Review: 5004940 City Jungle Minifigure Collection
Posted by CapnRex101,
The LEGO CITY range has expanded beyond urban environments over the last few years, exploring the Arctic, the deep sea, a volcanic region and now the jungle. I have enjoyed the standard Jungle sets but am somewhat sceptical about 5004940 City Jungle Minifigure Collection as this exclusive pack contains just one new part.
This deficiency is disappointing and considerably reduces the appeal of the set from my point of view, particularly in relation to the other packs. Furthermore, the price of £14.99 in the UK feels very expensive given that 60157 Jungle Starter Set costs just £8.99 and offers far more content and therefore greater play value.
Minifigures
Two explorers are included, both of whom wear a dark tan cap, an orange shirt and dark blue trousers. I like this colour combination very much and the detailed equipment printed on both sides of the torsos looks marvellous, including climbing ropes, radios and a green canteen which is strapped to the female minifigure. It is unfortunate that the legs are not similarly detailed, even if only with a few pouches around the thighs.
I appreciate the colour coordination between members of the same exploring team but a couple of hair pieces might have been useful as an alternative to their hats. The figures are quite tricky to distinguish when viewed from a distance so look a bit odd on display, although this is a minor issue and could be easily resolved using your own pieces.
The minifigures are properly equipped for venturing into the jungle, carrying a printed compass and a machete. The compass looks much more modern than those which have sometimes appeared in Pirates sets, as one would expect, while the machete features some splendid shaping at the edge of the blade along with a textured handle.
Scientists have accompanied each of the exploratory teams dispatched from LEGO CITY over the last few years and the jungle expedition is no different. This minifigure wears a dark orange shirt like the aforementioned characters but his white coat is sufficiently generic that the torso could be used under many circumstances. I love the colourful vials in his pocket and am glad to see this hair piece return in reddish brown for the first time since 2015.
The final minifigure is by the most interesting in my opinion. Male mechanics are found in some of the larger Jungle sets but this one is female and includes a new torso. The oil stains look great and I like the short sleeves represented by dual-moulded arms as well as the wrench printed on the back of the figure. She is equipped with an acetylene torch so wears a pair of tinted safety goggle. The same head previously appeared in the Arctic subtheme but it serves perfectly well here too.
Overall
These minifigures are undoubtedly impressive but are simply not a match for the standard set by other Bricktober packs this year. It is lovely to see a female mechanic as CITY sets rarely depict women in such a role and I like her new torso printing. However, the inclusion of only one exclusive element is very disappointing, particularly since many of the other components appear in some of the cheaper Jungle sets.
In addition, the pack is certainly not worth its price of £14.99. It may be reduced at some point if the stock remains on shelves in certain Toys R Us stores but it seems unlikely and on that basis I would only recommend this set to those who wish to maintain a complete collection, either of Bricktober items or the Jungle subtheme.
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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9 comments on this article
I am so getting it due to the fact that my Imperial army is short on mechanics and scientists, the mechanics seem to be lost fixing dino enclosures and the scientist seem to always mix up the vials on theor experiments that lead to the creation of flesh dogs.
I was very happy to get this for free as a GWP at TRU last week as I do not have any of the jungle sets. Loving the compass, machete and blowtorch as I didn't have those yet.
Wait a minute... that black ponytail piece on the mechanic has only shown up once before in the GB Olympic figs. Alas, the mechanic is the only fig I find interesting in this batch, which feels like the weakest of the four sets that got released.
I thought this was a pretty solid set overall. Better than the rehashed CMF set for sure. The Jungle theme seems to be doing well and hit a strong note with my oldest son. The value of these sets is always a bit 'iffy' IMHO as $5/minifigure seems a bit high when CMFs are $3.99 each. Anyhow, I enjoyed the review CapnRex but I (mildly) disagree with your conclusion.
I have 2 of these and 2 of the CMF TRU minifigure packs for trade/sale if anyone is interested. I liked the batman one and the ninjago was cool but these two packs have no place in my collection, so if I can help anyone out in a trade/sale I'm up for it!
The mini figures might have relatively common elements on average, but I don't think any of them use heads from elsewhere in the theme so there's some good variety there. Also, that female mechanic torso is awesome - in my opinion much more of a positive statement of intent in terms of part versatility than Women of NASA - as that's still abuzz right now.
Cool
I got this free at Brick Live in Birmingham on Saturday when I bought Big Ben. I then got the Batman and Ninjago ones free by buying a couple more of other big sets (saving £45). I imagine TRU are doing the same offer in their stores around the country.
Got mine for free while buying a speed champions set at a discount, so I count that as a win.