Review: 71042 Silent Mary
Posted by CapnRex101,
71042 Silent Mary was revealed just over a month ago and seems to have divided opinion among Brickset members. Some have expressed disappointment at the unusual nature of the subject matter while others appear delighted as LEGO returns to a franchise which has already yielded some brilliant sets.
I sympathise with both viewpoints. The Pirates of the Caribbean theme is one of my favourites and I appreciate the distinctive design of this enormous ghost ship given the large number of traditional galleons which have been released over the last few decades. On the other hand, I am very interested in naval warfare so more realistic models such as 10210 Imperial Flagship hold considerable appeal for me. Ultimately, my opinion has been determined by the quality of the set and in that respect it is tremendously impressive!
Minifigures
The set includes eight minifigures, all but one of which are new characters. Captain Jack Sparrow has appeared in every Pirates of the Caribbean set to date but this is the most detailed version by a considerable margin, demonstrating the advances which have been made in minifigure design since 2011. The shape of Jack's hair piece is unchanged but his bandana now features some intricate dark blue designs, just as in the films. The element is also decorated with a row of beads and the head includes a smile on one side but a frightened expression on the other.
Both sides of the torso are similarly detailed with further patterning on the dark blue jacket as well as a pair of shiny silver buckles. This printing continues onto the hips and legs, perfectly completing one of my favourite minifigures of the year so far! The pirate is armed with a cutlass, a printed compass and a trans-clear bottle containing the Black Pearl which remains trapped following the events of the previous movie.
Henry works in service of the Royal Navy while scouring the seas for his father, the identity of whom has been revealed but will not be spoiled here. This is a relatively simple minifigure but his attire is faithful to the film and I appreciate the inclusion of a tidy hair piece which is new in dark tan. The double-sided head is also brand new and features smiling and scared expressions, as one might expect given the ghostly nature of the opposition. He is equipped with a dark bluish grey sword and a telescope.
The Trident of Poseidon is a weapon of immense power so draws Jack Sparrow and Armando Salazar to search for it. Carina is a talented astronomer so possesses the Galileo diary which contains clues to the whereabouts of the trident. She wears a light aqua dress and reddish brown hair piece which has only been seen once before in this colour while the head features cheerful and angry expressions.
The minifigure comes with a sextant for navigation and the diary, the cover of which is decorated with a constellation while a page of notes is found inside. This will play a major role in the film so I am delighted to see it appear as an accessory, particularly since it features two new printed designs!
Captain Armando Salazar was once an officer in the Spanish navy but now commands the Silent Mary and its undead crew in pursuit of Jack Sparrow. This is an excellent minifigure, featuring a brand new hair piece which is unnaturally swept to the side. The face is similarly ghostly and is printed on a trans-clear head to give the impression of floating skin, just as we see in the film.
Salazar wears black epaulettes and a dark grey jacket which runs for the length of the torso and onto the upper half of the legs. This appears appropriately ragged and I like the medal printed on his left breast, revealing the proud history of this former Spanish naval captain. He carries a black sabre which is currently exclusive to this set, although Salazar is armed with a rapier in the film so a more appropriate element could have been included instead.
The Silent Mary is crewed by a company of ghostly sailors but Lieutenant Lesaro is the most loyal to the ship's captain and has served alongside Salazar throughout his career. He wears a dark tan coat which is lined with buttons and has been torn in several places on the front and back of the torso. This looks quite striking as the rest of the crew are dressed entirely in grey, although his attire is still appropriately drab for a ghost ship crewman.
The lieutenant's skin is bleached white and is printed with scars and an eye patch. It is odd that the strap does not continue on the back of the head but the scarring does and the minifigure certainly looks suitably grotesque. He wears a tattered bicorn which features an exclusive design and Lesaro comes with a black sword like that used by Captain Salazar.
Officer Magda and Officer Santos complete the Silent Mary's crew. Both minifigures wear tricorn hats and grey uniforms, the designs of which vary slightly based on their levels of deterioration. Magda's head is cast in white while Santos' is trans-clear and they are printed with scars on the front and back. These transparent elements are quite effective when compared with the ghostly pirates from the film and I particularly like Santos' trans-clear leg.
Each figure is equipped with a black broom for swabbing the decks, although that seems to be a futile exercise given the state of the Silent Mary as a whole! Officer Santos comes with a black sword while his companion is armed with a flintlock pistol which appears in pearl dark grey for the first time.
The final minifigure is incorrectly described as the Silent Mary Masthead in LEGO's official set description and in the instruction manual but is, in fact, a figurehead. It stands at the prow of the ship and appears inanimate as the head and torso are printed with cracked stone designs but the figure can be brought to life to defend the ship. She is armed with a sword and a large shield for this purpose, the latter of which is cast in dark bluish grey and only appears in one other set.
The Completed Model
The Silent Mary divides opinion but everyone appears united on the exceptional quality of the two ghost sharks which are included. These are based on the large shark components introduced in 2009 but their flesh is rotting away, exposing the skeleton of the shark. It is worth noting that sharks do not have ribs like those represented here but they look splendid and I like the rough edges of the skin surrounding the bare bones.
The upper jaw lacks moulded detail but is printed with some exposed muscle tissue and white eyes. The mouth can be opened wide to consume a minifigure and the figure will remain visible through the gaps in the shark's body. It waits to be seen whether a similar phenomenon will play a role in the film.
A reddish brown rowing boat is also included. This is simply furnished with a bench, a lamp and a pair of oars and has room for several minifigures to sit or stand inside. A boat like this one has appeared quite prominently in the trailers and it offers considerable play value in conjunction with the ghost sharks.
The Silent Mary itself, on the other hand, is decidedly unsuitable for play. There is plenty of deck space for posing minifigures but very few functions are included and the ship has no interior, unlike the vast majority of previous pirate vessels. However, the model looks spectacular on display and is highly detailed throughout, with golden highlights contrasting brilliantly against the dark brown and grey of the hull.
Captain Armando Salazar was imbued with many powers upon his apparent death in the Devil's Triangle and these include the ability to control his ruined ship, allowing it to twist like a living creature. The trailers have shown the bow of the Silent Mary raised above the deck of the Queen Anne's Revenge and this set has a similar ability.
Unfortunately, its range of motion is restricted so the prow cannot be lifted to the degree shown in the film but it is possible to remove a couple of pieces in order to achieve the angle shown below. The joint is very strong and you can also open to ribs to recreate the scene from the trailer, although it is still not quite in scale with 4195 Queen Anne's Revenge.
LEGO has often struggled to create a realistic shape for the bow of a ship but this effort is very successful in my opinion. The dark tan deck looks great between the golden railings and I like the angled positioning of the bowsprit as well as the placement of the figurehead underneath. This patch of dark bluish grey looks a little out of place beside so much brown and dark tan but matches other areas of the ship.
The bowsprit is unusual as it includes two athwart spars, a lookout post and a tattered spritsail, none of which appear on any other LEGO ships of this kind. I love the torn fabric sail and am glad to see such a feature included as this serves to balance the mizzenmast visually when the ship is viewed from the side.
A pair of casemates are situated behind the bowsprit and each one houses two cannons. They are topped with olive green and pearl gold elements which look splendid and I like the balustrade which runs between them. One of the balusters is missing and many of the other railings are similarly damaged while the deck is covered with gaps where planks of wood have rotted away. A metallic gold bell is suspended over this section of the deck and it can swing freely as the ship moves.
The prow is joined to the rest of the model by two click hinges. This connection is very sturdy and there is no risk of collapse, even when the forward section is fully loaded with minifigures and accessories. Anchors are attached to either flank and a ribbed appearance has been achieved using a combination of plates and curved slopes. This continues for the entire length of the ship, giving the impression that much of the hull has disintegrated while the Silent Mary was trapped in the Devil's Triangle.
The ribs can be held in place using a simple click hinge mechanism but opening them reveals some unsightly Technic elements. These are required to strengthen the hull but a few extra plates might have been used to conceal them, especially where bright blue and red pins are visible. A stand slots into a Technic pin hole beneath the deck and this supports the prow when it is lowered, although the click hinges alone are strong enough without it.
The ribbed design continues along both sides of the hull and a series of light bluish grey cannons, represented by Technic connectors, extend from the gun ports. These are attached using ball joints and the lids are articulated so you could remove the cannons and close the ports if you wish, although I think it looks fantastic with them all extended in readiness for a full broadside assault.
Three masts are fitted to the deck of the Silent Mary but only the mizzenmast remains intact. The others are lacking their top gallants, leaving only two tattered sails on each one along with a rotting crow's nest from which the ghostly sailors can spot their next target. These sails are made from a soft material so they hang quite naturally and dark tan is an ideal colour as it looks very realistic while also matching the decks below.
The mainmast is supported by a single ball joint so can be toppled with ease, just as is seen in the film. I appreciate this feature but prefer to display the model with the mast at its full height. The ball joint is slightly frustrating in this regard as it is only just strong enough to support the weight of the mast and will sometimes give way when the vessel is being moved. It seems odd that the instructions dictate that these sails should be attached backwards as they would surely look better facing in the same direction as those on the foremast, although this is easily resolved and may simply be an error in the instruction manual.
The area beneath the main deck hides a secret. Opening the hull panels on either side reveals a space for the ghost sharks. They are held in place securely using Technic pins but can be removed with ease for hunting down small boats which are able to evade the Silent Mary's cannons. I imagine the sharks will inhabit the hull or swim alongside the ship as it travels, in which case this seems to be an adequate storage solution.
The helm is situated on the quarterdeck and is surrounded by an elegant balustrade. The mizzenmast is securely fitted using a Technic axle but the angle of the boom is adjustable, allowing easy access to place a minifigure at the helm. Each deck is linked by a short step ladder and the rear decks are filled with holes, just like those at the bow. The angled planks in front of the ship's wheel are particularly pleasing and a sprinkling of olive green tiles are used to great effect.
Four more casemates are fixed at the corners of the aftcastle and each one contains two more cannons, bringing the final total to forty-one! This heavy armament is undoubtedly impressive and the appearance of the ship is equally satisfying, with impressive detail on either side of the quarterdeck and a series of graduated 1x3 tiles which form a lovely shape. Most LEGO ships are fitted with an interior towards the aft but this model is unfurnished which is a bit of a shame, although it has allowed the designer to focus his attention on the external surfaces and achieve outstanding results!
The rear elevation of the quarterdeck is richly detailed with pearl gold, dark bluish grey and olive green components but also features some simulated battle damage which looks very realistic. The apparently random placement of 1x1 slopes is effective in creating the illusion of natural wear and tiny details like the loss of a cone on top of the starboard casemate are particularly pleasing.
The rudder is situated beneath the aftcastle and can be angled to the left and right. It is not connected to the ship's wheel but looks marvellous, as does the combination of sand green and black elements which surround it. This is the sturdiest section of the entire model and it is further strengthened by its proximity to the aft support pillar.
Overall
71042 Silent Mary is a truly spectacular model for display and achieves a feat which few other sets can boast. It is not immediately apparent that the ship is made from LEGO when viewed from a distance and its curving form seems to defy the typical rectilinear shapes which are imposed by LEGO bricks. The price of £179.99 or $199.99 seems reasonable and the ship is packed with elements of various colours but they strike a perfect balance, with golden highlights reflecting the proud history of the Silent Mary while sand green pieces reveal its current state of dilapidation.
However, this dilapidated appearance has come at a cost as the hull provides no structural support, making it very difficult to move the model and reducing its play value quite considerably. The minifigures and sharks are excellent but it is quite difficult to play with the Silent Mary due to its fragility and the lack of functions or interior detail. This does not necessarily detract from the appeal of the set for an adult but I think younger children may be disappointed by the relatively low playability. Nevertheless, I certainly recommend this set to fans of Pirates of the Caribbean and to adults looking for an impressive display model on par with the scale and aesthetic appeal of 10210 Imperial Flagship.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your thoughts on the set in the comments below.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review is an expression of my own opinions.
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38 comments on this article
As always - excellent review with excellent pics! 10 points from Denmark!
Beautiful ship, so sad it's so expensive.
Looks pretty good. Excellent review and pics!
Great review - I'm torn on whether to buy this at some point, but regardless, this review was great and I know what I'm getting myself into if I do (lots of little mods to take it from 'good to great').
I'd like the figures for my Halloween style ghost layouts, but I think I'm going to pass on the set.
Great review!
I do wish you wouldn't pack these reviews with spoilers if you're going to release them before the film. Maybe these are minor details to you, but they're not in any of the trailers.
Love the ghostly figures with the integration of trans clear elements. Otherwise I find this model a mess.
CapnRex101 - Another great review and very detailed. I will most likely get this set but use it to as the basis to build some historical ship models. I love the level of detail in this set and the interesting building techniques. I also like the trans-clear display stand dishes.
Chris has been careful not to publish spoilers and anything that appears to be one will be evident from watching the trailers.
Thanks for an excellent review -- it's great have it written by someone who knows a casemate from an aftcastle, because I certainly don't!
Wow! What a review! Excellent write-up and photography!
Great review!!! I read somewhere that the little boat is a new mould, and by the picture it looks to be new.
This ship is going to look perfect as a sunken pirate ship under my city's ocean!!!
^What looks new about it? It looks the same from memory, unless it is very subtle.
For some reason I thought in promo pictures it was a dark tan rowboat, which I would have loved seeing. But maybe it was the lighting or my memory is really off.
Either way, thanks for the review. It confirms my initial thoughts. Hate the set, love the figures.
Hate is a strong word, but I think it is ugly and I agree on the fragility being a problem. I understand the source material and I'm sure LEGO did a great job in comparison, but the skeleton hull doesn't work in LEGO format for me. From the top angle, it looks great. From any other angle, I don't like it.
The coloring of dark tan for the tattered sails looks great. I don't love the close up shots of the olive green, dark tan and gold accents all over it. Again, I understand the source material, but it isn't my cup of rum.
The figures look great, even if they mostly are fairly generic. I know they will go for a pretty penny, so I likely won't worry about picking them up, but if I ever need more ghosts or villagers, I know where to look.
I got to say, it is the best LEGO pirate ship ever.
Captain Salazar's minifig looks so off for me. The hair is amazing, and those black sabers look sick, but the facial expression just doesn't match his face in the trailer. He had black eyes, if I remember right. And his mouth never looked like that.
The ship itself though. Those sails are definitely going to be expensive, which sucks, because they look awesome.
Terrific set, an excellent review. A must-have for me. A brick-built, skeletal hull is just an another advantage of this ship as opposed to a boring, classic one.
Still disappointed they never made the Flying Dutchman..
Actually, they did. It was in 2012, but it was with Lego spongebob, so it's very small, particularly short, and in a cartoonish style
^lol
$380 NZD is way overboard kinda cool just because it's POTC and a pirate ship. But this goes in the fail box for me.
It's not a bad set, but the fragility is a huge issue. Also, they can make a $200 Pirates of the Caribbean ship set, but they won't make a $200 model of the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, or a $200 model of the Titanic. I get that those are ideas projects, but why can't we get models of famous ships similar to the creator expert or UCS sets instead of off of a movie series well past its prime?
@Brick Belt: A series that's still putting out new movies tends to generate more interest than a decades-old movie like 20,000 Leagues. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, yet I've only seen the movie once, on TV, and have no particular fondness for it. Whereas I have much more enthusiasm for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. I feel that's probably the case with a lot of teens and young adults as well.
Titanic strikes me as the sort of thing that's a little more timeless — certainly it's achieved a sort of memetic status with adults young and old alike due to the movie's popularity and the legendary status of the real-life story it's based on. LEGO may be steering clear of that due to it being most famous for a real-life tragedy in which a bunch of people died, which would be unusual among other LEGO products. Or maybe we might see a Titanic set one day when LEGO thinks the time is right and the market is ready. In any case, it's not the sort of obvious business case as something that ties in with a current movie.
I think it's hideous.
I would love this set but I have so room for it! XD
I believe the reason the main mast has sails on backwards is that the mast twisted as it fell. If you look at the box image showing the set dimensions, the picture shows the ball joints disconnected and stacked atop one another. In this position the sails will face forward. When the sail is collapsed, then the sails face backwards. Admittedly, connecting and disconnecting the ball joint will be a pain, but if you are just displaying it and want the mast to stay up, that is the way to go.
Great review of a fantastic set - thanks for it! I hope, I will be able to afford it, while it is officially available.
Looks like a great set.
I'm a huge fan of the 60s ride, but the movies tend to be just meaningless cinematic Disney money-making noise, but they are very popular so this no doubt would make for a great center-piece in many collections.
Now with that said, can we get those new city sets out please!
No mention of the scale of the doors? 2 wide arched windows are used as doors, I have been told. If Lego is going to make a set over $100, they need to do it right. That includes, properly scaling all parts of the ship.
I was looking forward to the next big ship. I guess I will continue to look into the future.
Thanks for the review. I was considering getting this even with the scale issues. The more I think about this, the more I do not want this set. Thanks for saving me $200!
I really want to like it but I can't, it's just ugly.
Well done LEGO! Respect for what seems to be a spectacular build...
Wish a few cheaper sets could accompany it...
I wish they would have done a proper Flying Dutchman instead.
Well if I had a couple hundred bucks to spend on a Lego ghost pirate ship, then this would be the one to get.
What an awesome looking set! Love the review, but I would love to see pix of the minifigs with accessories also, not just the minifig. There is always discussion of the accessories but with no pictures, hard to see what you're talking about.
It's not a set I'm personally interested in, but I saw it in the Brighton Lego store today and it does look amazing!
@Rogue10 Thanks! That's super helpful.
Thank you for this review, I am even more excited to see this in person now! I really love the display potential of this set, and so it seems to be meeting that brief well. Cannot wait to see it!
People--this past weekend I saw this already built on display at a LEGO brand store. Extremely detailed. It is amazing and beautiful. And huge.
Thank you indeed for the great review. I'm not sure what to make of this set though. Some things I really like, but many I find quite annoying. Best thing to me are the minifigs and sharks, to be absolutely honest.