LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31151 T. rex: An apex predator outpaces the rest [Review]

Dinosaurs and LEGO just go together. It could be molded creatures from Dino Hunters, Adventurers, or Jurassic Park. Or detailed brick build sculptures from…Jurassic Park. Or maybe massive creations of stacked 2x4s. Or, indeed, multiple decades of Creator sets! These prehistoric giants are a compelling subject for display and play in the brick. The summer Creator wave returns to the Tyrannosaurus Rex, considered one of the fiercest predators of its time, and perhaps ever (yes, the Allosaurus and Giganotosaurus may want a word, and Jurassic Park invents its own wordless villains, but T. rex still holds up as a top predator). LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31151 T. rex. contains 626 pieces and is available August 1st for North America, June 1st for the UK for US $59.99 | CAN $79.99 | UK £54.99. Let’s see if it stacks (bricks) up!

Read on for our full review!

LEGO Disney 43245 The Magical Madrigal House – Family fun [Review]

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a couple of years since Disney’s Encanto came out. It feels like it was just yesterday, and the soundtrack is a frequent listen in this household. As far its marriage with LEGO, the famous Casita has been a frequent inspiration for talented builders. It only makes sense that LEGO would put out their own rendition. Join us as we take a look at that set, dubbed LEGO Disney 43245 The Magical Madrigal House. This model, which contains 1560 pieces, will be available June 1st, retailing for US $159.99 | CAN $209.99 | UK £139.99.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick a copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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A lovely white LEGO tower in the style of Lord of the Rings

This architectural scene by dicken liu would look right at home alongside the official LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings 10316 Rivendell, with arched airy towers in white, twisted trees, and a waterfall. Inside each of the two domed structures are giant green and blue gems worthy of the glory of Numenor. Several unique gold-colored elements are used as accents for the white towers, and the many steps carved into the rock in zig-zag patterns add to the mystery.

White Towers-01

Stalking in a winter wonderland

“They’ve heard rumours of strange folk from the east and the west, new words and new gods and bright steel. They hope to be left in peace in their cold northern home but the watchfires have already been lit on the hills.” So begins builder Eero Okkonen‘s description of this amazing LEGO diorama, and those words are already way cooler than anything I managed to write about it. And speaking of cool, the build looks downright freezing. Good thing our lone warrior is properly dressed for the ordeal, with heavy mittens, a fur hat, and a thick beard made out of plant stalks. The star of the show, however, might be all that drifting snow, including probably the best use of a windscreen outside of a cockpit I’ve ever seen. Brrr!

Vainolaista vastaan

Killer Zodiac collaboration from a constellation of AFOL stars

What’s better than seeing your star sign in LEGO? How about all twelve zodiac signs stunningly assembled by some of the brightest stars in the building community?

Two years ago, builder Woomy World created a zodiac-themed “Libra Dragon” for the BioCup competition. Fellow builder Ezreel was inspired and pitched a collaboration for all 12 Zodiac signs to the community. Those invited to participate could claim their own star sign or swap if they had a strong idea, and soon the list was full. But with so many builds to coordinate and busy lives and creative blocks complicating things, some folk dropped out, others came on board, and time was ticking by. Finally, a deadline was set, and the final lineup of builders set to work on their chosen sign. To maintain thematic cohesion, the group agreed that every Zodiac sign would be depicted as a creature, which for some signs meant some creative interpretations were necessary.

Now, nearly two years in the making, the Zodiac Collaboration makes its debut!

Read on to see all 12 Zodiac signs in LEGO!

Who needs garden shears when you have a lightsaber?

Being a Jedi seems swell and all, but all we ever see them do is fight, train, or fly around causing havoc. We never see them doing anything mundane, like the housework or taking the younglings to school. Josh (Sergeant Chipmunk)’s LEGO Jedi is partaking in that favourite pastime of the space-wizard: meditating. But instead of pondering the state of the cosmic Force, he should ponder the state of that floor! Those houseplants have gone completely out of control. You can’t take a step without tripping over one of the roots! Admittedly, the effect is incredibly cool when made out of LEGO bricks. But with this many trip-hazards in the Jedi Temple, OSHA would have a field day. Maybe best we keep the lightsabers hidden on their next visit…

Jedi Meditation

LEGO mandrake root seeks sunlight and occasional watering

The recent LEGO Icons Botanical 10329 Tiny Plants set has inspired many builders to create their own plants to go along with the tiny pots. LEGO 7 has gone to the world of Harry Potter for inspiration, building an adorable mandrake root at the perfect scale to sit on the pot, dangling it’s tiny root legs over ths side. The long leafy sprouts on the head use the new frond element while the feet and hands are small branches arranged just right… and that poutty face…

小魔蘋果 Little Mandrake

Here’s another view of the little mandrake just waking up and stretching out to the sunlight.
小魔蘋果 Little Mandrake

LEGO unveils 2-in-1 Legend of Zelda set; pre-orders open now [News]

Following in the footsteps of Animal Crossing and Super Mario, LEGO has today announced another tie-in with video game company Nintendo. Much requested and long awaited, the Legend of Zelda series sees its first incarnation in brick form in the shape of 77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 Set. As the name suggests, two versions of this venerable tree can be created using the 2,500 included pieces — one from Ocarina of Time and the other from Breath of the Wild. No fewer than three Link minifigures are included, as well as the titular Princess Zelda. General availability starts from September 1st, or you can pre-order the set now for US $299.99 | CAN $389.99 | UK £259.99.

Click here for more pictures and LEGO’s press release!

LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31153 Modern House: Posh digs for the modern fig? [Review]

With a worldwide population of 4 billion minifigures and growing fast, housing access is a crucial issue in the LEGO world. Even non-licensed minifigures need a place to live, and have you seen the cost of homes these days? We need every theme contributing housing that possibly can. Fortunately, Creator sets have been building homes for close to two decades now. And in the summer 2024 collection, minifigures can select from 3 dwelling options thanks to LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31153 Modern House. Whether at the beach, in the city, or in the woods, here’s our review of this 939-piece, 2-minifigure set, which is available for pre-order now (will ship August 1st) from LEGO.com for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99.

Read on for our full review

United24 launches five new custom LEGO models of Ukrainian landmarks to support reconstruction in Ukraine [News]

Last November, the first wave of #LEGOwithUkraine custom sets raised 15,000,000 UAH (nearly USD $375,000) for reconstruction in Ukraine, helping to rebuild a country ravaged for more than two years now by Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion. The official United24 charity recently launched a new wave of five sets designed by LEGO builders from all over the world, titled #UKRAINEinLEGOBricks.

The five models are based on landmarks all over Ukraine, from Lviv in the west, the capital Kyiv in central Ukraine, and Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Crimea in the south on the Black Sea. The first wave of custom kits was designed by LEGO builders exclusivley from Ukraine, while this next group proves how much support the Ukrainian people have from all of us around the world — the builders represent the US, Germany, Poland, and of course Ukraine itself.

See all the custom LEGO models you can win by donating for Ukrainian reconstruction

Kick off summer with a spicy LEGO lemonade

With summer ramping up in the northern hemisphere, now’s the perfect time to find new refreshing drink recipes to beat the heat! This LEGO still life of spicy lemonade from umemaruko looks like it could be straight from the June issue of Bon Appetit. While the build itself is elegantly simple, the arrangement, colors, and photography add up to pure delight. This is the first time we’re featured umemaruko on the site, but their feed is definitely worth checking out, especially if you enjoy botanicals and brick-built decor for the modern home.

Spiced Lemonade

LEGO Dune navigator floating in a tank of spice

The Guild navigator is one of the most interesting and mysterious characters from the Dune novels. Mutated beyond human form by massive ammounts of spice, they float in huge tanks filled with spice gas. Tino Poutiainen has captured the navigator in LEGO using a variety of curved creature parts for spindly arms and legs, while the grossly oversized head is covered in bulging domes and blue-within-blue eyes. But my favorite part is the hot-dog bun used for the navigator’s mouth. The tank is flanked by two guildsmen who were inspired by the costume designs from the recent movie.

Guild Navigator