Review: 76060 Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum
Posted by CapnRex101,
The Marvel Cinematic Universe will be entering new territory when Doctor Strange is released later this year, introducing the concept of magic which has hardly been explored in the thirteen preceding films. 76060 Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum is a similarly fresh offering from LEGO as no set quite like this one has ever been released in either the Marvel or DC Super Heroes line.
LEGO is now taking full advantage of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's enormous popularity by releasing sets based on every new film. 76039 Ant-Man Final Battle was released last year to represent Ant-Man and proved very popular. I have high expectations that this set will be able to match the high quality of that one.
Minifigures
Doctor Strange is portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in the film and this minifigure is therefore a LEGO debut for both the character of Stephen Strange and the famed actor who plays him, excepting Smaug. The intricate printing on his torso and legs looks looks splendid, with layers of dark blue fabric on the front and back as well as the Eye of Agamotto, an amulet worn by Strange which has the power to manipulate probability and time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This muted shade of blue contrasts brilliantly with his bright red cape and I like the dark tan accents on his belt.
Unfortunately this hair piece does not match the style seen in the movie and I think the hair introduced with Superman earlier this year would have been more appropriate. Neverthless, the white highlights on either side are perfect and Strange's face is nicely printed with angry and more reserved expressions.
Doctor Strange comes with two printed dishes which represent energy projections and these are impressively detailed, with some mystic runes arranged in a ring alongside a few silver spots. The Ancient One wields a pair of trans-clear fans which are decorated with similar markings to those on Doctor Strange's energy projections.
The Ancient One minifigure features some gaudy colours which do not reflect what we have seen of the character in trailers and promotional images for the film thus far, although that it is not to say that the golden shirt and purple trousers will not be worn. It is possible that the golden figure seen in the most recent trailer is The Ancient One but even that would not justify the bright purple robes which cover the legs of the minifigure.
I am satisfied with the detailed designs on the legs, torso and head, particularly since both the head and torso are printed on both sides. However, I am concerned that this figure will not resemble Tilda Swinton's portrayal of The Ancient One, akin to the bewildering inclusion of Hank Pym in a black Ant-Man suit in last year's 76039 Ant-Man Final Battle.
The third and final minifigure is Karl Mordo. This sorcerer is traditionally an opponent of Doctor Strange but he appears to be an ally of the hero on this occasion and is shown fighting alongside the sorcerer supreme on the box for this set. The hair piece introduced with Finn in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens range is used again here to good effect and I like Mordo's double-sided head as well. It features some stubble which is accurate to the film and is decorated with two different expressions, one of which looks rather villainous.
Baron Mordo's typical dark green robes look splendid and the layered fabric is exceptionally detailed on both sides of the torso and on the legs. Mordo is armed with a black staff and it waits to be seen whether he will use this weapon against Strange at some point during the film.
The Completed Model
Super Heroes sets often focus on vehicles but when playsets are released they are usually packed with destructable features such as those seen in 76018 Avengers: Hulk Lab Smash and 76037 Rhino and Sandman Super Villain Team-up. However, this location-based model is more akin to 21302 The Big Bang Theory in style, with an emphasis on detail and authenticity over play features. I appreciate this unusual approach to a Super Heroes set and it works very nicely for the Sanctum Sanctorum in my opinion, particularly given the excellence of the only major function which is included.
The most immediately eye-catching element of the set is the monstrous creature reaching through the wall. We have not seen anything of this beast in the trailers for the movie but I would assume it is entering the Sanctum Sanctorum through a portal of some sort, perhaps sent by the evil Kaecilius. A new printed 1x1 round tile is used for its four eyes and a spare is included for your own creations. These are arranged around some teeth in the centre and can be rotated by turning a wheel at the back of the model.
The four largest tentacles are also moved when the wheel is turned and these can come together in the centre if they are posed correctly, as shown in the image below. A minifigure caught between these tentacles will be clamped in place or pushed towards the mouth which is a lot of fun and I am delighted that this simple feature works so well.
The ramp in front of the monster is decorated with some more runes and there are a few papers stacked on the floor. Some are printed while others make use of stickers which read 'The Codex Imperium' and 'Book of the Invisible Sun'. I look forward to spotting these books and manuscripts in the movie.
Undoubtedly the most famous feature of the Sanctum Santorum is the unusual circular window and this has been rendered here using four pearl silver swords. This is not an exact replica of the actual window design as it is seen in the comics and film but I appreciate the clever use of parts and it is certainly recognisable. A pair of trans-clear rods extend beneath the window and these can be used to simulate the minifigures floating while Doctor Strange's desk is stacked with two candlesticks and some more papers, including a letter from Stark Industries.
Bookcases stand on either side of the window and these are laden with artefacts which may or may not be visible in the film. Tiles are placed on their side to create rows of colourful books and a selection of rounded bricks are used very effectively to give the impression of carved wood.
A treasure chest beside the bookcase contains a ruby and a key, the significance of which is left up to our imagination. There are yet more documents stacked on the floor in front of the chest and each one is decorated with a sticker. It would have been nice to see prints on each of these 1x2 and 2x2 tiles as that would allow minifigures to hold them without risking damage to the design but presumably that exceeded the allowable cost for the set. Another play feature allows you to place Doctor Strange's cape as though it is levitating but this is probably the weakest function as the black pieces look out of place when the cape is not attached.
The model is a mess when viewed from the rear but this does not bother me as it is obviously intended to be displayed with the other side on show. I would have loved to see the Sanctum Sanctorum rendered in a scale akin to a Modular Building with extensive detail on the exterior as well as the interior but I wonder whether the popularity of Doctor Strange would warrant such a large set. Perhaps that will change once the film has been released and we might see a much larger Sanctum Sanctorum at some point in the next few years.
Overall
This is a very unusual Marvel Super Heroes set but it is thoroughly impressive. The minifigures are excellent and the Sanctum Sanctorum itself is brilliantly detailed, with some intricately designed furniture and a number of easter eggs spread around the room. Without having seen the film we can only recognise a couple of these but the latest trailer did reveal the significance of the word 'Shamballa' which adorns a slip of paper on Doctor Strange's desk!
My only slight complaints relate to the inappropriate use of stickers for accessories and the Ancient One minifigure which hardly resembles what we have seen of the character thus far. Nevertheless, I absolutely recommend this set whether you are looking for an attractive display piece or something to play with and I am certain that it will prove very popular once the movie has been released. 76060 Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum will be available worldwide from the 1st of August.
We have more reviews of the new Super Heroes, Technic and Star Wars sets to come and will be publishing the next 'What's Missing?' article for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope on Sunday.
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33 comments on this article
"Shamballa, what is this my mantra?"
"It's the Wi-Fi password"
Great Easter egg!!
Is this set out yet?
Great review CaptainRex. This is a great set with well-done minifigs and a building that is fun. I only collect the best superheroes and this is a must buy.
Bought this set today and am rather impressed with it. Only small gripe i have is that one of the energy projections on mine is printed rather off centre. Dr Strange has always been my favourite Marvel character - can't wait for the film!
Do an AntMan final battle review!
@James"Bucky"Barnes - the set will be available from Shop.lego.com from 1st August, but it seems like it has already started to appear in toy shops (:
Anyway, it was a great review! From the first time I saw it I thought it looked totally messed up, but now I´m considering to buy it as my first Marvel set.
Good news: just found the set on the self at a local Target. (Grabbed on all giddy like a school girl)
Bad news: when I went to check out came up as not available to sell yet. *stoopid set, I didn't want it anyway :,(
This set is definitely a day-one-buy. Those printed pieces are marvelous (pun intended). ;)
Awesome set. Must have for my collection.
I wonder what is with the Ancient One's head?
How do you write a review??
Excellent review! I'm really looking forward to Doctor Strange so am very pleased that the set is so good.
The set isn't bad, but I can't be the only one bummed that we might not get a comic book version of Mordo and the Ancient One for a while.
@James"Bucky"Barnes Argos had it for a week now. Just search for "Lego 76060" - it comes up as "LEGO Superheroes Marvel MDP 2". All the ones around Reading have it in stock.
I managed to bag 2 of these bad boys during the 3 for 2 sale. :)
@ LegoloverJoe:
Have a look at a review writing guide that I wrote a while ago.
http://brickset.com/assets/docs/reviewGuide.pdf
As I've noticed nobody mention this yet, the runes are Norse and read "DORMAMMU IS NEAR" on the circular designs (both Strange's magic and the floor-design) and simply "DORM AMMU" on the fans. A neat addition from the set designers, although I wonder if runes in the movie will be Norse as well, or if LEGO simply took liberties with them.
If it wasn't for this movie, I would have never heard of him. So far, I haven't been too interested in the trailers, but it will be similar to Ant-Man I suppose. I'll wait to rent it and see if it is decent enough. Either way, I'll end up getting the set because I love new face prints/body prints and there are some fun features in this. Granted, I'll never build it or play with it, but it could be fun.
Thanks for the review. I'll have to wait a few more days to order it I guess.
Thanks FlagsNZ!!
@Dr.Doom, Dormammu is, if I'm not mistaken, the most powerful enemy of Doctor Strange. Since the movie hasn't come out, we don't know if Dormammu will actually be the villain of the movie or if LEGO just decided to make a shout-out to Doctor Strange's most notorious enemy. He is fiery, but I don't think he has any relation to Ghost Rider, and Marvel Studios hasn't said anything about a Ghost Rider movie. They did acquire the rights to him, Punisher, and Blade, but the schedule was already crowded enough for Marvel studios before they added Spider-Man. Who knows, though? Maybe they'll mention something to do with them as Infinity War starts wrapping up.
I'd buy it anyway, not only figures are excellent but it looks fine as well. But this tentacle function nailed it. The set almost looks flawless after your review.
@Shadox That's kinda funny... they misspelled Dormammu when converting it to runes. The name they have written translates directly to "Dormmamu"
A ruby in the treasure chest? Given that we're building to Thanos assembling the Infinity Gauntlet (and we're still two stones down. One's in Asgard, one's with the collector, one's with the Nova corp, and the fourth is on the Vision's forehead, but five and six are, as yet, unaccounted for), I daresay that's a hint for this movie.
Great review and neat set. My hopes are that the movie delivers.
I know pretty much nothing about Doctor Strange and even though I'll see the movie, I don't see myself buying this set, although I must say it looks pretty good (thank god it's another plane or car set). One thing that bothered is that Strange's cape isn't assymetrical. I have an ocd with symmetry but Lego has done some assymetrical capes before.
@ Dr.Doom @Shadox Robbie Reyes version of Ghostbusters will be in Agents of SHIELD season 4, so a movie is probably not going to happen any time soon.
@dr doom it is never too late
Please do AntMan final battle
^ I think he has already done one, a year ago. Check it in the index of staff reviews if it's still there!
So cool!!!
Also the trailer for the movie looks amazing!
Hmm,those red tentacles look good for a MOC Rathtar!
For some reason, I thought this set was more expensive than it actually is; maybe that's a good thing!
@Alan932 that's a great idea!!! thanks!
I built this set yesterday and loved it. I like having a room as the setting for action. I wish this had been slightly more expensive so the beast could be hidden and then pop out of the portal. I think I will get a copy of this set and see if I can expand the window and the beast portal. The window should be twice the size of this one. I really wanted the Ras Al Gul set to be closer to this one as Ras is always seen pacing in his castle tower hall.
Yet another set I wasn't too impressed about when I first saw it, but this closer look has changed my mind. Now I want it! I have to stop reading these great reviews or I'll end up buying the full Lego catalogue!