LEGO Hobbit 2014

[BrickBob Studpants]

the front legs are missing , as a fan i am not impressed with the design

Um, Smaug doesn't have forelegs His arms are connected to his wings:

http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Smaug

[Trunkbass]

Smaug just looks very odd , and it's too different from the movie version , the legs and butt are too big , the front legs are missing , as a fan i am not impressed with the design

As a fan you should know that Peter Jackson's Smaug doesn't have front legs. He is a wyvern type of dragon with only two legs and claws attached to his wings. I suggest you watch DOS again.

I think they did an okay job with LEGO Smaug. I think that he couldn't be bigger and that a molded version is better as opposed to brick-built due to other creatures like wargs and eagles being molded as wel. The Ent is not molded but I think the rough structure of trees works better with bricks than a dragon would. I cannot wait to see how the foldable wings are like, very interesting!

Edited August 23, 2014 by Trunkbass

[legofreak86]

The Underlying Problem with the Armies themselves not appearing is kids don't want them. Kids like main characters and someone to face off with them. Someone above mentioned the stormtrooper analogy. I agree with that, when I was younger all I wanted was all the main characters and plenty of bad guys (storm troopers, Orcs, battle droids, goons e.tc). Lego are smart this way. They know when kids watch the movies they are going to be focussing on the main players: Thorin, Gandalf, Bilbo, Bard e.t.c. There is undoubtedly going to be a big fight between Azog and Thorin as its the end of the trilogy and its sort of been leading up to something like that with Thorin's failed attempts in AUJ and hatred against Azog. As that's probably quite an important confrontation in the film OF COURSE Lego would want to focus on it. Its like the lightsaber duel if I may use that as an analogy between hero and villain. When I watched the prequel trilogy of star wars in the theatre when I was younger that's all me and the rest of the kids at school wanted to see: Jedi vs. Sith! Same principle with this I guarantee kids will be transfixed in Thorin vs Azog and the wizards in dol guldur as those are big segments with main characters. Plus they are bound to remember the dragon, the windlance, lake town and the inside of erebor from both films especially DOS. I wish we didn't have another useless legolas, I would've hoped he would at least be in his DOS/BO5A costume or better yet if it had to be a main character a thranduil in armour would've been great. Its a shame we get bain over bolg but in lego's eyes he must be important to that scene. All in all I am at least thankful we got smaug, the black arrow, 2 new bards, Thorin in armour, Elrond armour, witch king of angmar, Galadriel, Bilbo in blue, the dwarves in armour, Dain ironfoot. Really the only unnecessary figure is another armoured legolas. This way other than Gandalf and bolg they have pretty much covered every important main character which was probably their aim. Plus at least azog has a new face with an angry growl rather than smile as a smile would be out of place here.

[kevkipo]

Im very satisfied with the Bo5a set, New Bard, Dain, King Thorin, Angry Azog, 2 new orcs?! Total win for me

The Orc ballista is a very nice touch as my main characters can smash that thing down!

The only thing is Legolas... but i really dont mind it

[Jason7189]

Your right, I am pretty satisfied with BO5A too.

[legofreak86]

Yeah that's my view also. I would've preferred Armoured Thranduil but I guess one carryover figure out of several new figures is pretty damn good. I' compelled to see what the full set looks like as I wonder whats on the other side. Some sort of tower I guess. Really people are complaining about no armies but LOTR sets gave one Rohan soldier and a lot of variations of main characters, no more, no less so its not as if its unexpected not to get armies. To be quite honest to the movie itself they aren't really so much as an important part of recreating the narrative so much as they are there fighting in the background whilst the movie focusses on the main characters in the midst of it.

[KristofBD]

Well I guess once we have adjusted to getting these actual figs instead of the dream list ones, it will turn out that the battle set is actually quite ok. In fact all of the sets are already growing on me.

I don't mind getting Bain instead of Bolg. I found Azog and Bolg far too fake looking in the movies anyway so I'd rather have the new orc hair than using that mold for a Bolg head piece. In any case, this is what it is and I'm pretty happy about it!

[sahidko]

My problem with ballista is that it again looks too big. I remember my surprise when i found out that the ballista from UHA is as tall as the wall of Helms deep. And because of that i excluded it from my modified Helms deep display. I am generally not a big fan of war machines in LOTR/Hobbit sets: ballista (UHA), catapult (Pirate ship ambush), double catapult (DGA)...But on the other hand i understand they had to include something for children to play.

[LegoLOTR]

I think we expected too much because we had so much time to dream and think about the sets, and imagine how we all want it to look. If you didnt think about what figs you want, and saw set for the first time in LEGO Store, I think we would like it more...To be honest, the worst structure in whole wave is DG, but DG is made of ruins, so I dont have a problem with that. In the end. I will buy two smallest sets in December, and others maybe not at all...Or they will wait large discount.

[legofreak86]

Plus with DG lego have pretty much given us the means to recreate an entire HUGE battle sequence in Dol Guldur from film 3. t is also clear to me that all of them are supposed to represent the biggest sequences in that location. Lego have pretty much given us the means to have: The entire white council fight against Sauron and his forces in Dol Guldur. Saruman is readily available also. All three sets combine and I believe some of these ideas for the last year's DOS sets were when there were to be two movies meaning that perhaps Beorn will join the council against sauron in dol guldur in film 3. On the banner at comic con you can clearly see Galadriel, Elrond and Gandalf in midst of a battle and even saruman is near the back of the photo wielding his staff. So clearly some HUGE fight against the necromancer and his allies takes place in this fortress in the movie. I kind a love that in a way they have given us the whole journey and all the big events from the films. It all fits together in progression like the story banners.

[LegoLOTR]

@legofreak86 Thanks soo much! I have not seen Saruman in the back...To be honest, I am more excited for DG than for tBotFA itself...I know that sounds weird, but, I was always more interested in magic, than Dwarves and Hobbits...Cannot wait to see Galadriel and Saruman in action!

PS. I hope DG has at least 1 hour on screen, and 20 more on EE, but it is probably not possible...A movie about it would do great!

Edited August 23, 2014 by LegoLOTR

[dgherko]

I think we should wait to see if there are poly bag and battle packs. The latest castle line BP showed up with little notice.

[agent76484]

i am not complaining about the minifigures , they are better then what other companies have to offer on the market , i was just saying :

* * * with just a simple replace

- Thorin - - - > - Thorin

- Dain - - - > - Dain

- Azog - - - > - Azog

- Legolas - - - > - Legolas

- Bard - - - > - Bard

- generic orc 1 - - - > - armored elf ( replace of " generic orc 1" )

- generic orc 2 - - - > - armored orc ( replace " generic orc 2 " )

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* armored dwarf ( this could be done in set 79018 , instead of the generic 1980 castle helmet there could be a new dwarf style one )

* men of dale soldier ( included in 79013 )

there it is , u changed 2 non-important minifigures , maybe 2 new molds , and u ended up with an " army builder " , the kids get the heroes , afol's get a set that they can buy 2-3 times and make large armies

and there it is DONE , u ended the hobbit line with a Bang , u have all the heroes , u have all the 5 armies , everybody is pleased , sets will sell , everybody wins

P.S : replace bain with Bolg :) in set ( 79016 )

Edited August 23, 2014 by agent76484

[kevkipo]

i am not complaining about the minifigures , they are better then what other companies have to offer on the market , i was just saying :

* * * with just a simple replace

- Thorin - - - > - Thorin

- Dain - - - > - Dain

- Azog - - - > - Azog

- Legolas - - - > - Dwarf Soldier

- Bard - - - > - Bard

- generic orc 1 - - - > - armored orc

- generic orc 2 - - - > - armored orc ( replace " generic orc 2 " )

Fixed that for you

PS. I hope DG has at least 1 hour on screen,

My dear friend, please no

I would love an hour of DG for you, but i hate Dol Guldur

[Alfadas]

Give me at least half the movie to be an awesome battle, the rest can be the destruction of Lake town, preparation for the battle and DG. That would be a great movie

[TheLegoDr]

I was finally able to watch DOS last night. It was more entertaining than the first installment, but still not as attention grabbing as LOTR...sad face.

It was nice to see how spot on LEGO got a lot of prints. I'm still puzzled at how they saw dark orange for Gundabad orcs when they looked dark tan to me (like all of the other orcs).

I'll be interested to see how the new sets stack up against the actual movie too.

[LegoLOTR]

@kevkipo I know, for many people that is weird...But I just love too see more "magical" characters on screen...Especially Galadriel! I am so glad that we got her in LEGO version...To be honest, whole Smaug/Dwarven scene, except Bilbos talk, was not fun to me...I waited for the movie, just thinking about DG. But, lets get back to LEGO theme. LEGO should have made another DG set in place of Lonely Mountain... .

[kevkipo]

LEGO should have made another DG set in place of Lonely Mountain... .

[Lancethecat]

Here's what I think Peter Jackson should have done with The Hobbit:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey- Climaxes with Bilbo saving the dwarves from the spiders (a really redeeming moment for him), ends with dwarves imprisoned in Elven-King's halls (a much less infuriating cliffhanger than the one in DoS)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug- Climaxes with Battle of Five Armies

Dungeons of the Necromancer (or some other name)- a spin-off film that runs parallel to the events of The Hobbit, includes Radagast, the White Council, and everything in Dol Guldur.

Hollywood would get the three movies they wanted, Hobbit fans would get a story that isn't bloated with extraneous scenes to make more money, and Dol Guldur fans would get to see the White Council fighting the Necromancer! If Hollywood thinks that a Necromancer movie wouldn't be popular because it's non-canon, they're kind of proving to themselves that nobody wanted all of that extra stuff in the first place, aren't they?

[kevkipo]

Here's what I think Peter Jackson should have done with The Hobbit:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey- Climaxes with Bilbo saving the dwarves from the spiders (a really redeeming moment for him), ends with dwarves imprisoned in Elven-King's halls (a much less infuriating cliffhanger than the one in DoS)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug- Climaxes with Battle of Five Armies

Dungeons of the Necromancer (or some other name)- a spin-off film that runs parallel to the events of The Hobbit, includes Radagast, the White Council, and everything in Dol Guldur.

Hollywood would get the three movies they wanted, Hobbit fans would get a story that isn't bloated with extraneous scenes to make more money, and Dol Guldur fans would get to see the White Council fighting the Necromancer! If Hollywood thinks that a Necromancer movie wouldn't be popular because it's non-canon, they're kind of proving to themselves that nobody wanted all of that extra stuff in the first place, aren't they?

And again i want to point out my Picture above

[LegoLOTR]

Haha, that is just my opinion...Everyone has right to own one, isnt it true? LEGO would make 3 DG sets, like now, and we would get two 6-set wave...We have 14 sets all together - 3 = 11..So, we would have same amount, but better set choice by LEGO, because DG will get out of the way...Sounds like a good deal!

So, October 15 cannot get soon enough...

[Lynx]

@kevkipo I know, for many people that is weird...But I just love too see more "magical" characters on screen...Especially Galadriel! I am so glad that we got her in LEGO version...To be honest, whole Smaug/Dwarven scene, except Bilbos talk, was not fun to me...I waited for the movie, just thinking about DG. But, lets get back to LEGO theme. LEGO should have made another DG set in place of Lonely Mountain... .

I feel exactly the same. Unthinkable before An Unexpected Journey, the non-dwarf action has become my favourite part of the movie. To me, these segments represent a much-needed break from the fast-paced onslaught of dwarven silliness. I'm simply a fan of the darker, more serious tone. It's almost as if a glimpse of the Lord of the Rings shines into the Hobbit movies.

[Deathleech]

there it is , u changed 2 non-important minifigures , maybe 2 new molds , and u ended up with an " army builder " , the kids get the heroes , afol's get a set that they can buy 2-3 times and make large armies

and there it is DONE , u ended the hobbit line with a Bang , u have all the heroes , u have all the 5 armies , everybody is pleased , sets will sell , everybody wins

P.S : replace bain with Bolg :) in set ( 79016 )

I doubt many AFOLs are going to purchase an expensive $60 set multiple times for army building when over two thirds of the set is named characters. And really this is my issue with everyone wishing the Bo5A set was an army builder, or at least had more generic troops. What's it matter if it did? So we get one generic dwarf soldier and/or one generic elf soldier in a $60 set with four or five named characters? Army building them would be near impossible for cheap (they would easily fetch $8+ on Bricklink.. the Rohan Soldier in a set half that price was $4 at it's cheapest). I dunno about you guys, but I don't think there's much you can do with one soldier. Sure they might look cool, but I would rather get a main character given the choice between one generic dwarf soldier or Dain.

The Mirkwood Elf Army set is where I think Lego really missed their opportunity. They finally give us a primarily good guy army build, but it's loaded with boring soldiers. Lego could/should have given us at least one armored elf in the MEA set, but preferably two. It would of made the set SO much more appealing than loading it with those green hooded elves. Would it be movie accurate? Maybe not, but the whole set is based on scenes and characters not even in the movie so who cares? I know personally the only big selling feature of MEA for me was the brown warg. If it hadn't had that, I probably would of only bought two or three tops. Lego should have definitely given us an armored elf soldier or two and some orc hair/ear pieces and that set would of been a knock out. Then the could of had more room in wave three to focus on the Iron Hill Dwarf soldiers and maybe the armored orcs and humans.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Deathleech

[ZCerberus]

Less movie only talk, more LEGO talk please!

[AFOLguy1970]

Interesting that a lot of people do not like the inclusion of Bain. At least he is a new main character, and he may very well have a role to play in the movie. Since the sets are made for kids, would they not want to have him? After reading many of the posts, it makes sense that Lego would go with main characters rather than to give you a generic army type. Although, I think there is still no excuse to have 2 Bards in this wave. And Legolas in BOFA, that is just plain terrible. My worst case scenario included mains for the good guys and Azog bumping out Bolg, but even I was not pessimistic enough to predict the Legolas thing. It just seems like Thranduil is going to be more memorable among the elf faction unless PJ really screws that up somehow.