Review: 70607 NINJAGO City Chase
Posted by CapnRex101,
70607 NINJAGO City Chase is one of the smaller sets based on The LEGO NINJAGO Movie but has been the subject of much anticipation due to its impressive minifigure selection and low price point. The set contains 233 pieces and five minifigures but costs just £14.99 in the UK or $19.99 in the US so seems to offer brilliant value.
Furthermore, the setting for the skirmish and the models included recall 7195 Ambush in Cairo which is one of my favourite small sets. I am hopeful that this slightly bigger set will be even better, particularly since three of the figures, Nya, Officer Toque and Ham, are not currently available anywhere else.
Minifigures
The ninja divide their time between martial arts and high school in the movie so Lloyd Garmadon is accordingly dressed in civilian clothes. However, Lloyd's role as the green ninja is intimated through his dark green hooded jacket and I like the bright green pocket lining which presents a nice contrast. The back of the torso is printed with a folded hood and the jacket continues onto the hips where a reddish brown belt is also included.
Lloyd's head includes two different smiling expressions and he sports a brand new blonde hair piece. It seems odd that his eyebrows are not blonde to match his hair, although this is not uncommon in reality. The minifigure is only otherwise available in 70620 NINJAGO City so is quite rare but a similar figure appears among the Collectable Minifigures. Lloyd carries a red can which consists of a 1x1 cylinder and a printed ring pull tile on top.
Nya also wears her everyday attire in this set and is a highlight in my opinion, especially since the minifigure is only available here at the moment. I love the textured hair piece which is made from a hard plastic and includes a silver hair band while the head features a smile on one side and an annoyed expression on the other, both of which look excellent.
However, Nya's torso and legs are perhaps the most appealing aspect of the minifigure as she wears an unusual cropped jacket over a striped shirt along with a pair of torn jeans. Both sides of the torso are highly detailed as the jacket includes some stitched patterns alongside pocket flaps and I am pleased to see such a distinctive design as this kind of jacket has rarely appeared on past minifigures. A printed mobile phone 1x2 tile completes the figure.
Officer Toque maintains order in NINJAGO City and seems to be a member of the Super Secret Police as its logo appears on his chest. He includes the same helmet and torso as Bad Cop from The LEGO Movie, although this makes perfect sense so their similarity does not bother me. Moreover, Toque wears a pair of white gloves and dark blue trousers, neither of which are seen on Bad Cop, so he does look somewhat different.
The head is certainly the highlight though. I like the stern expression and Toque's elaborate moustache looks splendid, befitting a tough police officer. It is also worth noting that the excellent helmet has only appeared in a few sets so may be new to some buyers. The minifigure is equipped with a pair of light bluish grey handcuffs for securing suspects.
Citizens appear throughout The LEGO NINJAGO Movie range and many appear frightened as Garmadon's forces attack. Ham certainly fits with that trend and includes a comically terrified expression along with some stubble. This face is quite specialised and a more neutral alternative would have been welcome but his tan coolie does not cover the back of the head so the absence of another face is perfectly understandable.
The torso and legs are simply decorated with a dark blue tunic. Nevertheless, I like the staining on the front and back which seems appropriate for someone working at a food market and his traditional attire has the potential to be very useful for other creations, as does the hat. Ham comes with a printed bank note as well as a selection of foodstuffs which are on display at his stall.
The final minifigure is a generic Shark Army Thug, the like of which is present throughout the first wave of sets. He sports a dark orange beanie hat and an eye patch, suggesting that he already seen some action before being recruited by Garmadon. The scruffy beard and grim expression look great, although it is a bit disappointing that this character is so prolific as he appears in three other sets wearing identical clothing.
I like the uniforms worn by Garmadon's troops, particularly those which include a sand blue shirt as the colour seems very suitable for an underwater army. This is covered by dark bluish grey straps and rows of pouches which look superb and the thug also wears a pair of kneepads. He comes with a large hammer, the handle of which is shaped like a fish to match other weapons wielded by the villains in the film.
The Completed Model
Officer Toque drives an auto rickshaw which consists primarily of black and white elements to demonstrate that it is a police vehicle. The rickshaw drives on three wheels and looks rather ungainly, although this is also true of the source material and I appreciate the apparent unsuitability of an auto rickshaw for police service, especially since they are notoriously slow. However, the police do use rickshaws in some Asian countries and I imagine their ability to navigate narrow streets would be useful in NINJAGO City.
There is room to place two minifigures inside and the front seat includes a pair of handlebars as well as a clip for an accessory. Presumably the rear seat is intended for a prisoner, although it seems comically vulnerable to escape! Obvious flaws like this one are part of the vehicle's charm in my view but it might have been nice to see a cage of some kind, just for the sake of some additional play value.
The driver is protected by a trans-clear windscreen and side view mirrors are fitted just in front of the cab. I like the red and blue lights on the roof which are also present on the front along with a single headlight. A few stickers complete the front of the model, adding some extra detail and further reinforcing its affiliation with the police in NINJAGO.
The rear is decorated with another sticker and also includes two red brake lights. Minifigures can grip the light bluish grey bars which line either side of the auto rickshaw so a total of six characters could ride if necessary, albeit in a rather unsafe manner! I expected little of this model but it has proven to be a very pleasant surprise, not least because it includes a remarkable amount of detail and depicts a type of vehicle which we rarely see in LEGO.
Ham's market stall appears quite simple but involves some interesting building techniques. I particularly like the black cylinders which strengthen the structure and the red awning, made from three flags, looks brilliant. Racks of fish and cherries are attached to the sides while the barrel of green apples is separate so can be placed anywhere. A sign reading 'SHOP' is mounted above the awning and two more hang over the food, seemingly denoting prices.
The back of the stall is far less visually appealing but does include space for a minifigure to stand behind the counter. Moreover, the shape of the roof resembles a torii, with angled corners and a narrow profile. I think it looks great and the designer has been able to squeeze plenty of detail into a small model which seems to be a consistent feature of the entire range.
The set also includes a pair of lamp posts which are connected by a string of lanterns. This looks marvellous as a piece of scenery but also offers some play value as the ninja can climb up and swing from the posts. I like the stickered signs which read 'NEW TOWN', 'ARLO', 'HOTEL' and 'UPTOWN', particularly since the hotel sign includes a star rating! It is a bit difficult to hang the string naturally between the posts and they are somewhat fragile but I am not sure how that could have been improved without spoiling their appearance.
Overall
The LEGO NINJAGO Movie seems to feature excellent sets at every price point. Larger models such as 70618 Destiny's Bounty look tremendous but 70607 NINJAGO City Chase represents exceptional value and offers a huge amount of playability, due in particular to the volume and variety of minifigures included, as well as their individual quality.
In addition, the scenery is fairly detailed and would fit with the much larger 70620 NINJAGO City if you wish to expand the larger set. My favourite of the models is probably the police rickshaw simply because it is unusual, although all three are brilliant. I would undoubtedly recommend this set, whether or not you have a prior interest in NINJAGO.
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.
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29 comments on this article
Great set to complete 70620 (since we don't get anything regarding Police on it except Officer Noonan, and it completes the market). I'll probably buy it for this. Great review anyway - looking forward for the other ones!
Interesting how Nya in this outfit, in the movie, has printing on the sides of her leg. But not here...
The police vehicle is called a 'tuc tuc' (which is why one of the code names for this set was '70607 Ninjago Movie 2 TT' ! )
Definitely getting this!
I know that a lot of people including me are loving the "New hairpiece" that Nya has but in all honesty it's almost the exact same hairpiece introduced for the Cave Woman Minifigure in 2011 that was later used for Ann Lee from Monster Fighters in 2012, Pixel form Ninjago in 2014, and Toxikita from Ultra Agents in 2014! The name of that part is 6081972: Mini Figure, Wig No. 17 however what makes this one different is that it has a hair band and no clip to hold things with, also the old part never came in black so I'm very happy with this piece being in a new color!
Awesom review cap, but one question. Is Nya's hair hard plastic or rubbery?
Oh... and will you be doing a review of Ninjago city? I've heard it was available at sdcc.
Interesting hint that of the Super Secret Police, more hints of the shared universe.
@CM4Sci - Tuk-tuk and auto rickshaw are just two terms, among many, which describe this kind of vehicle.
@Brick_Knight - The hair piece is made from a hard plastic and we will be reviewing 70620 NINJAGO City as soon as we are able to get it.
What does the stall's writing say? I think the whole entire language aspect of the Ninjago series is awesome, but I don't know how to decode it myself.
to prevent escape from the rickshaw, you could just handcuff the prisonner to the bars
In my opinion, this set's one of the best in the line. Definetly looking forward to picking up this one, the Destiny's Bounty, and the Ninjago City this fall.
I'll get it, but not in a hurry.
bbeck018 - The sign says 'SHOP'. This article may interest you, if you have not already seen it: https://brickset.com/article/28796
Great parts pack, I love this type of sets!
Thanks! I looked at the article and it's really interesting! I'll try and decode the next batch on my own and see how that goes!
If you reverse the 1x2 light grey plate clip on the rickshaw, does the prisoners 'cuffs lock into it?
Nice review thanks as always.
Thanks for the review. This is one I'll definitely want to pick up
You know, I never cared for Ninjago in the slightest. But with this wave...I might pick up several of the sets once there's a discount. Looks to me like they include plenty of nice builds, new pieces, and useful figures.
I always think of potential other uses for certain minifigure parts, and in this set, we have the blond, shoulder-length hairpiece which would be perfect for ROTS Anakin Skywalker (save for the colour);
and the evil shark goon's torso and legs are IMO pretty spot on for urban environment soldiers/special forces.
I just can't believe it's a licensed set of this calibre and size and it's only £14.99!
Why are sets based on a non-released movie released prematurely? It defies business logic. I certainly won't have any interest in this range until I've seen the movie, which will be after it's available on bluray. By then the first wave of sets will be off the shelves. Guess Lego doesn't want my money.
@Dude45 there is always bricklink and eBay!
I really love this set. It looks so awesome and well detailed. The greatest one of the smaller sets with great pieces.
Hmm...I wasn't going to get this one, but now that I see it, I might. It's too bad that the shop guy doesn't come with an extra, non-screaming head though.
@Dude45: Most movie tie-in toys have products out in time for the movie's release. The alternative (not releasing until the movie is out) risks shortages since the products would first become available during the period of highest demand. I imagine by releasing early, even when die-hard fans buy in early, there'll still be time for stores to replenish stock for the larger rush of demand when the movie is actually out.
@Dude45: It's honestly pretty normal for movie toys and merchandise to start coming out a month or more before the movie to help build (and capitalize on) pre-release hype. A lot of My Little Pony Movie toys are already coming out, for example, and that's not out until October. And LEGO Batman Movie sets started coming out last December even though the movie wasn't released until mid-February. Compare also all the Star Wars Episode 7 sets launching on "Force Friday" in September 2015 when the movie wasn't released until December.
Especially with a merchandise-driven brand, the toys are generally created so they appeal to kids even before they've seen the movie to fully understand their context. For adults, of course, it can be a little more hit-and-miss — some adults will love a toy for its looks or functions regardless of its context, while others need that context to even begin to care about the product. But for the most part, besides Ninjago City, these sets are designed for kids first and adults second.
Arlo, arlo, arlo? Not sure what that means, I put it into Google translate in Danish but I didn't get anything. Weird...
^ it reminds me of the good dinosaur! Was it the kid or the dino that was named as such?
^ The dinosaur. He called the boy Spot.
And I don't get what it means. By the context, it's advertising something, but it doesn't sound Ninjago-ish. Sneaky designer maybe?
People into Ninjago might get this to complete the series - the rickshaw, though, is not that bad and could be featured in any city layout; the lamppost set is not that bad, either.
I really like the tension implied in this scene - the ninja come across an attack, but are in civilian clothes, and need to help without alerting the bystanders to their identity. Not the most complex plot, but very nice to see the thought in such a small and detailed set.