Review: 70631 Garmadon's Volcano Lair
Posted by CapnRex101,A truly diabolical supervillain should be expected to meet certain criteria for evil, among the most vital of which is to occupy an imposing base of operations. 70631 Garmadon's Volcano Lair definitely fits the bill in that regard, featuring deadly sharks, streams of molten lava and the villain's frightening visage carved into the rock!
However, the price point of £49.99 or $49.99 seems fairly modest given the sheer scale of this location in the movie. I am therefore a little sceptical that the set will contain sufficient detail and functionality but hope to be surprised, particularly since the similar 8637 Volcano Base remains one of my favourite play sets ever released. If this interpretation of a volcano lair can come close to matching the 2008 Agents set then I will be very pleased.
Minifigures
Zane wears an attractive white robe featuring an ice crystal emblem which distinguishes the character from his fellow ninja. The black trim looks marvellous and I like how neatly the fabric is folded, with a greater number of straight edges than are found on the rest of the ninja minifigures in The LEGO NINJAGO Movie. This and the two devices strapped to Zane's belt reflect his robotic origins very effectively.
Removing the head wrap reveals even more evidence that Zane is a robot. His bright blue eyes, perfectly straight eyebrows and manic expressions are unusual but they look superb. I particularly appreciate that you can read Zane's expressions based upon the position of his eyebrows alone as they are all that is visible when the mask is being worn. A quiver full of arrows and a black bow complete the figure.
Garmadon was introduced in the very first season of NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu and this version of the character feels very much like an homage to his design from both the first and second series. The impressive helmet has been introduced for the film and includes plenty of moulded detail but retains the samurai styling seen on Garmadon's original headgear. His armoured upper torso element is also quite familiar, although the texture used on the minifigure from 2012 has been replaced by some intricate printing.
Unfortunately, this design does not continue onto the back of the figure but the lower part of the torso is decorated with some muscle definition and a dark blue sash. Garmadon comes equipped with a staff which is topped with a decorative component and only appears elsewhere in the Collectable Minifigures series. A katana, sai and spear are also found in the villain's lair so he can arm himself properly if need be.
Steve works in Garmadon Propulsion Laboratories alongside the GPL Tech from the Collectable Minifigures series. He sports a white lab coat which is fairly similar to worn by his female colleague, although his includes a blue pen which has evidently started leaking! This is a delightful detail and I like the colourful tie-dyed shirt hidden underneath the coat which helps to give the figure some character.
The double-sided head also conveys a great deal of personality. One side features a grim expression while the other looks surprised and includes a crack in Steve's enormous spectacles! I love the bushy hair piece too. This works perfectly alongside a tie-dyed shirt and has not appeared in reddish brown before, having previously been used for Cavemen in the first series of Collectable Minifigures and the recent 5004936 Iconic Cave.
Garmadon keeps several officers on hand to advise him during conquests and General #1 is the highest ranking of these characters, as demonstrated by his extensive collection of medals. The general wears a unique great white shark helmet which features the standard black eyes and white teeth but is distinguished by metallic silver shoulder armour in place of the pearl dark grey seen on other warriors.
The minifigure does not include air tanks so a gap is left at the base of the neck which is odd given that the corresponding blackened minifigure, shown below, does come with air tanks. I love the dark blue jacket and trousers though, especially in conjunction with a regal dark red sash. The metallic gold medals are excellent too. Most follow a nautical theme so suggest that the general has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in Garmadon's aquatic army.
Unfortunately, Garmadon has a penchant for firing those who displease him out of the volcano lair in explosive fashion! It is therefore interesting to compare this version of the general with the Shark Army Great White Collectable Minifigure. There is evident continuity between the two figures as General #1's helmet has been charred in the explosion and the heat of the volcano has melted some of his medals. It is great to have both versions available and they look marvellous when displayed side by side.
The last of the five minifigures included is Four Eyes. This unusual character wears a huge octopus-shaped helmet which must be very cumbersome but looks nice in sand green to contrast with the dark orange version from the Collectable Minifigures. It is made from rubber so the tentacles can flex slightly and they fit very neatly around the shoulder armour and air tank which also includes some lovely moulded detail.
A battery icon beneath the tentacles shows the level of oxygen remaining in Four Eyes' tank and he sports a sand blue uniform. The printed designs on the torso and legs are simple but they look very practical, including a few pouches for equipment and a pair of grey kneepads. The set does not come with any fish-shaped weapons which is a bit of a shame but you can assemble a couple using the fish from Garmadon's tank.
The Completed Model
Garmadon's lair is a little larger than I was anticipating, measuring almost 27cm in height and 31cm wide. Its open design is ideal for display and there is plenty of room to place minifigures on different levels, as one would hope. I think the combination of black and light bluish grey looks good on the whole but a bit more trans-orange would have been useful to further convey the idea of a volcanic environment.
Evil lairs are often inhabited by sharks and this set accordingly includes a dark bluish grey shark with opening jaws. A small flying robot resembling a clam patrols the base too. This is referred to as a shell drone in the set description and features two sand blue shells that form protective armour around the eyes and teeth inside. It opens and closes very neatly on hinges and a trans-red laser is mounted on top which looks splendid.
The shell drone's wings can fold up to dock on the ground level. I like the light bluish grey platform and the colourful hazard stripes but wonder whether this area could have included some sort of fuel hose or charging station, just to add a little more play value. Nevertheless, the flying drone is fun and the yellow support structures on either side look marvellous.
New vehicles and weapons are constantly being developed by Garmadon's scientists so it is nice to see a laboratory on the upper level. This room is simply furnished with a long table but I like the blue drinks machine in the corner and the large computer station looks brilliant, with an array of stickered screens showing some technical readouts, the volcano lair and a crane. However, the highlight is definitely the tiny model of the piranha mech from 70629 Piranha Chase which is instantly recognisable and is displayed beside an equally small grabbing claw!
The ground level of Garmadon's volcano lair is flooded by the sea, as demonstrated by the blue plates on which the structure is built. This central area therefore remains very open but you could imagine a solid surface to be filled with minifigures and small vehicles. A large face is carved into the rock and looms over the entranceway, featuring evil red eyes and a row of teeth. It looks fantastic and is cleverly constructed as the section below the eyes is fitted using vertically Technic pins. This includes a new 2x2 inverted curved slope to match the existing 2x1 element.
Garmadon issues commands from a luxurious chamber near the summit of the volcano. This space includes a rack for some weapons on the wall along with a decorative golden katana but its most notable feature is a fish tank containing two fish. They are fitted using clips which are almost entirely hidden when the tank is viewed from the front and a sand green box, perhaps holding fish food, rests on the shelf to the right. I like the design of this room but wish it was a little bigger so you could place more minifigures inside, as shown in the movie.
The peak of the volcano is built using several small slopes alongside two 6x1x5 elements. I was initially concerned that these would look out of place among the irregular rock shapes but actually they fit quite nicely. The combination of black and dark bluish grey works well and I love the trans-orange lava flowing out of the crater and down the side of the volcano.
A 4x4 round plate occupies the centre of the crater and forms part of one of my favourite functions in the set. Turning a large gear at the back of the model will cause the volcano to erupt, sending the 4x4 plate flying along with any minifigures on top! This works very well as the force of the wheel suddenly overcomes the clutch power but it could be further improved by placing a few trans-orange 2x2 bricks around the plate which would also be ejected in the event of an eruption.
I think the model looks very impressive from the front where most of the 521 pieces included are used. Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of the rear where Technic beams and supports are left exposed which looks rather awkward. Ideally, both sides would be equally detailed but this would be impossible at the current price point and on that basis the designer has done quite well in my opinion as the areas lacking detail are well hidden.
New vehicles and weapons are designed in the laboratory but must be constructed on the other side of the base. This industrial zone includes a workbench with a wrench as well as the parts and instructions for building a flick-fire missile. I love how this sticker imitates the style of a LEGO instruction manual, right down to the light blue background and a even step number! Another sticker warns of the nearby moving gears at ground level.
Turning the aforementioned gears causes a section of the wall to burst open, allowing the ninja or any other unwanted visitors to enter the base. This is a simple function but it offers some additional play value and is hidden very effectively. There is a little extra space behind the wall which is perhaps too small to furnish properly but you could store a few minifigures and accessories in here.
A yellow crane completes the construction area. Several click hinges and a ball joint allow the crane to move in any direction and the adjustable claws can be used to grasp almost anything, including a shark as the box artwork suggests! We see cranes like this one loading sharks into the cylindrical tank on the back of Garmadon's mech in the film but it might also be used to transfer them into the base from the waters outside.
Overall
Garmadon's volcano lair is absolutely vast in The LEGO NINJAGO Movie and designing a model which captures the essence of the location at a relatively small scale must have been difficult. Fortunately, I think the designer has done very well, finding space for several fun play features as well as all of the major rooms seen in the film and plenty of charming references, my favourite of which is the tiny model of the piranha mech.
The minifigure selection is also quite satisfying, although the base feels a bit empty without a couple of extra soldiers. A little more detail on the reverse side would have been welcome too but I think the designer has found a good balance between size and detail given the price of the set. 8637 Volcano Base remains my favourite model of this kind but 70631 Garmadon's Volcano Lair has undoubtedly exceeded my expectations.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your thoughts on the set in the comments below.
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19 comments on this article
flying oysters?
Definitely one of my favorites!
Details are important, but this set is aimed at a younger public so price matters more than adding the extra details AFOLs would like to have. I'd love to see LEGO make more affordable sets in 2018, like this one. AFOLs can always give it a go and MOD the original with 10K extra bricks !
I might get this one sometime, it reminds me of the Ultra Agents set with the lair only better.
Finally a proper building in this series, I had lost the hope to be able to purchase a decent building, seeing the trend of only releasing damned vehicles, is it so difficult to design buildings with more play value? :/
Looks OK, but definitely too small.
Yes, Steve is amazing!!
The individual Steve figure is going to cost a fortune, considering its popularity
It would be great if photos were included of the minifigures' faces under their headgear (Shark Army General, Steve, Four Eyes). The reverse expression is shown in full, but not the regular one.
It's verry interesting how they reused hippie torso design on Steve here :)
excellent review--this is now a must-buy for me!
must buy, I will keep it like it is and then maybe either use it as a batman villain lair or be combined with TLBM bat cave.
Was disappointed about that one tbh.
Will a 70620 review come any time soon?
I already have jestro's volcano lair and don't see much point in getting this.
It was labelled at £49.99 yesterday at TRU in the UK.
@Dark Yada - Yes, within the next couple of weeks.
Awesome set, wonder if Vader will also enjoy it.
that dude with the beard and long hair ^^
Loved that Agents Volcano Base! This one is nice too. Fun play features and details. Would like to see more lava and that firey glow more throughout but a cool play set.
My complaint is the size of this supposedly big set
This evil base looks inferior when putting beside Fire Mech or Quake mech
They should have make this the big set instead of the temple of ultimate weapon