Finn’s Basement – The Lego Movie Set is at Legoland California

Finn's Basement, The Lego Movie Set

Legoland in Carlsbad, California has recently opened a new exhibit. Finn’s Basement, which is the actual set that was used in the filming of The Lego Movie. It is a massive set with almost every scene from The Lego Movie built in Lego. The whole set up is just like every kids (and adults) dream. A massive basement level Lego studio, with a whole collection of Lego spanning decades of collecting. Even though this is only a set, it is extremely awesome!

Finns Basement, The Lego Movie Set, City

It appears that these photos were taken before the final exhibit was finished. In newer photos there is a plexiglass wall surrounding each set, making sure that hands stay away from all the hard work on display. The amount of work that went into building this set is staggering. A few poor souls are probably still recovering from calloused hands. The detailing involved in this set is amazing. With hand drawn signs, warning labels and posters which all appeared in The Lego Movie.

Finns Basement, The Lego Movie Set, Detail

Finn's Basement, The Lego Movie, ConstructionFinn's Basement, The Lego Movie, Castle

Finn's Basement, The Lego Movie, Wild West

Finn’s Basement is organized into different sections. Each one representing a theme from the film. Represented are City, Castle, Wild West, Pirates, Space, Cloud Cuckoo, etc.

Finn's Basement, The Lego Movie, Sea Cow

Based on the Classic Space section it looks like Benny got his spaceship! Spaceship!

Finn's Basement, The Lego Movie, Space

Legoland California has a great exhibit here. Hopefully it will stick around for a long while.

Check out the full series from Finn’s Basement posted by ared22 over on Imgur: http://imgur.com/a/w3WB2

Lego NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover (21104) Reviewed with Designer Stephen Pakbaz

YCF LegoReviews: Curiosity Rover 21104

The new Lego CUUSOO set, NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover (21104), has recently been released and is extremely hard to find. Not only that, but reviews for the the Rover are also rare. Maybe it is because YCF Lego Reviews has pretty much posted the definitive video review. Not only do they have the set designer (and Curiosity engineer!), Stephen Pakbaz, assisting in the review, but this 18 minute video also features a Lego studio tour. The Lego Curiosity Rover is the smallest CUUSOO set yet. With 295 pieces and a price tag of $29.99. The little Rover features a unique 6 wheel rocker-bogie suspension, an articulated arm, and even a model nuclear power source. This thing is ready to explore Lego Mars.

YCF LegoReviews: Curiosity Rover 21104 Comparison

One of the most interesting aspects of this review is that they spend a great deal of time comparing the released Rover with the original proposed Rover. The most apparent change is the color of Mars (baseplate) and its rocks. Opting for a gray color because the dark orange is not in production. Good news is that there are many gray rocks on Mars, so it stays accurate. There are two other big changes. The articulated arm has been reinforced, to prevent accidental breaking. And, the suspension has been refined. Stephen Pakbaz compliments Lego with designing a more accurate and sturdy suspension in the released Rover.

YCF LegoReviews: Curiosity Rover 21104 Suspension

The video from YCF also features a pretty extensive tour of Stephen Pakbaz’s studio. Featuring other space themed models (Voyager, Juno…), Transformers, and even Samurai Jack’s villain: Aku. This is a great setup for a Lego room… wow.

http://youtu.be/63R25E4FigY

Check out the Mars Curiosity Rover over on Amazon: Curiosity Rover (21104)