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Set Review: 80008 Monkie Kid's Cloud Jet
 Saturday, November 28th, 2020 at 8:23am by Benjamin, BZPower ReporterThe legend of the Monkey King gets a revival every now and then. Last year, LEGO made a Collectible Minifig. Recently, we got a BrickHeadz. And now we have a second theme of colorful martial arts legends in Monkie Kid! Today we take a look at the titular character's Cloud Jet, a fancy vehicle with a few surprises for his friends and foes. Does it meet the hype due a debut theme, or look like competition for Ninjago? Read, and watch, on to find out.
This is a $60 set with 529 pieces. It has four minifigs, several new molds, and a handful of large pieces, so we might be able to forgive it doesn't meet the expectations of 10-cents per piece. This was given to BZPower by LEGO for an honest set review. Thanks! Presentation
The box is very colorful, as expected by the red and yellow jet and the fun characters. The jet flies over the city blasting at the baddie Red Son, with another action sequence playing out on the rooftop below. The back then shows a few more features of the set, for the jet and Red Son's equipment. More on that later. Building
We start by building Red Son's jetpack, which uses parts at all kinds of angles and gives him a hand held flamethrower. Next up is Monkie Kid's motorcycle, so immediately you have two opposing characters to engage in the story. The bike just keeps getting things added to it using SNOT pieces and some Technic. It has some great angles and colors on it in the end.
Then we get to the meat of the set: The Cloud Jet! It starts with a study Technic frame and then starts going crazy with the angles. These will allow the wings to sit at their swooshy slope and not break anything when set down. Next up, all kinds of parts are added onto the front and back to give it a very angular feel. And as you'll see, the engines can be angled in different ways for just the right feel. Finally, a surprise—the motorcycle sits in the jet and becomes the cockpit! Set Design
There are a bunch of new and interesting pieces here. Lots of big red and yellow parts which, if seen before, I still appreciate getting now. There is a new gold staff piece, looks like a lightsaber hilt, that is great. Some smaller pieces at different angles are nice. Some headgear, like Growl's helmet, and neckwear, like Monkie Kid's headphones. There is an ingot in keetorange, a color many of us appreciate. Finally, the brick separator is the new teal one! First for my collection.
The build of the Cloud Jet has some great features. The engines rotate up or down, the big wheels of the landing gear can fold up, and the wings fire out little cloud discs.
The motorcycle is very stylish! It has an Akira look to it and is very sturdy. I would have appreciated the body being lifted off the ground a bit more, with bigger wheels or the frame doing that, so there was less risk of drag when playing with it.
We have an array of colorful minifigs. Monkie Kid has his staff. Ai has her handbag. You'll notice Red Son's weaponed hand can either be a flame thrower or a claw, adding to the playability. And Red Son, Growl and Monkie Kid all have new headgear. Three have alternate expressions on their faces, and the back torso printing is also impressive. A good spread of details and colors all around. Playability
The biggest play feature is that with the press of a lever the motorcycle flies out of the jet's front and serves as its own vehicle. But the firing discs, alternate weapon choices, and character interactions all serve to add to the overall play value, making a well-rounded set. Final Thoughts
The end result is a very stylish set that is quite sizable, swooshable, and well-rounded. We've got the big Cloud Jet, which ejects the motorcycle, and two baddies to battle and a friend to save. It all comes together quite nicely. You feel like you've got your money's worth based on the size of the box. Plus it's great to get a very colorful set. Most Star Wars and Superheroes sets are full of grey, and even some Ninjago and larger Monkie Kid sets have too many neutral colors, but the yellow and red really stand out, thankfully. Hopefully that is a trend that will continue.
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