Freak369's Full Review: Lego 1383 Mummy Skeleton Egypt Curse Of The Pharao...
The Lego Studio series has never been known for having a ton of small sets, most of the time you were limited to the larger, more expensive sets or sets so small they were almost not worth picking up. The Curse of The Pharaoh set is a most welcome addition to the series and features a good assortment of elements, exceptional attention to detail and superb stenciling on the Pharaoh figure. For the suggested retail price of $3.99 you can pick up your very own set at the Lego website or at most major toys stores.
Even if you hack this set to pieces and use the elements for different scenes, you are still getting a great deal for your money. This is one of the few sets that is under $4.00 that offers you the skeleton as well as the trap door set up. Take into consideration that the pharaoh is simply an awesome find and you can more than justify the suggested retail price.
The Tomb
With an unlimited number of designs, the tomb is a great structure! If you build it according to the provided instructions you will end up with a tomb that has a functional lid on it – into which you can place the skeleton or pharaoh. The two flames that are positioned at the ends of the tomb can be placed anywhere so don’t feel limited by what the instructions say. If you have other Lego sets or pieces you can raise the bottom of the tomb to maximize the visual effect of the piece or to have the skeleton hide under it rather than in it.
The actual structure of the tomb is very unique. The sculpted sides and holes in the front of the tomb help to give it a little depth as well as a lot of options when building. The pieces can be used to assemble a trap door, a completely enclosed tomb or even a small monument with the pharaoh standing on top of it.
Be sure to checkout the box for alternative designs to the ones provided and don’t forget the Lego website. Lego lovers are always sending in ideas for new designs and the Studio portion of the site usually has at least a few photos of possible building options.
The Pharaoh
Without a doubt, this will be a true collectors item since it has only been featured in three Lego sets and this is the only one available in light brown. The Pharaoh has several very cool points – my personal favorite being the reversible head. One side shows it asleep and the other wide awake ready to scare the pants off you. Since the face is stenciled with a ‘mummy wrap’ all you really get to see is the small section of the eyes. Even so, it really gives the figure a great look.
His body is gray with a tremendous amount of stenciling on it. The mummy wrap goes from the shoulders all the way to the mid section of the legs. This features three separate layers of stenciling, one around the neck, the torso and the drape over the legs. The light brown / tan headpiece that slips over his head is equally impressive. It encases the head and wraps down around the shoulders but doesn’t completely enclose the face. There is a small open hole in the top of the headpiece that can be accented with a small jewel or gold token if desired.
The Skeleton
One of my favorite figures! Comprised of six pieces; head, two arms, two legs and the torso, the skeleton is just too cool! With wiggly arms and a see through torso, he is the appointed troublemaker of the set. The skeleton also comes with a glow in the dark head with a rather gruesome looking pattern on the face. This can be used instead of the standard head or stuck on one of the small black stands. If you’ve never played with a skeleton before, don’t get alarmed if the legs seem a little bit loose – that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
The Extras
Two of the pieces I’d like to mention are the black scorpion and the yellow spider. I’ve never been a big fan of the transparent spiders since they are a little too big in scale and look a little goofy. Unless this is some kind of mutated spider it is way too big to be used in most scenes. Look at the size of the spider and then any Lego figures head – if you keep it in scale that would mean that the spider – in real life – would be bigger than your head.
The black scorpion is extremely cool. It can be attached to various spots within the scene or left to crawl on the ground and attack. There are no moving parts to the scorpion but there is enough detail to it that that little downside doesn’t really matter. Keep an eye on this little creature because in this house, he is always getting lost.
The Bottom Line
Even though this is marketed for the Studio series, it can easily be adapted for use with a number of sets and series. This would make a great gift for any Lego freak or collector and I personally plan on giving this to a few friends who are interested in Egyptian history / curses of the pharaohs.
As with almost all Lego sets, this one contains some very small pieces that could present a choking hazard. Older kids should check the play area when done to make sure that all the pieces have been collected and properly stored. When storing the set, you might want to keep the pharaoh separate from other Lego elements to keep it from getting scratched or marred. Small plastic bags sold at craft stores are perfect for this type of storage. You can easily see the pieces and even store them with other figures yet they remain completely safe from potential damage.
The Stats
Set Name: Curse of The Pharaoh
Family Set: Studio
Lego Set: 1383
Number of Pieces: 50
Age Recommendation: 6 - 12
Ease Of Assembly: Easy
Time Of Assembly: 10 minutes
Cost: $ 3.99
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