Svelte

Robo Attack! Do you even have to ask?

Part 4 - The Build Bags 3 & 4 Having built the mine track, the final part of the set is the Temple of Doom itself. Bag 3 makes up the lower two rocky sections which support the central altar (which is constructed from Bag 4). The parts from Bag 3: Again, nothing too dazzling, but we do get 2 of the trans-neon orange rocks, a rare trans-pink gem, some 1x2 dark tan bricks, a dark green tooth and - tah-dah! - the return of the original bug-eyed skele head! I wonder why it has come back at this point in time? (It's also available on Pick-a-Brick these days.) I do like it, it has more of a classic appearance than the red-eyed 2007 Castle skellie or even the smirking evil skellie that appears in 7196 Chauchilla Cemetery Battle. This version looks friendly! Glad to know that he or she was a happy chap before being brutally murdered by the Thuggee cult! These column pieces are new in reddish-brown; I'm not particularly fond of these pieces and already have too many in black so this isn't a selling point for me, parts-wise . The usage of dark brown slopes also feels like Lego is using up excess parts produced for last year's Castle sets. Building up the first rocky support: This scimitar swings up and down: The top is tiled with just a few 1x1 plates to make for easy assembly and disassembly of the altar area: Rear view - the gear controls the scimitar: The other support is similar in construction, but not identical. It contains this crate with a few mining tools and gems: The two submodels shown together - the altar will sit on top: Thoughts on this stage of the build: These little submodels are OK, but I felt when building that they were less than the sum of their parts. Their construction reminded me of the criticism often aimed at the early Harry Potter sets - a mess of different colours thrown together to no real purpose. There's a mix in 7199 of of dark bley, brown and a bit of dark tan, but no sense of unifying aesthetic. Compared to the detailed and integrated build of the similar lava-coated rockscaping of 8637 Volcano Base, which featured molten flows that connected logically to produce a beautifully detailed effect, this feels like a quick assembly of filler bricks that were cheap and handy. The final effect is reasonable, but not beautiful or impressive. The lack of detail apart from a scimitar and a crate is also a bit disappointing. In the movie, the children are being kidnapped to mine for the missing Sankara stones hidden in the depths below Pankot Palace; would it have been so hard to throw in one of those trans-orange Bionicle eye parts and put them down here, just as a nod to fans? Next up is the Temple itself. Could it possibly live up to the smoky chamber hovering over a lava pit as featured in the movie? The contents of Bag 4 - again, another mix of bley, brown and tan: The trapdoor piece is new in dark tan, but all the other dark tan pieces are retreads from other sets. There are three more classic skulls, and some animal tail parts in tan: Behold the true face of Kali! Actually, no, it's just further odd parts choices which feel like leftovers from the production inventory of AquaRaiders II - more dark green teeth and glow in the dark animal tail ends: More rocky sections. The knob will support the central trapdoor: In the centre, the skull which holds the mysterious and powerful Sankara stones takes shape: There is a fun play feature built into the skull whereby the Sankara stones can move forward or recede into the altar. This is the tiled tray which slides back and forth: The top part of the Temple is complete, with the Sankara tray in the hidden position: And the precious stones are revealed! I really admire this play feature, it adds a great touch to this part of the set: And as you can see, the setup is true to what is seen in the movie: Now we can put all three parts together to complete the Temple! Front view: Back view: Mola wanted to celebrate the renovation of his new lair by sacrificing a virgin to Kali. Sadly, he had to make do with Willie Thoughts on this stage of the build: This, for me, is the main weakness of the set - not so much the build or design, but the odd placement of the Temple over the minecart. Extended sequences within the film show in great - and gory! - detail the usage of the Temple for sacrifice to Kali, with Mola's heart-less victims eventually being strapped in a cage and dropped into the fiery depths of lava below Instead, in 7199, the trapdoor opens and the sacrifical victim drops down... to a minecart escape route instead It doesn't make much sense. I can understand why Lego chose to combine the scenes in this way - a standalone minecart chase might look too bare, and an individual Temple set might not be exciting enough for kids - but it just doesn't feel quite right. At least more effort should have gone into adding more fiery detail at the bottom of the Temple pit rather than just a few 1x2 orange plates Still, that's what MOCing is for - since the mine cart section takes up so much space I am most likely to dismantle that part but build up a *real* Temple of Doom for display in its place! Part 5: The complete set Finally we have the complete set in all its glory! Unfortunately it is sooooo very long that it is very difficult to photograph well and looks kind of underwhelming stretched out against a white void as shown here. You'll note that even the Lego box art designers had trouble making the set look appealing and resorted to disassembling the end part of the track and pointing it back in the opposite direction so it looks more condensed! A slightly more angular view. Nope, still hard to photograph! A low-angle view from the front of the set looking back: The way the track curves and twists does replicate the chaotic feel of the minecart sequence: Looking back at the fearsome temple over the brim of the minecart: Indy drops through the trapdoor to escape Mola and the Thuggees! Fleeing the Temple with the Sankara stone. Short Round is attached to the jumper plate at the back! The minecarts do have lots of hand-holds to reenact various action/ clutching/ fighting poses: Willie screams: "INDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"" Thoughts on this part of the set The big question is, since this whole set is oriented around the concept of a minecart chase, how well does it work? Do the carts move quickly? Do they stay on the rails? Is the mystical 'Hand of God' required to keep things moving? Do the minifigs stay inside the carts? In short: OK, no, sort of, yes, yes In further detail: the minecart chase system is OK. There's quite a bit of friction between the wheels and the track, so you do have to push the carts along - they do not race along by themselves. The exception is the incline pieces. The pic below shows how much momentum you get when the cart runs free on the slope. Where the Thuggee is positioned is just before where the cart runs loose by itself. Where Indy rests is where the cart stops again by itself on the track: For a play feature predicated on speed and movement, the system used is a bit sticky for my taste Repeated play usage may wear down the friction though so everything runs a lot more briskly! Part 6: Overall Rating Minifigs: 10/10. The pictures speak for themselves. And my nightmares speak for the effectiveness of the Mola headdress with exposed skull eye sockets and mandibles I've already outlined everything new in the review itself; just as an example, the level of detail in even changing the Indy torso so one arm is exposed shows the love the designers have for this franchise. Parts: 7/10. I'm not a Train aficionado, but I do like the potential of the new track. I think you'd need 4x more curved pieces to make a complete circle to really have fun with this smaller system. Before the 10196 Carousel was revealed, I suspected we'd see this narrower track in usage in a fairground theme or rollercoaster; how wrong was I! Maybe we'll start seeing midi-scale Trains now to go with the new track? Or MOCs featuring a haunted Wild Western mine theme? This is Lego, the possibilities are endless Apart from that, this set is fairly average parts-wise, but good for those seeking basic bricks in reddish-brown/ dark bley. I did feel that the parts palette relied a little on seeming production leftovers - dark brown slopes from last year, dark tan plates from last year's Indy sets, dark green teeth (!) and the luminescent animal tails. The Sankara stone popsicle/ Bionicle eye pieces are innately sucky - I hate the way they don't quite sit in a jumper plate or clips properly - but they do match with the film very well. The build: 7.5/10. The build doesn't really feel like it comes together as a unified whole until the Temple nears completion. The various submodels aren't unique in themselves; it's the overall impressive effect of finishing up with a 94cm length of booby-trapped track headed with a tall Temple edifice that provides the thrill! I do like the look of the completed set - despite its length it doesn't look sparse or empty - it's just the odd choice of having the Temple trapdoor drop onto the mine track which I question a little. Playability: 8/10. As you'd expect for a set this size, there are many play functions. Some work better than others and the track is a bit sticky - you can't get much speed up in the cart as it doesn't travel under its own momentum - but perhaps it flows more freely when repeated play wears down the friction of wheel and track. Still, it's a lot of fun and the play functions are generally faithful to the movie - it's very enjoyable to reenact your favourite scenes. Price: The piece count is lower than last year's 7627 Temple of Akator, but the set doesn't 'feel' smaller - in fact, it feels bigger! It doesn't particularly bother me that Lego isn't inflating piece counts by including 100 Technic pins, 1x1 round plates or tiles if the quality of the minifigsis so high and the overall part selection is well-chosen. I imagine the new track was also an expensive part of this set to produce, so I think this set is reasonable value (and moreso if you grab it on sale ) Mola and the Thuggee figs alone will fetch a high price individually - unless Lego goes mad and releases them all as a magnet set Conclusion: If the final rating was based solely on figs, this would be 10/10, no question! Taking into account all the other factors, I give 7199 The Temple of Doom a very complimentary 8/10 - definitely above average, but not outstanding. The final word must of course go to Mola Ram himself - possibly an ancestor of Apu from The Simpsons? Bonus pics!

Name: The Temple of Doom Set: 7199 Theme: Indiana Jones Subtheme: The Temple of Doom Year: 2009 Pieces: 654 Minifigs: 6 Price: $US89.99 (according to Toy Fair), $AUD149.99 (according to an attendee at Melbourne Toy Fair) yet to be confirmed elsewhere Resources: Brickset Introduction This set brings me full circle in my Eurobricks reviewing career! *Cue flashback music* Was it only just over a year ago that I posted my first review in the licensed forums for the just-released Indiana Jones set 7627 Temple of the Crystal Skull? (Answer: yes!). Those were the days when my studio was the outside balcony, and my cat used to wander in the backdrop (KimT would not approve! ). So it seems appropriate that 12 months later I'm back to cast my eyes over this year's flagship Indy set - 7199 The Temple of Doom. 7199 ambitiously combines two key areas from the second Indy film - the Temple of the revived Thuggee cult and the mining works where local children are being forced to search for another Sankara stone. Does it succeed in capturing the feel of either? Find out as as we journey into the sulfuric depths of the terrifying 7199 Temple of Doom! Part 1: Box, Instructions & Parts The front of the box - it's the same size as the 7637 Farm set but not as wide: The back of the box, showing various set functions: This diagram illustrating the different track systems is a bit confusing. I think it is supposed to alert the buyer to the fact that the track in this set is 6-wide and incompatible with the 2006 RC 8-wide version, but at a casual glance it gives the opposite impression - that the new track is adjustable and works together with its wider cousin. Well, it doesn't. This diagram doesn't appear anywhere inside the instructions so perhaps this was a last-minute marketing addendum: The minifigure artwork on the box side. Mola Ram even gets top billing, before Indy! There are two instruction manuals: Inside, there is a lovely piece of artwork for the early 2009 releases which I haven't seen anywhere else. Here the Lego Group is still promising us brown-mustached German mechanics! Boo! Click here for a random instructions page showing the build of the Temple. There are two pages of parts. Click here for page 1, and here for page 2. The contents of the box include numbered polybags and 6 pieces of loose track: There are four pieces of curved track - enough to make a semi-circle. MOCers may need to get an extra set just to fully explore the potential of the new system and to make a self-enclosed circular track. Here are the two 'hilly' track parts. They are six bricks high: I assume a mould exists for simple straight 6-wide track made and it will appear in a future set. It would be great in other mining contexts or as part of a rollercoaster to complement the new 10196 Carousel. Part 2 - The Build - Bag 1 In a departure from my usual method of reviewing - which is just to rip open all the bags and mix all the parts together! - I followed the instructions and progressed bag by crinkly bag. Here are the contents of Bag 1, which contains everything you need for the minifigs, two mine carts and some flaming lava: Apart from the minifigs and track, there is very little that is original or interesting parts-wise in this set - as you'd expect, it's largely a collection of bley and brown with a splash of dark tan. One exception is the new flame piece. I didn't like it from the early picts, but having held it and examined it more closely, it does catch the light nicely and the colour-mixing is subtle and infuses the piece with a fiery glow. I wouldn't like to see it overused, but it is more impressive than the old flame piece for use in large sets and much better than the soft Bionicle version we've seen creep into System sets such as Exo-Force or 7884 Batman's Buggy: The Escape of Mr Freeze. We get two of these new pieces in this set: One of the most appealing aspects of this set for collectors is the minifigs. The Indiana line is exceptional in producing bountiful new moulds and torso prints, and 7199 is no exception. For the heroes, we get Short Round, Indy and Willie Scott. To mix things up, Indy has the new face also found in 7196 Chauchilla Cemetery Battle and a one-sleeved variation of the torso from 7195 Ambush in Cairo, so this version is in fact exclusive to this set. Dressed in a sari earlier in the film, by this point a bedraggled Willie has lost her embroidered wrap and is wearing a mid-riff bearing choli and a salvar. Nice abs, Willie! (I don't think she had those on screen ): Willie's legs are printed and her torso is double-printed. She also completes her makeover with new buttercup-coloured Princess hair: I think the Lego designers have improved at designing female torsos that differ from the broader male versions without being too caricaturish. The pinched waist looks quite accomplished: From the movie, an angry Indy shows off his gun (singular!): I tried to get a screencap of Willie with less cleavage but it was near impossible This is before she rips off her sari later during the mine cart chase: If the hero figs are very good, the villains are outstanding. Many an AFOL spent time squinting at the rough mould of Mola's headpiece as shown in the US February Toy Fair pics, but now we see the final factory product. The new headpiece gets its own bag - as it deserves! (Actually I assume this is just because these painted minifig specialty parts and things like the cows and large trolls are manufactured in China): Debagged, the headpiece comes with 2 cow horns in tan (it's nice we have to do a bit of assembly ): From behind: Side view: The complete headpiece. It's freaky! And bone-coloured! The indentations of the eye sockets at the front are creeping me out, and Lego has even added toothy bumps for the jaws which frame Mola's face . One of Lego's spookiest pieces ever! For the villains, we get *three* new head prints, and *three* new torsoes! :wub: That guy on the right looks like he has been drugged with Mola's will-sapping 'Blood of Kali' potion. Look at the bags under his eyes - whatever that potion is, it needs more coffee! The torsoes are printed on the back! So is Mola's head! That guy on the left has freaky lats! There must be a gym down in the bowels of the Temple mines, it's probably part of the employee health plan. And it's good to see Year of the Shirtless Minifig isn't over yet : The figures with headgear and accessories. From the movie, I am pretty sure the fig on the left is the mine foreman: The original Mola Ram, looking as if he is unsure whether he left the iron on: Minions in the Black Sleep of Kali Ma with the distinctive red facial paint markings: Here's the full cast altogether. Brilliant! I hereby declare Indy the best minifig line ever Last year's sets were a mixed bag, with too much repetition in the KOTCS subtheme, but this year has been spectacular, with only 7197 Fighter Plane Attack riffing directly off a previously released set. All of the dark flesh pieces released across the range mean that a variety of villains can be made - you can beef up your Ambush in Cairo display or stock up on Thuggee cult members as you wish! (And that isn't to even consider all the great female pieces we've seen, new hair, the new fez piece, Indy in dinner jacket... the list goes on!) Mola by himself is so beloved of Indy fans that several companies approached him for commercial endorsements : Indeed, even civilian Lego figs can find a use for the scarifying new headpiece: Also in Bag 1 are two minecarts and two pools of flaming lava. The minecarts are a small half-cylinder piece rimmed by the new window in dark bley and attached via frictionless Technic pins to the wheel assembly so the carts can veer from side to side. Don't believe the box art though, there's no way that our three heroes can all fit in just one cart (see how they've Photoshopped Short Round *between* the cylinder and end of the cart? ): The design matches the movie pretty accurately in terms of shape: We get two carts: Once the carts are assembled, the urge to start playing with them and the new track is irresistible! Picture here also are the small lava jets: Part 3: The build - Bag 2 The second bag, combined with the loose track pieces, builds up the mine track and the booby-trapped mining cart mid-way down the track. Here's the bag contents, containing 8 black support pieces and a wealth of brown 2x2 round bricks: The abandoned mine cart submodel takes shape. The supports are given extra strength through Technic axles: There is an empty space at the top to allow debris to drop through the bottom of the mine cart : The completed submodel: Pulling the handle allows 5 *deadly* dark bley 1x1 round bricks to drop through as a mine cart whistles below underneath (mine cart not pictured ). This does replicate a scene from the film where Indy sabotages an overhead cart to drop debris on the heads of the Thuggee pursuers: . The twisting curve of mine tracks is supported by the little shelf a quarter of the way up the abandoned mine cart construction. The track, because it curves both horizontally and vertically, is very difficult to photograph well. I did take zillions of pictures from lots of different angles but you will see in more detail how it works when the set is finished: Where the track pieces connect to each other, the designers have included a buttress feature. This one on the right is the shortest, just a collection of bricks and plates at the right height: At the very end of the track is this barrier with lamp and spider, to stop the carts spinning off into the blank white void of my photo studio setup: It also has a little play function, which Mola kindly demonstrates. The whole mine track shakes as he approaches the terminus! (That is just an excuse accounting for the slight blurriness of this pic ): Wham! He arrives, and the barrier snaps back! "Ouch - my head," says the shrunken head on the headress of Mola's own head. The next section to be added is this curve, which will complete the track, along with the supports which go under each join. These support pieces add height but not really stability, as they tend to come off. I think this is just the way the mould is, as brick-built supports seem stronger: It was at this point I threw up my hands and thought 'How long is thing?' My already quite large photo-studio area could barely accomodate the length of the track! I had to add that third wall on the right just to take the next lot of photos. Usually Lego is quite proud of how massive its huge sets are, and this set is no exception - according to the box art and instructions the length of the full set is 37 inches or 94 cm Anyone purchasing this set is going to need a large area to display it in full! Here is another play function. The bley technic axle with round brick spins as the first mine cart hurtles past, and the brown planks swing into position to block the pursuers! Again, this shows a scene from the movie where Indy throws a plank onto the track to thwart the Thuggee chasers. As Indy passes, the axle moves into position: The planks *would* stop anyone following the first mine cart, if the passage of the second cart itself just didn't spin the whole apparatus back to its original position again Also, as Indy's cart passes, the planks don't turn that far and 'Hand of God' assistance is required. However this is a simple and fun additional play feature: A more annoying issue is that weapons such as the Thuggee's scimitar are too high to pass under the abandoned mine cart. "Murderous assailants, please remember to stow your weapons below your feet as you pass through the tunnels. Thankyou for travelling Mola Mine Cart." This is a little disruptive to the play experience - will kids have the patience to adjust all the figs weapons before setting the chase in motion?

I am keeping myself occupied, as you may have noticed Good to see BBQ Impulse arrived; funny that it didn't come before Let's hope some more good stuff arrives soon; apart from Pirates, pretty much all of the Oz catalogue stuff is in stores now which means something must be arriving around June... then July sales...

That PAB order hasn't moved... I guess when they say 'may add 10 working days' to your order they mean it

Train enthusiasts, rejoice! Flexible track is now at S@H for Australians: http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=8867 Train enthusiasts, cry! The Power Function remote and battery box, previously available, are now not! That track is pricey!

Only in the US. So for non-US residents it is probably more appealing for that reason However since you don't even *have* S@H in Singapore, I don't think anyone would expect you to know about set availability in other countries! They're all great sets and very true to the spirit of the competition. I can't wait to see more entries! Come on, people! Break out those classic smileys and start building!

Still taunting us with brown-'stached German mechanic, eh Lego?

I don't think legomilk's 2 new themes would include the Disney licenses - after all, these have already been confirmed by TLG so it's not like we even need to speculate. A historical theme is unlikely with both Pirates and Castle running in 2010. Whatever the specific nature of the new themes, we know at least one will be primarily vehicles based with good and evil opposing factions. Just like Power Miners, Agents, etc. Even Indy sets (a great way to explore historical themes) largely end up being vehicle based.

That's a *he* by the way The name does confuse people.

Out, damn spot! You've turned into Lady Macbeth, seeing puddles of red blood everywhere! Darkfang's mental confusion did draw my eye to the yellow bicycle though

Well, at least we know the food in the World City train station will be piping hot and fresh, since the Farm is dispensing it straight to the shop from behind! The main thing is you have good documentary evidence of what your Town looked like before the disaster (ie photos) so you can always recreate it

They're not rubber but they're the softer plastic that looks particularly bad in darker colours. It's a shame, we get the nice metallic armour but the cheap daggers. Boo!

Name: Chauchilla Cemetery Battle Set: 7196 Theme: Indiana Jones Subtheme: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Year: 2009 Pieces: 187 (?) Minifigs: 4 (and a skeleton) Price: $US19.99 (according to Toy Fair), yet to be confirmed elsewhere Resources: Brickset Introduction Indiana Jones and Mutt Williams are in Peru investigating the disappearance of Harold Oxley, Indy's old colleague. They follow a clue to Chauchilla Cemetery to the grave of Francisco de Orellana, a Conquistador who supposedly found the legendary city of Akator and brought back a mysterious treasure. However the guardians of the cemetery are not too keen on a visit from these uninvited grave-robbers... Part 1: Box, Parts and Instructions The front of the box: The back of the box, showing set functions: A side view showing the minifigures: Contents include three bags of parts... ...and an instruction manual: The A5 sized manual is laid out in portrait format: The parts list: The parts, debagged. As you can see, there is a lot of bley, with some brown plates and bricks, and a hint of tan : The painted chassis of Mutt's red motorcycle is separately bagged: And de-bagged: Unlike the pearl version that was released with the Conquistador skeleton in last year's 7627 Temple of Akator, the armour here is metallic silver. Castle fans rejoice! Parts-wise, there is a great selection of dark bley slopes and cheese, but not much else of particular note. Here are a few of the other interesting pieces - the pearl gold version of the treasure chest, 2 goblets, 4x plants, 2 scorpions (we haven't seen these in a while), the cheap bley daggers, 2 emeralds and a Crystal Skull. Not a bad haul, overall. Part 2: Minifgures There are four minifigs in this set - Indy, Mutt and 2 Cemetery Warriors. I was really excited by the prospect of a new Indy face! :wub: Then I noticed it is almost exactly the same as Mutt's except with a few lines taken off and some stubble print added Yes, we know Indy has a son and heir, do you have to keep slapping us in the face with the family resemblance? Besides, Mutt is a son and not a clone so by rights should be half-Marion! (In Lego terms that means he at least should have a 'scared' print on the back of his head). Compare and contrast the genetic similarities below: The Cemetery Warriors are identical in every way, with a double sided head print. With the shaggy mop, they do resemble Harry Potter more than a little. This is Harry Potter on crystal meth: And this is Harry Potter after a spray-tan: (Note the accessories; a blowpipe and, er, chainsaw ) Our cast together. Note Mutt's simple but clever lantern. And the Conquistador skele - he needs to take in his arms a bit. Seriously, what was he, a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal? Mutt's motorcycle is a great new mould and will make this set a must-have for City fans too. The dark red paint job is sleek but I am sure we will see this piece in different versions. Here's Mutt's motorcycle chassis assembled over the usual motorcycle frame but before the side bags are added: And with the side bags: Mutt on his cycle. One thing Lego has been omitting from bikes (and this is also true of 7641 City Life and the Camper set) is the headlights, but I'm sure most people have a few (dozen!) 1x1 trans clear round plates lying around to use as a spare : Here's a comparison shot from the movie: Part 3: The build The build is divided into two sections - Orellana's Cradle (and Grave), and the entrance. These sections are connected by Technic pins and for the sake of the box art have been split apart so you can see inside more clearly; when you build the set, it actually runs in a straight line. First up, we build Orellana's Cradle-Grave. Here is the base with Technic connection showing: Already we see lots of cheesy stonework and the Crystal Skull's resting place: Spiderwebs and candlelight - just what a dusty old crypt requires: The gold chest contains a few treasures: The cheese slopes wedge Orellana's skele-feet so he doesn't flop all over the place. He effectively conceals the Crystal Skull behind him: Just like in the movie, Indy has no qualms about grubbing about in human remains. "Get out of my way bony, I'm not getting any younger myself!" It's a shame we couldn't have a tearing shroud like in the film, but otherwise the Lego rendition is faithful to the scene: Next, we build up the 'exterior' to the Gravy-Cradle, with some concealed hideaways for the Cemetery Warriors, and the moving stone disc which Indy slides over. The base of the exterior section, showing where the Technic bricks will connect to the other section: The stone disc, which you can see is also connected like a see-saw to Technic bricks: The disc is now in position: The mechanism works by means of a gear concealed on the other side of the doorway. Dr Jones has kindly volunteered for this experiment to show us how it works: The door is closed when the handle is down, like so: When spun, the door flips up and Indy falls through the other side: Finishing off this section are little ladders where the Cemetery Warriors can conceal themselves: This is a nice touch; I thought the way they darted in and around various unexpected places in the movie was one of the film's creepiest aspects: Part 4: The finished model The unconnected sections as seen from the rear: Joined! Side view: With the figures in place: Here's the sequence as Indy goes through the stone entrance again. Not very elegant. Plus, Orellana has stinky feet! The poison dart blowpipe is a little difficult to position (how do minifgs feed themselves? ) but it can be done: And finally, spare parts Part 5: Overall Rating Minifigures - 7/10. The idea of giving Indy a new face was a good one; it's just a shame the face they gave him was Mutt's! The Chauchilla Cemetery figs are great, with a new torso print and head, but it is slightly disappointing that they are identical, especially considering the smaller 7195 Ambush in Cairo had two very distinct villains. However the metallic skele-armour is sweet and there is nothing really here to complain about. Parts - 7.5/10. Good selection of useful dark bley slopes, with a sprinkling of other interesting stuff. And of course the sweet, sweet motorcycle Playability - 7.5/10. Some nice little features, and the sliding disc mechanism works well. Probably the weakest part of the set is that the gear that works the mechanism tends to fall out. The hidey-holes for the warriors are a clever touch and hiding the Crystal Skull behind Orellana is true to the film. Price - Remains to be seen for non-US markets, but if it is $US20 it will be priced in Australia at $AUD35-40. Probably a bit expensive at that amount, but worth picking up on sale for the parts, the bike and the two Cemetery Warriors. Overall - 7/10. This set is a good little one, but hardly essential. It's kind of like a foreshortened 7623 Temple Escape with a whiff of Harry Potter about it! (Maybe I feel that way because of the mop hair, spiders, flames and web-pieces, all HP staples ). I suspect most collectors will want it for the motorcycle and Cemetery Warriors, but apart from that it is a useful parts pack. In terms of Indy sets at a similar price-point, I wouldn't rate it as highly as the wonderful 7621 Secret of the Lost Tomb, but it is certainly better than the decidely average 7625 River Chase. (Note: screencaps were taken from this livejournal and then photo-edited, as I don't have a DVD copy of KOTCS Thanks to the original poster!)

I like this set; the kraken is a fantastic colour and the raft is generally well designed. The only thing I don't like is the use of the technic axle as a mast to hold up the lookout - it just seems too minimal. However overall, for the Australian price, it is a great deal. I love all those round 2x2 bricks and bits of tan Thanks for the latest chapter in your Pirates journey, WhiteFang! I look forward to seeing the culmination of this long quest!

Well I hope you get to open it and enjoy it soon! That's what these little bricks are for, after all

I hadn't realised Marion had a new head; I'll try and take a comparison shot with the old one. I guess this must be the one that some people were seeing in the Flying Wing set. I also like the torso, the way the print has been used to 'pinch' in her torso is effective without looking cartoony. And yes YG-49, Sandy is right, the head here is the one from the 'other' guy, not from Kasim

Great review! Until this day I never even knew there *was* a compass piece This looks like a cute if not amazing little ship. I don't own any of the old ships, but I do think I prefer the new stern/ bow pieces. These ones do look megablockish. (Pirates fans will probably send a monkey to choke me in my sleep now, but it had to be said.) I would also have liked to have seen some review pix of Brickbeard's Bounty mowing this little dinghy down :pir-skull: Your poor wife; I hope she came with a set of instructions

Name: Ambush In Cairo Set: 7195 Theme: Indiana Jones Subtheme: Raiders of the Lost Ark Year: 2009 Pieces: ??? Minifigs: 4 Price: $US10.99 (according to Toy Fair), yet to be confirmed elsewhere Resources: Brickset Introduction Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood hit the bazaar! And the bazaar hits back! Falling fruit, a Cairo swordsman and thug, a Tommy gun in a haycart - will our sardonic archaelogist and frypan-wielding heroine live to fight another day? Find out as we go behind the scenes at this Ambush in Cairo! Part 1: Box, Parts and Instructions The front of the box, with a nicely Photoshopped bazaar-background, which you can build for yourself in bricks The back of the box, showing various play features: Side art showing the minifigs included: The contents of the box - 2 baggies and a (small) instruction manual: A random page from the instructions, showing the build of the market stall: The parts inventory: The parts, de-bagged: For a small set, there is a great selection of proper bricks! Lots of useful small pieces in tan and brown, with a few extra special parts. This large barrel appears in tan for the first time: The non-Batman Tommy gun piece, which also appears in 7197 Venice Chase: The piece that launched a thousand threads saying 'bUT lEGO cancelled purple????? OMG wHat is this peece then, my BRANE HURTZ!!' and will no doubt continue to do so: Part 2: Minifigs! The good guys, without distracting accessories. Yay for the new Indy torso, with his man-cleavage peeping through! Yay for new peasant-maid Marion! (Neither of these torsos is printed on the back). Check out a screenshot from the movie for comparison (also note the hay cart to the right there ) Our heroes with their accessories included: The villains - one Cairo Swordsman and one Cairo Thug. The head on the white-clad Thug also appears in 7197. (I think the other head appears in 7199 Temple of Doom, but I'm not certain). I have to say, with all these new sets I am glad Lego made the figs in this dark flesh shade rather than the garish orange used for the Ugha tribe members in last year's 7627 Temple of the Crystal Skull set. Only the Cairo Swordsman has printing on the back of the torso: It's a shame we didn't get the old pointy scimitar instead of this worn-down pearly Troll one - it's fine for Fantasy sets but looks cheap anywhere else. As compensation we do get one ludicrously-sized turban and a ninja headwrap in black : The Swordsman is a great representation of his character from the movie, with his distinctive black and scarlet garb: All the figures together. It's a great selection and makes this set a definite must-buy for army builders or MOCers. Indy battlepack on! Even the fact that two of the characters are Indy and Marion doesn't really detract from the appeal of buying multiples; the new Indy torso could be used for military scenes and Marion's frilly red shirt is potentially useful in all sorts of situations: The only thing really missing from this set is the treacherous monkey that plays such a distinctive part in this scene. Boo! Monkey says not fair! Now that we have a unique female fig representing a love-interest from each of the first three films, we can organise three-way Indy catfights: Part 3: The build The build is simple, but fun. The parts are certainly more coordinated in colour and usage than the random bits-and-bobs that seemed to make it into the Star Wars battlepacks. First up in the build is placing the Tommy gun into the large barrel. Yes, this is a step in the instructions Think you can manage it? While Indy fends off the villains, Marion wields her patented Pan o' Death... ...before heading for cover in the oversized basket. She really likes that frying pan! Here's a half-way shot of the market stand under construction. The complete stand. With lots of small brown and tan pieces, a metallic gold dish, 2 bright green apples, 2 panniers and the purple roof, this is a pretty sweet deal It's like Medieval Market Village for Juniors! The cart is simple but effective. It's a great year for Lego hay! The tan tiles and curved pieces will come in handy. Here is the complete cart: All the bits and bobs together: Alternate angle: Part 4: The finished set A shot from the movie showing the haycart (which Indy lobs Marion into ) and the fruit stall: And now, the Lego version! A more isometric view: Indy shot first! And finally, the spare parts: Part 5: Overall Rating Minifigs - 10/10 - *four* new torsos, a turban and a ninja headwrap, plus heaps of accessories. Brilliant! Indy is the best minifig line ever. I will even overlook the lack of a wicked monkey Parts - 10/10 - there is not a useless part in this lot, with heaps of MOCing potential and many not-so-common and lovely pieces such as apples, the gold bowl, the tan barrel, tan tiles, the purple roof... etc etc. Playability - 10/10 - Knock over the fruit stand! Hide in the barrel! Tip over the haycart! Cut off Indy's head with a scimitar! Cook apple sauce! This set offers more playability than some of its larger cousins in the same wave! Price - yet to be seen, but if it falls around the $AUD20 mark (which I am confident it will) I'll be pretty happy. Overall - 10/10. This is the perfect small System set, offering excellent minifigs, parts and playability. History & Adventure fans will find as much to enjoy here as will Licence aficionados. Kids would have fun with it too, and it would make a great small gift. A must-have for 2009 and a stand-out for the Indy line overall, easily triumphing over 7620 Motorcycle Chase and 7624 Jungle Duel. Buy one! Buy several!

Great entry! You have really managed to put in a great level of detail. I especially like the renovation of the 'ancient' building with the restaurant and wintergarden. The hotel has an impressive facade, especially with the inverted slope detail at the top and the black balcony pieces.

Maybe Legomilk's list only includes themes that he knows are actually confirmed, hence the omissions? I think it highly likely we will see a second year of Power Miners, but maybe since the summer release already features a large selection of PM sets, they will put off a full new wave until the second half of 2010 (kind of like what they did with Indy this year or MM in 2008). I also wouldn't assume that CC style modular buildings will continue as a theme as it was originally devised as a series of three. This style of sophisticated building may well spin off into something different. I doubt Agents will survive another year if they are introducing two new themes. Apart from the giant robo-Inferno mech the sets aren't impressing me that much (apart from some nice figs and parts) so I won't be too sad if this happens.

This set completely flew under my radar, along with the large Train shed, even when it went on sale, so it's nice to see some detailed pics. Thanks for the great review. I love that control panel with the track layout. I'm sure this doesn't need to be said, but your layout is looking outstanding

It's a combine harvester of EVIL! Run, run for the hills! This looks great, very distinctive for a Castle creation. Well done!

I've used them once before for non-Lego stuff. They were fast and efficient. The prices are cheap as the stuff is clearanced and] oo has probably bought it as a consignment. Hence the very limited range. I don't think they normally sell Lego.

Thanks for the review! Next time your pics could be a little larger This looks like better value than the sports car set, but I can't say I think it is better overall. The parts assortment looks like a leftover Coast Guard set (I should say that subtheme was my least favourite City theme of the last few years). And I know everyone is excited about car doors, but they look ridiculous here in comparison to the size of the truck itself or is it just me? Thanks again!