Review: 71029 Collectable Minifigures Series 21
Posted by CapnRex101,
Collectable Minifigures were introduced during 2010 and standard series have featured sixteen minifigures throughout the past decade. 71029 Collectable Minifigures Series 21 augments this selection further, although provides just twelve interesting characters.
While the number of minifigures has fallen, the quality undoubtedly appears consistent. The selection of characters is impressive, including modern, historical and fantasy minifigures which should provide something for every LEGO fan. Additionally, numerous exclusive elements and accessories have been introduced here.
Box Distribution
Each box contains 36 minifigures which are distributed as follows:
- 3 - Paddle Surfer
- 3 - Violin Kid
- 3 - Shipwreck Survivor
- 3 - Ladybird Girl
- 3 - Pug Costume Guy
- 3 - Centaur Warrior
- 3 - Beekeeper
- 3 - Ancient Warrior
- 3 - Airplane Girl
- 3 - Space Police Guy
- 3 - Alien
- 3 - Cabaret Singer
Minifigures
Water sports have appeared on numerous occasions throughout the Collectable Minifigures range and the Paddle Surfer continues that theme. Her attire appears comparatively simple, comprising a dual-moulded hat and hair piece, a tropical shirt and black shorts. Nevertheless, this seems perfectly appropriate for the character and I like the decoration on her cap.
The torso features a dolphin so reminds me of two elements that were available with Paradisa and Basic sets during the late 1990s, although their designs are only thematically similar. This example is much more colourful and decoration continues on the reverse, where the logo of a sporting brand appears. Another logo has adorned past water sports figures and equipment so evidently a competitor has arrived!
Exactly the same logo appears on the paddle board, which also features some vibrant coral highlights and accurate straps that would secure the paddle. A white paddle is accordingly provided, along with a dark azure life jacket which has not appeared in this colour before. However, the most exciting accessory is probably the dolphin, which is also exclusive in its realistic sand blue shade.
Musicians are even more common than sporting characters within the Collectable Minifigures range, although the Violin Kid is brand new and his unique accessory has attracted attention. The actual minifigure is also deserving of interest though, particularly as his shirt displays the Blacktron logo so will undoubtedly prove popular among those creating their own minifigures.
Moreover, the double-sided head looks good, including a resolute expression on one side and another face which appears lost in music. Heads with closed eyes are reasonably uncommon and can prove extremely useful so I am happy to encounter a new design here. However, the black hair piece is relatively bland and a unique colour could have been provided.
The new violin accessory looks superb. Its shape strikes the correct balance between realism and simplicity for LEGO and the decoration is nice. The metallic silver strings contrast with the black fingerboard and the distinctive f-holes look marvellous. Ideally, a fourth string would have been included for the utmost accuracy but that might have necessitated less definition between the strings. A dark brown wand forms the bow.
The determined Shipwreck Survivor is among the most unusual of these twelve minifigures, depicting an interesting subject with suitable humour. His dark brown hair and beard element looks splendid and the head underneath is similarly decorated with facial hair, although I think an alternative expression should have been included since they have become prevalent across the Collectable Minifigures theme.
An anchor tattoo is printed on this character's right arm and he wears a simple shell necklace, both of which seem ideal for a shipwrecked minifigure. The ragged shorts look superb as well, making wonderful use of dual-moulding and printing which continues around the sides of each leg. The seam between the blue plastic and the blue printing is almost invisible here.
However, the most remarkable feature of this minifigure is definitely his accessories. I like the printed message in a bottle and this new hermit crab looks absolutely adorable. The tiny eyes are brilliant and I think the decision to separate the shell, which consists of existing parts, was ingenious. After all, hermit crabs repeatedly depart their shells in search of new ones! The bar connection beneath the shell could therefore be used to attach various things.
Costumed characters have typically proven exceedingly popular and the new Ladybird Girl appears reminiscent of the Bumblebee Girl since they share the same headgear. This rubber component includes two antennae which are as fitting to represent a ladybird as they were for the earlier bumblebee-based character. I like the red spots which adorn the double-sided head as well.
The spotted elytra are formed using an element which connects around the minifigure's neck. This appears to create a curved shell when viewed from the front but the elytra are actually separated, as though the minifigure is preparing to take flight. A closed shell would perhaps have been more versatile but this design is effective and I like the decoration across the torso and dual-moulded legs.
Appropriately, the minifigure carries a bright green leaf with an exclusive ladybird printed tile. Unique elements are sometimes required to depict animals adequately but the tiny 1x1 round tile works perfectly in this situation and I like the cartoonish eyes on the ladybird, along with its requisite black spots. Fortunately, a spare ladybird is also provided.
Another animal costume appears with the Pug Costume Guy, although this figure features unique headgear. Comparable elements have appeared frequently, including with the Llama Costume Girl earlier this year. I appreciate that consistency between different characters and this part includes lovely dual-moulded detail, complemented by the printed eyes and nose.
The torso is decorated with a bandana and a tail on the reverse, both of which look fantastic. Furthermore, I like the printed paws on the feet and the inclusion of medium legs is definitely welcome, presumably suggesting that this minifigure is a teenager. The double-sided head is also interesting, displaying two excited faces. These are very expressive but greater variation would have been ideal.
An exclusive teal bone accompanies the minifigure, representing a squeaky toy. This element initially appeared in white with the Werewolf and became available in black with the NINJAGO range during the summer so another colour is appealing. Perhaps another toy could also have been included though, since most of the other minifigures have two accessories.
75967 Forbidden Forest: Umbridge's Encounter introduced two exclusive Centaurs and their impressive legs and body component returns with the Centaur Warrior. This minifigure looks excellent, featuring a new colour combination of dark orange and dark brown for the body and an exclusive torso which beautifully evokes the forest environment where centaurs often reside in mythology.
The golden leaf looks particularly attractive and complementary metallic gold highlights adorn both arms. I can envisage this torso proving useful for anyone creating mediaeval adventurers because it includes lovely detail but is also quite generic. The double-sided head looks equally versatile but could perhaps have displayed an angry or determined facial expression instead of two smiles.
Centaurs have been closely associated with archery since their origins in Ancient Greek myth and provided inspiration for the constellation of Sagittarius. A bow, a quiver and an apple are therefore included, presumably because the Centaur Warrior is planning to demonstrate her archery skills by recreating William Tell's legendary apple-shot.
While centaurs represent the height of mythological fiction, the Beekeeper seems delightfully mundane! The characteristic veil combines white and trans-black plastic to create an accurate mesh effect, slightly distorting the face underneath which looks fantastic. The head includes an enormous moustache and two facial expressions, the second of which is evidently salivating at the prospect of some honey!
Honey is therefore splashed on the front of his attire, along with a simple honeycomb symbol. Beekeeping suits are typically rather plain so limited detail covers the reverse of the torso and the legs, although I am impressed with the decoration on the side of each leg. Four characters from this series of Collectable Minifigures include such printing.
The beekeeper includes a dark tan 2x2 tile which represents a honey super. The honeycomb pattern looks great and I like the printed bees. However, my favourite accessory is the smoker which makes excellent use of two existing parts. The cylindrical section is formed using a pearl silver cup while the nozzle is depicted by a light bluish grey minifigure stand that has previously been available in trans-clear. When combined, the resulting smoker is remarkably realistic.
Aztec military forces were strictly stratified, containing two elite units known as Eagle Warriors and Jaguar Warriors. The latter soldiers provide inspiration for this Ancient Warrior, whose golden armour looks absolutely spectacular and complements the earlier Aztec Warrior. I love the enormous helmet which definitely evokes the appearance of a jaguar, including cavernous jaws with moulded teeth and stylised eyes.
Intricate decoration continues across either side of the helmet and the moulded feathers look magnificent. Furthermore, the head, torso, arms and legs display distinctive body paint which closely resembles authentic Jaguar markings and the accompanying bright colours are lovely. The double-sided head looks perfect too, featuring smiling and angry facial expressions.
This minifigure is appropriately armed with an excellent macuahuitl, including dual-moulded obsidian blades which correspond precisely with the original weapons. The pearl gold shield seems equally realistic and includes an intimidating depiction of a jaguar, effectively capturing the artistic style associated with the Aztec civilisation. However, the handle is oriented vertically which can limit display options when compared with horizontal handgrips.
The new Airplane Girl appears reminiscent of the Race Car Guy which was produced during 2018. Both minifigures wear large vehicle assemblies around their waists and neither of these elements feel consistent with traditional LEGO parts in my opinion. However, this aircraft does include a few connection points and I like how the existing propeller piece has been integrated.
Furthermore, the exaggerated proportions of the aeroplane are splendid and I appreciate the contrast between this element and the Airplane Girl's dark blue flight uniform underneath. The uniform does not feature particular detailed, including a golden pin beside the identification tag on the front and a propeller emblem on the reverse, but looks reasonable.
Corresponding with the Centaur Warrior, this minifigure displays two cheery expressions on her double-sided head. Pleased though I am to see so many happy minifigures, a broader selection of expressions would have been beneficial. However, I do like the inclusion of both a helmet and a hair piece for this costumed character.
Classic themes have influenced many Collectable Minifigures and the Space Police Guy interprets that inspiration literally, simply modernising the original Space Police minifigures! Heavy pearl dark grey armour covers this character but the Classic Space emblem remains intact, along with the traditional black and white colour combination underneath.
The trans-red visor on the helmet also matches the original Space Police minifigures, albeit combined with a modern helmet that features intricate moulded detail. The simulated flexible section behind the neck seems especially realistic and the double-sided head displays varied expressions on this occasion, including smiling and determined faces.
Numerous accessories are provided, including a pair of handcuffs, a baton, a laser gun and a printed shield. Two of these items can be attached to clips on the back of the armour while the others must be carried. However, removing this armour element reveals additional detail which directly recreates the classic Space Police design! The famous logo and diagonal zip both look absolutely wonderful, neatly balancing nostalgia with modern detail.
While the Space Police Officer represents historic minifigure design, the accompanying Alien personifies its current equivalent. The unique dual-moulded head includes outstanding detail, comprising black and bright green plastics to form bulbous eyes, three cranial nodules and an elaborate breathing apparatus. Additional green decoration depicts scales on either side of the head
The orange clothing might traditionally be associated with prisoners and that was reflected in Space Police III, where Jawson wore orange prison garb. This attire seems significantly more advanced though, featuring a metallic silver honeycomb structure across the alien's chest and two mysterious cannisters on its back. The arms and legs are similarly decorated with metallic silver accents.
An exclusive pearl dark grey crowbar and a trans-light blue crystal accompany this minifigure, further suggesting some criminal intent. This crystal looks good but the same colour has been used many times before and an alternative shade would therefore have been more enticing. A trans-red crystal would have been superb, matching the trans-red canopies from Space Police sets during 1989.
The final minifigure depicts a Cabaret Singer, whose elaborate headdress appears fittingly spectacular! The teal, purple and metallic silver colour scheme is attractive and the feathers feature magnificent moulded detail. I particularly appreciate that they are not symmetrical so these feathers seem more realistic. The same colours continue throughout the singer's outfit, including those metallic silver dots.
Silver lipstick and eye shadow also appears on each side of the head, along with smiling and singing expressions. Unfortunately, the yellow skin tone on the torso seems rather dull beside the vibrant head and arms so I wish additional ink had been applied. However, this purple and teal dress is stunning, especially in combination with a glittery fabric component.
Positioning this train so it hangs naturally is rather difficult, although the fabric does include a crease which is helpful. Moreover, the Cabaret Singer is packaged with a printed microphone and a microphone stand, ensuring that everything necessary for her performance is provided! This stand can be gripped but is also exactly the correct height for a minifigure.
Overall
71029 Collectable Minifigures Series 21 offers incredibly consistent quality, maybe exceeding any earlier series in my opinion. An amazing selection of interesting minifigures are available here and even those which are potentially less exciting, such as the Paddle Boarder or Violin Kid, include interesting accessories. I think that represents a considerable improvement upon 71027 Collectable Minifigures Series 20.
My favourite minifigures include the Shipwreck Survivor, the Ancient Warrior and the Alien, in some cases based upon their impressive accessories while others simply feature tremendous detail. Reducing the number of minifigures has certainly not affected their quality and provides children with an easier opportunity to collect every character before the next series is released. On that basis, I am delighted with these Collectable Minifigures!
These minifigures were provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
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76 comments on this article
Well, this is a very good one, will buy some :)
Not sure how to display Airplane Girl though.
The Violin Kid reminds me of Blacktron Fan from the LEGO Movie set Rescue Reinforcements. The hair and the Blacktron logo make me even think this is a younger version of the minifig.
I love pretty much all of these! I can’t wait to see someone make a peacock out of that singers headdress. I really want the space police, and alien figures.
Color me disappointed that the castaway doesn't have a volleyball.
I love how, to this day, Space Police are still humans and Aliens are always criminals or conquerors. The real-world undertones are not super, to say the least.
Speaking of painting themselves into corners with racial issues, I appreciate Lego branching out to portray Asian, American and North African cultures in the CMF series, but I can see the Lando-type hurdle they'd face if they try to issue, say, a yellow-skinned Masai herder (which I'd love to see)!
Space Police!
No light way of putting it - CMF is on a gradual decline. From the loose packaging, to the mediocre character selections, lack of accessories (although this series is a bit of an outlier), to this nonsense "12 characters" decision, I'm left pining for the days when a series would be announced and I'd crave every single fig. Series 6, 9, 11... a thing of the past.
Thanks for the review, though.
Honestly I quite like the alien. I picture him as a Gordon Freeman-type scientist who might be observing a mysterious crystal he found. That would explain the crowbar and orange suit.
I quite like the Space Police Officer. He looks suitably equipped for a (less than lethal) fight. Gives off Spartan or Warhammer kinda vibes with how bulky it is now that I think of it.
The hermit crab is cool.
@Tupperfan said:
"I love how, to this day, Space Police are still humans and Aliens are always criminals or conquerors. The real-world undertones are not super, to say the least.
Speaking of painting themselves into corners with racial issues, I appreciate Lego branching out to portray Asian, American and North African cultures in the CMF series, but I can see the Lando-type hurdle they'd face if they try to issue, say, a yellow-skinned Masai herder (which I'd love to see)!
"
They were only alien in Space Police III, the first two iterations attempted to capture humans.
@Tupperfan We did get more peaceable relations in the Life on Mars theme, but admittedly that was something like two decades ago at this point. With Lego moving into more realistic spacefaring sets, and conflict a presumed selling point, it seems like the whole alien=aggressors thing isn't going anywhere, though I agree that a change to that would be nice.
The yellow skin colouring was designed to sidestep the whole concept of race, though given we've had early Star Wars and Harry Potter sets using it that got screwed up pretty quickly. I wonder how Native Americans and Mexicans feel about their recent minifigure portrayals; are they problematic, or are they seen as more of a harmless tribute act?
I think less (figures) feels like more (quality) in this run and it feels like there's something to appreciate in each of these figures. I may just pick-up one or two, never a CMF finisher-completer but interesting mix of accessories and themes.
@Mister_Jonny said:
" @Tupperfan We did get more peaceable relations in the Life on Mars theme, but admittedly that was something like two decades ago at this point. With Lego moving into more realistic spacefaring sets, and conflict a presumed selling point, it seems like the whole alien=aggressors thing isn't going anywhere, though I agree that a change to that would be nice.
The yellow skin colouring was designed to sidestep the whole concept of race, though given we've had early Star Wars and Harry Potter sets using it that got screwed up pretty quickly. I wonder how Native Americans and Mexicans feel about their recent minifigure portrayals; are they problematic, or are they seen as more of a harmless tribute act?
"
I’m worried for our Martian friends from Life on Mars. Are they safe? Are they alright? Did the Mars Mission aliens wipe them out or ruin decades worth of progress with human-alien relations? Maybe they were fleeing from Commander Hypaxus 8 but we’re found and abducted, becoming unwilling participants in the invasion of earth with Alien Conquest? Maybe the Galaxy Squad caught a glimpse of them before returning home?
I need answers.
I thought I'd left the cmf club behind, but some of these might be worth the increased price of admission.
Any word on rrp?
i hope for a new series of the space police! or blacktron or m tron, ice planet or something new, related to the lego space universe.
@Andhe said:
"I thought I'd left the cmf club behind, but some of these might be worth the increased price of admission.
Any word on rrp? "
The price has remained unchanged, costing £3.49 or $4.99 each.
I also saw the alien as a scientist or explorer rather than a prisoner. The outfit seemed a bit advanced for a prison jumpsuit.
Not a big fan of the overall look of the Space Police officer. I love the torso, but other than the space logo on the armor, it looks a bit too much like a riot police officer in the modern world for my taste. It comes a little too close to real-world warfare/violence, especially with everything that has been going on in various countries.
The logo on the paddle boarder's suit and board is also featured on the breakdancer's hat from series 20; I'm a big fan of these continuities!
This is the first time for me to want a whole box!
@Tupperfan said:
"I love how, to this day, Space Police are still humans and Aliens are always criminals or conquerors. The real-world undertones are not super, to say the least.
"
This was my absolute biggest gripe with SP3, there was not a single alien in Space Police, nor was there a single "human" among the villains. Just the tiniest blurring of those lines would have gone a long way, but lego opted to continue that trend all the way through to galaxy squad. Was there really nothing to be done with sci fi/space other than fighting aliens for a decade?
At least with previous iterations of Space Police everyone involved was ambiguous enough that you could let your imagination dictate who were the "good guys" and who were the "bad guys".
Admittedly this new one continues that trend, whether intentional or not. You're free to interpret him as a hero or villain and stylistically he's on point to be either and still fit in with his predecessors.
Anyhow pardon my soapboxing. I like the figure, but can't help but notice that lego doesn't seem to have learned its lesson here yet.
(Edit: double negatives can be confusing)
This looks awesome.
Thanks for the review. I find the castaway, the warrior, the airplane girl, the beekeeper, the...oh they are all great. So I’m glad I bought a box, especially since I’ll have 3 of each. :)
@JaketheSnake12 : I'm aware of that, especially as there was no "aliens" back then (except in some idea books). But as soon as aliens were added to the line-up, they were pretty much exclusively bad dudes of the conquering or criminal varieties.
And to add to the issue, Space Police had no alien members and no human criminal was portrayed, creating quite the "us vs them" vibe that is so problematic in many instances.
@Mister_Jonny Yeah, Lego's racial intents and actions with the yellow minifigs have been confusing at times, but despite their official stance on the yellow being non-racial, many non-AFOLs (especially from non-white ethnicities) have voiced seeing a lack of representativity as they generally see the yellow dudes as Europeans. Lego made strides recently with featuring various disabilities, but the portrayal of skin colour is still confusing. The recent Chinese New Year theme sets, depicting a specific nation's culture, don't really help clarifying things. All this confusion - and probably a desire to not stir things up - makes me wonder if they'll just avoid the depiction of any unequivocally black cultures in the CMF line, which would be a bit sad, given how long Sub-Saharan Africa has been ignored.
@PixelTheDragon : Yeah, what happened to the Martians? Two decades in and there are no more signs of life on Mars!
@CCC : I know. My comment meant that it was nice of the CMF series, since its inception, to be offering non-Western civilization characters, however how mild or generic/cliché (see series 1 CMF Native American and Ninja, among many others) they could be at times, and how Africa - Egypt aside - has been quite absent from the offering.
@TeaWeevil Maybe the alien's a miner or another profession indeed. But orange "advanced" jumpsuit or not, the crowbar doesn't scream advanced mining or scientific tech as much as criminal cliché...
@Krysto2002 : Same here, I voiced that issue back then too!
Every one’s a winner.
I will be picking up the Paddle Surfer, multiples of the Violin Kid, the Shipwreck Survivor, maybe the Ladybird Girl, multiples of the Beekeeper, the Airplane Girl, multiples of the Space Police Guy, the Alien and the Cabaret Singer.
Not interested in the Pug Costume Guy, the Centaur Warrior or the Ancient Warrior.
At last complete sets in a box without leftovers. Still means finding your way through open boxes feeling every packet, unless your fortunate to find a new box out. Hopefully this means more re-sellers of complete sets.
These sure look nice. Too bad I can't see myself ever spending €5 on a single figure.
So excited for Space Police and Aliens!!!
All 12 figures are amazing.
And Aztec Warrior's abs are amazing.
I really love the violin kid--awesome shirt and violin. Gotta have the shipwreck survivor for my Pirates of Barracuda Bay. The beekeeper is cool, too.
Does the hermit crab have a short pin then, not a stud for a connection point? Presumably then that 1x1 round plate is a hollow 'polo' type?
I like the Space Police, both the minifig underneath and the armour. The aeroplane suit is cute and looks like something out of Wallace and Gromit. And the alien reminds me of the Hath from Doctor Who, Dolphin-headed bipeds that wore water-filled breathing apparatus.
And the Centaur's freckled face is adorable.
I love all of them!! As a terrible CMF collections I will buy a complete series and some extras for enjoying them!!
Nice, a violin! Everything else, meh.
I know they call her a “Cabaret Singer” but this is DEFINITELY tailormade to be used as a drag queen.
Here’s some Lego drag queen names because no one asked:
Clutch N. Pearls
Studs Ontopp
Picky Bricks
Pearl Gold
Technique
I could probably come up with some dirtier ones but I’ll keep it PG-13.
@Oli said:
"i hope for a new series of the space police! or blacktron or m tron, ice planet or something new, related to the lego space universe."
I would love to see an updated Ice Planet figure, as I loved that line. Nexo Knights' color scheme sort of scratched that itch, but not really.
M-Tron would be really cool too, especially if they could include an actual magnet with the figure.
@Mister_Jonny said:
"The yellow skin colouring was designed to sidestep the whole concept of race, though given we've had early Star Wars and Harry Potter sets using it that got screwed up pretty quickly."
That LEGO went with yellow skin to obviate questions of race is a myth. LEGO continues to say that and has even rewritten the history of the development of the minifigure to give that impression, but it isn’t true. It’s just good PR. The real reason is much more prosaic. It has to do with keeping costs down in the 1970s when the minifigure (and earlier LEGO figures) were invented.
Not sure what you mean by ‘pretty quickly’. The interval between the first yellow minifigures and the first to have natural skin tones was the best part of 25 years, longer if you include yellow figures before minifigures.
A Zulu or Maasai warrior as a CMF would be great. I’m hoping there’s one in Series 22.
@Joefish said:
"Does the hermit crab have a short pin then, not a stud for a connection point? Presumably then that 1x1 round plate is a hollow 'polo' type?"
Yes, according to Just2Good’s and others’ packet opening videos, the hermit crab has a short bar extending from its back and the round plate that forms the bottom of its shell does indeed have a hole.
First time in a LONG time I want ALL of 'em!
GIMMEEEE!!!!
@krysto2002 said:
" @Tupperfan said:
"I love how, to this day, Space Police are still humans and Aliens are always criminals or conquerors. The real-world undertones are not super, to say the least.
"
This was my absolute biggest gripe with SP3, there was not a single alien in Space Police, nor was there a single "human" among the villains. Just the tiniest blurring of those lines would have gone a long way, but lego opted to continue that trend all the way through to galaxy squad. Was there really nothing to be done with sci fi/space other than fighting aliens for a decade?
"
I 100% agree with this, just wanted to point out, that in the concept materials for the SP3 criminals, there were some generic rocker dudes as criminals too. This is absolutely not to say, that the undertones of the themes are a bit dark regardless if planned or not.
https://en.brickimedia.org/wiki/File:Alien_Sketches.png
love the space police (missed out on sp3) and the alien, even if its accessories are a bit lackluster, its just such a great fig.
btw, anyone going to talk about the ninajgo city gardens teaser? I'm really hyped!
I personally am confused by the debate about space aliens being portrayed as criminals in Space Police. Surely aliens aren't stalking us and noticing little things like this, there are often more "harmful" portrayals of them in typical sci-fi than in LEGO.
Jokes aside, this is an average enough series, but I doubt I'll get any. A lot of the designs are interesting, but they don't really appeal to me personally (other than the Gordon Freeman alien, I doubt that was an intentional reference but that's all I can see him/her/them/it as).
@WemWem said:
"Here’s some Lego drag queen names because no one asked:
Clutch N. Pearls
Studs Ontopp
Picky Bricks
Pearl Gold
Technique
I could probably come up with some dirtier ones but I’ll keep it PG-13."
I love you for this.
"Technique"? Gold.
Since my wife is a beekeeper, I'm really excited about that figure. Definitely getting two. I'm blown away that they've included the dolphin with the paddle surfer fig - what a great value! This is another great wave.
Hey, uniformed American question here: is it a British term to call ladybugs ladybirds? I've never heard that term before. When I think of "ladybirds" I envision doves, pheasants and egg laying chickens. Just wondering. 0_o
@graymattr said:
"Hey, uniformed American question here: is it a British term to call ladybugs ladybirds? I've never heard that term before. When I think of "ladybirds" I envision doves, pheasants and egg laying chickens. Just wondering. 0_o"
Yes, same insect. It’s just a difference between North American English and English spoken elsewhere including the UK.
massive eyeroll...
There are forums for pointing out the racism and sexism of everyone else in the world, but can we please leave the political soapboxing to those forums and keep LEGO talk politics free? Thanks.
@Tupperfan said:
"I love how, to this day, Space Police are still humans and Aliens are always criminals or conquerors. The real-world undertones are not super, to say the least.
Speaking of painting themselves into corners with racial issues, I appreciate Lego branching out to portray Asian, American and North African cultures in the CMF series, but I can see the Lando-type hurdle they'd face if they try to issue, say, a yellow-skinned Masai herder (which I'd love to see)!
"
@Zander said:
" @graymattr said:
"Hey, uniformed American question here: is it a British term to call ladybugs ladybirds? I've never heard that term before. When I think of "ladybirds" I envision doves, pheasants and egg laying chickens. Just wondering. 0_o"
Yes, same insect. It’s just a difference between North American English and English spoken elsewhere including the UK."
FWIW, Lego themselves officially call her "Ladybug Girl" on Lego.com.
Wow, these are ALL just so appealing. This is the first time in a while that I've wanted every single one. So many awesome genres and colors!
All those accessories and dual-molded legs are good, but I find a lack of detailed printing disturbing...
The jaguar warrior is the best and I like the space guys.
No question to me that these are worth $5 each, I'll be looking to get the dolphin trainer, Space Police, and Alien Scientist for sure. Still making up my mind on the beekeeper, violin kid, and Centaur. The rest I can live without, though still appreciate the level of detail.
@TheAuk said:
"massive eyeroll...
There are forums for pointing out the racism and sexism of everyone else in the world, but can we please leave the political soapboxing to those forums and keep LEGO talk politics free? Thanks.
"
Your "massive" eye rolls are hilarious! You might have the option to pretend to live in a world free of issues, where your hobbies are not contaminated by the real world, but it doesn't mean they don't have an effect, and Lego cannot avoid these topics eternally, no matter what you wishes are. Lego as a toy or a cultural phenomenon is not its own isolated world where "everything is awesome."
As a recent Brothers-Brick editorial mentioned: "I have been met with “shut up and stick to LEGO”, racial slurs, and even death threats from a few fellow fans of LEGO, all because they see other races as less than human. That is the price of privilege, when something does not affect them, and as a result they lack empathy for those who suffer."
(Note, I am not implying in any way that you are yourself racist, but I respectfully believe that the quote was relevant to the discussion)
So yeah, you can play with your bricks and make pretend, you can easily ignore my comments, but I don't think you have no right to ask for this conversation to be shut down, and it doesn't mean I can't attempt to address something a bit problematic in a civilized way on relevant platforms, which includes this one.
And by the way, my comment was not "politics", but a somewhat social commentary mildly pointing out a bit of an issue for me, and then following it up by hoping for a little more inclusivity or openness, especially as a toy is intended for kids and might have educational value.
Strangely enough, you made it sound like it was a bad thing and that, TheAuk, might be worthy of a massive eyeroll.
Happy building!
@PDelahanty said:
" @Zander said:
" @graymattr said:
"Hey, uniformed American question here: is it a British term to call ladybugs ladybirds? I've never heard that term before. When I think of "ladybirds" I envision doves, pheasants and egg laying chickens. Just wondering. 0_o"
Yes, same insect. It’s just a difference between North American English and English spoken elsewhere including the UK."
FWIW, Lego themselves officially call her "Ladybug Girl" on Lego.com."
Which comes as no surprise. For years now, LEGO has used North American English internationally. From a commercial point of view, it makes sense. NA is a larger market than the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and all other English-speaking countries combined. Could LEGO use different versions of English in different markets? Sure, but it would cost more and in the internet age when marketing and influencer content crosses borders like never before, pretty pointless.
I just need the Alien here. There rest, I can live without.
I like all 12 to varying degrees and I'm sure I'll get a full set at some point. I have enough variety of Lego sets that I can fit any CMF somewhere.
@Tupperfan:
Respectfully, some of the past and present staff at The Brothers Brick check other people for splinters while they’ve got cabers lodged in their eyes.
@Snazzy_Bricks said:
"MandR said he got a sealed box and didn't get all 12 minifigures somehow?"
Yeah I’d take everything he says with a grain of salt
Unrelated: the beekeeper’s smoker is so clever!! I love how it was made with existing parts, too
This is possibly the first cmf series in a while where I could genuinely grab a bag at random and know I wouldn't be disappointed by any of them
The Beekeeper's smoker is a brilliant little construction, but could they not get the two parts in the same colour?
There are a lot of cool accessories this series -- but the highlights for me are usually new hairpieces and there isn't a single on, with most of those new molds being new headgear. Not complaining, it's STILL A GREAT SERIES, but less my personal taste.
Has it been established yet if the violin fits inside the violin case that appeared with the gangster in series 5?
Space Police looks even better than I expected.
I'll buy it at a high price.
The majority of these guys look super easy to find by fondle. I originally thought I wanted the centaur as well, but I think I will skip her.
Currently considering the alien.
I know my son adores the Aztec warrior.
@TheAuk I realise it's kind of gauche to point this out, but the fact is Lego makes political choices in their products all the time; they always have. They avoided making green Lego bricks in their early sets because they didn't want kids to build military vehicles, and they dithered on making Star Wars because of the whole war aspect. More recently they've been including minifigures with visible disabilities, and they scrapped the release of the V-22 Osprey for various reasons, including the military connections.
Lego (and Brickset) are clearly cultivating an audience that includes adults—most of this site's users are over 25—and that's fine. But if they want to keep that audience, I feel that they have to accept that some more mature discussion will come with the territory, including topics that Lego (and Brickset) would rather avoid.
Quite a few really cool figures and accessories. The best part to me though is the fact that a box contains three complete sets so that there are no figures that are harder to obtain than others. A step in the right direction.
@CCC said:
" @Sandinista said:
" @Snazzy_Bricks said:
"MandR said he got a sealed box and didn't get all 12 minifigures somehow?"
Yeah I’d take everything he says with a grain of salt ."
I wouldn't read or listen in the first place."
No he didnt get a sealed box, he bought an open box with only 30 packs,...please do not listen to Ryan, he is a "dutch shower".
@PurpleDave said:
" @Tupperfan :
Respectfully, some of the past and present staff at The Brothers Brick check other people for splinters while they’ve got cabers lodged in their eyes."
I have followed the site on and off for over a decade, but I don't know the individuals behind it nor have I read about any controversies. I'm not sure what you're implying, but I guess you know something I don't. That said, the BB quote was relevant, nonetheless.
@MisterJonny Not to dwell on what @TheAuk said, but hugely popular platforms among AFOLs such as Brickset are natural converging points for mature discussions that might be, at times, uneasy or unwanted by those not too affected by the issue at hand. The frequent invitation by some (especially ironic when they express themselves to ask others to stop expressing themselves) to post such comments elsewhere, on some obscure echo chambers made for "pointing out the racism and sexism of everyone else" just doesn't make sense and would be useless: it's the internet version of those ridiculous Protest Zones, some 20 klicks outside of Sotchi during the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Besides, unlike a real protest, comments on Brickset can easily be ignored, making the people demanding for "political" stuff to be taken away sound a bit spoiled. I guess it makes sense on a website for adults talking about toys (being guilty as charged myself).
@PjtorXmos said:
" @krysto2002 said:
" @Tupperfan said:
"I love how, to this day, Space Police are still humans and Aliens are always criminals or conquerors. The real-world undertones are not super, to say the least.
"
This was my absolute biggest gripe with SP3, there was not a single alien in Space Police, nor was there a single "human" among the villains. Just the tiniest blurring of those lines would have gone a long way, but lego opted to continue that trend all the way through to galaxy squad. Was there really nothing to be done with sci fi/space other than fighting aliens for a decade?
"
I 100% agree with this, just wanted to point out, that in the concept materials for the SP3 criminals, there were some generic rocker dudes as criminals too. This is absolutely not to say, that the undertones of the themes are a bit dark regardless if planned or not.
https://en.brickimedia.org/wiki/File:Alien_Sketches.png "
I also want to point put that in the official LEGO Space Police stop motions, they showed casual civillian alien figures that weren't tied to to criminals. So the whole "LEGO always depicts the aliens as bad guys" argument kind of falls apart if you consider that.
Hoping those Space police torsos appear in Build a minifigure stands at the LEGO stores!!!
I don't have a link handy at the moment but does the alien remind anyone else of the few images out there of what would have been the SeaTron line?
Edit SeaTron link
https://brickipedia.fandom.com/wiki/Sea-Tron
Not quite as close as I first thought but not dissimilar.
I need the centaur ASAP
@Mister_Jonny said:
Hi Mr.Johnny,
I'd agree that politics are a part of life and of course the LEGO corporation can not avoid them.
If we want to talk politics on here that's fine, but if some folk want to push social justice, then expect others to push back.
I was a bit brusque in my post and for that I apologize, but the comment I responded to basically implied that LEGO is pushing racism by promoting an 'us' VS 'them' narrative.
That poster went on in further posts in a condescending fashion to call me 'spoiled' and told me with to go 'play with my bricks...' Of course he knows nothing of my 'real life' and what I do for a living.
Besides the fact that his comment was demonstrably untrue (Space Police were not always against 'others', and even the original aliens from the 'Bill and Mary Idea Book' were friendly with the human spacemen), in essence it's actually just two toy figures and nothing more and certainly not 'racism'.
I think LEGO has done a great job finding a balance in their toys for kids and adults in very difficult times, and I think it would be a mistake to go full SJW (ie - banning all future police sets) as it would be a mistake to be reactionary too (I'm ok with them not making war toys). I hope they keep up the good work!
@LegoDavid said:
" @PjtorXmos said:
" @krysto2002 said:
" @Tupperfan said:
"I love how, to this day, Space Police are still humans and Aliens are always criminals or conquerors. The real-world undertones are not super, to say the least.
"
This was my absolute biggest gripe with SP3, there was not a single alien in Space Police, nor was there a single "human" among the villains. Just the tiniest blurring of those lines would have gone a long way, but lego opted to continue that trend all the way through to galaxy squad. Was there really nothing to be done with sci fi/space other than fighting aliens for a decade?
"
I 100% agree with this, just wanted to point out, that in the concept materials for the SP3 criminals, there were some generic rocker dudes as criminals too. This is absolutely not to say, that the undertones of the themes are a bit dark regardless if planned or not.
https://en.brickimedia.org/wiki/File:Alien_Sketches.png "
I also want to point put that in the official LEGO Space Police stop motions, they showed casual civillian alien figures that weren't tied to to criminals. So the whole "LEGO always depicts the aliens as bad guys" argument kind of falls apart if you consider that.
"
In don't think the argument falls apart there because the actual meat and potatoes of the product line still support it quite blatantly- it is front and center the spotlight of the line. If they wanted to show them saving civilians why not include even a single one in all the sets? Those are, after all, the product that they're selling. A large chunk of kids buying it will never see the promotional material attached to it.
They had the opportunity to break the mold so to speak but opted for the more simplistic good guys/bad guys approach. I'm not arguing that they're pushing any kind of agenda here, not at all, but they most certainly did miss an opportunity to take a step in the right direction.
As before, love the shipwreck survivor if only for the hermit crab, and the 1x1 ladybug tile perfect for my DOTS bracelets, but the surfer's torso is lovely as well.
@LegoDavid, @PjtorXmos, @krysto2002, @Tupperfan: This is why I'll always stick to Life on Mars. That theme was free of any conflict whatsoever. Other than getting annoyed at all the space junk being dumped onto their planet, the Martians didn't see humans as adversaries, and were friendly to them.
Space Police 3 was a great line, and the only reason I can see for not including any civilians in there no matter race or creed was probably because of marketing, some focus group probably said kids just liked playing out cops vs. bad guys and wanted more of that rather than rescuing the ordinary people.
Space Police 3 came out in 2009, a simpler time some might say, but honestly I can safely say that I enjoyed what little of it I got and thought nothing of the potential conflicts it could cause on the socio-political side.
This series is great and it's nice to know if I order a bunch I might get a full set. I'm still missing one figure from Series 20 and am still looking for 4 from Harry Potter series 2.
At least if I order 30 of these online I'm at least guaranteed to get maybe one or two full sets of 12.
As far as this Alien is concerned. Honestly I don't think it's meant to be a criminal, despite appearances. After all appearances can be deceiving. No, I'm more apt to consider it an Alien Miner, somebody looking for LEGO Crystals to possibly fuel its civilizations advanced technology. Orange may be common for prison jumpsuits, but it's also quite popular for flight suits in the Rebel Alliance. Perhaps this mining colony happened to think orange went well with their skin complexion as a bold fashion statement and that's that.
After all, the Space Miner from a few series back was dressed in orange mining equipment too. Food for thought.
@speshy said:
"No light way of putting it - CMF is on a gradual decline. From the loose packaging, to the mediocre character selections, lack of accessories (although this series is a bit of an outlier), to this nonsense "12 characters" decision, I'm left pining for the days when a series would be announced and I'd crave every single fig. Series 6, 9, 11... a thing of the past.
Thanks for the review, though. "
Using the same logic, CMF has never been better. I want 8 of these, the last time I wanted that many figures, was with series 9. Not liking a figure doesn't necessarily mean that other people dislike it too. I'm not saying you should like all of these, not at all, but saying CMF is objectively getting worse because of your own preference is simply not true.
SP3, Alien, Surfer, Paddle Surfer and Bee Keeper are all multiple purchases for me. Nearly half of the line! 12 figs per series means I can spend more money buying the multiples and less on completing the series.
At this point, collecting the series is less of the objective whereas 10 years ago I wanted the series in full.
@ResIpsaLoquitur said:
"Color me disappointed that the castaway doesn't have a volleyball."
'Mr. Wiiiilsoooooooooonnnnnnnn!!!'
Perhaps you can add part 6052864 (32474 Voodoo ball in white) and paint a red U on it (that's the shape of Lego minifigures hands).