A break-out star.
If we told you we’ve
recently been spending time with some very small criminals, you might
think we’ve been hanging out with tough gang of dwarfs and going
around beating up pixies. But we haven’t (yet), as we’ve actually
been building the LEGO City Prison Island (#60130).
This set, from the recent City range, comes complete with 754 parts and eight minifigures. Altogether it took us about three hours to complete, and is made up of four separate vehicles and the main prison itself. Here she is:
Definitely a fun build,
you construct the vehicles first then crack on with the multi-tiered
prison. There was nothing overly tasking or confusing about the set,
so the 6-12 age range is spot on. There is a lot going here, so let’s
start with the figs. First up, the good guys.
The police team feature
a good mix of characters, with only the male and female guard (to the
right) having the same bodies. We love the hot-shot boat pilot in the
baseball cap and shades, and the helicopter pilot comes with a flight
suit body and full helmet. And what about the crooks?
EYEBROWS! Yes, to
denote criminality, LEGO has given all four bad guys very sinister
eyebrows (and an amazing moustache for the guy in the orange vest).
The two on the left are the guys doing the breaking out, while the
two on the right are the prisoners hoping to escape. All are great,
but we’re seriously digging the guy in orange!
The biggest vehicle is
the police boat which features seats for two (although the pilot
looks better standing up). Some great detail here and an appropriate
and subtle use of stickers (as with the whole set, in fact).
There is an outboard
engine which lifts up and down, as well as removable handcuffs and
plenty of room in the rear for captured perps.
Next up is the police
chopper, which reminded us of the small, single-seater helicopter
from the Jurassic World: Indominus Rex Break-Out set (another break-out
set). The canopy lifts up, both rotor blades spin, and there are nice
light details on the sides.
The chopper actually
uses a really clever design whereby the tail is centred despite the
whole thing being an even number of studs wide. Two plates with
central holes are used to pin the tail into place, which makes it
look very well balanced and streamlined. And look, more handcuffs!
The crook’s smallest
vehicle (and the first thing you build in the set) is a very simple
affair with just a few bricks added to one of the all-in-one dingy
parts (which were heavily used in this Batman set). Here you also get
a crowbar and a grappling hook on the end of a chain. But why? You’ll
see later…
And then the most
striking thing about the set; the hot air balloon. Using some very
strange and large parts we’ve never encountered before, the balloon
is a fun little build which employs a central Technic rod and the
eight segmented curved pieces which attach to it.
The finished effect is
great, but the basket below can only hold two minifigures. Still, we
suppose someone else could dangle from that rope.
Oh, and you also get
this little guy. Sorry we forgot you in the line-up, mate.
The complete prison set
looks amazing and is very solid once done. It looks like a completely
enclosed structure, quite like the LEGO Creator building sets, but is
actually very open and more of a playset. It has plenty of height and
depth as well, and looks great as a display piece in its own right.
The front section opens
up to reveal the main ground floor area; an exercise yard of sorts.
Note the picture of a woman (presumably the female crook), the chalk
markings, the wooden bench, and…
…the dumbbells
hanging up on the reverse side! Classic.
Behind that is the main
cell. This features a bunk bed, an opening bar door, and a toilet.
Yay! We love it when LEGO includes toilets in their sets (like this one). The back of the cell is completely exposed and open, so a bit
of imagination is required here to keep the crooks contained.
To the left of that is
a little door which opens to reveal a couple of levers. We assume
this is supposed to represent the main cell unlocking mechanism, and
is a nice little hidden detail.
Above that is another
small cell with a bed. But, while a figure is laying down, give that
Technic rod a yank…
…and they will fall
through the floor and out through the sewer pipe, Shawshank
Redemption-style.
In the main tower there
is a little guard balcony and room, complete with red coffee machine.
We’re guessing it’s a pod machine because of its size. Budget
cut-backs and all that… Note the binoculars and radio ready to be
grabbed.
Above that is the watch
tower, enclosed on three sides by those inverted sloped transparent
pieces. The guard up there can enjoy a cup of coffee too, as well as
a printed control panel and a swivelling chair.
On the other side,
above the cell with the false bed, there is an open guard platform
with a movable light. One thing we noticed about the whole set was a
total lack of weapons; no guns, bats, or knives. So although you’ll
find blasters and light sabers in the LEGO Star Wars and Super Heroes
sets, City doesn’t seem to have any kind violence, something we
think is actually very appropriate.
The chopper gets its
own landing pad with brown staircase approach, light details, and a
big H. Which is pretty much the whole kit and caboodle of Prison
Island.
In terms of play
features, the bars on the front of the yard can be easily torn down…
by the grappling hook!
The false bed room also
has a secret hatch in the roof…
…so the prisoner can
be air-lifted out by the balloon (Oh, which doesn’t really float.
Just to be clear. The boats float on water though!).
And here is where the
shark comes into his own, attacking the dingy as it tries to escape.
We can only assume he is employed by the police to act as an aquatic
last line of defence, perhaps holding the rank of sergeant.
There is some good use
of colours and texture to make it seem like the prison is actually
sitting on top of a bare rock outcropping, complete with foliage.
This is great set with
plenty of play value once the build is complete. There is a nice mix
of Minifigures, which can all be reused for different characters in
the future, while the varied mix of parts and colours means your (or
your children’s) LEGO parts box will be overflowing with potential
other projects.
£69.99
Visit www.lego.com
