LEGO Monkie Kid - Monkey King Warrior Mech - 80012

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Even without a custom material used around the waist, Macaque’s mech could very well benefit from more symmetry rather than asymmetry. It does well to give some characterisation to the build, but the mech feels so under armoured and outmatched that the left arm is the only thing that will hold its own against the Monkey King’s Warrior Mech. In isolation, each model provides an interesting build experience and fun opportunities for imaginative play, at a very good price point (the Mech has a price per part of6.5p / 7.2c / 7.2c while Mei's Jet is7.3p / 8.1c / 8.1c). It's great to see these smaller and more affordable Monkie Kid sets in the lineup for 2023. Combining the two of them adds another level of fun and play potential which I'm sure the target 7+ audience will enjoy. Both sets offer modest minifigure selections, but they do contain some interesting rare parts and share examples of the new sword mould with this wave's biggest release, the Ultra Mech, so there is something for AFOLs to appreciate as well. What is fascinating to build and then to take in as a final piece is not very playable at all. The quite frustrating feature of some of the smaller pieces wanting to ping off every time you even just breathe too close to it could be overlooked if its range of movement was any greater than a couple of different standing poses. Unfortunately, though, LEGO Monkie Kid 80045 Monkey King Ultra Mech feels restricted out of necessity. To get this thing to stand at all is a real achievement, but the result is a compromise on play, which for this being the flagship set of a theme very much targeted at a younger LEGO audience, feels a little counterintuitive. This set’s strengths speak to an older audience that may not be even looking at this theme in the LEGO store.

And… we’ve already built this before, haven’t we? It’s sold out on LEGO.com and is retiring at the end of this year just before 80045 Monkey King Ultra Mech comes out, but 80012 Monkey King Warrior Mech is pretty much this set from two-and-a-half years ago. Clearly there are both aesthetic and particular structural differences to the respective mechs (which do slightly improve this more recent version), but at their core this feels like the same main build, particularly for how similar the final models behave in how they look great but are quite restricted in movement and play. Having not kept up with the television show, we can’t speak to the accuracy of this LEGO model nor where context might explain particular aspects to its appearance, but from a pure build and LEGO viewpoint, 80045 Monkey King Ultra Mech is an impressive and notably huge mech, covered in extravagant detail and colour. You really feel the entire 1,705 pieces in putting this together and can see where the depth and extra design considerations have been made – from the feet all the way up to the head, there is a 360-degree level of attention that has gone into this model, resulting in something that looks entirely implausible but totally fun from pretty much any angle. Macaque’s Mech is a fun set for the new 2022 wave, and I’m glad that Monkey King’s rival got his own form of fighting machine to bring to the battle, but with the 2020 Monkey King Warrior Mech being far superior in size, impact and detail, Macaque’s mech is definitely standing in someone else’s shadow.I find the booster assembly's shape even more appealing when viewed from the side, although the trans-red canopy is noticeable. Official images have shown that the boosters, golden swords and wrist blades can be reconfigured into a jet, which is ingenious. Even so, I wonder whether this canopy could have been transformed into a prison cell, for example.

Windscreen 6 x 4 x 1 Hexagonal with Handle in White (6341902 | 27262) - also seen in White Dragon Horse Jet, 80028 The Bone Demon and 80006 White Dragon Horse Bike I’m sure there is a die-hard fan out there that is at the ready to sweep this setup and get make that mech their own, but as a fan collector who has built the other set, this one doesn’t do it for me. The comments calling this a downgrade are funny. The review itself shows that both mechs are eye to eye in terms of height; the new one has much more intimidating and natural shaping which frees up movement in the arms; and, of course, the "horns" are and always have in fact been plumes, so they should be floppy! While a dimension of play is lost in removing the original's tiny enemy mech and side building, the new mech introduces new features to make up for it: spring-loaded guns, glowing "golden gaze" eyes, and a modular detachable jet. The original mech has no functions of its own, and its weight and limited articulation don't lend themselves to action figure style play, either. This mech maintains the size and visual beauty of its predecessor while integrating actual play features! I do wish that the Azure Lion had a small mech or build, since this is his only appearance and his allies each have one in the other sets they respectively appear in, but it couldn't possibly rival the main course here anyway— the tiny bull mech from 2020 is more funny than fun to play with. All things considered, this Monkey Mech is definitely on par with the original, and while it may not be different enough to attract some collectors, it's great in its own right." Very good comment. I'd thought about replying to some of the naysayers but you explained everything far better than I have. I also think that, as I mentioned above, the new version is probably better suited for action-figure play by virtue of having fewer loose parts that could pop off if mishandled.Available from LEGO.com and LEGO Stores from 26th Dec 2021 for China and 1st Jan 2022 everyone else. As it is, we have two giant mechs to sit on the shelves and look menacingly awesome, just so long as they aren’t asked to change stance, or walk. And don’t dust them too heavily because things will ping off, argh! — LEGO Monkie Kid 80045 Monkey King Ultra Mech characters — Inspired by Monkey King tales from the classic Journey to the West novel and rooted in China’s culture and values, LEGO Monkie Kid sets help youngsters develop bravery, resilience and optimism through creative building and play.

Let children create their own awesome battle stories with this LEGO® Monkie Kid™ toy playset (80022), featuring the Spider Queen’s Spider Arachnoid Base mech/mobile HQ. Mei looks very cool seated behind MK as his copilot, and the contrasting color schemes work surprisingly well (special shout-out to each minifig having their own color-coded head-up display)! The Bright Bluish Green "belt" around the mech's waist honestly helps a lot at making the combination feel natural, since it matches the jet's other Bright Bluish Green parts, including the pentagonal tile that forms part of the chest plate/harness.Well, in a set that focuses on a mech, it’s completely unsurprising that this thing is the biggest thing in the box.