Lego and Japanese combining robots such as Voltron. Will be a good companion to the Bandai SOC, I'm calling it the Voltron SOL, Soul of Legokin

Pretty exciting times to be a Lego fan.

[wm cheng]

Amazing set I just had to order right away!!!  How would one make it closer with Lego?!?  I'd love to see someone try or examples.  Lego and 007 together is a wish come true for me (plus that $85 off in VIP points from the MF didn't hurt either!)   I'm just glad they didn't come up with new pieces just to make certain things work out, I hate large one piece specialized fenders for the sake of being accurate, its how you use the existing system to solve the problems that fascinates me.

[Tking22]

6 minutes ago, wm cheng said:

Amazing set I just had to order right away!!!  How would one make it closer with Lego?!?  I'd love to see someone try or examples.  Lego and 007 together is a wish come true for me (plus that $85 off in VIP points from the MF didn't hurt either!)   I'm just glad they didn't come up with new pieces just to make certain things work out, I hate large one piece specialized fenders for the sake of being accurate, its how you use the existing system to solve the problems that fascinates me.

There are some new, smaller pieces, but no "cheating" massive monster bits or pieces. There's actually a LOT of clever little build techniques going on, like with how the rear view mirrors set in, it was a really cool little work around that Lego figured out. The initial build steps were the trickiest I'd say, you do the frame of the car first, and start on the elaborate little builds for the gadgets and such, the ejector seat and rotating machine gun headlights were a highlight for me. It was a fun build overall, I stayed up until nearly midnight last night wrapping it up, zero regrets even though I am completely miserable today.

[woll622]

LEGO Voltron up for preorder today for VIP membership. Just ordered mine.  

[Tking22]

Yup already nabbed mine this morning, just one of this guy. Looks good, stuck with free shipping, I should receive the Legendary Defender by Friday.

On a side note, is there any reason to NOT be VIP on Lego.com? Seems silly not to, there's only benefits and zero down sides.