Lego Adventurers Original Meanie - Sinister Sam Strikes Again!
Written: Jan 14 '02 (Updated Aug 04 '03)
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Pros: Adorable baby dinosaur, Sinister Sam figure, gated transport carrier.
Cons: Small set, a few choking hazards, possibly hard to find.
The Bottom Line: If you come across this set, I highly suggest that you buy as many as you can!
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| Freak369's Full Review: LEGO Systems LEGO Adventures: Sam Sinister and Bab... |
Following in the footsteps of the Star Wars Lego series, the last leg of the Adventurers sets made their way onto shelves in early 2000. Having to compete with more popular toys and more to the point, more popular Lego’s – this set took a drastic hit and was pulled from production less than a year after it was originally introduced. Even though it never made an impact in the sales department – this entire series is well worth its price tag.
One thing you have to know up front about this entire series – it might be almost impossible to complete it since some of the sets have been off the shelves for over two years. You can take your chances buying them online but you run the risk of getting a set that is missing a few pieces or incomplete / no instructions. Oddly enough, the larger sets are still up for grabs at the Lego website while the smaller ones are harder to find. In most cases, this is the exact opposite.
The Adventurers Series
If you took half of the sets from the Amazon collection and mixed them with half of the Dinosaur sets – you’d have something pretty close to the Adventures. Of course the baby dinosaur included in this set is much cuter than the 7000 series [Young Dinosaur line] and lets not forget the great characters we were introduced to – Sinister Sam, Doctor Lightening, Johnny Thunder and the precious Lady Kensington.
At last count, there were 29 sets in this series. One of the nicest things about this series is the wide variety of pieces that are included as well as the exclusives ones that were introduced with this line. The Adventurers are almost guaranteed to please with sizes for almost everyone. If you aren’t sure about the series start with the smallest one - Johnny Thunder & Baby Dino, 20 pieces [5903] … however if adventure is your middle name [bad pun] you can skip right on up to the mammoth 612 piece Dino Research Compound [#5987].
The Set
Being one of the smaller sets in this line, this won’t really entertain a child – even a Lego junkie – for more than 20 minutes. This can be used with any of the transport items in other sets or incorporated with the other smaller sets to create a large structure. As usual, all the pieces can be mixed with other Lego sets to create new designs.
Sinister Sam
Poor Sam, always getting the short and of the stick. Sam is a pretty impressive character – with his jungle safari hat and snappy uniform – he demands respect. The epaulette section of his uniform can be removed if you rather have him look less military however I think it gives him a little distinction from the other Lego figures. His breastplate is stenciled with a two-pocket design and over the shoulder bag. The body is light brown, legs gray and hands dark brown.
Baby T
This is the same little guy featured in the Johnny Thunder and Baby Dino set [5903]. There are no movable pieces on this dinosaur but he does have a cute tiny smile. Baby T can be attached to any Lego pod or used as a stand-alone figure.
Transport Unit
The small crate like carrier is easy enough to build but I suggest using some additional pieces to make it wider and deeper. The gate on the front of the carrier snaps open and shut but it is a little stiff the first few times so smaller kids might need a little help with this. It’s also a little tough to get the gate to snap into the hinges so don’t get too frustrated if you don’t get it the first few tries.
Extras
Even though this set is small – twenty pieces remember – it still has a few extras to offer. Sinister Sam’s hook is one of them. I was told that he came with two ‘hands’ and the hook but one of the hands may have gotten thrown out with the plastic bag.
There’s also a plastic net for Baby T. It’s just big enough to fit about ¾’s of the dinosaur inside of it and can also be used with other sets to carry tools or as a trap.
The last extra piece is almost not worth mentioning. The small three-pronged leaf was included for some reason – a reason I have still not figured out. It can be sued anywhere on the transport but I use it as a resting spot for the dinosaur.
Instructions
The instructions are extremely easy to read, understand and complete. You might want to hold on to it for future reference since there is a nice size diagram of the mega vehicle and all the other sets on the pack of the fold out sheet. If you do lose this sheet, you can get the instructions from any Lego fan site.
Calling All Collectors
This is part of a mini four set collection. The other three are Dr. Kilroy’s Car [5913], Mike’s Swamp Boat [5912] and Johnny Thunders Plane [5911]. These were all the last sets released and were also sold in “co-packs” for $6.99. A co-pack is a special and usually limited offer of a bundle of sets packaged together. Most of the time these sets lack the UPC code on the bottom of the individual boxes. This is important to know if you are buying a set and someone tells you that it was from a co-pack. The same thing applies to buying the co-pack if it isn’t sealed – check the bottom of each box to make sure there is a white rectangle where the UPC code would be.
If you purchase all four sets or the co-pack you can build the mega set vehicle that is part plane and part boat. Instructions are provided in the smaller sets but if you are having trouble you can get the complete instructions at the Lego website at www.lego.com.
Warnings
This set contains a few small pieces that could cause serious damage to a child if they were ingested. Mainly, Sinister Sam’s hook. While it isn’t sharp, it does have a curve that could do some internal damage. You should use some extra caution with this piece if smaller children share the same play area as older kids. The baby dinosaur is also a possible choking hazard. It’s small enough to fit inside a toddler’s mouth and be swallowed and trust me – I’ve seen more than one little sprout make a mad dash for this cute creature.
Bottom Line
This would be a great set to use to introduce a child to the series as well as a fantastic one to buy in multiples. You can never have enough Lego figures pieces, baby dinosaurs or hinged pieces. If you are planning on buying more than a few of these you’d be best to start with KB Toys first. They received their shipments last an had them marked $1.99 each – they were further reduced to $1.00 per box with the co-pack compilation going for $4.00.
Since it’s been a while since these have been shipped to stores, chances are the boxes you’ll be getting now will be back stock so don’t get too upset if the boxes show some shelf wear. The Lego website still has three of the four sets available [$2.99 plus shipping for each] but they cannot guarantee when they will sell out of any of them. Be careful when buying these from internet auction sites; make sure it say s “in the box” not “/ box” – the latter usually suggests that you will get the box and only the box rather than the complete set, instructions and box.
The Stats
Set Name: Sinister Sam & Baby T
Family Set: Adventurers
Lego Set: 5914
Number of Pieces: 20
Age Recommendation: 6 - 12
Ease Of Assembly: Piece of cake
Time Of Assembly: 5 minutes
Cost: $1.00 - clearance
Retail prices vary from $1.99 - $4.99
As always … thanks for the visit!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
Other Lego Adventurers sets …
River Raft
Johnny Thunder & Baby Dino
Jungle Surprise
Research Glider
Johnny Thunder
Island Racer
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $1.00 - sale
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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