Review: 76289 Thor vs. Surtur Construction Figure
Posted by CapnRex101,Large-scale figures have become very common lately, particularly in Marvel and DC sets, where many have proven pretty mediocre. 76289 Thor vs. Surtur Construction Figure makes satisfying use of the format though, recreating the brutal Surtur from Thor: Ragnarok!
The demonic ruler of Muspelheim looks superb in LEGO form, even featuring a removable crown to be strapped on Thor's back. Additionally, images on the box display some interesting poses, which bodes well for Surtur's articulation.
Summary
76289 Thor vs. Surtur Construction Figure, 245 pieces.
£24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99 | 10.2p/12.2c/12.2c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Although he certainly could be bigger, Surtur translates brilliantly to LEGO form
- Surtur arrives in LEGO, at last!
- Impressive poseability
- Unique Thor minifigure
- Great variety of accessories
- Arms should be bulkier
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Many versions of Thor have been produced since 2012 and this set introduces another, based on his appearance in the early part of Thor: Ragnarok. The torso armour is unusual because its standard circular plates are missing, replaced by reddish brown accents and straps. I appreciate this change and the silver buckle on Thor's belt corresponds with the movie.
The tan hair piece and double-sided head both look good too, although an updated head with new expressions would be even better, as the same design has now appeared in eleven sets. However, this figure does sport a new cape, made from the same rubber as Doctor Strange's Cloak of Levitation.
I understood making the cloak from rubber, as it often flies around independently and attaches itself to characters other than Doctor Strange, rescuing allies and impeding enemies. I am not convinced replacing the established fabric cape was necessary for Thor, although its shape is superb and this seems to be a new standard for Super Heroes sets, as Batman and Loki wear similar capes this summer.
Thor comes equipped with Mjölnir and an attached trans-light blue lightning piece, plus a chain to secure the Crown of Black Fire. Strangely, the instruction manual does not show how best to wrap the chain around Surtur's crown and the minifigure, but using the image on the back of the box and some quick experimentation, I found the below arrangement most effective.
Surtur commands legions of Fire Demons and two are provided here. These monsters appear to be made primarily of rock onscreen, but I think black skeleton parts work well, conveying the demons' inhuman design. The heads look excellent too, featuring fiery eyes and mouths, plus a few red and dark red cracks on the back.
The Completed Model
Surtur himself shares these colours and more, incorporating trans-orange flames and orange accents, alongside black and red elements. The character's rocky texture looks reasonable in relation to the source material and I am satisfied with the figure's size too, measuring 19cm tall to the top of the crown, which seems appropriate beside Thor.
Furthermore, this model is better articulated than the recent character mechs and other figures. Between ball joints situated at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips and ankles, as well as head and waist rotation, a superb variety of poses are possible. Functional knees would have been nice, of course, although extensive ankle movement keeps the figure very stable without them.
The shape of Surtur's crown is impressive, attached with a clip behind the head. The rounded head component was designed for Kro in 76156 Rise of the Domo and I doubted it would ever be re-used, so this is a clever solution. While the printed eyes and mouth seem suitably sinister, the crown uses a sticker, which is slightly disappointing.
Fortunately, the 3x3 quarter domes on the chest are printed and the flame pattern is attractive, combined with reddish orange tiles underneath. Moreover, the muscle-like texture works well and I like Surtur's chunky shoulders, reflecting his proportions in the movie. Ideally, the arms would be bigger, but their slender design permits easier movement at the joints.
Surtur looks marvellous from the back too, other than a couple of slits where blue Technic pins are visible. Even the dark bluish grey Technic piece looks natural among the black and orange elements and allows you to connect Thor to the villain's back, as shown below. In addition, the support can rotate from side to side, so this is a nice feature for dynamic display.
The aforementioned chain can also be used to capture Thor, as seen at the beginning of Thor: Ragnarok. Surtur's articulated fingers closely nicely around the chain and this is an advantage of Thor's newly introduced rubber cape, as wrapping a chain around a fabric cape could cause creasing.
While the right hand includes anti-studs on the palm and splayed fingers, Surtur's left hand is designed for his flaming sword. Again, the fingers and thumb wrap realistically around the hilt, which is mounted on a Technic pin. The spiky crossguard on the sword looks splendid and the dual-moulded blade uses fitting colours, although its shape should be closer to a longsword.
A few more stickers are applied on the upper arms and thighs. These red highlights look great, but I tend to prefer printed pieces on buildable figures, as they are less susceptible to damage when handled regularly. Additionally, while the absence of knee joints is acceptable, I wish the knees were not permanently bent, as they sometimes look awkward in neutral poses.
Overall
Although I can imagine a bigger and more detailed rendition of Surtur, perhaps conveying his onscreen strength more successfully, 76289 Thor vs. Surtur Construction Figure is a fantastic set for play. The figure offers good articulation and can undoubtedly look intimidating in certain poses, even though the proportions of his arms and legs could be improved.
The exclusive Thor minifigure is also appealing and I love that you can strap Surtur's crown to his back, using the supplied chain. Moreover, the price of £24.99, $29.99 or €29.99 feels quite reasonable, so I hope LEGO continues to revisit older Marvel films and explore characters and scenes missing from the original wave of sets, exactly like Surtur.
113 likes
37 comments on this article
You shall not pass!
Day 1 buy, no question about it. This looks fabulous!
personally I like the rubber capes, I understand that putting figs in vehicles becomes impossible, but I still prefer them.
I like the Surtur figure. He would work great for something outside of Marvel, which is a huge plus! The fiery skeletons are great too.
The cape however... I don't like it. The fabric ones have been around for decades at this point, and I would argue they are part of what makes a minifigure. I know there where the older castle short-capes, but those rarely added anything to the minifig as they were quite hidden at the back of the torso (unless you're that one blacksmith). This style looks very non-lego to me.
@Binnekamp said:
"I like the Surtur figure. He would work great for something outside of Marvel, which is a huge plus! The fiery skeletons are great too.
The cape however... I don't like it. The fabric ones have been around for decades at this point, and I would argue they are part of what makes a minifigure. I know there where the older castle short-capes, but those rarely added anything to the minifig as they were quite hidden at the back of the torso (unless you're that one blacksmith). This style looks very non-lego to me."
I reckon quite a few LoTR fans are planning on using him as the basis for a Balrog
A little bit of asymmetry in the design like in Thor Ragnarok but not enough for accuracy. Still, a good height.
Size ratio seems fantastic. I'm not one for superhero sets but this one looks great.
What's up with these stiff plastic capes LEGO has been putting into sets lately? Are they gonna discontinue the fabric capes? Do I need to stock up? If so, terrible decision.
I wasn't going to pick this one up, but those fire skeletons are actually awesome!
I'd like an X-Men '97 Sentinel in this format.
Out of curiosity can you put say a mandalorian helmet on with the new rubber cape?
Awesome! This construction figure is your reckoning!
I like the precedent the larger brick-built figures have been setting lately. Think it'd be cool to get a comic Giant-Man someday!
@MandoEli37 said:
"Out of curiosity can you put say a mandalorian helmet on with the new rubber cape?"
I think it would be fine in the back, however it won't fit in the front/side due to the overhang on each side of the head.
Definitely going to pick up one, but I'm tempted to get two so I can have a Surtur and a MOC Balrog.
Please just give us a Balrog already (and not a GWP but an actual set in an actual line)
That Thor cape reminds me of Playmobil somehow:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/135114406304
Surtur would have been an awesome addition to Nexo Knight's Theme as part of the Lava Army: https://brickset.com/sets/tag-Lava-Monster-Army
@Freddy_Hodson said:
"You shall not pass!"
Hard pass. :)
It's a glorified mech with old-style arms. $20 at highest, $30 is too much.
"Oh, is that what it is? I thought it was a big eyebrow..." "It's a crown!"
"Surtur Construction Figure." Truly one of the enemies Thor has fought.
Re a material cape possibly getting creased if you wrapped the chain around the minifigure wearing one, can those capes be ironed?
Buy buy buy
Why isn’t there an image of Surtur from directly the side? Is it because it makes the crown look super weird?
He looks so happy for a fantasy demon!
This isn't Jedi Bob!
I always associated this scene and the song in it with Doom for some reference.
Thor's new cape to appear as it's own advent day gift in this year's Marvel Calendar!
@Kalhiki said:
""Surtur Construction Figure." Truly one of the enemies Thor has fought."
Has there ever been an explaination as to why LEGO set names are becoming more like set descriptions recently (looking at you 76272 The Batcave with Batman, Batgirl and The Joker and 76274 Batman with the Batmobile vs. Harley Quinn and Mr. Freeze).
Why not just 'Thor vs Surtur'. Is it a copyright thing?
@classicstylecastle said:
" @Kalhiki said:
""Surtur Construction Figure." Truly one of the enemies Thor has fought."
Has there ever been an explaination as to why LEGO set names are becoming more like set descriptions recently (looking at you 76272 The Batcave with Batman, Batgirl and The Joker and 76274 Batman with the Batmobile vs. Harley Quinn and Mr. Freeze).
Why not just 'Thor vs Surtur'. Is it a copyright thing?"
My guess, at least with the Batman examples given, is to optamise search engine results and stuff as many 'Key Words' in there as possible, so it comes up and as high as possible no matter what people type in when browsing for things to buy.
E.g. the Batmobile will have a strong match when searching for "Batman", "Batmobile", "Harley Quinn" and "Mr Freeze"
Next LoTR set: The Mines Of Moria & Escape From Balrog?
Is that Surtur's crown? I always thought it is his head! :o
@PhantomBricks said:
" @MandoEli37 said:
"Out of curiosity can you put say a mandalorian helmet on with the new rubber cape?"
I think it would be fine in the back, however it won't fit in the front/side due to the overhang on each side of the head."
But how did the fit Loki’s helmet on with that cape in 76290
@MandoEli37 said:
" @PhantomBricks said:
" @MandoEli37 said:
"Out of curiosity can you put say a mandalorian helmet on with the new rubber cape?"
I think it would be fine in the back, however it won't fit in the front/side due to the overhang on each side of the head."
But how did the fit Loki’s helmet on with that cape in 76290"
Good spot, I forgot about that set! Loki's helmet looks to have a similar position as the Mando helmet so it could then theoretically fit. Unfortunately, I don't have Loki's helmet in hand to compare to Mando's, or the cape which would eliminate any need for comparison.
@PhantomBricks said:
" @MandoEli37 said:
" @PhantomBricks said:
" @MandoEli37 said:
"Out of curiosity can you put say a mandalorian helmet on with the new rubber cape?"
I think it would be fine in the back, however it won't fit in the front/side due to the overhang on each side of the head."
But how did the fit Loki’s helmet on with that cape in 76290"
Good spot, I forgot about that set! Loki's helmet looks to have a similar position as the Mando helmet so it could then theoretically fit. Unfortunately, I don't have Loki's helmet in hand to compare to Mando's, or the cape which would eliminate any need for comparison."
Sorry for the delayed reply. Yes, the standard Mandalorian helmet does fit on the head over the rubber cape. I think it should work with any helmet that does not extend over the torso, such as the modern Stormtrooper helmet.
Imagine if Lego included the janitor guy with two M16 rifles with this. 'Des' and 'Troy', put em together... they destroy!