Set Review: 70807 Metalbeard's Duel
Thursday, January 2nd, 2014 at 5:33pm by Benjamin, BZPower Reporter
Ahoy, LEGO fans! It be time for another set review from the high seas! The LEGO Group has provided some LEGO Movie sets, and today scallywag reporter ChocolateFrogs reviews MetalBeard's Duel. This sea-faring captain is now a landlubber in a robot body fighting for justice against Lord Business (I can only assume), and he looks menacing doing it. Is this set all it seems to be, or is it another blank fired from a loose canon? Read, and watch, on to find out.
A special thanks to The LEGO Group for sending BZPower the first wave of The LEGO Movie sets. These just came out, and it's awesome being able to take the first look at them. Getting my hands on
Metalbeard's Duel was something I hoped for ever since seeing the set, and I think I conveyed my enthusiasm in the review. Check out the video!
Presentation
From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.
The box is shiny, which is unique to The LEGO Movie sets. Being from Europe, the piece count is absent from the front, but I can tell you that it contains 412 pieces and retails for $35. The action sequence on the front is pretty exciting. The back shows more of what the set promises, with a big sword, dual-firing cannons and a shark on his arm! The Micro Manager doesn't stand a chance.
The 412 pieces contain a lot of grey and brown for Metalbeard's mecha-body. The Skeletron there in the corner looks like a Terminator, which is a nice coincidence since there's a Terminator reference in a trailer.
Building
Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?
Building the two parts of the set was neat given their different designs compared to most studs-up builds. LEGO has managed to make a black box with red eyes look menacing. Metalbeard's asymmetric nature also provided a nice building experience.
Set Design
Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.
He's got a shark for an arm! It's awesome. He's also got a great arm for grabbing at the Micro Manager, two cannons as his other hand, and a backup sword just in case. The peg leg is approrpirate for a pirate. The various browns and gold colors give it a very appropriate pirate ship look (especially with the mast), as well as provide a steampunk feel. Unfortunately, the parrot and flag on the mast keep flipping over without a good hold, and the gold flag won't stay up at all.
The Micro manager is a nasty robot that resembles an AT-ST from Star Wars. The claws are menacing, but the fact that it will tip over at the slightest imbalance cancels that out. The legs do not have a wide range of poseability, sticking it to one or two poses where it will barely not fall over. It is especially great that a minifig can fit inside to pilot it.
A nice variety of pieces comes with the set, especially for the nautical fans. A shark (for his arm!), two firing cannons, an anchor, a new design on the pirate hat, and of course Metalbeard's beard. The hotdog actually goes in his treasure chest (which I forgot to address in the video). There is also a lot of gold, which helps add to any collection.
The Robo SWAT figure has a cool gun and an official-looking LEGO City uniform. Frank the Foreman looks like he'll be a nice addition to any construction site. The Skeletron is quite sinister.
Playability
The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with.
Play features include flick-fire missiles on the Micro Manager and actual-firing cannons on the mech. Metalbeard can also hold a sword. And, if your imagination is wild enough, that shark on his arm can be put to good use too in a rough battle.
Final Thoughts
Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?
Once I found out Metalbeard had a shark on his arm, I was sold. After building the set, I am impressed with the level of detail put into making the mech derivative of a pirate ship and all the little details put in. The play features definitely add value to this set, and speaking of value, it's hard to beat that price-per-piece pricepoint. An overall win all around in my book.
Pros
What's to like?
- SHARK ARM
- Metalbeard seems like a cool character
- Metalbeard's mech is well-designed
- Micro Manager is menacing
Cons
What's not to like?
- Micro Manager falls over too easily
- Sword doesn't quite stay in Metalbeard's hand
Who will win? Only you can decide when you buy this awesome set! And come back soon for an even better video review from me, ChocolateFrogs, as BZPower continues its LEGO Movie set reviews!
Finally, don't forget about BZPower's LEGO Movie contest: Caveat Scriptor! The challenge is to write a short scene using LEGO Movie characters, and the winner gets free tickets to The LEGO Movie and a 6-month premier membership! Check it out for more details.
Captain Metalbeard Kevin
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