There are times when The LEGO Group does wrong, and then there are times they get it right. This time, they got it so right they not only hit home run, but they hit it out of the ball park.
The Minifigures released in Wave 7 of Dimensions, at least some of them, did good in bringing back the charm and nostalgia of the 80s (and 90s)
Featuring Mogwai, or Gizmo and Stripe form Gremlins, E.T which needs no introduction and Sonic the Hedgehog - these characters would be instantly recognizable regardless whether you had them as toys as a kid. To be brutally honest, although Sonic was not something that I was fond of being introduced in the early 90s, but both ET and The Gremlins from 1982 and 1984 respectively did tug some heart strings
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is synonymous with the with two things - the movie practically coining the term “Phone Home” and his iconic magic index finger. Whilst the latter is not captured in the minifig, the Red telephone is not exactly what I can recall being in the movie - can anyone confirm the existence? The last time I probably watch the movie was 30+ odd years ago so I can’t vouch for any accuracy in most of these builds.
The red phone is an excellent build with a unique 2x2 printed tile for the dial pad. It sits on top of a base specially constructed.
E.T comes with prints on both front and back. Simple prints, but does the job well.
The elements that give the tilt effect utilises the some of the new elements recently introduced - these are the black 1x1 round plate with a shaft. 3 elements are use to place the phone to a tile onto the stand. A shiny metallic round base is used as the mid-base section. Seems to me surely that LEGO has not spared in any of the elements to give it a polished and luxurious finished product!
Gizmo and Stripe
Iconic characters from the Gremlins movie, hero and enemy together and their signature look unmistakable.
Stripe comes with the Pan-like legs while Giz is rather plain from the back.
The polaroid is also almost instantly recognisable as the ‘weapon’ of choice to scare the nasty evil gremlins away. Bright light hurts them! Cute build!
The back of the camera includes the viewfinder! Talk about details! Gotta love it!
Gotta love the mini car build. While it’s red in color, once again, not staying true to the movie, I believe the car that Gizmo was driving was in pink! But this tiny build is complete instead of the ‘half-vehicle’ in the earlier versions of the Dimensions release.
I particularly like how the not-so common parts are used, in this case the front curved element gave it a sleek look. The black elements as the front and rear windshields again gives it a strong solid finished look. Well simple constructed car but yet amazing design.
Sonic the Hedgehog
I have to admit, although the world knows Sonic, this is something that swooshed pass by me during my childhood days. I can’t say that I have ever played and enjoyed a sonic game - perhaps I’ve never owned a Nintendo before. But that has not stopped me from appreciating his remarkable shape and color! (Edit: Thanks SJJ for pointing out that Sonic is a Sega franchise, and not from Nintendo - just shows how little I knew about Sonic)
The true appreciation of Sonic comes from his side pose amplifying his signature hair style.
Without being a fan, I had to google his blue car, and I setting aside on whether it’s accurate or not, the build is quite impressive. Once again, a full vehicle instead of a half-built one, it’s just executed pretty well. We've had hard core fans pointing out that the yellow 'toilet seat' could have been represented better with the 'golden rings', and I have to agree with that point.
The fin-like element is new to me, first time ever encounter on a LEGO set. Any veterans out there that can point out where else does it exist? Once again, the clever use of the elements impresses me.
My other favourite part of the build is actually the front bumper. It’s made up of two ‘teeth’ to form the complete bumper. I’m impressed!!! Ah oh yes, a full front hood is the single element with print tops it all off to give it the curves it needs.
I still actually hate how we have to use two transparent cheese slopes to create the windshield. I really wish LEGO would just make a 2x1 in transparent and get it over and done with. So many other builds out there would benefit from this element.
So the other vehicle is yet another winner. I’m not sure how popular this propeller powered flight vehicle is within the Sonic world, but the colors and execution of the build is ever so shall I say… cute?
What impressed me the most was how the wheels of the plane was built using that same round 1x1 plate with shaft. Ingenious!!
I think at the end of the day, the primary colors of Sonic and his toys really bring out the shine and captures the real essence of the world he lives in.
In summary, there is nothing short of joy and nostalgia from these perfectly executed minifigures and vehicle. Each Minifigure has its unique head-mould that really stands out true to the original characters, and I think that’s why these worked out very well (instead of the single head stud approach). The vehicles all come in their full form and in brightly executed colors, while the iconic gadgets from the movies are portrayed well. If I had to score these, without hesitation, I’d give them 5 out of 5 starts - Highly Recommended!