The Mandalorian Helmet: The Best-Looking Piece in My Helmet Collection

Toy Review · Purchased December 5, 2022 · $80.00 CAD via Costco

LEGO The Mandalorian Helmet 75328 — The Mandalorian Helmet, 75328. Photo: LEGO

The Setup

A 584-piece display-scale replica of Din Djarin’s Beskar helmet from The Mandalorian, complete with a display stand and nameplate, part of LEGO’s ongoing Helmet Collection line for adult collectors.

The Review

This is the best-looking helmet I’ve built from LEGO’s collection so far, and it’s genuinely not close — the metallic-toned pieces LEGO uses to sell the Beskar steel finish do a fantastic job selling the material at a glance, in a way that plain gray or silver bricks wouldn’t manage. The rounded dome and T-visor shape translate into brick form more cleanly than I expected, and the display stand with its nameplate gives it a proper collector’s-shelf presentation right out of the box.

It’s a mid-length build — substantial enough to be satisfying without demanding a huge time commitment — and it’s clearly one of the stronger entries in a Helmet Collection line that’s had some hits and misses. Given how well the finish sells the Beskar look, this is the helmet set I’d point to first if someone wanted to see what the line is capable of at its best.

What I Liked

Metallic-toned pieces genuinely sell the Beskar steel finish
Display stand and nameplate give it a proper collector’s presentation
Satisfying mid-length build, neither too quick nor overly long
One of the strongest entries in LEGO’s Helmet Collection line

What I Didn’t

Helmet Collection availability rotates in and out unpredictably

The Verdict

Rating: 4.5/5

The standout of LEGO’s Helmet Collection so far — the metallic Beskar finish alone makes this an easy recommendation.

Where to Buy

LEGO.com product page (check current availability)

Funko’s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Pop: A Nice Tie-In to a Genuinely Fun Special

Collectible Review · Purchased December 17, 2022 · $85.00 CAD via Amazon.co.uk

The Setup

Part of Funko’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday” line, tying into Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney+, with each character reimagined in festive attire and sold both individually and as a 5-pack.

The Review

Buying an individual figure rather than the full 5-pack was the right call for a specific favorite character, and it’s a nice, low-commitment way to tie into a special that was genuinely one of the more charming pieces of Marvel content to come out this year. The holiday-costume sculpt is distinct enough from the standard GotG Pops to feel like a real addition to the shelf rather than a redundant duplicate.

The usual Funko caveats apply here too — paint consistency is always a bit of a gamble across the line, and the box arrived with some light shelf wear from shipping internationally. As a specific, affordable way to commemorate a fun holiday special, though, it’s an easy small purchase to feel good about.

What I Liked

Ties into a genuinely charming, well-received Disney+ special
Distinct holiday-costume sculpt feels like a real addition to the shelf
Available individually rather than requiring the full 5-pack

What I Didn’t

Usual Funko paint-consistency lottery
Some shelf wear from international shipping

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

A small, affordable, genuinely charming tie-in to one of the more fun pieces of Marvel content this year.

Where to Buy

Amazon.co.uk listing

LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar: The Character Variety Still Wins

Toy Review · Purchased December 5, 2022 · $60.00 CAD via Costco

The Setup

The 2022 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar (75340), 329 pieces across 24 doors, with 8 minifigures and characters — including C-3PO and R2-D2 dressed up in “Christmas jumpers” — alongside 16 small vehicle and scene builds.

The Review

This is a genuinely dependable holiday tradition at this point, and the 2022 edition holds up the standard — the character count is the real draw, with eight figures spread across the calendar rather than front-loading them all in the first few doors. The little “Christmas jumper” gag on C-3PO and R2-D2 is a fun, low-key touch that’s become something of a series signature at this point.

Compared to the newer Guardians of the Galaxy calendar I picked up in October, this one benefits from years of the format being refined — the mix of vehicles, gear, and figures feels a little more confidently paced across the 24 days. It’s still fundamentally small, simple builds day to day, but as a Christmas tradition for Star Wars collectors it’s an easy yearly buy.

What I Liked

Eight minifigures/characters spread thoughtfully across the calendar
Fun “Christmas jumper” gag on C-3PO and R2-D2
Well-paced mix of vehicles, gear, and scenes after years of refinement

What I Didn’t

Individual daily builds are still necessarily tiny and simple
Seasonal-only, so it’s a once-a-year purchase window

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

A dependable, well-paced holiday tradition — the character variety alone makes it worth the yearly buy.

Where to Buy

LEGO.com product page (seasonal — check regional availability)

The Mighty Bowser (Compatible Version): A Great Design, Sourced From a Less Great Place

Toy Review · Purchased November 11, 2022 · $100.00 CAD via Jooooooy.com

Large Bowser brick figure build — The Mighty Bowser design, compatible build. Photo: Jooooooy

The Setup

LEGO’s own official 71411 “The Mighty Bowser” is a genuinely well-regarded 2,807-piece set with a poseable battle platform base. What I actually bought here, sold through Jooooooy under a different item number, is a piece-for-piece compatible clone of that design rather than genuine LEGO product — same piece count, same overall build, different bricks.

The Review

Whatever the box says, the underlying design here is a genuinely great one — Bowser’s posability is the standout feature, and at this scale he has real screen presence sitting on a shelf. The battle platform base is a clever inclusion that gives the whole piece a sense of place rather than just being a static figure, and the build itself stays engaging across the full 2,807 pieces without ever feeling padded.

Buying a clone of an official set is a different calculation than buying an unofficial MOC design like the mega-figure busts — there’s no ambiguity here about whether this could have been an official set, because it already is one, just not the copy I actually received. The clone bricks carry the same color and clutch-power inconsistencies as my other bootleg purchases this year, and it’s worth being upfront that this was, functionally, a counterfeit of a real LEGO product rather than an unlicensed fan design filling a genuine gap.

What I Liked

Genuinely excellent design with real posability and screen presence
Battle platform base adds a sense of place to the display
Stays engaging across the full piece count without feeling padded

What I Didn’t

A direct counterfeit of an existing official LEGO set, not an unlicensed fan design
Same clone-brick color and clutch-power inconsistencies as other bootleg purchases
The genuine official set exists and would have been the better purchase

The Verdict

Rating: 3/5

A great design that deserved to be bought as the genuine official set — the build is a win, the sourcing is the actual problem here.

Where to Buy

The genuine official LEGO 71411 set is the recommended way to buy this design

The Official Tallneck: LEGO’s Own Take, Six Times Smaller and Just as Charming

Toy Review · Purchased November 25, 2022 · $87.99 CAD via Amazon.ca

LEGO Horizon Forbidden West Tallneck 76989 — Horizon Forbidden West: Tallneck, 76989. Photo: LEGO

The Setup

The real deal, finally: LEGO’s official 1,222-piece Tallneck set (76989), licensed directly from the Horizon Forbidden West game, complete with a posable neck and legs and included Aloy and Watcher minifigures.

The Review

Having built the unofficial 7,401-piece “plus-size” version back in June, it’s genuinely interesting to compare notes on the official set. This one is a fraction of the size, but LEGO’s design team clearly put real thought into making the posability and screen accuracy work at this scale — the proportions read correctly, the neck and leg joints move naturally, and including Aloy and a Watcher minifigure gives it a sense of scale and story that the giant unofficial version, with no minifigures at all, couldn’t offer.

It’s also just a better build experience end to end — printed manual, genuine LEGO color consistency, and none of the clutch-power quirks that came with the clone bricks. It’s not going to dominate a shelf the way the giant version does, but as one of LEGO’s first major video-game licensed collectible builds outside Minecraft and Super Mario, it’s a well-executed, faithful little model that I’d recommend over the bootleg version to anyone who just wants a genuine, well-made Tallneck rather than a room centerpiece.

What I Liked

Genuinely well-designed posability and screen accuracy for the scale
Includes Aloy and Watcher minifigures the unofficial version lacks
Better fit, finish, and build experience than the clone-brick version
Faithful, well-executed licensed build for the price

What I Didn’t

Doesn’t have the scale or shelf presence of the unofficial version
Retired, so availability is already inconsistent

The Verdict

Rating: 4.5/5

The version I’d actually recommend to most people — a faithful, well-made official build without the compromises of the clone-brick giant.

Where to Buy

LEGO.com product page (marked retired — check secondary market otherwise)

LEGO City Advent Calendar: The Simpler, Kid-Friendly Sibling

Toy Review · Purchased December 5, 2022 · $60.00 CAD via Costco

The Setup

The 2022 LEGO City Advent Calendar (60352), 287 pieces with everyday City vehicles, small scenes, a City-themed playmat, and 5 minifigures spread across 24 doors — picked up on the same Costco trip as the Star Wars calendar.

The Review

Where the Star Wars calendar leans on character variety and licensed nostalgia, this one is a simpler, more straightforward proposition — everyday City vehicles and scenes without any big licensed hook to sell it. The included playmat is a nice bonus that the Star Wars calendar doesn’t have, giving the small vehicle builds somewhere to actually be used rather than just displayed.

It’s clearly the more kid-friendly of the two calendars I picked up this Christmas, with less for an adult collector to get excited about day to day, but it’s a perfectly solid, well-made version of the format for anyone building a City collection or buying for a younger builder. Between the two, the Star Wars calendar is the one I’d recommend first, but this one does its job well.

What I Liked

Included playmat gives the small builds somewhere to actually be used
Solid, dependable everyday LEGO City design
Good for younger builders or City collectors specifically

What I Didn’t

Less exciting for adult collectors without a licensed hook
Overshadowed by the Star Wars calendar bought the same trip

The Verdict

Rating: 3.5/5

A solid, dependable calendar that does exactly what it’s supposed to — just the less exciting of this year’s two Costco advent calendar buys.

Where to Buy

Search “LEGO City Advent Calendar 60352”

LG’s 34″ UltraWide: One Cable to Rule the Whole Desk

Hardware Review · Purchased December 14, 2022 · $769.68 CAD via Amazon.ca

LG 34WQ75C-B UltraWide curved monitor — LG 34WQ75C-B UltraWide. Photo: LG

The Setup

LG’s 34WQ75C-B, a 34″ curved 21:9 IPS panel at 3440×1440 QHD resolution, 60Hz, HDR10, with a 96W USB-C port that handles video, data, and laptop charging over a single cable, plus a built-in KVM switch.

The Review

The single-cable USB-C setup is the feature that sold me, and it delivers exactly as promised — one cable handling video, data, and 96W of charging means my laptop docks and undocks from this monitor in seconds with none of the usual cable juggling. The ultrawide format itself is genuinely useful for side-by-side multitasking in a way that’s easy to underestimate until you’ve actually used one, and the stand’s full range of height, tilt, and swivel adjustment plus VESA mounting covers pretty much any desk setup.

At around 110 PPI, the pixel density is noticeably softer than a 4K display at a similar size, and the panel caps out at 60Hz with no variable refresh rate, so this is squarely a productivity monitor rather than anything built for gaming. 300 nits typical brightness also struggles a bit in a brighter room. For the specific job of getting more usable desktop space with one clean cable to a laptop, though, it’s a genuinely strong, accessible option.

What I Liked

96W USB-C powers most laptops through a single cable
Ergonomic stand with full height, tilt, and swivel adjustment plus VESA mounting
Ultrawide format is genuinely useful for multitasking at an accessible price
Built-in KVM switch is a nice bonus for a multi-device desk

What I Didn’t

~110 PPI is noticeably softer than a comparable 4K display
Capped at 60Hz with no variable refresh rate — not built for gaming
300 nits typical brightness struggles in bright rooms

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

An easy pick for anyone wanting genuine multitasking real estate with a single cable to a laptop — just not a gaming monitor.

Where to Buy

LG product page (also on Amazon.ca)

The Shell Walker: Rounding Out My Unofficial Horizon Collection

Toy Review · Purchased November 11, 2022 · $100.00 CAD via Jooooooy.com

Horizon Shell Walker brick build — Horizon Zero Dawn Shell Walker MOC. Photo: reseller listing

The Setup

Roughly 1,700 pieces recreating the Shell-Walker, a turtle-like combat machine from the Horizon Zero Dawn games. Like the plus-size Tallneck from Vonado earlier this year, this is an unofficial fan MOC — LEGO’s own real Horizon license didn’t cover a Shell-Walker toy for years after this, so this is the only way to get one at any real scale, purchased through Jooooooy rather than Vonado this time.

The Review

This rounds out a small but genuinely fun unofficial Horizon collection alongside the giant Tallneck, and the Shell-Walker’s boxier, more armored silhouette translates into brick form more cleanly than the Tallneck’s long, thin neck did — fewer awkward angles to fake with clone bricks. At this scale it’s a satisfying, absorbing build without tipping into the multi-evening commitment the Tallneck demanded.

The usual bootleg trade-offs apply — PDF instructions, clone bricks, and the color/clutch inconsistencies that come with this whole product category — but this one felt like a slightly cleaner build experience than either the Vonado Tallneck or the Jooooooy Han Solo slab, landing somewhere comfortably in the middle for quality control this year.

What I Liked

Boxier, armored design translates into brick form more cleanly than the Tallneck did
Satisfying build without demanding a multi-evening commitment
Fills a genuine gap since LEGO’s own official Horizon license hadn’t covered this machine yet

What I Didn’t

Same PDF-only instructions and clone-brick compromises as the rest of this category
No official licensing or affiliation with Horizon or LEGO

The Verdict

Rating: 3.5/5

A satisfying build that fills a real gap in official Horizon merchandise, with a cleaner build experience than some of this year’s other bootleg purchases.

Where to Buy

Discontinued/varies by reseller — search “MOC Horizon Shell Walker”

A Second Lighting Kit: Same Idea, Different Store

Hardware Review · Purchased December 15, 2022 · $50.00 CAD via Michaels

The Setup

A second LED lighting accessory kit, this time picked up at Michaels rather than ordered online — the same general category as the Light My Bricks-style kit from a few days earlier, meant to add illumination to another LEGO City build.

The Review

Grabbing this one in-store rather than online meant no waiting on shipping, which was genuinely convenient this close to Christmas, though the trade-off is a less set-specific kit than the online options — it’s a more generic LED string-light setup rather than something engineered to snap precisely into a particular model’s window layout the way the online kit was.

It still does the basic job of adding some warm glow to a display, just with more manual positioning and improvising required to get the lights where I actually wanted them, compared to the more purpose-built kit. For a quick, in-person pickup with no shipping wait, it’s a reasonable stopgap; for a cleaner, more precise result, ordering a set-specific kit online is still the better call.

What I Liked

Available in-store with no shipping wait
Still adds a nice warm glow to a display
Flexible enough to use on more than one type of set

What I Didn’t

Less set-specific than a purpose-built kit — more manual positioning required
Less clean, precise result than the online kit purchased earlier

The Verdict

Rating: 3/5

A convenient last-minute stopgap, but the purpose-built online kit from a few days earlier is the better way to do this.

Where to Buy

Check your local Michaels craft store’s LED lighting section

Light My Bricks: The Kit That Finally Made My LEGO City Glow

Hardware Review · Purchased December 9, 2022 · $88.44 CAD via Amazon.ca

The Setup

A third-party LED lighting kit — LEGO doesn’t make these itself, so this almost certainly came from Light My Bricks, the dominant brand in this space on Amazon.ca — designed to snap into a LEGO City set and add illuminated windows and streetlight effects that the set doesn’t come with out of the box.

The Review

This is the kind of accessory that punches way above its price once it’s actually installed — a static LEGO City building suddenly looks like a scene rather than a model the moment the windows light up, and the effect is genuinely more impressive in person than it sounds on paper. The kit itself is well-organized and the LED runs are the right length for the set it was designed for.

Installation is fiddly — threading tiny LED wires through a completed build takes patience, and in a couple of spots I had to partially disassemble sections I thought were finished to route wires properly. It’s not a difficult job, just a slow, careful one. Once it’s in, though, it’s a genuinely transformative upgrade for the price, and it’s made me want to go back and retrofit some of my older City sets too.

What I Liked

Genuinely transforms a static set into a lit-up scene
Well-organized kit with correctly sized LED runs
Great value for the visual impact it adds

What I Didn’t

Fiddly installation that sometimes requires partial disassembly
Routing tiny LED wires through a finished build takes real patience

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

A fiddly install, but a genuinely transformative upgrade for any LEGO City set — worth the patience it takes to fit.

Where to Buy

Light My Bricks (Canada) (also on Amazon.ca)