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Review: 71027 Collectible Minifigures Series 20


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So obviously I am a big fan of the Collectible Minifigures to the point where I obsessively try to get a complete collection of all the standard series.  But my method has always been to wait until they show up in stores and then feel out the bags I want.  Well, Covid-19 has greatly complicated that process.  Luckily, Chocolate Frogs was able to hook me up with a full set, and because I obsess over these too much, here’s a quick review of them individually.

Drone Boy: I think this may be my favorite of the series.  I really do like the new drone element, and the printed control panel is nice too.  I’m not sure why he has a bandage on his face; just exactly what kind of accident is that implying he got into?  I also like how an extra propeller was included that fits into his teal hat.  :D

Space Fan: She’s pretty mellow parts-wise but it’s still a nice execution.  The classic space shirt is a fun design, and the rocket schematics tile is nice, but the best piece is the round brick with the NASA logo on it... and I realize now that it wasn’t angled properly in my photos.  Whoops!

Llama Girl: Costume characters are always big hits, and although this is an often repeated concept, it’s always a joy to get a new animal to add into the fray.  The llama head is very nicely detailed, and her torso also includes a zipper on the back to indicate that it is very much a costume.  Nice addition of a carrot.

Pea Pod Girl: We get another costume, but this time she’s food based.  The costume mold is nicely detailed and printed, and I also like the use of green lipstick.  And, although it’s hidden, she also has a shirt with a salad printing on it on her torso.  The inclusion of the red apple is a little odd, since generally those don’t tend to mix with peas in salads.  Perhaps it’s supposed to be a tomato?  (I was discussing with someone, and came to realize that there aren’t many vegetable food molds in Lego.  There’s a handful of fruit and meat, but the only veggie is really the carrot, and that’s already been used.)

Super Warrior: AKA Super Sentai Lego copy, AKA knockoff Power Ranger.  As a Power Rangers fan growing up, I totally see the appeal in this fig.  (Gosh, does that mean we need to wait for four more series for them to release more of his colorful teammates?)  The helmet isn’t quite as detailed as some of the Iron Man masks we’ve seen in the past, but it works.  The green Ninjago sword seems a bit lacking as a weapon (it needs a proper hilt) but it works out well enough.

Martial Arts Boy: Lego Nunchucks!  They’re basically chains on the end of bars, but they’re one mold and I’ve heard a lot of MOCists are interested to start utilizing them.  The rest of the figs robes are nice, although we’ve seen plenty of martial arts / karate / ninja characters with similar designs.  I do like the use of the hairpiece (new in black) and the printed headband.  Still, probably one of the least interesting of the figs in this series.

Tournament Knight: Lego has done plenty of castle figs before, so a Knight isn’t exactly breaking new ground, but it gives people to collect a new army builder for the raven faction in the Keetongu orange and black colors.  Plus, that sword is a new and detailed mold... I hope that gets released in some other sets, I wouldn’t mind more of that.

Pirate Girl: She is a bit more-of-the-same if you got the new Ideas Pirate set, and Lego has done plenty of Pirates before, so her design also isn’t new territory.  Still, the hat / hair piece is a new mold and there’s decent printing on the torso and legs... plus, in general, having a detailed female pirate isn’t a bad thing.  Good supplemental fig to add to Barracuda Bay.

Breakdancer: I am really digging the coral top she’s wearing, although not as big a fan of the hat / hair combo.  To show off her moves, she gets the DC jumper piece to give her some altitude.  Very neat.

80s Musician: Don’t have much to say about him, but he fits the look alright.  Fun new instrument mold, nice printing.  I didn’t recognize the hair piece at first, but apparently it’s from TLJ Old Luke.

Viking: We’ve seen Vikings before but they’re not as common as Knights or Pirates, so it’s a welcome addition.  In particular the new helmet mold that fits over the beard piece is great.  Definitely got an army builder here!  Shame he’s rare.

Athlete: It’s been a while since we’ve seen track and field figs, and I don’t think we’ve had a character specializing in the javelin or discus before.  She comes with an exclusive white spear, a printing round tile, and two gold medals.  (One is a standard extra piece, but clearly it means she got Gold in both of her events.)  Her uniform tag reads “BIB 0937” but I don’t know the significance of that.  (Well, at least of the BIB part… the 0937 has been used on an amusement park ticket before and… apparently spells out LEGO upside-down, so that’s something I completely missed at first.)  Overall, lots of good pieces here.

Sidetrack for a moment to just say how similar the Viking and Athlete are when feeling for them in the bags.  They each have a spear, a rounded second accessory (shield and discus tile), a neck attachment that comes with an extra piece (beard and metal), and both have their smaller pieces placed in a bag within a bag.  Usually two figs in a series don’t share this many similarities; the best way to tell the difference is to identify the shield or round tile.  (The helmet and hair pieces are also different, but I find it tricky to feel the subtle difference between head elements like that.)  CF was able to figure these out when he sent them to me, but I was confused for a while as I tried to guess which was which.  Trying to determine the difference while in a rush at the store would’ve been infuriating!

Piñata Boy: I really love the sombrero piece, so getting it back is quite fun.  He comes with two poncho elements to go over the front and back, and per usual his torso is unprinted.  The llama piñata is a nice touch with the mold and printing.  The stud on the top of the back is also hollow, which I think is a bit unusual for these animal molds.  Can’t really fit much candy inside though.

Pajama Girl: She pulls off her theme well enough, with a new bunny toy mold and bunny prints on her torso.  The Hermione hair is new in blonde too.  Not the most exciting fig but she works; shame she doesn’t come with an alternative sleepy expression.

Sea Rescuer: We’ve seen a lot of diver figs before; in fact, the diver from the first series of CMFs was generally one of the least popular figs at the time, if I recall.  So this one had a lot working against her.  While her design is pretty standard, I do appreciate the azure and coral color highlights.  She also uses the jumper piece… but it’s flipped around to stick the bar into her flipper, and attaches to the base by a nipple element.  Of course, the diver is already second rate in her own bag; the real star is the turtle mold.  We’ve seen cutesy turtles in Friends and Elves sets in the past, but I think this might be the first realistic system turtle we’ve got.  (Teenage mutant ninja variants don’t count.)  It makes this diver worthwhile.

Green Brick Costume Guy: Okay, he doesn’t really have anything more going for him that what the other brick costume character brought to the table.  But I mean, he’s green… even if it is the non-standard bright green shade.  And I guess he does have an uncommon hair piece in a new color.  I do appreciate the tile celebrating ten years of CMFs; I’ve now been obsessively collecting these for over a decade.  Sheesh!

Overall, it’s a near wave of figs, with a lot of nice variety.  I think the clear winners are the Llama Costume Girl and the Super Warrior, although my favorite is still probably the Drone Boy.  The Sea Rescuer, Piñata Boy, and Space Fan also deserve shout outs!  (Meanwhile, my boring list consists of the 80s Musician, Pajama Girl, and Nunchucks Kid.  Knight, Pirate, and Viking get by as army builders.  The other four are very middle of the road.)  Well, those are my opinions, anyway.  Which ones are your favorites?

:music: 

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