Welcome To Apocalypseburg LEGO Review: Epic Ape!
- First LEGO Statue of Liberty in minifig scale
- First modern apocalyptic LEGO set
- Enjoyable to build, start to finish (nothing monotonous)
- Every minifigure is a keeper
- A bevy of new and/or rare LEGO bricks
- Tiny children cannot resist breaking apart and adding on
- Creates insatiable thirst for more post-apocalyptic LEGO bricks
- Black hole of death
Today we're looking at The LEGO MOVIE 2: The Second Part LEGO set 70840 "Welcome to Apocalypseburg!" This is easily one of the most massive LEGO sets we've put together and certainly the most extravagant in the minifigure universe. This set is a whopping 3,178 pieces large, and it's not for the feeble of heart. It's a doozy and a half, of that you can be sure.
My first thought when I saw this set was: Finally! A post-apocalyptic-themed LEGO set! Now I'll be able to build a complete collection of Mad Max Mini Micros for a real trip across the wasteland! Now all I need is a printed Furiosa head and I'm set!
In reality, this set was inspired primarily by Planet Of The Apes. The fallen Statue of Liberty is one major clue that this was an Ape-related set. If that weren't enough, there's a minifigure-sized movie poster for "Planet Of The Bricks" inside the head of Lady Liberty. Look how cute!
Also in the head are several amenities for the minifigure of your choice, and adjustable slats for access to innovative visuals. This head has a removable scalp for user entry, and looks really awesome when lit from within. Also note: green hotdog pieces for eyebrows.
The flame is a next-level innovative sideways-constructed set of yellow bricks above a set of fences and the highest point in the set. From here, all the swinging around on chains and zip-lining and parachuting can take place. Directions suggest chain-swinging as a primary function.
All the way up the side of the statue, right up the arm, is a set of ladders. These ladders connect to the set with their own unique holders – which you'll need if you plan on re-using the ladders at any point on any different set. Here you'll also see the fingers of the statue wrap around the base of the torch – all fingers are movable.
Here you might want to start thinking about how you'll use these parts to turn the Statue of Liberty into a Ghostbusters-like living robot. You'll need a few more of this particular sort of green piece – but it'll be worth it!
Down the ladder and around the corner, in the back of the neck of the Statue of Liberty, you'll find a black hole of death. In the entire set there is only one element of which I am not a fan, and it is this. I'm not a fan because when you've got children that'll be playing with the set, they see a hole and they immediately drop pieces inside.
To get a piece back after it's been dropped down this Black Hole of Death, you've got to lift up the entire set. There was probably no way around building this way, and for most people that'll drop cash on this set, it won't be an issue at all. But the hole is there!
In the jail cell at the ground level, there's a launching jail chair mechanism. This is one of the first things you build if you follow the instructions. The lever is hidden outside the room as a pipe, near which a few other pipes are placed to make the whole setup look natural.
This set's relation to the movies is interesting in that you don't necessarily need to have seen the LEGO Movie 2 to understand what's going on here. Included in this set are post-apocalyptic versions of some of the most memorable characters from the first LEGO Movie, and just a couple of characters that only appear in the 2nd installment. These characters are all in the LEGO Movie 2, too, but even if you've only seen the first movie, this set rings a bell.
This set is made for people who love to discover secrets and explore unfamiliar environments. If you're the sort of person who loves the idea of finding a secret compartment in your bedroom closet, inside which might be something awesome or odd, this set is the one for you.
The price of this set is considerable at approximately $300 USD. But given the iconic nature of the parts, and the fact that this is the first of what we hope is a long line of apocalyptic and/or hardcore LEGO brick sets, this might well be the best $300 in LEGO cash you've ever spent. This set is available in sets now, and was originally released on January 14th, 2019. Also consider seeing The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, also in theaters right this minute.
If you'd like to find all of our LEGO set reviews, I recommend you head to Google and search "SlashGear LEGO review". We've got a whole bunch – and from all sorts of different kinds of lines in the LEGO ecosphere. I recommend you start with a peek at our review of MetalBeard's Sea Cow! That's the biggest set from the first LEGO Movie – and nearly as magnificent!
Above you'll find a gallery full of up-close shots of this set, and its various minifigures. Be sure to watch out for ultra-hardcore Batman and a brand new version of Harley Quinn. This is the first time a Harley Quinn minifigure had what's basically her original Suicide Squad outfit in full effect.
Also make sure to take note of the recommended hotdog-bun meal served at the diner. And see if you can find the one reference to Ninjago (in the form of a poster). And last, but not least, stop in for a cup of wake-up juice at COFFEE UNCHAINED!
Hastily-constructed pair of DIY War Boys above not included. Get your paint, your banged-up old stormtrooper bodies, and your old-school joker faces and make your own!