Review:9469 Gandalf Arrives/NovaFlare
Joined: December 29, 2006 
№ of Reviews: 17 
№ of Featured reviews: 1
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Pretty good for a small set[edit | edit source]
Well, this is my first (and probably only) Lord of the Rings review, based on the smallest set from the theme so far.
The set[edit | edit source]
The carriage is well designed, made up mainly of tan and dark tan pieces. Clips are used to give the carriage that nice trapezoidal shape, and they're locked in at the ends by some other pieces which prevent the sides of the cart from randomly moving about. There are a fair few accessories packed into the carriage, a carrot (I'm not sure why) and a backpack which is a fairly significant piece, at least for me who's only other backpack like this is from Santa Yoda. The backpack also has a letter in it, and there is a barrel containing three fireworks (or, two fireworks and a red Ninjago snake, but I think it's meant to be a firework as well). Worth mentioning is one of the fireworks is built using a yellow 4-stud long stick, something new to me, but has appeared in at least 15 sets, mainly Indiana Jones, but it's a first for me. Attached to the carriage is a horse (more on that later). When attached, the horse and cart aren't exactly 100% flat, the horse's front legs don't actually touch the ground, but it's such a small distance above the ground that it really can't be noticed unless you push down on the horse. If you have the set on a table, you can tap the horse with your finger and at the same time push the cart forward, making it sound like the horse is walking, so maybe it's actually a play feature ;)
The minifigures/animals[edit | edit source]
- Frodo
Frodo does look fairly average, but that's just accurate to his costume in the film. The torso has back printing, which is a plus, and the head is double-sided (smiling on one side, worried on the other) which is good to see. I believe the hairpiece is new, or at least new to me, and looks great. It fully covers the alternate side's face which is nice, as it always bugs me with some hairpieces on minifigures with double-sided heads when you see a mouth on the back of someone's head. Frodo comes with a book, apparently he was reading a book when Gandalf showed up (it's been a long time since I watched the films), a ring would have been nice instead (even though I believe that would be inaccurate) but I'm not complaining.
- Gandalf
The standout feature of Gandalf for me is the dark grey cape, I just think it looks really nice, and again, I think it's a part that I don't have in that colour. He also features a new beard piece which is nice, and the minifigure does a good job of capturing the character's likeness. Again, back printing on the torso is much appreciated, even though it is covered by a cape. He also comes with a hat, and a staff which is just a relatively boring brown rod.
- The horse
This is my first "new" horse, and I think it's the only time where I've felt sad upon seeing something in LEGO. Angry/annoyed, sure, but never sad. I guess it's just the old horse was so iconic, and now I know I'm never going to get another one, I'm going to kind of miss them. That said, the new horse is nice, and the ability for its back legs to "kick" is a nice feature. I just guess it'll take some getting used to.
Overall[edit | edit source]
- Pros
- Well designed cart
- Good accessories
- Nice minifigures
- Cons
- Price
| Build |   4 / 5 |
| Playability | 3 / 5 |
| Minifigures | 4 / 5 |
| Price |  1½ / 5 |
- Summary
This is a nice little set if you're not looking for getting big LOTR sets, and depicts the opening scene from The Lord of the Rings nicely. It's also a very easy way to get two of the main characters from The Lord of the Rings, and means you don't have to buy a huge set just to get a Gandalf minifigure.
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IchindarBrick Master
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