LEGO Cuusoo has been renamed LEGO Ideas since the last time I wrote a review on one of these amazing products. The last one was the Back to the Future set from 2012, you can find my review of it here. With 2014 being the 30th Anniversary of the classic movie, what a better time for a set like this to be released upon the Geekly masses! Ever since LEGO Ghostbusters reached 10,000 votes, You can check out the original project here, I have been waiting and waiting for it to be on shelves! Today, I finally have a review! So how does it hold up to the mass market sets that are out there and how does it compare to the DeLorean time machine? Let’s find out!
Packaging on this set is different from what you get when you buy a basic LEGO set. The box has some great artwork featuring the set and I like how the black and yellow coloring that is present on the famous Ghost-trap, is also used on the box. The set opens up from the front, opposed to how normal sets can only be opened from the sides. One thing about LEGO Ideas, is that they don’t give you numbered bags for easy construction. So when you open everything up, be prepared to come up with your own sorting method. I used a couple different containers, including the original box for the larger pieces. LEGO actually suggests that you sort all the pieces by color, but I don’t find that to be necessary, especially if you are good at sorting through LEGOS. This is a skill that I have attained through years of LEGO building experience. I kid. The instruction book included is a collector’s piece in itself. It features quotes from the movie on every page, and some behind the scenes looks at the film.
The set is definitely not for little tykes, the age recommendation is 10+, but I still suggest having an adult present as there are a lot of small pieces involved. Not as many as the Back to the Future set, I will address this again when I talk about the build. Keep yourself organized and you will have a great time putting the Ecto-1 together!
As usual, the Minigifures are a major draw to the set. Adding the Ghostbusters to my shelf was a must and LEGO does not disappoint when it comes to these guys! Each character has his own detailed suit featuring his name. LEGO does a great job tweeking the original look by adding the character’s initials to the front of the suit, while their first name is on the back of the suit. Just getting the Brothers Four put together took me at least a half an hour, including taking pics of course. The set requires you to put together their Proton Packs, 4 times over, so I suggest doing them all at the same time.
I love the display stand that is included with the set as it allows for great display of the minifigures. With the Proton Packs attached each figure can tip over rather easily, so including this base was a great idea. Each character has two different looks on their face. One normal, one scared. LEGO does a good job portraying each Ghostbuster individually, from Venkeman’s sly smile to Ray’s enthusiasm! Also included for your Ghostbusting needs are two radios and a Ghost-trap! These minifigs are enough for me to give this a perfect score and I haven’t even touched the ECTO-1 yet!
When putting the ECTO-1 together, I was worried that I would run into the same problems that the Back to the Future set gave me. I found that the previous set had so many small pieces that the build was more frustrating than it was fun at times. The ECTO-1 was fun throughout the entire process. The most tedious part of the project was the roof piece, but at the same time it was enjoyable because I wanted to see how detailed this set would get! If you compare the two sets side by side, you’ll notice that the ECTO-1 has a more authentic look to it than the BTTF set. What do I mean by this? The Delorean seemed to come off more blocky, while the ECTO-1 used a lot smoother pieces on the body of the vehicle that gives it an overall more realistic look. The set took me a good amount of time to put together (close to two and a half hours), it comes with 508 pieces, so that is to be expected. I also think that when LEGO separates their sets into numbered bags they make it easier and more streamlined for their customers.
There are a lot of great small details that give this set more of a collector’s vibe. These include using hub caps on the wheels, Ghostbuster symbols pre-applied to the pieces (compared to applying stickers like you usually have to), and more! I kind of wish that you could fit two figures in the front seat. In order for you to fit the whole team in the ECTO-1, one of them has to lay down in the back. But when this set is primarily meant for display I can’t complain too much. Especially when it comes to keeping the set at the $50 price point.
LEGO Ideas, what’s next?! Come on creators, I have more space to fill on my Geekly movie shelf! I can’t tell you how awesome it is to see these kind of products being produced, let alone the fact that a program like LEGO Ideas even exists! The ECTO-1 is the best offering from the Ideas/Cuusoo department yet! I give the LEGO Ideas Ghostbusters set 5 outta 5 Stars! There’s not much I would want to be changed in this set, besides the scale so I could fit the team perfectly in the ECTO-1 with all of their Ghostbusting gear. But when the Ghostbusters minfigures will spend most of their time out of the vehicle and on display, this is something that I can’t hold against it. Right down to the license plate, LEGO hit this one out of the park! So who ya gonna call??!!
LEGO Ideas Ghostbusters: A+
~CynicNerd
