Series 16 Mini Figures – a review

Series 16 mini figures are out and unlike the last series, which was based on established Disney characters, these collectible mini figures are more in line with past series. We’re presented with 16 different (and mostly unique) characters, figures and costumed creatures designed to fuel the imagination. Each character carries within it the potential for a new and unique story to be explored, and of course, to be photographed.

Series 16 Mini Figures – a review

#1 – The Ice Queen – This is a beautiful mini figure. I love her aqua blue face, her silver speckled cape and the details on the front of her dress. The crown / tiara is a nice touch but I’m at a loss with what to do with those ice shards that she holds. I can’t seem to get them in a position that appear to be exploding from her hands naturally. I consider this one of the many limitations (and challenges) of the LEGO mini figure. With Series 16 directly following the Disney mini figures, it’s hard not to assume the Ice Queen is a version of Elsa.  Am I only the only one making this connection? Now that we have an Ice Queen it would be cool to have a Fire Queen or a Wind Queen. Why stop with Ice?

#2 – The Arabian Knight – The Arabian Knight figure was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t hold out much hope for this character, but when I put him in front of the lens, he surpassed my expectations. He’s an unassuming guy, but would make a great addition to any sand or adventure themed photography. (I’m looking at you BrickSailboat!) While there isn’t much new here in terms of accessories, we already have a turban (in white) and his sword has been seen before in black, the details on the arms and the shoes are a nice touch. I’ve learned from experience that sometimes the most unassuming mini figures make for the best photos and the Arabian Knight falls into that category.

#3 – Female Cyborg – I want to like this character, I really do. The female cyborg is only one of five female characters in this series and I should be more open minded.  The best part of this character is the addition of the blue hair element (works for all genders). I’m sure lots of builders and space fans will appreciate the details on the outfit and face, but I’m left flat. I’ve had the same problem with all the cyborg character from past series, so I’m sure this is a personal blind spot.  I think I have to make this my personal challenge: take a photo of this character that I like. Sometimes all it takes to fall in love with a mini figure, is to take a decent photo of it.

#4 – Imp – Even though the Imp feels like a left over from last fall’s series #14 that featured monsters, he’s a fun character. I’m not a fan of a face with the tongue sticking out – what does that even mean? I love the wings in red which we first saw last fall with the Gargoyle from Series #14. The horned helmet, the pointed tail and the black pitch fork are all useful accessories for mixing and matching and creating a new figure. I’ve seen some great mashups with this character and he should be a ‘must have’ for anyones collection.

#5 – Spooky Boy – It was inevitable that we would get a Spooky Boy figure since we already had  Spooky Girl (series #12). He’s a a great looking character, especially his shirt. For me the biggest stumbling block is his face . I can only assume that the mini figure designers at The LEGO Group are playing against type. Why wouldn’t a Spooky Boy be afraid of his book?   Is that a tongue or a fang hanging out of his mouth? My eyes aren’t that good so I can’t tell. Spooky Boy’s accessories are a spider friend and a book. While the spider isn’t anything new, LEGO sized books are always a welcome addition to the library.

#6 – Hiker – This is probably one of the best characters in the series, and if my Instagram feed is any indication, you guys think so too. Not only does he come with a fabulous compass and map, but a new spiffy backpack. His two sided face, one side an exuberant smile and the other a puzzled frown, is one of the best faces. Ever. An instant classic! There’s a lot of play potential in this figure and my only question for LEGO is: when will the female hiker be released? A little LEGO version of Cheryl Straid would be awesome! Or course this is LEGO, so I can make my own. 🙂

#7 – Wildlife Photographer – This is a cute mini figure who comes with a traditional black camera with a ‘lens’ attachment and her own wildlife, a penguin. This figure comes with one of the versatile double faced heads. Too bad one side has goggles and on the other side she’s winking. I can’t hep but think: who’s she winking at? The penguin? While the Wildlife Photographer feels like she escaped from the LEGO City Arctic base series, she’s a welcome addition to the collectable mini figure family. Now if only winter would hurry up and get here so I can take a few photos of her and her cute penguin! Yes, buy many of these figures so you can create your own penguin army. You know you want to!

#8 – Kick Boxer – This figure is a pleasant surprise: a strong female that’s not a fairy tale or a comic book character. Added bonus, her head is printed with two different expression, one fierce and one smiling.  Her accessories may be simple, boxing gloves, helmet and brown pony tail hair piece, it’s nice to have another character with a set of boxing gloves. The gloves are a great accessory if you don’t have them already. Way to go LEGO Group! Now lets get ready to rumble….

#9 – Scallywag Pirate – Let’s face it, you can never have too many pirates! While his accessories aren’t anything too amazing, a map and simple grey sword, I do love his anchor tattoo and his bald head. If you love the pirate theme, you’re going to want to pick up a few of these guys to mix and match to create a more diverse crew for your three masted galleon! (A hat tip to Brett who’s previous pirate photos inspired this one!)

#10 – Penguin Suit Guy – It’s a guy with an overly cute face in a penguin suit. Woo hoo! Add this to your collection alongside the panda guy, gorilla guy, pig suit guy, chicken suit guy, shark guy, bunny suit guy, hotdog guy and unicorn girl. Pick up three, everything is better in threes. Enough said…

#11 – Rogue – This guy is unassuming but probably one of the more interesting characters in the group. Have you checked out his outfit? What great detail on the vest and belt; plus the silver fox detail is beautiful. Under his mask he has a great semi bearded face which will be perfect for someones signature figure. I think I will look for a green cape to accent his outfit and send him off to patrol my backyard.

#12 – Dog Show Judge – I love this character for his face, his hair (works great for all genders) and his accessories. Who doesn’t love white scotty dogs!! Now if only someone would do a LEGO send up of Best in Show.

#13 – Serenader – Here is another great character that you might as well resign yourself to getting multiples of. In fact this character is so enduring that this is the third time the LEGO Group has released it as part of the collectable mini figure series. The first time we saw him was in Series #2 (he came with a set of maracas), the second time he was released in the LEGO Movie series of mini figures (he came with a cheese plate / nachos) and now he has been issued in a new color scheme, a mustache and an acoustic guitar for Series 16. He’s the perfect accompaniment to any Mexican meal. Again get three, everything is better in threes!

#14 – Spy / Rogue – This guy cracks me up, mostly because of his title – ‘spy’. I recently had the pleasure of visiting the International Spy Museum in Washington DC and learned what spies really look like, and this is not it. They tend to dress as unassuming and as normal as possible to blend in.  But of course that wouldn’t make for very good play material, so we have the Tom Cruise version of a spy. I thought the addition of a black rope was a nice touch. If you’re a fan of the Ultra Agents Lego line, then this is the figure for you!

#15 – The Banana Suit Guy – Considering how popular the Hot Dog guy from series #13 is, it was only a matter of time before we had another food related mini figure. This guy also plays well with the Clumsy Guy from series #15. Seriously the jokes just write themselves with his figure.

#16 – Baby Sitter – I’m so glad that the LEGO Group decided to include this figure in series #16. If you weren’t able to purchase the Fun in the Park set, this is a great way to add the LEGO baby to your mini figure collection. The face and hair combo on this figure is very appealing, plus I like the graphic on her T-shirt. My only complaint about this figure is she really should have had a two sided face. Anyone who has been a parent or a babysitter, knows you need a second face for when things go wrong – because things always go wrong. Luckily this is LEGO and I already had the perfect face!

Series 16 is another a great collection; I’m with impressed how the designers at The LEGO Group continue to create these fun characters. I had a great time photographing them and I hope you will too!

~ Shelly

Now it’s your turn to tell me which is your favorite mini figure from Series #16 and why.