Review: 10331 Kingfisher

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Following up on the enormously popular Botanical series which brought more fans to the hobby, LEGO is branching out to the animal world with 10331 Kingfisher. This bright, colourful bird that has been captured in many eye-catching photographs is an interesting choice.

Will animals prove to be as popular as the plants? I'll take a detailed look at the model from every angle after the break.

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Review: 10328 Bouquet of Roses

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As you might expect, roses have been an integral part of the botanical collection since its inception in 2021. The first bouquet, 10280, included a trio of them in light nougat, and the supplementary set released the same year, 40460 Roses, contained two red ones.

The latest addition to the collection, 10328 Bouquet of Roses, contains a dozen stems, making it the perfect gift for your loved one on Valentine's Day.

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Review: 40681 Retro Food Truck

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40681 Retro Food Truck is likely to be a GWP from January 1st at LEGO.com so, given the number of new sets being released that day, it shouldn't prove too much of a challenge to acquire it, whatever the required spending threshold might be.

The 310-piece set is unnecessarily rated 18+ but it is much more detailed and parts-dense than similar vehicles in the City line.

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Review: 40601 Majisto's Magical Workshop

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2023 started with the arrival of 40580 Blacktron Cruiser, an homage to 6894 Invader, released in 1987. 40601 Majisto's Magical Workshop will be available later in November and revisits another memorable model from the past, 6048 Majisto's Magical Workshop.

This set seemingly adheres closely to its original equivalent from 1993, which is reasonable given the distinctive appearance of the earlier model. On the other hand, remaining too faithful to past sets sometimes restricts the potential for improvement. I hope 40601 Majisto's Magical Workshop strikes a suitable balance between classic charm and modernity.

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Review: 10326 Natural History Museum

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10326 Natural History Museum is the 19th set in the official modular buildings collection and the largest by piece-count: its 4,014 trumping the previous record-holder 10255 Assembly Square by 12.

Rather than squeeze several buildings onto a single 32-stud wide baseplate, as has been the case with recent modulars, the museum has a full 48-stud width to itself, which has allowed designer Chris McVeigh to create an imposing and impressive structure befitting of such an institute, with ample space inside to fill with exhibits.

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Review: 10318 Concorde

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Although retired from service in 2003, Concorde remains among the most esteemed commercial airliners ever produced. The aircraft's distinctive silhouette provides appealing material for LEGO and 10318 Concorde certainly seems impressive, especially given its massive size!

Official images also promise some interesting interior details and functions, perhaps similar to the excellent 10283 NASA Space Shuttle Discovery produced a couple of years ago. If this supersonic airliner equals the standard of its spacefaring counterpart, that would be superb.

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Review: 10325 Alpine Lodge

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Log cabin architecture seems perfectly suited to the Winter Village Collection and I am surprised none has appeared before. 10325 Alpine Lodge exemplifies this style, making impressive use of the various curved slopes developed over the last couple of years.

These interlocking logs look fantastic, especially beside the stone walls of the ground floor. The interior is richly detailed as well, maintaining the high standard expected of the Winter Village. On that basis, I hope the Alpine Lodge will serve as a satisfying companion to previous sets from this series.

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Review: 10315 Tranquil Garden

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LEGO's desire to appeal to a broad demographic has resulted in some remarkable models being released that would have been unimaginable a few years ago, and 10315 Tranquil Garden is a good example.

I am quite surprised, however, that it's topping the list of most anticipated August releases, according to yesterday's poll, trumping all licensed sets and even the Corvette. There is clearly something about it that appeals to people, so let's find out what.

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Review: 10321 Corvette

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10321 Corvette is the third classic 1960s American car that LEGO has produced as a large scale 18+ model since 2019. The vehicle's distinctive sleek and streamlined bodywork makes it the most ambitious and challenging one it has tackled to date.

Is it a car you'll want to go cruising in, or consign to the scrapyard?

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Review: 10320 Eldorado Fortress

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LEGO has celebrated several classic themes in recent years, launching the spectacular 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay in 2020, followed by a range of anniversary sets in 2022. Presumably they have been successful, as 10320 Eldorado Fortress joins the series this summer.

This modernisation of 6276 Eldorado Fortress adheres more to the original set than other celebratory sets have done, although includes far greater detail, of course. Similar to 10305 Lion Knights Castle, this detail continues into caves under the fortress, taking advantage of the brick-built baseplate to introduce some surprises!

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Review: 10323 PAC-MAN Arcade

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LEGO has been tapping in to nostalgia for old video games recently and following two models of home games consoles it has turned its attention to arcade games, starting with perhaps the most famous and beloved of them all: Pac-Man.

10323 PAC-MAN Arcade builds a mini-replica of the arcade game cabinet and has an ingenuous mechanism inside to move the titular hero and the chasing antagonists around the maze.

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Review: 10317 Land Rover Defender 90

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The classic Land Rover Defender is one of the most recognisable vehicles ever made, and a British car manufacturing success story. Suitable for virtually any terrain, it's been the vehicle of choice for adventurers across the world since it was introduced in 1948, and its corrosion-resistant aluminium body has helped ensure that many remain in use today.

The LEGO version, 10317 Land Rover Classic Defender 90, is a model of the ubiquitous 90" wheelbase variant that was produced between 1983 and 2016.

It can be kitted out with everything needed for an off-the-grid expedition, or the additional equipment can be left off to create a vehicle that you're more likely to encounter on the road, one that's suitable for less demanding uses in the countryside, or the school run...

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Review: 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell

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Countless spectacular locations are found across Middle-earth, including the beautiful Elven realm of Rivendell. The autumnal colours and elaborate architecture appear exquisite onscreen and offer ideal inspiration for LEGO, which 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell realises!

The model looks absolutely incredible on display, containing several of the most recognisable buildings located in Rivendell. The bright colours appear wonderful in official images and an amazing selection of minifigures is supplied, with the Fellowship foremost among them. Moreover, the interior offers some unexpected details.

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Review: 10313 Wildflower Bouquet

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10313 Wildflower Bouquet is the second bunch of flowers to be released in the botanical collection, following on from 10280 Flower Bouquet that was released two years ago.

That first set proved to be hugely popular, although I felt that several aspects stopped it from being perfect, such as the roses' colour and sand green foliage, which resulted in it looking a bit dull.

This new one suffers from no such problem: it's bright, vibrant and wonderfully colourful.

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Review: 40581 BIONICLE Tahu and Takua

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While hugely controversial, BIONICLE achieved incredible success when LEGO was desperately seeking stability in the 2000s. Furthermore, the BIONICLE theme has markedly influenced how modern products are developed, supported by supplementary media.

40581 BIONICLE Tahu and Takua celebrates its enormous importance and appears interesting, although the elements associated with BIONICLE have long-since retired. These renditions of Tahu and Takua are therefore entirely composed of standard parts, which may divide opinion.

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Review: 40580 Blacktron Cruiser

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10497 Galaxy Explorer was released to acclaim in 2022, balancing the indelible features of 497 Galaxy Explorer with current design techniques. 40580 Blacktron Cruiser revisits another space subtheme and updates 6894 Invader to match the Galaxy Explorer!

Despite major differences between this vehicle and its forebear, the cruiser's essential streamlined shape and sinister colour scheme remain instantly recognisable. Moreover, the modular structure of the earlier spacecraft is replicated and actually improved here, so this promotional set could prove exceptionally popular.

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