Review: Collectible Minifigures Series 15
/Series 15 of LEGO's insanely popular collectible Minifigure line is here, and TLG was kind enough to send us a box to review. Like the many series before it, this is a wild blend of characters from all walks of life and from fact and fantasy, let's meet them...
Farmer - Not a super exciting figure, there's just so many overall wearing figures out there. But he is printed on both sides and has printed arms which is nice. The legs have double shot boots too, which makes them interesting. The stand out feature is the pig, which has brown spots and is only available with this fig.
Astronaut - A pretty cool space figure, not super exciting but nice enough. I like the fact that it's a more realistic NASA type decoration rather than something more sci-fi. The printed arms also make him a little more elaborate than your standard white spaceman. The gold visor also gives him that more retro feel. The printed classic space logo flag will certainly make all the spacers out there happy.
Frightening Knight - I like this figure more than I expected to. The addition of the armored shoulder pads, large printed shield and plume make him appear bigger and more menacing. And I was quite surprised to find the mace is actually a standard 4x bar with a removable head, the castle builders are going to gobble those up. The legs are double shot injected, but with a color so subtly different (at least to my crappy eyes) that I wonder why they bothered.
Clumsy Guy - My personal favorite from this series. The new crutched are a little odd and large compared to the figure, but you couldn't put them under a fig's arms if you wanted to so I can see why they went with this design. And they're gray, which makes them really versatile (greebles anyone?) The sheepish grin, head bandage, cast on his foot (double shot molded!) and ironic banana shirt just makes this figure adorable.
Tribal Woman - There have been at least two Native American figures in the long history of CMFs, the first one going all the way back to series 1. This is an interesting one, not just for her decorated feathers and printed arms, but she has a little surprise on her back. Yes, it's the first official Minifigure baby. Thankfully TLG molded the part of the papoose with holes on the bottom instead of an integrated neck bracket, allowing the baby to be held or put in a crib of your own construction. This figure also has double shot molded legs, subtle but very effective.
Flying Warrior - Certainly one of the most elaborate figures to date, there's 11 parts in this one. When fully assembled he's quite impressive, if a bit monochromatic.
Faun - Everyone went a bit nuts for this one and rightfully so. This is the first time we've seen digitigrade minifigure legs, so why not go nuts? The addition of the goat horns and flute and you're ready for a midsummer night's dream.
Animal Control Officer - Another personal favorite, and not just for the first ever skunk (that wasn't a Chima character) but also because of her outfit. She has printed arms, and the legs are printed with seams down the sides, a subtle but effective job of giving her a realistic uniform. She's also got a double sided printed head with an expression you'll appreciate if you've ever had a close encounter with a skunk.
Janitor - Another personal favorite. He's actually one of the simplest figures with only a single sided printed torso, but the printed arms make up for it. The mop head is versatile since the hole goes all the way through, allowing it to hang either up or down.
Ballerina - A pleasant enough figure, but the least exciting for me personally. The tutu is a new piece, but doesn't seem very practical since the figure can't put her arms down if she's wearing it. And I'm sure I'll be proven wrong later, but it seems like a single use part. The legs are subtly but effectively printed, giving her the classic ballerina shoes.
Laser Mech - Another fairly elaborate figure, with posable wings attached to a rather large shoulder piece. I'm sure this might get the juices going for some spacers, or maybe the robot fans out there, but it doesn't do anything for me personally. The head is interesting, with a waveform where the eyes should be.
Kendo Fighter - Another ho-hum figure in my opinion, like a ninja he just sort of disappears. Perhaps it's the sheer quantity of Ninjago figures that makes this one so lackluster. The tan katanas (sorry, shamshir) could prove useful in the future.
Shark Suit Guy - The center of the controversy, if there is a controversy. I keep reading about this guy causing some problems with his resemblance of "Left Shark" of Katy Perry fame. The whole thing sounds ridiculous and untrue to me. As a figure he's pretty fun, just like all the other costumed figures we've enjoyed over the years.
Wrestling Champion - This fig doesn't do much for me either, but then again I've never been into wrestling. That mullet hair piece should prove handy in a future animation or diorama though. This fig also has double shot legs, in a quite bright blue. And everyone likes to get trophies.
Jewel Thief - I like this figure, it's low key, like a jewel thief should be. The printing on it is minimal, as it should be, you don't want a bunch of flashy colors or designs that can catch attention when you're pulling off a heist. The grappling hook is nice, but sort of useless without any string. But the best feature is her hair, sexy.
Queen - Another elaborate figure. The cape and mantle combination are a bit tricky to get on, but make for a very majestic profile, especially when combined with the new wide skirt part. her ornate hair and crown top off the very regal look.
