Ninjago City (70620) - The Adventure Begins!!

We dug into the set last night and managed to finish Chapter 1 in record time - I think it took us about 1.5 hours. Since this is a new set, the instructions have a red border around each of the new pieces in each step. This made it a lot faster for mom to find the additional pieces and get them in place.

The first thing we built was one of the mini-figs - Kai Garmadon. Never having seen the Ninjago Lego movie, the name really doesn't mean much to us. We re-named the figure Daylin after my sister's fiance. The hair looks a lot like his just after he has woken up and the croissant that he has poised to shove in his mouth is quintessentially Daylin as well.

The first thing we noticed was how compact the build is. The image on the box makes it look quite large and grand but the baseplate that it sits on is no bigger than a regular city module base. From what we can tell though, this building is significantly taller than a regular city building. And in fact, this is backed up with the little history given at the beginning of the instructions. It said that due to crowding issues and lack of real estate, the building had been forced to grow vertically rather than spread horizontally. That is definitely captured well in the set.

Chapter 1 just lays the foundation of the building and there really isn't much to see. The black, dark and light green section to the left looks like it will eventually be the small canal that flow through the area. You can see the lilypads and other water greenery that dot the area.

Ninjago City (70620) - Chinatown!

With the Parisian restaurant finished, mom decided she wanted to up her game and tackle the Ninjago City set next. This was a Christmas gift from my sister and her fiance this year and it's a set that mom has been drooling over for a while. I think the Asian aspect of it particularly appeals to her, along with (of course) the color and what looks to be an amazing amount of detail in the set.

It will be our biggest build yet, coming in at almost 5,000 pieces (4867 to be exact). And I anticipate that it will take us a few months to finish. Mom has recently discovered Prison Break and has been watching that fiendishly. She hasn't even finished watching it through on the first go around and she is already talking about watching it again! I can't say I fault her, I really like the show myself and have watched it 3 times myself ...

Anyway, stay tuned and as soon as we get going on this baby, I'll be documenting it here!

Parisian Restaurant (10243) - Final Thoughts

This set was a really great building experience. Not only was it very detailed but it was colorful and authentic. It would have been nice to have a few more mini figs (the artist and occupant of the second floor apartment, and perhaps a few more customers to fill up the restaurant).

As you can see, it's a very compact build. There is a lot going on in a fairly tight amount of space. The detail is superb - from the decorations on the roofs and windows, to the odd colored bricks on the chimney stack. The restaurant looks very tasteful and elegant with the awning and menuboard, and the roped off front terrace as well as the upstairs terrace complete with potted planters.

Here is a closer shot of the upstairs dining terrace. It really shows off the detailing of the chimney stack. Not only can you see where some of the plaster has been replaced after cracking and peeling off, you also see spots where it has worn through to expose the underlying brick and hasn't been repaired yet. It's a little odd for the entrance to the apartment to be through the dining area but maybe it's the chef who lives there, so he wouldn't need to disturb diners as he made his to and from work.

 

Naturally the detail on the back of the building is not as bold and colorful - but that's the norm for any building, even the ones in real life. Even so, it's decent - instead of a completed blank wall like some real world buildings, this one is pretty ornate. Of course, there are the garbage and recycling bins out back of the restaurant but the artist studio looks particularly good. The large skylight windows along with the colorful flower planters, and even the bright yellow and white awning over the entrance. Each of the back entrances even has a lamp by it so occupants don't go rolling down the stairs when coming or going at night.

All in all, this was definitely a fun build. Hopefully it's the first of many modulars - I am still trying to convince mom that it would be fun to build a city!

Parisian Restaurant (10243) - Artist Studio Complete!

Mom really hustled over the weekend and finished off this set.

The top level was definitely the quickest and easiest floor of the building. It's a rather cramped and dark artist studio. There are a few highlights in the arched roof to provide some light but that is about it. Perhaps the darkness acts as a muse for the artist? Kind of like for software engineers?

The roof on the back side of the building folds down and out of the way so that the space can be accessed for play purposes. Also kind of neat is that there is a fireplace to the left - hard to spot in this picture because the cover is on - which has a heavy hinged door on it. Kind of makes me wonder whether it's actually a fireplace or more like a kiln for glazing pottery. It seems odd to have a heavy door on a regular fireplace.

Parisian Restaurant (10243) - Second Level Done!

We finally finished the second level of the building, which turns out to be a very compact, studio-style apartment. There ended up being another piece missing, which we discovered after receiving the first missing piece and continuing on with the build. Luckily, this second missing piece was just one of the clear window glass pieces, so we could continue on without having to stop and wait for it.

This apartment reminds me of something you might find in Japan or some other place where space is at a premium and things are crammed into as tight a spot as possible.

Given the confined nature of the space, I am actually really surprised at the number of doors there are. There is, of course, the main entrance to the apartment, which passes through the upstairs terrace of the restaurant. But there is also an additional door on the back side of the building that seems to lead to a private balcony. And here, I use the term balcony very loosely because the square footage of it is so small that you can't even move around on it. There is literally just enough room to stand there and look around. You can see this "balcony" in the picture below - it's the door to the right.

There is THIRD door to the apartment at the front of the unit, allowing the occupant a view onto the street. The size of this balcony is equally tiny and can only accommodate one person standing just outside the door.

Notwithstanding, the front of the apartment is quite picturesque, with large bay windows looking out onto the street and providing a lot of natural light to the apartment. There is a fully stocked planter outside each window to give more color to the scene.

The sides of the building are pretty nondescript. On the terraced side, there is a brick staircase leading up to the second story of the building.

And on the far side, it's pretty much just a brick wall.

If we take a peek inside the apartment, we can see just how cramped it is in there. There is a small kitchenette to the left. You can just make out a small stove and oven, as well as a wall mounted microwave with a tiny amount of countertop space beneath.

To the right is the "relaxation" portion of the apartment, with a very cozy looking lazy-boy chair in front of a warm fireplace.

Here is an up-close view of the fireplace. There is a reading lamp buried in the corner, along with a very small coffee table directly in front of the fireplace. You'll notice that there is absolutely no room for any other forms of entertainment aside from staring at the flickering flames. There is no TV, no computer, no shelf of books. This would be a very spartan lifestyle indeed!

 Is there even a bed? Where would this poor occupant sleep? Well, not to fear, there is indeed a bed. Of course, keeping the space restraint in mind, the bed has been designed to fold up into the wall when not in use. When it's sleep time, it can be pulled out. At this point, the kitchen table transforms itself into a bedside table!

 Another necessity of life that is missing from this picture is the bathroom. I have no idea how the occupant is expected to relieve himself. Maybe that's what the pot on the stove is for? .....

WALL-E (21303) - The Little Guy Is Done!

We finished off WALL-E last night and by jove if he isn't as cute in person as he is in the pictures!

It's a pretty small set - only 676 pieces - and so we were able to move through it pretty quickly.

Overall, it is really a splendid set to look at. We especially like the eyes. They can be swiveled and tilted in all directions, making it possible for WALL E to look confused, puzzled, happy and a host of other emotions.

One gripe we did have is that the tracks don't move very well at all. We had hoped he would be able to move along relatively smoothly but that is not the case. The only way we were able to get him to move is by applying pressure to the tracks and pushing him along. This would have been an even better set if it had been done in a larger scale such as to accommodate a power pack and motor to allow for autonomous movement.

Here he is wearing his puppy dog eyes. If he could speak, you could imagine him looking at you and offering up a little plant while asking permission for something or trying to get out of trouble after doing something naughty.

Here is a better view of his side as well as the side and back of his head. The tracks look really good but unfortunately don't work really well. To get WALL E to move, you have to manually push down and horizontally on the top of the track triangle near his "elbow".

He's also got a front access hatch that flips open to reveal a large storage space. 

Say hello to WALL-E!

To our dismay, we discovered that we were missing a couple pieces from our Parisian Restaurant set that precluded our ability to progress any further on the build. This is the 2nd set in a row that we have had missing pieces on (you'll recall we had the same thing with the Slave I set and had to wait a few weeks for the pieces to arrive from Lego). I have to say that considering the amount I spend on the Lego sets, I am disappointed with the frequency of missing pieces.

Anyway, to fill in the time while waiting, we started on a net set. WALL-E! Mum really likes this set - it meets her criteria of colorful - and it's also very cute. I only wish it came with power functions as well as it would be icing on top for this little guy to move.

Tell me this isn't just the cutest thing ever!!!



We've spent a few hours on it so far - enough to get the main box of his "torso" done. Thus far, aside from being colorful, it really doesn't look like too much.