The Hardest Working Stunt Man In Show Business
Written: Nov 03 '01 (Updated Mar 23 '06)
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Pros: Tons of great pieces, stunt man action figure, movie director.
Cons: No real play value as a stand alone set.
The Bottom Line: While this is a small set, this has some awesome pieces that are a must have for Lego Studio creations.
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| Freak369's Full Review: LEGO - Stunt Man Catapult |
Once again, my time roaming the aisles at Wal-Mart has been rewarded. IN the back of the store near the Christmas decorations and reduced Halloween items was a small stash of Lego’s. Sure you can find them on sale for 20% off or even the banged up boxes at up to 50% off – but this was one of those rare events that made me squeal like a schoolgirl. The Lego Studio Stunt Man Catapult were reduced to $1.00 from the regular price of $2.99. Now, some of you might be saying - What’s the big deal? They are just Lego’s - bite your tongue!
As I mentioned in my previous review about the Temple of Gloom the Stunt Man Catapult is smaller set from the Lego Studio line. Each of the smaller sets are jam packed with rare pieces, new designs and blocks with a movie ser theme. While these sets are small and would more than likely not amuse a child for more than 30 minutes as a stand alone set, they are awesome stocking stuffers.
Stunt Man Catapult
Much like the Temple of Gloom this set is interactive and fully functional. Much like the title suggests, the stunt man can be launched [hence the word catapult] from the platform. Sure the box makes it seem like he is going to be flying through the air with the greatest of ease – but with a little work you can get him about two to three feet.
The instructions enclosed in the box are only for the scene shown on the front of the box but you can easily create four or five other scenes from the enclosed pieces by checking out the back of the box for ideas. If you still need ideas check out some cool designs at the website [www.lego.com] and don’t forget to look at the Lego Studios page to see how some cool kids are creating their own films.
Stunt Man
Departing from the run of the mill Lego people, the stunt man is pretty cool looking. His breastplate is black with a silver metallic design. His face is a little scruffy looking and he comes complete with a gray helmet [almost like a crash test helmet]. Since this is a metallic design on the breastplate it won’t stand up to extremely rough play or tons of handling. Eventually the finish will wear away or get tarnished but you can take a little bit of precautionary measures and apply a thin coat of clean nail polish over the area and allow to dry completely before handing it over to the child [or adult].
The Director
He’s a pretty happy looking Lego person, reminds me of Orson Wells for some reason. He’s got a brown vest painted on the breastplate, had a black baseball hat and comes with a movie slate and bullhorn. There were two different movie slates released for the Lego Studio line, one that had a flip top and one that was solid and didn’t open or close.
Catapult
Easy to assemble, the catapult can be rearranged several ways [see the back of the box or website for alternate designs]. You get some interesting pieces with the catapult – my personal favorites are the two yellow and black ‘danger’ strips. To my knowledge the only other set that has these types of pieces were promotional Star Wars sets released in the foreign market to promote the film as well as the Lego Star Wars series.
You also get three plastic flames that rest inside white pod pieces. On the front of the box they are shown in front of the catapult with the stunt man flying over them – don’t let this limit you. You can easily adapt them to be attached to the front of the catapult or along the sides for more dangerous activities. Yes, I know, I need professional help.
Odds And Ends
As with most Lego sets not designed for smaller children, this set contains small pieces that could present a choking hazard. Use with caution around children under the age of six [as the box states] to avoid a dangerous situation.
I noticed that the ‘spring action’ that propels the stunt man does lose some force after about 30 launches. You can always replace the moving pieces if you find that there’s no power left when launching the figures.
All in all this is a great small set to collect. Since I found them on clearance for such an awesome price I stocked up and bought 11 boxes. I originally started out with 8 boxes and left the rest of them since the boxes were crushed on the ends or had severe ‘shelf wear’. I made my way around the rest of the store and eventually found myself back at the clearance section to pick up the three I left behind. What can I say – I am a Lego addict.
I like the simplicity of the smaller sets for many reasons – rare pieces, stocking stuffers, small last minute gifts and rewards for the brood [instead of candy or other teeth rotting treats].
Final Thoughts
As I have said, this is a very small set with limited play value as a stand alone set – but when added with other Lego Studio sets it’s a valuable addition to any Lego freaks collection. Try looking in the clearance sections of Wal-Mart, Target or K-Mart for these sets, you never know what you’ll find until you roll up your sleeves and start digging around.
When I saw these on clearance at Wal-Mart I was wondering if they were put on sale to make room for the holiday times or if Lego decided to ditch the Studio line. After asking the toy section manager I was told that they were but on sale to eliminate overstock and to try and make room for newer Lego items.
The Stats
Set Name: Stunt Man catapult
Family Set: Lego Studio
Lego Set: 1356
Number of Pieces: 56
Age Recommendation: 6 㪨
Ease Of Assembly: Very easy
Time Of Assembly: 5 minutes
Cost: $1.00 on sale at Wal-Mart
Normal price ranges from $2.99 to $3.99
As always, thanks for the read!
^V^ Freak ^V^
Other Lego Studio related reviews ...
Temple Escape
Stunt Man Catapult
Camera Man
Stunt Go Cart
Director's Copter
Air Boat
Green Goblin Set
Werewolf Ambush
Vampire's Crypt
Pirate Scene
Curse of The Pharaoh
Mini Copter
Pirate Treasure Surprise
Dino Head Attack
Scary Laboratory
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $1.00 - sale
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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