Review: 70411 Treasure Island
Posted by CapnRex101,
The Pirates sets were released over a month ago now, and they generally seem to have received mixed reactions thus far. 70411 Treasure Island is a highlight of the range in my opinion, containing many of the most typically piratical features such as cannons, hidden treasure and a parrot!
Some of the new models have received criticism for offering very little innovation compared with earlier lines, but in this case I think it works in the set's favour. Immediately one likens it to 6279 Skull Island and 6248 Volcano Island. The set clearly takes design cues from those but features almost entirely different building techniques, nicely exhibiting how construction styles have changed over the years.
Box and Contents
The box is the typical size for the price point and features some very attractive artwork. I like the bright colours of the border and background which display the set nicely. On the front we can see some Pirates defending the island (and the treasure) from an attacking Imperial Soldier, while on the back they show off some of the set's secrets, including a hidden map and of course the treasure chest itself!
Inside one finds an 80 page instruction manual, two numbered bags and a loose 6x16 tan plate. The cover of the booklet seems a little thicker and glossier than usual which is nice to see.
Minifigures
Two pirates are included, one of which features the typical striped vest and bandana, while the other is the lone female pirate from the crew. This female pirate makes use of the Fortune Teller's hair piece from series 9 of the Collectible Minifigures, albeit with a new colour for the bandana. The head is printed with an eye patch and she is attired in a red blouse and black trousers.
The male pirate includes a white bandana and a striped shirt which look suitably scruffy. The bandana mould has received an update this year and is now a little more detailed. A cutlass, flintlock pistol and pearl gold telescope are included to equip these two outlaws for battle.
They are opposed by a single Imperial Soldier, who features a printed shako helmet and a blue uniform which harkens back to the original troops of 1989 Pirates sets. White straps run across the chest on the front and back, although much of this design is obscured by a reddish brown backpack. The design is fairly simple, but looks superb nevertheless.
The Completed Model
The piece count and size of the set does not seem to offer fantastic value for money, but the level of detail and play value is striking as soon as the build is complete. A pair of small vessels are included, the smallest of which is nothing more than a tub. The soldier's rowing boat is a little bigger, featuring a stud launching cannon, a lantern and a musket mounted on the front. Dark blue is a very attractive colour for the hull and the model looks good despite the simplicity of its design.
An alligator (or crocodile if you prefer) is included too. The shape of the new mould is far superior to the old version in my opinion, with a more organic form and some printing for the eyes. Like the original the tail can swish back and forth while the upper jaw can open wide to consume a minifigure hand or even an entire limb!
It is the island itself however which is the focus of the set. The model is quite small but the level of detail is impressive, particularly the rickety wooden jetty and brick-built skull.
The shaping is simple but looks great, with a single golden tooth and mixture of jagged and curved shapes to form the nose and eyes. The design very closely resembles that of 6248 Volcano Island, but has been improved using some more modern pieces.
There is a door beneath the jetty behind which you can conceal the printed treasure map. A trans-green bottle is also included along with a parrot. The parrot is a lovely component in my opinion, with a nice combination of red and green colours used.
The treasure chest is hidden in a cave behind the skull, which can be hinged open by pulling on the banana palm tree (which comes complete with a banana). This is a lovely feature which works very nicely, as does the rotating cannon on top. This cannon launches 1x1 round bricks and has a printed pirate flag attached to it along with a flaming torch.
Overall
I cannot recommend this set highly enough. There is a huge amount of detail and plenty of play value considering the relatively low price point of £17.99. I don't have any significant complaints, other than perhaps the fragility of the top of the palm tree.
Compared with 70410 Soldiers Outpost I think this set offers more for your money, which is particularly surprising as I typically prefer sets based around the soldiers rather than the pirates. This set can be combined with 70409 Shipwreck Defence to create a larger scene, but I think it works just as well as a lone model.
7 likes
13 comments on this article
Nice little set indeed. Thanks for the review. But where is the monkey ? ^^
I think this Pirate series is supposed to be a kind of throwback to the original.
^Funny, I was going to post similarly. With a banana on the tree, one would think a monkey should have been included.
I don't mind this new round of Pirates sets, but having many of the originals, they don't interest me.
Yeah, where is the monkey? Throw that in and I'd buy this set in a heartbeat. It's awesome nonetheless, and I'd love to combine it with the little shipwreck.
As a kid, I used to complain that Lego sets never had enough minifigures in them. Recently the ratio of bricks to minifigures has changed, and I think this set could use a few more bricks to flesh out the island.
Perfect timing! I didn't plan on buying any of the Pirates sets but Target had a 20% off sale so I bought this one today along with the Iron Man vs Ultron set. I agree about the great level of detail but the big skull was the thing that caught my attention, plus the bright and colourful artwork on the box.
I think the palm tree could be improved by adding one more leaf piece (there is a lot of space left on the stem where it could be attached). With just two leaf pieces it looks a bit two-dimensional.
Nonetheless, love the set. It's decorating my desktop and providing lots of enjoyment (and distraction from work).
I wasn't really liking the "palm tree" until I read this review... I hadn't noticed the banana, and now realize it isn't a palm tree at all! I feel totally different about it now. Still I would prefer to see an actual palm tree in one of the sets...
And as others have pointed out, I'm really missing the monkey... there isn't a single one in the sets released so far. :(
I have this set, and I totally agree! I love this set, and the piece assortment is astounding for a $19.99 set! :)
I know it's simple but this one's set of the year for me.
Out of all the many Lego sets we own, this has been by far my daughters favourite. All the little features add up to a great play experience and she loves having a female pirate.
Good review. Even though there's been a lot of criticism of this year's Pirates range, I think anybody can agree that this is a far superior set to 6241 Loot Island from 2009, in terms of its building experience and its overall design.
One thing about the current Pirates line that bothers me (which also bothered me about the 2009 range) is the blended parrot. I liked the old-school printed parrots better. And frankly, I wouldn't mind getting an "upgraded" version of that, with printed eyes instead of molded ones.
The new alligator is nice. I love LEGO animals with printed eyes, and it's great that this one can presumably sit flat on a base without being raised up with a 2x4 plate (something the latest version of the LEGO shark also offers). Granted, most of the time I prefer LEGO animal eyes to be simple colored beads like minifigure eyes, without separate sclerae and pupils (except of course in themes like Friends, Elves, or Legends of Chima that have an entirely different design language). But the design of these eyes is consistent with the eyes of other LEGO reptiles like the dragons in the Castle theme.
From my point of view the new sets are superficial and a bit carelessly by comparison with the classic sets.