Category: Lego

LEGO Roses, a Valentine’s Gift That’s Still Standing Long After Real Flowers Would Be Dead

Lego | Bought February 10, 2021 | $40 CAD from The Lego Store

LEGO Roses 40460
Photo: LEGO

Why I Bought It

I grabbed two boxes of LEGO’s Botanicals Roses set right before Valentine’s Day — each one builds two poseable red roses with leaves, about 26cm long, and two boxes felt like the right amount to actually look like a bouquet instead of an afterthought.

Living With It

These have been sitting in a vase since February and look exactly the same as the day I built them, which is the whole pitch. The build itself is quick and simple, almost too simple if you’re an experienced builder looking for a challenge. They only come in red, so don’t expect a varied bouquet unless you mix in other Botanicals sets.

The Good

  • Never wilts, unlike the real thing
  • Quick, satisfying build
  • Poseable stems for display
  • Cheap entry point into the Botanicals line

The Bad

  • Only available in red
  • Very simple build for experienced builders
  • Needed two boxes to feel like a proper bouquet

Final Call

Rating: 4/5

Grab One Here

LEGO’s Bonsai Tree, a Genuinely Calming Build That Doubles as Actual Decor

Lego | Bought January 20, 2021 | $70 CAD from The Lego Store

LEGO Bonsai Tree 10281
Photo: LEGO

Why I Bought It

    This is an 878-piece adult display model of a bonsai tree from LEGO’s Botanical Collection, with swappable leaf pieces so it can look like either green foliage or pink cherry blossoms. I wanted something to build that wasn’t tied to a movie or game license, and this seemed like the calmest possible entry point.

    Living With It

    It’s exactly as meditative as advertised, and it’s become a legitimate piece of shelf decor rather than something I built once and boxed up. The trunk and branch construction is sturdier than I expected. The leaf placement gets repetitive by the back half of the build, and the pot itself is a fairly plain design for what you’re paying.

    The Good

    • Genuinely relaxing, low-pressure build
    • Attractive enough to double as real home decor
    • Swappable green/blossom leaves add some variety
    • Sturdy trunk and branch construction

    The Bad

    • Leaf-piece placement gets repetitive
    • Plain pot design for the price
    • No minifigs or extra content

    Final Call

    Rating: 4/5

    Grab One Here

    Lego Review – UCS Hulk Buster – 76105

    Lego Review – UCS Hulk Buster – 76105

    So it has been a while now since I put together some actual Lego. With my find of Lepin, it is pretty rare that I have been paying Lego prices.

    Sadly I think Lepin is starting to see there is more money to be made, as some of their new block-offs are getting more expensive, the new Lego Ideas Ship in a Bottle for instance is just $20 less than the Lego version, so I see very little point in buying a fake when for $20 more I have the real deal and a lot more resale value down the line.

    Anyway, I digress.

    So on March 2nd Lego just unleashed their new Marvel superhero set to coincide with the upcoming release of the new Avengers movie.

    And in doing so created a pretty slick new UCS set for the Hulkbuster from Age of Ultron.

    The set retails for $119cdn and clocks in at 1363 pieces.

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    This is a rather small build for a UCS, and has only 9 numbered bag and a 10th with the plat for the display and a couple other large bricks.

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    The main body comes with a light block in the back that can be pressed to illuminate the core of the unit.

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    The set goes together in 6 pieces, torso, head + shoulders, arms and legs and looks pretty great fully assembled.

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    One of my only gripes is the choice to use blue + connectors for the shoulder pads. I know this piece comes in red, so it seems like an odd choice from Lego to go with a bright blue brick that really stand out on a gold and red model

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    As a fancy display they have included a mobile platform with arms to “assemble” the suit. This is very similar to a rejected Ideas design for Tony Stark’s lab a while back. A set that eventually got produced as a Block-off from another Chinese developer.

    The model does come with a second hand, in case you want a more traditional robot look instead of his laser palm one.

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    The full display is about 14″ high when it is on the platform.

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    All in all this was a very simple UCS build, there are a few stickers to apply to the shoulders and legs, but all told this set took me about 1.5 hrs to assemble.

    If you are as big a fan as I am of Iron Man, then you owe it to yourself to pick this one up. It is definitely one of the better Marvel sets available to date.

    A solid 8/10