Frankenstein Lives! Get Your Spooky Groove on With The Lego Studio “Scary Laboratory”
Written: Apr 20 '05
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Pros: Tremendous set, tons of rare pieces, dual-sided figureheads, glow-in-the-dark ghost, Frankenstein, skeleton!!
Cons: A little hard to build, almost impossible to find in stores.
The Bottom Line: Want to add some spook to your Lego Studio set up? This is the perfect pick!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Lego Studios Scary Laboratory |
Being a lover of Lego sets and all things spooky – it was only a matter of time before this set found its way into my collection. As soon as I saw it listed in the Lego Magazine I started drooling over it. I figured that it would run at least seventy dollars and I almost fell off my computer chair when I saw that it was listed at $49.99. In this case you definitely get your moneys worth – the figures alone are worth a few bucks a piece and the Frankenstein one is ultra rare. One of the things that I really love about this set is that there is so much you can do with it once you have built it. If you have other Studio sets you can easily combine them to make one huge scene or you can add castle elements to simply enlarge this one. That is the real beauty of Lego – having the ability to take one thing, build it, tear it apart and then build something completely different. If you are a fan of the dark side, love creepy things or just want something odd to add to your collection, this is most definitely a set for you to check out!
Lego Studio Scary Laboratory
Wow. It’s been a long time since I was this impressed with a mid sized set. Boasting a piece count of almost 500 pieces you definitely get your moneys worth from this set. One thing that I really love about this set is that it is sturdy; it’s a three story high structure and the girder pieces that make up most of the walls really help to stabilize it; if you need to move it around I do suggest that you build this on a larger sized base plate but the one that you get with the set is large enough to work with. If you are planning on adding other scenes to the building then you will want to use the largest base plate available so you don’t run the risk of having the whole thing fall apart on you. There are so many things that you can do with the set once you’ve built it that your head might spin. With that being said I do have to stress one thing – stick with the instructions when you are constructing this so that you can build a strong under layer to support the top sections. There will be plenty of time to add things on or remove things but it is extremely important to have a fortified base to build on.
The Scary Laboratory is made up of one main building and several smaller scenes that are nestled around it. One of my favorites is the large gate; the side panels that have stenciled stones on it are simply awesome. There are small flames on the side posts and the doors open and close – sorry, they don’t creak; you’ll have to supply your own sound effects for that. You also get a small desk area that can double as a make up table [if you are going to use this with the Movie Maker kit], an evil looking contraption that looks like a gas pump of some sort and an assortment of tools, accessories and skeleton heads. The laboratory is made up of small sections so it isn’t like you can walk room to room and explore things – it sort of looks like a shadowbox. There are sections where you can move the figures from room to room but some of the time its hard to accomplish because of the way the beams are placed to support the top floors.
There’s so much to explore when you have finished building this set – a spooky swirling hypnotic circle [previously used in the Time Twisters series], trap doors and hidden areas, vanishing skeleton heads, a zapper ray, secret panels where monsters can hide and so much more. Building this isn’t something that you “just do”, you have to take a couple of minutes and read through the instruction book [yes, I said book, not booklet] to get familiar with what you are going to be doing, which pieces go where and what sections need to be joined together. It took me a little over a half hour to build this but I have been doing this for years. For those just starting out with Lego construction this might take an hour or more – and that is if you don’t make any mistakes. The instructions are easy to follow for the most part but if you are new to Lego sets, it is helpful to break down the pieces for each section so there’s no chance that you can mix them up or confuse them.
Once you have the main structure built you can definitely take some liberties with the accessory pieces that come with the set. I mean, you don’t have to put the spinning door on the bottom [although it looks pretty silly elsewhere] or the ray gun on the top of the building – its these little things that can really make this a unique type scene and kids love being able to move things around and make it their “own” little scene. One thing you can really have a lot of fun with is the area where Frankenstein is chained up and the lighting ray / ray gun is aimed at him. With the plastic chains that are included in the kit you can tie him down or use them to raise him up when the lightening starts. Another cool piece is the spinning skeleton head, this is something that you to build according to the instruction to get it to work correctly but once you get done with it – it is so awesome to play around with.
The Figures
If you are wondering if this is really worth the suggested retail price of almost fifty dollars, look no further than the figures that come with the set to validate the price tag. You get seven awesome figures in this set and each of them are worth their weight in Lego gold! Let’s start off with the man and the woman; this is where it get’s the Rocky Horror Picture Show feel – they are dressed up in formalwear roaming around on some scary spooky night and some how manage to land at the seemingly deserted mansion. The detail on the female figure is pretty unique, instead of having movable legs she’s outfitted in a dress that has a nice tail to it. The man, dressed in what looks like an old fashioned brown tuxedo matches her perfectly. There’s no shortage of monsters either; Frankenstein is almost perfectly depicted with a large head [actually it’s a slip on piece that goes over his green head], scars and yes, even bolts. What good is a scary scene without a mad scientist? Trust me, this one is really demented! With huge eyes, a very evil grin and even a stenciled stethoscope, he is ready to ‘help out’ with any ills you may have.
Two of my favorite figures are the skeleton and the glow in the dark ghost. The skeleton is the run of the mill Lego variety but you can never have too many of these around; he is a little wobbly and sometimes he falls over for no reason but even so, it’s a nice addition to the scene. The little glow in the dark ghost is pretty cute and indeed a rare piece. The sheet that covers him is removable and if you dare take it off you’ll find a completely white figure under it. The last figure is that of the camera man. He is there to capture the events that go on within the scary studio and comes complete with his own little camera set up. This set does not have a working video camera with it, to get that you have to buy the Lego Studio set [set number 1349, suggested retail price of $100.00 - $150.00]. One of the coolest things about the figures is that they feature double sided faces. This means you can have them posed with a regular Lego grin or turn it around and have them scared to bits. This was something that was popular with a few of the Harry Potter sets .. a very nice touch by the designers.
The Bottom Line
If you are a Studio freak, love the darker Lego sets or just want a set that is going to give you a tremendous number of rare and unique pieces then this is the one to invest in! The figures are awesome, the building elements are exceptional and there are so many things that you can do with the set if you get bored with it. When I first saw the Lego Studio line it was mostly a bunch of small sets, then they started releasing the monster sized one [no pun intended] and I was in l-o-v-e! This is a nice set to have if you invested in the Movie Maker set [1349] but even if you didn’t you can still have a tremendous amount of fun with this one. Needless to say, this is a set that gets put up every year at Halloween – along with some of the other spooky sets from my Lego collection. This is a little hard to find in retail stores but if you really want it, check out the Lego World Shop, the last time I was there they still had it in stock. Don’t wait for Halloween to roll around to get this set because you never know when it is going to mysteriously vanish from the site!
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2005 Freak369
The Stats
Set Name: Scary Laboratory
Family Set: : Lego Studio
Lego Set: 1382
Number of Pieces: 492
Age Recommendation: 8 and older
Ease Of Assembly: Moderate to hard
Time Of Assembly: 20 – 40 minutes
Cost: $ 49.99
Other Lego Studio set reviews ...
Temple Escape
Stunt Man Catapult
Camera Man
Stunt Go Cart
Director's Copter
Air Boat
Studios Green Goblin Set
Werewolf Ambush
Vampire's Crypt
Studio Pirate Scene
Curse of the Pharaoh
Mini Copter
Pirate Treasure Surprise
Dino Head Attack
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $49.99
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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