Looking at the internal organs.
Hand open...
and hand closed.
| The newest character build from the LEGO Group is General Grievous,
from the first trilogy of Star Wars films. The LEGO Group has made many
Stars Wars character models, from the brickbuilt Yoda set to the
Technic based models of Darth Vader, Threepio, Artoo, the Stormtrooper,
Battle Droid, Super Battle Droid, Destroyer Droid and Pit Droid.
Grievious is a model on the level of an Ultimate Collector’s Set, and
uses a combination of Technic building and brickbuilding to create a
surprisingly accurate rendition of the character.
The model is
meant for an older (14+) builder, so the part count is high and the
build is more complex than other Star Wars sets. The build is a
challenge and has a more than a few interesting building tricks.
Grievous is built from the inside out, so the skeleton is first set in
place (built by Technic parts for stability) and then sculpted out.
Combining Technic and bricks is not as easy as it looks, so this model
is a good tutorial on how to make other models in this method. Builders
who make robotic and mecha models may want to take a good look at this
set.
There are many nice touches with the sculpture — the head
is a nice example of minimal modeling. It helps that General Grievous’
head lends itself to the LEGO medium, but it’s still a fun surprise
seeing the head built with so few parts. With a ball joint, the head
has a lot of freedom to be posed.
The upper body is a really
nice example of non-conventional building, with the use of hinges to
create angled assemblies for the rib cage. Studs Not on Top (SNOT)
techniques are also used to attach the vital organs and their
protective dome. The way the build is done in the instructions, parts
are set up on open hinges, then as a final step, everything is closed,
so the full assembly is not seen until completed – a cool surprise.
The
arms are articulated in the elbow and forearm, so they can rotate. The
shoulder joints are fixed, but the arms can be repositioned in
90-degree increments by removing them and rotating. The upper (back)
two arms can also be removed and replaced with shoulder pads, but the
model looks more menacing with all the arms open and in attack mode.
The hands are nicely done, but what’s very clever are how the
lightsabers are held in the hand – the solution allows the fingers to
wrap around the lightsaber handles and hold them firmly.
The
legs are generally stationary, except that the hips use large click
joints. This allows the upper half of the model to be able to lean
forward (and it’s certainly heavy enough to do it on its own) and opens
up the possibility of making the legs more posable. Because of the size
and weight, however, the feet are secured to the base securely, so
unfortunately, the legs cannot move beyond the hip. This is the only
complaint (if you want to call it that) that I have with the set – the
pose of the arms does not match the pose of the legs. The arms are
modeled to be dynamic because of the [lightsabers], but the legs are in
a standing position. With the hip joints, I would have wanted more of
an attack stance, with one foot in front of the other – and with a
substitution of knee parts and ankle parts, it can be done.
The
base rotates so you can see Grievous from any angle, and also minimize
the footprint of the model for display, which is a thoughtful design
consideration. The smooth black face of the base, done by tiles and
plates without studs, adds a nice classy touch to the presentation of
the model. The base could have been a simple raised box, but it has
four feet and a nameplate, which looks much better.
In terms of
construction, this is a nice day-long project. While the instructions
are for older builders, this isn’t a particularly hard model to
assemble, but it will require a little patience, as there’s a lot to
build. However, the payoff is a very nice model that will fit right on
the shelf with all the other Star Wars models. I strongly recommend
this set for both Star Wars fans and also LEGO builders who want to
learn some ways to build with both bricks and Technic parts.
The Good:
Nice sculpture overall. Nice posability for arms, body and head. Classy presentation with rotating base.
The Bad:
Lack of posability of the legs.
The Ugly:
General Grievous himself – nice sculpt, ugly character!
You can order this set from the LEGO Shop@Home site: General Grevious
You can read an interview with the Designer of the set here!
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