Review: 21317 Steamboat Willie
Posted by Huw,The announcement that szabomate90's Steamboat Willie project passed review was made only last month so clearly there was a lot of activity going on behind the scenes beforehand because the resultant LEGO Ideas set, 21317 Steamboat Willie, will be on the shelves in a couple of weeks.
I have to say, I felt the model submitted originally was crude and blocky and while subsequent updates improved on it slightly it was not something that I felt was particularly appealing.
However, clearly LEGO thought it was a sound idea that could form the basis of a decent set so let's see how the finished model turned out.
Here's the original model which, as you can see, is small, blocky and unattractively covered in studs. And, as you will also have seen in the pictures published with the press release earlier today, the finished model is none of these things.
Packaging and contents
The box is square and quite deep, and thankfully is a flip-top one that doesn't need to be destroyed on opening.
The front of the box features metallic silver printing of the Ideas logo, around the yellow Mickey Mouse logo, and waves under the boat.
The back shows closeups of the model's details, reveals that the set also includes a minifigure stand, and indicates that the paddles rotate and funnels oscillate up and down.
When I opened the box I had quite a surprise. All that colour! Was it packed with the wrong pieces?
As it turns out, no of course not, because as you'll see the interior of the vessel uses a multitude of different coloured parts to differentiate between them, as is often the case.
Parts are packed in bags numbered 1 to 3, with most of the coloured ones in the #1s.
The perfect bound instruction manual contains information about the fan designer Mate Szabo; the LEGO designers, John Ho and Crystal Bam Fontan; and also about the Walt Disney cartoon.
Minifigures
Not only does the set contain Mickey, as suggested in the original proposal, but Minnie, too. I guess that makes sense given both have been produced before.
However these monochrome versions are of course unique to this set and both have brand new hats. I believe this is the first Ideas set to introduce new moulds, although it's possible that they were designed for the rumoured second series of Disney collectable minifigures that are allegedly being released later this year.
Mickey's legs are dual-moulded silver and black and has silver printed feet.
Minnie has a silver skirt and also has printed feet. Her acoustic guitar first appeared in series 16 collectable minifigs but this white one is new. She's also equipped with a sheet of music for Turkey in the straw, printed on a 2x2 tile.
Here's the monochromatic pair with their Technicolor counterparts:
The Mickey Mouse ears plaque / minifig stand was a nice surprise that I was not expecting. It can be stood upright or used to display the rodents on. The '1928' tile at the bottom is printed in silver. In fact, all decorated parts in the set are printed.
Construction
The boat's hull is 3 times wider than that in the original submission which has enabled the designer to include a mechanism for rotating the paddles and moving the funnels up and down as it's pushed along the floor.
The first stage of construction, then, is concerned with this and as you can see it looks as if the designer has gone out of his way to use as many different coloured parts as possible.
The bow and stern sections of the hull are built upside down and connected to the central section using ball joints, which is both clever and secure.
By the end of bag 1 the internals are complete, ready for cladding with black and white.
The tops of the ends of the hull are formed using the 12x10 stern piece and it is probably this which set the scale for the boat.
Once the funnels have been mounted in such a way that they can move up and down but not side to side, the remainder of the vessel comes together quickly and easily.
The completed model
Initially I took the completed model photos on my usual grey background but they looked really odd with no colour in them at all so I re-took them on blue. Photographing predominantly white models is quite tricky, which might be why the official LEGO images are all renders.
The parrot perched at the front is a monochrome Friends bird.
The rear of the vessel is equipped with a working crane with which Mickey can load the potato bin, a 2x2 printed brick.
The roof of the bridge can be removed to insert the mouse although he looks a bit lost in it and would struggle to see out of the window.
Verdict
After the slight disappointment of 21316 The Flintstones being significantly inferior to the original Ideas submission, that's certainly not the case here. It's bigger and better in every way, and far more detailed and functional. Designer John Ho has done an admirable job of turning a lacklustre submission into a model that's appealing and desirable.
It's a very decent model but something just does not look right to me and that of course is that it's devoid of colour. I get that it's based on a black-and-white cartoon so has to be, but I can't help wondering how much more attractive it would look had it been built with a normal palette of hues.
I think you'll either love it or hate it because of this. I can see that it will appeal to Mickey and Disney fans but I'm not sure it has much to offer others.
You will also be disappointed if you were hoping for a small, inexpensive set that you could buy on impulse, as might have been surmised from the original submission's size. As it is, there are dozens of sets that you're more likely to want to spend $90/£80 on...
Thanks to LEGO for providing this set in a very timely manner for me to review. All opinions expressed in it are my own.
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99 comments on this article
Wow that was fast. Something tells me that the Brickset team knew about this long before they let us know...
I always thought a black and white set would be cool. What a colorful build on the inside my goodness!
This show originally aired when I was a kid. It was cutting edge. Just kidding I’m not almost ninety.
Was hoping for a smaller cheaper set. Could have also included more figures
I like the look of this model, but not willing to spend £80 on it. You can get much better sets for that price.
I actually really liked the black and white colour-scheme. I thought that was one of the most interesting aspects of the set, and certainly, it made the set unique and appealing.
Then I saw the price-tag and immediately lost interest.
As I said on the the previous article:
It is pretty disappointing. And that price is terrible, my God...
I think that Lego was already planning to release a set based on Steamboat Willie since the past year, the fact that somebody made an idea based on it was just coincidence. That would explain why it was approved, why the teaser was released in less than a month after the idea was announced as winner and why the set is already released. That's it.
I actually thought the original submission quite charming - its small size and simplicity were a perfect match for the old-timey feel of the cartoon. If they were going to build a much bigger version, I don't think they could do any better than they did here (it really is a fine set, with a brilliant build, clever mechanisms, and a nice finish), but at the higher price point it's no longer a day-one buy, if I get it at all.
It looks ok but i'd sooner have the disneyland castle, and Although this may have some sentimental value to older disney fans and lego collectors, its probably £30 overpriced like the flinstones set...
I liked the original submission better, it's size and blocky character did a better jobb of capturing the historic vibe of the set. Most people will buy this set for the minifigs anyway, so they might as well have kept the original style and smaller footprint. And to be honest, the oroginal was instantly recognizable as compared to the source material, as the saying often goes here.
Who's this for? I consider myself "old for Lego." I wasn't alive for this. I don't want a mainly black and white set (albeit the internals are nice and bright).
I thought Ideas wasn't doing already licensed sets/themes? And I guess I thought "Disney" was the license. Guess I misunderstood.
I like that it's black and white like the cartoon, but what's the point of adding some silver spots to a black and white cartoon set?
I also like this size better than the original Ideas model's size. Now if only it came with a reasonable price tag...
Bland,
Sorry to be negative but this has 0 appeal to me. the Ideas sets have been struggling for me, still waiting for "ship in a bottle" to be discounted enough for me to jump on it...
I was expecting a $60 set to go next to the Yellow Submarine.
When I saw the images, I thought that was what we were getting.
Then I saw the price.
@nashikens I don't think that was a rule, but more of a suggestion. If I remember correctly (granted it's been like two years) the wording on the LEGO Ideas website says to not do sets based off of *current* licenses as the LEGO Group may already be planning something similar. It's not an auto-ban of such products, but a warning that you might not make it through review.
Given it's been a while since LEGO did an actual/pure Disney set (making the license non-current) and they might not have been planning Steamboat Willie/Black and White Cartoon stuff it still meets the criteria.
For this price I think we should all have expected at least a new mold for Mickey, to reflect his original appearance in the cartoon.......
Moving paddles and funnels seem like a good touch, but maybe some of the old Racers Drawback and release engines could have been used to power the boat?
I will only be buying this when it goes below £50.
Cool! Will definetly buy next.
I think of this type of set as a premium product that has a high entry level price but will also sell well. Hardcore Disney fans will flock to this, but many Lego fans will pass. The price makes sense if you think about the molds, printing, and Disney tax. Doesn’t mean it’s not expensive, but the development of unique sets will always have more overhead.
I had no interest in the original Idea, but I changed my mind on seeing the actual release and reading the review. Then I changed my mind again when I saw they're charging $90 for this. I'd pay $60, tops.
This would have been an instant buy for me if they had included a Peg Leg Pete figure of any kind. But in this case? Pass.
I loved the original for its small size. This is awful. Of course, any set can be made "better" simply by making it bigger.
I only supported the original because of its size.
Hard pass. A major Lego failure, IMO.
Another easy pass for me, thanks Lego.
The most overpriced set of all times and one of the worst Ideas sets ever. Around 40 EUR would be better and even then I wouldn't have bought this garbage.
The black and white is what appealed to me about the ideas submission. The moving parts are novel, but I'd assume anybody who buys this will just be putting it on a display shelf rather than handing it over to their toddler.
I'm not really a Disney fan, but I'd buy it for $60. For $90, no thanks.
Huw, your press release links are messed up.
Mickey ain’t shmegabloks. Wake me when they do Looney Tunes.
I see the bird, no cow though..
I admire the set, but I would never buy it.
"Mickey's legs are dual-moulded silver and black and has silver printed feet" - it really surprised me with such a shiny silver being dual-moulded, but then I saw the photos and info on New Elementary, which I think is worth pointing out: "Although the front and sides of Mickey's legs are Metallic Silver, the back is not and has the Titanium Metallic [TLG]/ Pearl Dark Grey [BL] base colour instead." http://www.newelementary.com/2019/03/lego-ideas-review-21317-steamboat-willie.html
In other words, his legs are dual-moulded in Titanium Metallic and Black, with Metallic Silver printing on the front and sides.
I hope we get an interview with John Ho that explains why the set is 5 times larger than the one that got supported and approved. There was another Steamboat Willie set on Ideas that had over 500 pieces and under 200 supporters, and this looks more like that set than the one that was approved.
Thanks for the quick review! Unfortunately, the price only validates for me that the casual Disney fan is not the target market here. Other than die hard Mickey fans, I am not sure who they think is going to buy this at that price.
Price is obviously ridiculous. But where is the goat? There was some black and white goat leaking photo on the Instagram!
For the stand they should of included a printed tile "i'm the mascot of an evil corporation"
I recently purchased 70618 Destiny's Bounty from the Ninjago movie for $120. It's also a ship but it has 2297 pieces.
I don't even really like Ninjago but the build is brilliant and value is outstanding. You get the extra 1546 pieces for only $30 more. That's 1.9c per piece.
And so many of the pieces on this set are unnecessary, like all the tiles, and just inflate the piece count.
21317 Steamboat Willie is the height of poor value for a Lego set.
Great review, slightly more interested in picking up after reading - fun color hide away. But with NOK price not all that likely
For the license thing, this came before the new rule was introduced, LEGO addressed this when it was announced a month ago: "That is mostly correct. However, in the case of Steamboat Willie, this product idea was submitted before we changed our guidelines and therefore we allowed it to continue gathering support and considered it in the review stage."
https://www.facebook.com/LEGOIdeas/posts/2441824272498423?comment_id=2441861595828024&reply_comment_id=2441879789159538
For the set... I absolutely love it (being a Disney - and a Disney history - fan), for me one of the best ever.
Very charming model that looks especially fun to build, but that price tag is yikes indeed. I wonder if my friend who's a Disney employee could get a discount for herself... she loves Mickey and is going to be so excited about this — until she sees the price tag.
the size of the model (and therefore the price) is IMO simply an ego trip for Disney. A smaller model would not have cut it.
Didn't like the original submission and don't like the final version either.
Thanks for your words at the end.
Hmm, had absolutely no interest in this before reading this review. Now I have a mild interest in at least bricklinking some parts, since I think the hull has a promising future as a tugboat
That’s funny. I’m just visiting Australia this week, but it tagged my post with that location. I guess that means the country information doesn’t come from my profile like I assumed
Pass for me. Looks cool, but not something I need.
Especially sad about the lack of Pete. I know, he'd probably need a new mold, but it would've been nice to see.
Ill get this set on five finger discount, maybe I’ll get two of them just because I can.
Good model. I was expecting to want to buy it. But at £80, it's a bit too high for me. Nearer £50 and I may have been tempted, but unless there are significant reductions, I'm not going to get it.
Iconic Walt Disney History!!!
While I absolutely love this classic LEGO Disney SteamBoat Willie set...
I truly can’t believe LEGO & Disney would dare charge USD $89.99 for it?!?!?
At this price point, it should have included more than just 2 Minifigures: Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse. Where is a BigFig of Captain Pete and a figurine of the comical Goat???
What a shame...
IMO a Mickey90th rip-off!
@ronvining: A goat and a parrot/bird were included in the Updates section of the original Ideas submission, but Lego decided to leave them out. It’s a shame, the goat looked especially great.
Sorry i know its a bit far fetched but will there be a polybag version of this? Because i'll buy that instead... Lol
@ parsom I agree. The goat was the first picture I saw and instantly recognized it and said that it looks like we would be getting a Steamboat Willie set. Shame it is not included here especially with the sheet music being included. I wonder if it will be released wth the rumored minifig collectibles.
Eighty pounds... eighty?? Eighty??? Eight zero... eighty...?? No surely not.... really... eighty?? Actually, it's £79.99 just so Lego can keep it in the seventy-something price bracket.
I'm in my early 40s, I had never heard of 'Steamboat Willie' before reading about it from LEGO Ideas and still don't see the appeal. I had minimal interest before seeing the final images and I have even less interest after seeing the ridiculous price. I would love to see how this sells compared to some of the better Ideas sets such as the Old Fishing Store for example. I can't help but resent the fact that this set has taken (or wasted) a slot in the release schedule in place of plenty of more worthy candidates. Poor show from LEGO.
So I guess I must be the kind of person TLG is targetting: high income afol wih a liking for something different...
I am SO glad that Lego does a fan-inspired theme as a premium for fans who seek something different and unique from the regular themes. I think TLG deserves an award for producng and promoting this kind of one-off set.
So come on all you people who voted for the original and buy this set. I didn’t vote, never do. But love the ideas theme in general and for all the unique and daring choices. So I will certainly get this as a premium set and enjoy it fully knowing that most people can’t apparently afford it or don’t want to spend that kind of money. Makes it something even more special!
Also, I actually like the set, and especially that it is b/w
Uuuuuugly! I suggest downloading the instructions and doing a recoloured exterior.
Have to concur with giovannesl's observations above. The fact that there is also a Duplo Steam Boat Willie/Mickey inspired set out at the moment (10881) further suggests that Lego has been working on this concept for a while. Even if 10881 doesn't acknowledge the influence of the 1928 cartoon it is still clearly there.
May be this time Lego wanted to avoid the backlash caused when the Ghostbusters Firehouse (75827) was released and little acknowledgement was given to the very similar Lego Ideas submission by Sergio512.
The most *beep*ing ridiculous $90 set LEGO has ever made. I mean I can't even look at the model because it just screams $70.
so much better than the original
Well, I'm definitely NOT a fan of that awful color-vomit they call "internal structure", stuff like that just brings back too many painful memories of the "shortcuts" I had to take as a kid when I didn't have enough pieces of the right color. Sure it's hidden but I still know it's there, to me it's like putting a nice finish on a half-assed job. It's semi-acceptable to use a few pieces in exotic colors to liven up the building process a little, but massive amounts of plain old red/blue/yellow? Not acceptable by any standard or measure. If I buy this set I'd seriously consider to replace most of this garishness with black/white/grey.
I'd rather pay more and get another fishing store type set. This doesn't interest me and the price is too high for an impulse buy.
I think people are misinterpreting the concept of Ideas. The reason it is called LEGO Ideas is because the submissions are ideas, not final products. Now I will grant that better looking models will beget more support because they paint a better picture, but then even the great models can become mishaps in the final product because of whatever reasons behind the scenes and everyone becomes unhappy. Or you have the opposite here where a relatively crude, small idea has become a much more interesting set, and yet people are unhappy. Now I won't deny that this is a massive size difference when it comes to the original submission, and the price is surprisingly high, and those are worthy criticisms for those that wanted something smaller and less expensive, but the idea was to celebrate the Steamboat Willie cartoon, and that is what this set executes.
When you are giving a project support, there are a few other bits of information they like to ask, like who the product would be for, and how much it should cost, and some people that came from outside of the LEGO fan sphere could have skewed the results to say that only adults would want it and they'd pay top dollar. They used to also ask you write something, too, but that's gone now. LEGO takes all this information into account and then provides a product based off an idea if it could withstand the rigors of the review board. The idea put forth was a black and white model based off of the Steamboat Willie cartoon, and believe it or not, that is what LEGO took and turned it into a set.
I don't understand why everyone is having so much of a problem with it outside of those with price issues. I absolutely get it, it is expensive, that can be Disney Tax, it could be that there are new molds that need to be paid off for those new hats, the printing could have been expensive, there are a few new recolors that may have needed extra treatment, I don't know all the ins and outs, but they could all be factors. Every Ideas set has looked different from their original models. Some are closer adaptations than others, but that might have to do with the fact that some people make ideas look more like sets and try to think like set designers and make submissions that could hold up to LEGO's standards for sets.
What I really don't get though are the people saying the set looks ugly. It's ugly because it is black and white? That's part of the charm if you ask me. Should a model of a Killer Whale not be black and white? If somebody wanted a set based off of The Twilight Zone, should that also not be black and white? It's based off of something that is black and white everyone. Is it ugly because it has functions? That doesn't mean it still can't be displayed. You know how many sets I have that are absolutely playsets with features, yet are on display? Probably too many. I can tell you that the Ideas sets that were only displays were of no interest for me. As a result of adding functions, the set had to become bigger. And there are still display opportunities with that plate. Is that a good addition? It's up to the consumer, but for those that only want something to display, it is another element of the original submission.
So am I getting this set? It was never even on my radar when I heard it was in the running to become a set. I have no long lasting ties to Mickey Mouse or the Steamboat Willie cartoon, and I've passed down sets that are of subjects more interesting to me because the price was too high, too. So no, but that doesn't mean the set still isn't good, it just means I'm not interested in it. I'm just disgusted by the way people are reacting. It must be the culture these days of love it or hate it, no room for anything else.
The kickback over the expanded set baffles me. The original submission was cute enough, but ultimately forgettable. The commercial model is a nice conversation piece, more suitable to set on a shelf and enjoy. I was going to purchase this one either way, but I'm quite happy that Lego amped it up a bit and provided a more substantial building experience and a more elaborate display piece.
@DecR504 - Thanks for the follow-up... The parrot survived the cut. Sadly, no Capt Pete / Goat. =(
I am surprised by how much I like this - didn't expect to at all.
As an aside, I much preferred the official Flintstones set to the original submission - just really would have liked Dino and the bedrock sign (the kids not so much as they didn't appear until season 3).
I was expecting B&W minifigures but maybe in another Disney CMF series.
So now I am thinking about getting some custom prints and figure made to recreate the Steamboat Fatty part of the title sequence from Alexei Sayle’s Stuff. There’s a niche reference for you.
@MCLegoboy:
Well said. The friend I mentioned — who is not even an AFOL! — made a LEGO Ideas account specifically to support Steamboat Willie and nothing else. I also added support even though I'm not a Mickey fan. She was excited at the prospect alone of there being a set based on the animated short and is absolutely psyched after seeing how substantial the final model is. To that end I think this set has accomplished what it set out to do, particularly even for those who aren't very into LEGO, and I think the LEGO Ideas team have done a great job working with the fan designer to take it to the next level.
On price, I think US$80 would have been the absolute most I would pay for this set even given the factors you've mentioned. $70 would have been somewhat generous, so I can understand not charging even that, but I still think $90 is quite a stretch (I'm thinking it's going to be something like $130-150 where I live, judging by the Aussie price). It speaks volumes when some people are going as far as to try rationalizing that as being reflective of Mickey's 90th year.
I personally think that the play value is amazing and agree with you on the "best of both worlds" aspect of displaying playsets; when my friend and I saw on the box art that you could push this boat to make the paddle wheel and funnels go, we were psyched. I was very pleasantly surprised they went and turned this into a playset. But, like I've heard with the Aston Martin DB5 for example, for those who just want to display it they're ultimately being forced to pay for play features they're probably never gonna use after the first few minutes of novelty. For most sets, this isn't too big of a deal if the PPP is OK, since they can then simply modify the set and reuse the parts for something else. For something like this where PPP doesn't even begin to be a valid metric for measuring its value for money, there's probably not much they can do. The innards certainly look extensive and almost all of them could be taken away from the model without changing its external appearance. I think this is what some of those bemoaning the play features were trying to get at.
And I understand where they're coming from — I've built MOCs of both the playable and non-playable (static) kind, and the design process for each can be quite different, since I would not waste resources adding play features (and hence complexity) to a model that's intended solely for display. This set tries to bring the best of both worlds, though, which comes at the cost of, well, added cost.
I'm not going to get this set either, as I don't have room for anything but my ongoing LEGO town project at the moment. But the reason I supported it on Ideas was because someone I care about would love it. But I don't know that even she could justify that price tag (which is why I'm wishful-thinking she could maybe get an employee discount or something). It's a bit much.
Wow, I absolutely do NOT understand the extreme negativity in these comments (other than those about the high price - that's fair).
I'm not even interested in Disney Lego and this set looks really good to me, it's a unique concept, it's well-built and accurate, what more do you want? I'm *especially* baffled why anyone would want to "color it in". Like I seriously have no idea where people are coming from when they say something like that.
Look closely to the lower right corner of the box, you see the number 24, but it should be 25. That’s because the Flintstones set (21316) already has the number 24, this is a serious quality control error! If LEGO doesn’t recall the wrong mad sets, it would be a nice collectors item!
@Merlijn_Evers: I don't know if you noticed, but Huw already made an entire article pointing that out.
@LegoSonicBoy, nope, didn’t notice, but I will read it.
Huge upgrade from a design standpoint at least.
They should make a runaway brain Mickey minifigure - a series of standout Mickeys would be like colecting vinyl figures.
I was really looking forward to this set, but like a lot of you, I was shocked when I saw the price. The picture of the bags shows how little you're getting for your money, especially when compared to Ideas sets like the Fishing Shack, at £129
I agree with some of the other comments regarding the massive negativity. Sure it's a bit more than most want, but for some people it works perfectly. It will probably be successful selling too and most likely is targeted towards AFOLs who enjoy Disney and Mickey products. If it isn't your cup of tea I don't see a need to trash it.
@ZordBoy Me too. Will probably look for a new one on Amazon in a few months or something, but LEGO definitely overadjusted the price, even for an Ideas set.
That price has got to be a joke.
As it is nice though I might get it one day, albeit not before there is some substantial discount.
This feels like the nineties, when comic book publishers sold "variant" covers in "foil" for $50. Eventually the greed killed the market. This is $10 less than the retail price of the last Brick Bounty. A bit hilarious, really.
I do not see the need to trash the original submission, I quite liked it, there is not always the need to blow up sets for more detail.
I only want that guitar.
@Mickitat.. Very well put.
@PaNic.. To be fair, I get the feeling that a lot of people supported a $30 steamboat to set on the corner of their desk rather than a premium Disney warship centerpiece.
LEGO fans will complain about anything... We actually get an ideas set that is not simply the original proposal, but bigger, more developed with more features and minifigs. I think this is the first time in ideas the entire project has increased in scale from the proposal. Including slipping in some unexpected new parts. The result is a nice fully playable ship. At $90 it’s in line with most other full hulled ships they have released. I rather like it. I certainly like it a lot better than the proposed blocky little boat that wouldn’t hold the minifigs. It’s a great display piece. It looks like a real fun toy with the moving smokestacks. I’m impressed.
That price is bananas. Is it $60 upside-down? This would be well priced at $70 if it included Pete and the goat and maybe dropped the plaque. To be fair, I'm not interested in Disney kitsch, but it would have been a good collectible or gift for a fan. It is a pretty nice model for what it's representing.
For $90 I picked up a Pop-up Party Bus and Benny's Space Squad yesterday, at full retail. That's almost 1100 pieces, six figures, large exclusive parts and way more play features. I also got a great 3-in-1 at $15 for 220 pieces. I could get six of those at this price!
I really like this set, especially as a Disney fan. However, that price does seem a bit steep. Just looking at it, it seems to be more like a $60 or $70 set. At 750 pieces or so a $70 price tag seems more in line with how sets are often priced. But $90 seems high. It just doesn't look like a set that would command that type of price tag, especially when compared to other sets at that price range.
I don't have a problem with the design at all though. It's a really neat set, and very well done I feel like. This official Lego model is a true boat for the figures, while the original submission was just a display piece with a separate mini-figure. I think it was a good idea on Lego's part to make it an actual ship that fits the figures. It's a bit more of an acquired taste than some sets though, and the B&W coloring may turn some people off. I like it, but $90 is hard to swallow.
As an aside, I believe it was determined that the goat "leak" was actually a fake and not an actual piece produced.
Mah main boi Huw b fastest dogito fry in the west, or wherever he lives.
@Huw
“Photographing predominantly white models is quite tricky, which might be why the official LEGO images are all renders.”
Is there a way to tell when Lego uses renders as opposed to photography?
@Brother Brain:
I don't know all the tricks, but one potential tell is if all the seams between the bricks are consistent, even those adjacent to 1x1 bricks and plates. Those parts in particular are tricky to get lined up at precisely right angles, and even then, there's enough variance in how the outside of parts lines up with the inside that you should get _some_ variance in the width and shading of the seams. Another potential tell is if all the logos line up in the same direction. While that may hold true for an individual part, when you start building something it's often impossible to avoid having a mix of N-S and E-W orientations on the logos, unless you pointedly design with the intention of avoiding having that happen.
I like it but there is clearly a heavy "Disney Tax" being applied here.
The piece count is very similar to The Flintstones. If anything, The Flintstones seems to have more large pieces (for the wheels on the car, the base and roof of the house etc) plus 2 extra minifigs yet the Steamboat Willie set is $30 more expensive here in Australia.
The Flintstones wasn't the best value Ideas set by a long short (that goes to the Saturn V Rocket in my book) but it was still reasonable. This one, not so much. May hold off and wait until it hits local retail and goes on sale (if it had the goat I would have been a lot more likely to just go for it on day 1)
@Purple Dave, Brother Brain:
For me, the lighting says it all. Rendered models typically either have perfect reflective surfaces or obviously artificial-looking wear applied to them. If you were pixel-peeping at the studs you can also tell by the absence of any sprue marks in places where you'd normally find them relative to the orientation of the stud logo.
I have no interest in this set. I don't particularly care for Mickey. With that said, I am impressed with how this ended up. Nicely detailed, good size.
I don't agree with the price. Main reason why i won't get one. Even not being a fan, I can understand the iconic role this plays, so i would consider getting it. But not at that price. I don't care for the Beatles (gasp!), but i still bought that set because i found a good deal.
I also do think the people who voted for the original weren't voting for this type of detail. *shrugs*
For me, the main clue that it's a rendering is to look at vertical vs. horizontal gaps between pieces. If they're identical it's clearly a rendering, with real bricks the vertical gaps are far more prominent than the horizontal ones. On this model the crane rope is also a telltale sign, as what I presume is regular lego string looks like monofilament plastic or rubber band. Also the way it passes through the upper lug looks clearly bogus, like as if it has zero stiffness.
As Purple Dave says, it's generally about looking for the little errors, or lack of such. Even when we think we build a model perfectly, the merciless gaze of the macro lens reveals otherwise - pieces pushed properly together actually has huge gaps, invisible specs of dust turns into massive heaps of crud and near-perfectly aligned 1x1s are totally lopsided. As such I'm a little hesitant to reveal our ways to spot renderings in case someone at Lego reads this, as it would make it possible for them to make "better" renderings (by for instance introducing "artificial" imperfections) and further make it harder for us to distinguish between dirty Rendering peasants and the Real Photography master race.
Devoid of colour? Don't worry, it will be yellow in three months... ;o)
I wonder of the silver coloring on these minifigs is real silver leaf, which accounts for the higher price point. The upcoming CMF versions don't have this.
Congratulations to szabomate90), but damn, TLG are asking a premium.
I too found the repeated dissing of the original submission annoying. Simple lines and studs are the fundamental aspects of Lego, and these elements scream classic. What better way to model a classic cartoon?
$90 is just too much.
@darkstonegrey:
If you read a few of the reviews people have posted, the shoes are printed, while the shorts are dual-molded. New Elementary even cited the specific colors according to both LEGO and Bricklink naming conventions.
Anyone know if the notes on the printed 2 x 2 tile actually sound like Turkey in the Straw if you play them or if they are just some random notes?
I know the notes on part 6001512 actually sound like the start of a real song (the name of which I cant work out) but I wonder about this one.
The silver on the Minifigs will be like the silver on the Tin Man from the TLM2 series.
I think that everyone that did liked the smaller version better can do a more or less good looking rebrick and add the figs from the Minifigure series.
Nice, although it lost the essence from the original submission.
Expensive, too much. Overpriced
@julesvincent:
New Elementary's review says the shorts are dual-molded (so probably exactly like the Tin Man) while the shoes are deco, so...also like the Tin Man (turns out the lower jaw and the front and back of the torso are silver deco on silver parts).
Great birthday present
So, I work at a LEGO store and got to build one of the Steamboats we're putting out. One was already built, and they told me to be careful when we're building it as the first smokestack got stuck on their other boat. Everything when smoothly but then while I was testing the mechanism I found it got stuck too. There's so much friction that the first smokestack doesn't go down. I have no idea if we're unlucky or if this will be a common problem.
I was all set to buy this set for my mother, even got as far as the check out screen then for some reason I decided to check to see how many pieces it had before continuing on... suffice it to say I too balked at the price/piece ratio. After reading all these comments I realize I'm not alone. To add insult to injury I'm fearing the set is a lemon after reading a Lego store employee's comments about the smokestack mechanism being stuck. I may decide to sit on the fence for this one awhile longer.
I think this is a great set - love the black & white color scheme with the silver details. Super classy looking! I think the official version is a significant improvement over the original design (which I liked as well and voted for - very creative idea). I especially like the added functionality with the various moving parts, and the smoothing of studs. I am generally a Disney fan, although not usually the old-fashioned Mickey Mouse stuff. This is definitely on my wish list.