© 2014 The Lego Group / Marvel Characters Inc

The Marvel Cinematic Universe expands this August with the release of James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy. The prospect of a troop of space-bound superheroes on the big screen is exciting but perhaps not as much as new Lego sets gleefully recreating the characters in block form.

Wired.co.uk takes a look at the range.


The first wave of Guardians Lego consists of three sets. Starblaster Showdown (Kit Ref 76019, £19.99) is the "entry level", comprising two vehicles and three minifigs -- Chris Pratt's Star Lord, bad guy The Sakaaran, and a Nova Corps officer. Knowhere Escape Mission (Kit Ref 76019, £44.99) is likely to be the most popular with kids and fans of the comics alike, as it's the one that comes with Rocket Raccoon, Groot, another Sakaaran and Lego Karen Gillan (aka Nebula). The Milano Spaceship Rescue (Kit Ref 76019, £69.99) is the pinnacle of the line, a pricey replica of the Guardians' ship, comparable in size to the Quinjet released as part of the Avengers line.

It's worth noting first that all sets have some form of projectile-firing gimmick. Most use the tension system, where pieces are held in place until you give a tap or shift a Lego brick, though a couple of pieces in the Knowhere and Milano sets use spring-loaded launchers. Something to be aware of, especially if you have young children around -- either method is capable of flinging pieces a good distance.

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© 2014 The Lego Group / Marvel Characters Inc

Of the two larger sets, Knowhere Escape is the more kid-friendly, packing in plenty of play features such as catapults, trap doors, and destructible platforms once constructed. Total build time is around 90 minutes, and for that you get Rocket's weird cylindrical hover vehicle (hover feature requires imagination), a mini-complex of raised floors and projectile weapons, and Groot.


The sentient tree Guardian is actually the star of the set, a satisfyingly complex and ingenious build in his own right. Groot requires around 50 pieces to complete, a massive evolution for Lego "Big Figs" compared to the likes of Hulk from earlier releases that were just, well, bigger. Once you've built him he's an action figure in his own right, with multiple points of articulation and convenient studs on his arm for Rocket to perch on. He's remarkably well-balanced too -- we managed to pose him an arboreal pirouette and he stood firm. The only downside is that those points of articulation don't include the neck, which slightly limits how well Groot can be presented.

© 2014 The Lego Group / Marvel Characters Inc

Rocket is adorable but also suffers from posing restrictions.

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His legs are half the normal Lego size, keeping him appropriately shorter than his peers, but that means they aren't jointed.


Similarly, his sculpted head, which fits over his shoulders, means he sits eternally staring forward. His weapon is a mini-marvel though (no pun intended) -- a techno rifle that actually allows light to travel through the miniscule channel in its mounted sight scope. Rocket's vehicle is fun too, looking like a deep sea pod complete with grabber claws, but with the addition of energy mines to drop out of the back. Lego Karen Gillan (sorry, Nebula) is the most posable of the standard sized minifigs included, and benefits from a beautiful paint scheme of deep blues and purples. She also comes with three swords, despite only being able to hold two. The third actually fits into her head, which is in no way a quirk of Lego's universal sizes and is obviously an indication of how tough the character is. Head sword!

© 2014 The Lego Group / Marvel Characters Inc

On the flip side, the Milano set feels much more collector focussed. Both its higher price and complexity (you're looking at up to three hours to put all six bags together, with many of the pieces being exceptionally tiny and demanding precision skills -- it's one of the most intricate Lego builds Wired.co.uk has seen) are likely to deter kids. There's also the fact that the finished product -- a beautifully symmetrical spacecraft with adjustable wing blades feathering out on either side -- is far more of a display piece than a plaything. Even the interior detailing, such as a retro boom box that hangs on the wall, largely unseen, serves more to amuse devoted fans than give younger builders something to do.

Comparing to the Quinjet again, the Milano just doesn't have as many play points. The Quinjet has detachable modules, a drop down rover, and the same kind of variable flaps and wings as the Milano, which really just has a lot of tucked away missiles. The only quibble on the build quality is that the main canopy just sits on the top, rather than being hinged or otherwise connecting. Like Groot's immobile neck, it's a strange decision given minor modifications would have given a more pleasing result.

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© 2014 The Lego Group / Marvel Characters Inc

The Milano set also comes with a smaller vehicle, used by Ronan the Accuser. It's a simple build resulting in an odd hover sled of sorts, with seemingly random vertical shield/wing... things. It is, however, the first Lego vehicle we've seen with blood splatter on the windows -- or, more likely, some sort of tribal marking that will remain unexplained until we've seen the film. The package also includes five minifigs -- Star Lord again, a third Sakaaran (which makes us think he's either a bigger presence in the movie than trailers have indicated, or just one of numerous grunt-level villains), Gamora, Drax, and the aforementioned Ronan.

No real surprises here, as all characters are standard size and with regular levels of poseability. However, Star Lord benefits from swappable space helmet and hair for alternate looks, while Drax is curiously rendered as grey rather than his usual green.


Perhaps they didn't want him and Gamora to visually overlap?

© 2014 The Lego Group / Marvel Characters Inc

Overall, we wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Milano to adult collectors -- it's a fantastic kit with lots packed in for your 70 quid -- but think carefully before picking it up for children, even those within the recommended 8-14 bracket. The Knowhere Escape set is the gem of the line though, perfectly balancing kid-friendly features with nerd cred, and at a more bearable price point. And seriously? That Groot is utterly amazing.