The LEGO Movie 2 Escape Buggy

       
 
 
LEGO Escape Buggy
LEGO Escape Buggy figures LEGO Escape Buggy interior LEGO Escape Buggy hood detail LEGO Escape Buggy weapon LEGO Escape Buggy engine LEGO Escape Buggy rear

 
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After deciding that The LEGO Movie Super Cycle was close enough to fit in with the rest of my pop culture collection, that of course opened the door for its sequel. it even had a thematically similar set based on a relatively short chase scene from the movie, though unlike the Cycle this was very close to its screen appearance straight out of the box.

Assembly was pretty straightforward but dense - there are essentially no hollow parts to this build, but lots of double- and triple-reinforced subassemblies. It makes for a particularly sturdy model once complete, even some of the external details that seem like they might be at risk of getting knocked loose like the exhaust pipes or sideview mirrors. Even the harpoon gun off the right side is surprisingly resilient. About the only thing I wish was heftier is the axles, which are long enough and supporting enough weight that they can be flexed pretty easily. I'm not too concerned about warping or breaking in the short term, but if left parked on a shelf for too long I could see the wheels developing some extra negative camber.

Unlike the Cycle, which needed extensive rebuilding, the only change I made to make the Buggy match its screen look was replacing the rear view mirror. It's a particularly silly detail given that the rear engine negates any possible use of an inside mirror, but it was featured in that one movie scene so prominently. LEGO's decision was to use three parts to build an elaborate arm coming up out of the dashboard. Not only was this off-model, it was way too bulky. My own solution was to insert a dark gray 1x2 tile into the underside of the windshield visor. I don't know if it's an illegal technique, but it cleans up the view through the windshield a whole lot and doesn't seem to stress anything.

The set also includes three standard minifigures: Emmet (same look as the previous movie, though with some intentional paint wear), Lucy (now sporting a post-apocalyptic look with goggles, a scarf, crossbow and quiver, one glove missing, and a new pattern for her legs), and Sharkira (a new character with a Furiosa-inspired face, a shark mouth helmet, and Road Warrior-inspired garb). A partial Metalbeard (lacking arms, legs, or any real torso beyond the sideways treasure chest), one each of a star and heart bomb, a flaming barrel, and a catapult make up the side builds. The latter two are made up of parts that would be used in the combined build of this and set #70827 to create the Ultrakatty boost mode. While that's not a set I plan to get, I appreciate LEGO offering it as an official option.

All in all, it's another great set and one I'm happy to finally get added to the collection.

 

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