Author: BrankotheFather

31393 Forest Animals: Grey Wolf (North America)

BrankotheFather Creator, Lego, Review , , , , , ,
A Lego model of a grey wolf standing on a base with autumn-coloured foliage, labelled '31393 Forest Animals: Grey Wolf (North America)'.
LEGO Creator 3-in-1 set featuring models of a wolf, bird, and tree, with images of each model displayed on the packaging.

This year’s Creator 3-in-1 animals have a stronger theme than previous years. Where previously the three animals in a box were mostly related by their colour (e.g. Panda, Penguin and Orca) this year an effort seems to have been made to also bring together animals from a region. Lego generously gifted us one of each of these sets to review, the North American, African and Australian sets.

First off, we will have a look at the North American group of animals under the banner of 31393 Forest Animals: Grey Wolf. This set contains instructions to build three alternative animals that I would associate with North America: a falcon, a raccoon, and a wolf. If it wasn’t for the raccoon this would also fit for Northern Europe, but this particular type of fur-tail is native only to North America.

The set contains 657 pieces and retails for AU$89.99/£44.99/US$49.99/49.99 and is available now. This set provides decent value for money, as is quite common for creator sets, and it embodies what made LEGO famous originally: the ability to build different things from the same bricks.

Follow me to explore the three models in this set and see if you agree this is indeed a North American set, and discover which of these animals would be your favourite.

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72537 Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird (review)

BrankotheFather K-Pop Demon Hunters, Lego, Review , , , ,

When LEGO teased K-Pop demon hunters a little while ago with a blue paw and a flower pot two thoughts went through my head. What about that movie converts well to LEGO sets? And, ooh… the sidekicks, now that would be cool! Cue 72537 Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird, a set with the two main sidekicks containing 825 pieces retailing for AU$119.99/£59.99/US$69.99/€69.99. LEGO generously gifted this set for us to review.

LEGO lends itself well to vehicles and buildings (for example, see One Piece sets) but K-Pop Demon Hunters is entirely character driven with very few memorable ‘things’. When I heard about the theme, I expected something like former Legendary Lego Designer Marcos Bessa’s ideas submission or some other large-scale character builds, which did not appeal to me at all (sorry Marcos, I do love your work).

Three cartoon-style action figures standing on a colourful platform, featuring distinctive hairstyles and outfits. The figures hold various accessories and are posed dynamically against a vibrant blue background.
This is what I expected to see when LEGO Announced a KPop Demon Hunters theme

Lucky for me, there has been a trend of LEGO to release sculptures of side-kicks from various animations (and even ‘heroes’ themselves… Shrek anyone?), so it seems natural that the stars (for me) of K-Pop Demon Hunters would get the brick-treatment: the ‘tiger’ Derpy, and the ‘bird’ Sussie.

A large, animated-looking blue cat made of building blocks, featuring bright orange eyes and sharp teeth. The cat is sitting beside a small black character holding a stick, with a pot of pink flowers in the foreground.

Derpy is a supernatural tiger that is… well… a bit derpy, which is probably why I relate to this character’s personality more than to the 5 antagonists (demons with supernatural pop-star allure) and the protagonists (pop stars with a side hustle of demon-slaying and protecting the world). Derpy is friendly but has an issue with wandering focus which is expressed by his eyes wandering in individual directions, making him even more adorable to me.

Sussie, is a bit of a suspicious character (hence the name) with way more eyes than seems comfortable.

Keep reading to find out if this first step into the world of K-Pop Demon Hunters is worthwhile, and if you are new to this world, you may feel inspired to see more of this unusual duo.

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LEGO® ICONS 11376 Model T Ford: A Classic Car, Over a Century in the Making

BrankotheFather Lego
LEGO ICONS 11376 Model T Ford set, showcasing a detailed model of a classic car with a black body, yellow front, and white wheels, displayed against a dark background.

More than 100 years ago when cars were an uncommon sight on roads, decades before Ole Kirk Kristiansen started making wooden toys, and long before the name LEGO was chosen, Henry Ford caused ripples in history with this car; the 11376 Model T Ford. This set comes with 1060 pieces for AU$ 199.99 / € 129.99 / US$ 129.99 / £ 119.99 and will be available from the 1st of March 2026 (113 years after the car that inspired it was first produced).

A model of a vintage car made from construction blocks, featuring a black body with white and black wheels, a brown front section, and a roof.

To say this is a ‘classic’ doesn’t quite do it justice. Many more (newer) cars would be considered classics, but this is a little different. Henry Ford decided he wanted to build a motor car for anyone, so that every family could own a car and “enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God’s great open spaces.” Up until that point cars were an expensive excess only for the wealthy. To achieve this dream, Ford used assembly line manufacturing, effectively kicking off the era of mass-production.

A group of children and a young adult stand together in a garden, posing next to a structure made of wooden toy trains and other wooden constructions set on a wooden table and ladder.
LEGO’s first product line is presented in 1932 (photo courtesy of LEGO.com)

It may feel like LEGO has been around forever (or certainly for as long most of us have been alive), but when LEGO was founded this particular car was already part of history. Notice in the photo above, showing he first production line with a car (on the right ladder) surprisingly similar to this car. Was that a model T?

Join me as I explore some history of classic cars with LEGO, and dive into this particular model, generously gifted by LEGO. All opinions are our own.

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42218 John Deere 1670H Wheeled Harvester, or pretzel deliverer

BrankotheFather Lego, Review, technic , , , , , ,
A LEGO model of a John Deere 1670H wheeled harvester with a mechanical arm picking up a pretzel from a plate.

In our review of 71513Nightmare Scorpion Digger we briefly explored how a smaller portion of Technic sets are for something other than cars. Here we can celebrate such a not-a-car set, with 42218 John Deere 1670H Wheeled Harvester, a small set with 117 pieces for AU$14.99/£8.99/US$9.99/€9.99

A toy tractor model made from building blocks, featuring a green body, yellow wheels, and a mechanical arm with a brown attachment.
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LEGO DREAMZZz 71514 Dino Jet, as in Dino-Soar [review]

BrankotheFather DREAMZZz, Lego, Review , , , , , , , ,
LEGO set 71514 Dino Jet featuring a large dinosaur model with orange and gray colors alongside a flying craft, set against a white background.

Dinosaurs are cool. Dinosaurs keep appearing in LEGO sets from time to time for that exact reason. Over time 305 sets have appeared with an association to the word ‘Dino’, of which 102 for Jurassic world! The most popular dinos in LEGO are raptors (74) and T-rexes (85) and various other theropods (two-legged dinosaurs, ancestors of birds).

Far less common are sauropods such as brachiosaurus, for which only 23 sets can be found and Stegosaurus for which we can only see 16 sets! Introducing 71514 Dino Jet, offering you both a stegosaurus and a sauropod in a two-in-one package! With 1007 pieces this set is the second smallest(!) set in the January 2026 Dreamzzz range and retails for AU$149.99/£89.99/US$99.99/€99.99.

A colorful LEGO dinosaur model with a mechanical design, featuring a long neck, a dinosaur-like head with sharp teeth, and a segmented body in orange and gray colors. The model stands upright with its arms and legs positioned to give a dynamic appearance.

LEGO generously gifted this set so we could share our own opinion on it with you. It is cool. It is dinosaur.

Read on if you would like some more details…

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Is that you Eris? 71512 Crocodile Submarine review

BrankotheFather DREAMZZz, Lego, Review , , , , , ,
A LEGO set featuring a crocodile submarine with a large head and bright colors, accompanied by a purple character wielding a bow and black creatures with pink claws.

Branko continues his reviews of the latest LEGO Dreamzzz Sets, and finds the ‘B’ on this one strangely familiar. In many different ways!

When LEGO gifted this set for review my eye was immediately drawn to the alternate build on the back of the box; the eagle. There is quite a lot to see in this set before we get to that point, so join me while I share my opinion on this set, and highlight several references and associations this set conjures.

A vibrant LEGO set featuring a blue and yellow eagle-themed robot with intricate details and an additional smaller black and purple figure, surrounded by several small spider-like creatures.

For example, is Logan the dreamworld manifestation of Marvel’s Rocket Raccoon? Does this mean Dreamzzz may become a licensed series after all, or does it still qualify as a story theme (read my essay on that here)? How does Eris the eagle tie into all of this?

This set was gifted by LEGO but all opinions are our own. 71512 Crocodile Submarine comes in with 1107pieces as the second largest and the second cheapest set in the Dreamzzz 2026 line for AU$109.99/£59.99/$69.99/€69.99

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71508 Fox Guardian Mech (or could it be a flying fox?) [review]

BrankotheFather DREAMZZz, Lego, Review , , , , , ,
Image of the LEGO set '71508 Fox Guardian Mech' featuring a green mech with a fox-like design, holding translucent green swords, with two minifigures in front.

Green and gold, favourite national colours in Australia, but I think my appreciation for this set has little to do with that. 71508 Fox Guardian Mech is the second smallest set released in the new Dreamzzz wave, coming in at 883 pieces for AU$129.99/£69.99/US$79.99/€79.99. As I mentioned before, these sets are not small or cheap, but they are good!

The official name of this set it ‘Fox Guardian Mech’ and I typically associate the word ‘Mech’ with a large robot occupied by a pilot (like a Jaeger in Pacific Rim, or powered armor like in Avatar). LEGO is partially to blame for this, with so many sets labelled ‘Mech’ containing piloted robots. Ninjago in particular has been releasing mechs with someone driving them. Coming back to this set; this fox does NOT contain a set for someone to drive it so it almost deserves a different qualification. Also, the alternative build could equaly qualify as a Fox Guardian, so should the name perhaps just be Fox Guardian?

LEGO gifted one of these guardians for use to review, so join me as we present our own opinion on this set, and explore what it has to offer.

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42220 Monster Jam Sparkle Smash: Is a Unicorn a Monster? [review]

BrankotheFather Lego, Review, technic , , , , , , ,
A colorful unicorn-themed monster truck with glittery decorations, showcasing large wheels and a playful design.

A sparkling unicorn-themed monster truck. I know that the word ‘monster’ in this name refers to the truck, not the theme of the decorations, but I am just used to monster trucks having appearances that match the loud, powerful, anything-but-subtle destruction and mayhem they can cause.

Does this mean, perhaps, I should reconsider my understanding of unicorns? After all, Unikitty is not known to be the most stable and coherent entities in the LEGO universe; perhaps unicorns like a bit of roar and thunder? I still do not know, but I can say that I don’t mind this style of Monster Truck.

LEGO gifted us a copy of 42220 Monster Jam™ Sparkle Smash™, one of the new Monster trucks to be released in January 2026. The set contains 243 pieces and retails for AU$44.99/£24.99/US$34.99/€29.99.

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Nightmare Scorpion Digger 71513, an issue with construction [review]

BrankotheFather DREAMZZz, Lego, Review , , , , , , , , , , ,
LEGO set featuring the Nightmare Scorpion Digger 71513 with mini-figures, a crystal, and spiders, highlighted with colorful pieces.

Branko woke up from a dream wondering if Construction Equipment was on the way out. He couldn’t get back to sleep until he came up with the answer…

In January 2026 LEGO will release another wave of Dreamzzz sets and the balance between ‘dream’ and ‘nightmare’ seems solidly to have swung towards ‘Dream’. There is only 1 set out of 5 in the wave that is considered a nightmare, and it is the smallest of the lot at that. Cue “Nightmare Scorpion Digger 71513”, coming in at 505 pieces for AU$79.99/£44.99/US$49.99/€49.99. This is not a small set, it’s just the smallest of the lot (read more on that here).

The sets in this series are all associated with animals, and some machinery, but it struck me that this particular one is very strongly related to construction equipment. In recent years fans of Technic have been complaining a bit about a reduction of the number of construction equipment sets, so this left me wondering. Has construction gotten into bad books? Is digging holes no longer considered cool?

Join me as we have a quick look to see if Technic fans are objectively correct in their gripe, and then we will cheerfully ignore that and have a look at how construction equipment is used to create this particular nightmare creature.

This set was generously gifted by LEGO, but the expressed opinions are my own.

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Tiger! Shark! Tank! – 71515 [review]

BrankotheFather DREAMZZz, Lego, Review , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
A colorful LEGO set featuring the Tiger Shark Tank from Dreamzzz, showcasing a large shark with various attachments and accessories, along with minifigures and crystal creatures.

Branko’s been thinking a lot about Dreamzzz lately. Here is his first formal review for the wave:

I imagine the brainstorm sessions for the latest wave of Dreamzzz sets went something like this. Get a group of children in a room as ask them what they like. They all start shouting and words get thrown onto a whiteboard “Tigers! Knights! Tanks! Diggers! Sharks! Swords! Dinosaurs!” with a subdued “classic space” or “classic castle” mumbled by an aging adult LEGO fan in the back of the room. All that remained was to group these terms together and you end up with something like this Tiger Shark Tank.

A colorful LEGO set depicting the Tiger Shark Tank, featuring a tiger-striped shark front and tank tracks, showcasing intricate design and various LEGO elements.

This set ticks the boxes of having buzzwords, or clickbait, to make sure to appeal to as many sensibilities as possible. Not only is there a shark, and a tiger mixed, there is a reference to Black Falcon castle, another to Pirates and then there is a tank. The only thing to widen the appeal more was to add Space to the mix, but Mr Oz has done that plenty in previous iterations of Dreamzzz.

A LEGO minifigure with white hair and glasses, wearing a blue torso with a planet graphic.

71515 Tiger Shark Tank contains 1548 pieces and retails for AU$229.99/£129.99/$139.99/€139.99. Follow me to read why you want this set.

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