The Monster Fighters theme is a very unique and interesting concept which is very reminiscent of some of the old Studios sets which contained Monsters like these ones. This set in particular is very reminiscent of set 1382, Scary Laboratory, from that theme which also featured a Mad Scientist and his Monster. I planned to purchase at least some of the sets after they were revealed and now that I have one, I think I will in fact be getting them all!

Box/Instructions

The box art for this model is nice displaying the lab of the Crazy Scientist with the Monster Fighters' car approaching to try and ruin the Scientist's plan, as well as prevent him from unleashing his Monster. The Scientist's catapult is launching translucent green cylinders at the heroes and they are returning fire with their flick fire missiles. The machine has been activated and is re-animating the lumbering Monster which lies on a wooden table while the Crazy Scientist attempts to fend off those meddling Monster Fighters with a flask of some kind of green liquid!

The entire set is displayed on a dark background as it is night time, heaps of stones and a cave can be seen as well as hundreds of bats flying overhead. In the sky there are a few clouds and bolts of lightning hitting the Moonstone on the roof of one of the towers, which powers his incredible machine. The moon is full to add to the spooky nature of the design. The stone floor is smothered with a mysterious green liquid, perhaps from the conical flask held by the Crazy Scientist. In the top left corner of the cover is the lovely green steaming Lego Monster Fighters logo which is cleverly formed by the colony of bats flying above the laboratory. The two evil Minifigures and the light brick are shown off in the bottom right corner.

The back of the box shows another view of the set and demonstrates the features of the laboratory and the Monster fighting car. There is a small comic strip showing Lord Vampyre whisking away the green Moonstone to help power his preposterous machine which he hopes to use to eclipse the sun for all eternity!

The build is split between two instruction booklets, the first of which constructs the car, and the other makes the laboratory. The artwork for each of these only shows what will be made in that instruction booklet, I found no mistakes and had no missing pieces.

Parts

There are quite a few nice parts in this set, including of course a red light brick which is always very useful and all of those lovely medium blue pieces which makes up the car. There is a lovely gold fez piece which forms the end of Major Quinton Steele's lovely blunderbuss style weapon and four nice large octagonal pieces.

There are a couple of these new bracket pieces which look like they might be very versatile for MOCing with and four dark tan brick work pieces. A nice conical flask is included which was first seen in Series 4 of the Collectable Minifigures and we also get a small bone piece. The top of the Monster's head, the Crazy Scientist's wild hair, and Major Quinton Steele's pith hat are all excellent parts as well. Three amazing glow in the dark components are included which are all fantastic.

What is a little disappointing is the slightly poorer quality of some of these medium blue pieces, I hope this is not a continuing feature of sets in the future, but fortunately it does not seem to be a widespread issue.

Minifigures

There are four marvellous Minifigures included in this set. Two of these are heroes, the other two are villains, whatever their allegiance, they are all excellent!

The first of these is the leader of the Monster Fighters, Dr. Rodney Rathbone. He is highly detailed from head to toe and has some very unique features which I love. He wears a light grey Derby hat, the same as the one worn by the Riddler in the Super Heroes theme, but on this occasion without the question mark. It suits him very well and matches his nice waistcoat. His face is printed on just one side with a well kept moustache, side burns, and a small beard, all of which are black. He features black eyebrows and a little smirk which is a nice touch.

His torso is printed with a nice striped waistcoat. It is mostly light grey but the stripes are white like the shirt he is wearing beneath his waistcoat. He has a red tie and the collar of the shirt is visible. There are some pockets on the jacket and in one of them is a lovely gold pocket watch with a chain which is a great little detail. He has a continuation of this waistcoat on the back of his torso as well and a white belt and chrome silver buckle. His arms are white to match his shirt and his hands are yellow.

My favourite part of the Minifigure however are his legs. The hips and his left leg are both sand green which is a nice colour, but his right leg is a brand new moulded piece, a mechanical leg! It is cast in metallic silver and has some nice detail including a telescopic section of his leg which looks quite realistic and certainly makes the character a bit more interesting. Unfortunately he cannot sit down like most Minifigures due to his prosthetic leg but the seat on the top of the car is adapted for him to sit down comfortably. Dr. Rodney Rathbone carries a nice fencing blade and a dark grey revolver which are both superb weapons for this figure which match his character perfectly.

Next is Major Quinton Steele, another great figure who is perhaps a little more detailed than his Monster fighting counterpart. He wears a white pith style hat which is great and is a fairly uncommon piece too. His head is nice with a rather interesting mechanical eye patch printed on it, which presumably allows him to see out of both eyes, despite one having been lost in some previous entanglement with a Monster of some sort. He has some elaborate grey and white facial hair which adds to the character significantly. On the reverse of his head are some small wrinkles at the base of the piece.

His torso is printed with a dark tan jacket with lots of pockets and an open collar, through which you can just see his white buttoned shirt. Across his chest is a brown bandoleer in which he stores some extra ammunition for his blunderbuss and a map of the realm of the Monsters. The back of the torso is also printed with the rest of the bandoleer (and plenty more bullets) as well as a few folds in the fabric of his jacket. His arms are dark tan like the rest of his torso and his hands are yellow.

He also wears dark tan trousers with a brown belt which is printed on his hips and a brown bag strapped to his thigh. A nice little addition are the two white teeth hanging from his belt which make him look quite rugged, certainly more so than his companion in this set. He carries a blunderbuss style weapon which consists of a dark brown rifle introduced with the recent Dino theme, a golden telescope piece, and a golden fez.

The Crazy Scientist is very reminiscent of the Mad Scientist from Series 4 of the Collectable Minifigures and is a great figure. His hair (first seen in the Agents theme) is cast in a light grey rubbery material which was seen on that Series 4 Scientist Minifigure but it suits the character well so I am pleased that they used this piece once again. His face is completely different and an incredibly detailed design. The head is printed on both sides with two different faces. On one of them he is wearing a fair of mechanical spectacles, with one yellow lens while the other is green. He has a serious expression and the bizarre goggles look fantastic. However his alternative face is even better in my opinion with the same goggles, but this time they have red and green lenses and he has an evil smile which looks suitably insane for the character of a Mad Scientist!

He wears a white lab coat with buttons and a buckled belt on which he keeps a mysterious vile of some terrible chemical and a pair of pliers. There is a crease in his coat and some more of his brown belt with two more test tubes of a green solution and a slightly different pair of pliers. His arms are plain white and he is wearing protective gloves (it is good to know that he stays safe when creating hideous monsters) so his hands are black. His legs are plain black as he has some rather plain trousers on, I would have liked to see some printing here, but these trousers are not bad.

Last of all is The Monster. He is of course based on Frankenstein's Monster from the book, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley and is a lovely incarnation of this classic character. He is very much like the Monster from Series 4 of the Collectable Minifigures just like the Crazy Scientist but is slightly improved and updated to appear more evil (which the monster in the book really is not).

The top of his head is the same piece as the Collectable Minifigure, but is printed quite differently. This one has the same black hair as that figure but the scar running across his forehead is held together with safety pins, which is a funny little touch on the part of Lego, and thick black eyebrows unlike the other figure. I love this mould and I prefer this design over the Collectable Minifigure. His head is cast in olive green like the other part which makes up his head and is printed with more black eyebrows which are hidden underneath the part which forms the top of his head. He has lots of wrinkles printed on the piece and an open mouth filled with yellowing and jagged teeth, there are even a few missing. The entire head overall is extremely nicely detailed and well designed too.

His torso is mostly brown and has lots of detail like his head. The creature wears a ragged old jacket with two pockets and some stitching where it has been repaired. Underneath his jacket is a patchwork shirt, consisting of three different colours of fabric. The open neck of the shirt allows the top of his chest to be seen. On his chest there are some wrinkles and white stitching. He also has back printing which shows a long line of stitching and a patch which is a slightly lighter shade of brown. His arms are brown and his hands are olive green like the rest of his visible skin. His legs and hips are plain brown. The entire Minifigure conveys the cobbled together character very well indeed and I am very pleased with it, so much so that it is my favourite figure of the set.

The build

The build only takes about an hour and is fairly simple. Almost the entire set is made up of standard Lego System bricks which makes the set ideal for children and younger builders. I like the use of light and dark grey 'log' bricks to form a rather run down brick work effect on the walls of the gaol cell which looks superb and the mechanism which activates the light brick and rotates the Moonstone is very cleverly designed and works very well indeed creating a nice effect, but I will discuss that more later on in the review. Overall however for more experienced Lego builders this build is perhaps a bit simplistic.

The completed model

When the model is complete it looks great and has quite a few features as well. The Ghostbusters style car is very nice and features lots of interesting quirks of design which I like very much. It is predominantly medium blue which is a marvellous colour scheme which makes the vehicle very striking and visually appealing. I like the curved design on the front of the car and the nice wheel arches look lovely. One of the two stickers included in the set is used for the number plate and bumper above which is the nice black grille and headlights.

Inside the car is a steering wheel and one of the main features of the vehicle, the extendible flick fire missile launcher which can be controlled by a Minifigure sat on the seat which extends out of the car with the missile. It is a fun feature but I wish it were a little more complicated, perhaps there could be a door which rotates to reveal a missile launcher or something like that, but you could always customise the vehicle with such a feature if you wish.

The top of the roadster is removable for easier access to the inside of the car and on the roof is another seat, a radar dish which can be moved up and down, and a retractable missile launcher which launches two different kinds of flick fire missile. At the rear of the vehicle the two wheels are hidden behind medium blue plating which creates a unique look to the model and two flames come from the exhausts on either side of the car. There is also an attachment point for the chain attached to the laboratory, the purpose of which will become clear later on.

The Crazy Scientist's laboratory is wonderful and has lots of details. The taller of the two towers has the lightning rods and the Moonstone on the top of it which are made up mostly of translucent green pieces. There are some nice ramparts and two flaming torches. Below that is the black gear, which you can turn to activate the flickering red light, found on the back wall of the laboratory and there are two large cross-braced pillars which support the roof. The machine itself uses the other sticker in the set and has some grille and wheel detailing. A neon green rod comes from the machine which focuses the beam of light very nicely on to the moveable table on which the Scientist can create his wicked Monster and bring it to life!

There is a section of wall connecting the towers which prominently features a white spider's web and plenty of scientific tools. There are two flasks of liquid, a brick built microscope which looks good, and a glow in the dark skull which is encased within a translucent bell jar with a small dial beneath it. A bone and a wrench are hung on the wall above these various Scientific instruments.

To the left of the wall section is the small prison cell which has an opening door, a removable back wall, which can be torn off by attaching the chain from the wall section to the car, and a rotating catapult on the roof which can launch green cylinders at anyone who dares to come within range. There are plenty of animals creeping around the cell including a frog, a glow in the dark spider which is on the wall, and a glow in the dark rat. Inside the prison is just one thing, a simple bench which a Minifigure can sit or lie down on. There are two windows, one is a small arched window visible from the front, and the other is larger and more rectangular in shape.

Summary

Overall I think this is an excellent set and one which I would highly recommend. There are plenty of nice features and the set is certainly a bit spooky. The car is designed very well and looks suitably bizarre and unique for this Monster hunting duo. I love the three glow in the dark pieces (which all glow very well by the way) and the flickering red light which animates the Monster. The Minifigures too are all very good and the price is just right for what you get so I have no complaints there. The only complaints I do have though are the slightly poorer quality of the medium blue bricks than usual, although this is not visible when the car is constructed, and the very easy build which for me was a bit dull, but for younger Lego fans would be absolutely ideal. This set would make an ideal gift in my opinion and there is plenty of playability to be had here.

Overall - 9/10

Let me start by admitting more than just a little bias as I've loved the Crazy Scientist since I saw the CMF version, and have put several together from the Build A Mini Bar at the local LEGO store.

This set really tickled my fancy from the get go and I think you'll agree.

Box/Instructions

The box is typically oversized but with great cover art depicting the two heroes, Dr. Rodney Rathbone & Maj. Quinton Steele coming up in their car, to attack the Crazy Scientist as the lightning machine zaps The Monster to life.

The instructions came in 2 books, bags 1 & 2 build the heroes' car and figures in book 1, with them on the cover. The weird part is the 2nd book has a diferent cover image, which totally threw me off when looking for it among the other manuals I had out (built several kits last night, mostly MF)

Parts

With 430 parts for $49.99 at the LEGO store, but with 4 brand new figs this is just under the "golden ratio" but is still a good buy. Add in some Glow In The Dark parts and a Light Brick and I'm totally comfortable with the price.
Some of the cooler bits (IMNSHO):
2 Lt Bley 1x2 - 1x2 Brackets http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=99781&colorID=86&in=A
2 each Lt Bley & Dk Tan 10x10 octagonal plates
4 Brick Bricks in Dk Tan
THE MAD SCIENTIST'S FLASK!!
Glow In The Dark Rat, Spider & Skeleton Head
and of course:
The Moonstone!

Minifigures

Crazy Scientist: Would have loved a new hair color, I've got at least a dozen of the grey ones. I just got the Ffriends Inventor workshop set for his flask, so I'm glad to get another. The test tube and mean looking pliers on his belt and the more 'cartoony' look for his print is great, the back print looks like a dentist's tooth puller and more test tubes, same green fluid as the flask and the barrels for the catapult? I think so! Minor fail on plain black legs, even just adding white hips is a great look for him. The two sided head print is awesome, the little mustache and scowl with the funky mechanical goggles are cool but the angry face with the red lenses is the best!
Note: The box art and instruction covers show an alternate design of the Crazy Scientist's face with one red lens and one grey in his goggles.

The Monster: I don't have the CMF one but this one is fantastic plus OLIVE HANDS & HEAD (for the monochrome minifig obsessed). Again plain legs but not a problem... The printing is fantastic on the body head and hair/forehead piece, especially the safety pins and staples holding the surgical lines together.

Doctor Rodney Rathbone: Also in the Vampyre Hearse set, great mechanical leg, revolver, sword (epee style, sweet!), cool vest print with pocket watch and fat tie knot, and best of all the derby hat (without the question mark). I really like the sideburns and pointy little mustache & soul patch, it just comes together so well.

Major Quinton Steele: Also in the Werewolf set. I love this guy! The new rifle with clip looks awesome with the fez and telescope on it and his printing is fantastic with the claws as a trophy on his leg printing, plus the ammo belt with map tucked in is sweet. The Face print with mechanical monocle rocks plus the old school beard/stache in grey and white looks amazing.

The build

First you assemble the car, which is surprisingly intricate but not too hard to do, the medium blue (is that right?) pieces look great and there's several cool elements that go into the design. After that you build the lab in sections with an awesome light brick being used to zap life into The Monster! It's a really fun build with a good amount of Technics and some nice elements. You end up with a tower leading up to a lightning rod, 2 lightning bolt pieces (like Darth Sidious) and the Green Lightning Moonstone (dark green as opposed to the light green of the Swamp Creature one).

The completed model

LOOKS AMAZING! The car has a great look and 3 flick fire missles, 2 with trans light neon green cones and one with a blue rounded post type, plus a radar dish, seats for both heroes, a cool blue color and an unusual wheel arrangement that was totally surprising. The lab has a prison cell, a catapult with 3 1x1 barrels to toss, GITD Skull, Rat & Spider, a big spider web, a microscope (a lot of cross over from the Friends Inventor set) the Jar over the skull and the timer/guage below it are spooky, I wonder what will happen to it, on the other end there' a moving table for the monster's reanimation and a cool tower with the lightning laser to bring life to the dead!

Summary

You weren't going to get a negative review from me and you didn't I love this set and will be getting a few more to make an even crazier version in the long run.

Pros

• Awesome new minifigures
  
• Some fantastic parts Light Brick and GITD ones!
  
• Fun build
• Great colors
• My favorite non-licensed theme!
  

Cons

• NO I-GOR????
  
• 
  
• Slightly less parts than I would like for the price point.
  
• I would have liked the spider web and the Scientist's torso to be GITD also, even the 1x1 round plates on the moving table for the monster.
• 
  

My conclusion is BUY IT!!

The mad scientist was always my favourite set in the Monster Fighters series so I was quite happy to find it reduced at Tesco's recently.

Box/Instructions

The box is quite big and dark. It nicely sets the mood with a mix of bats and a green glow behind the lab. The front of the box highlights the light brick in the set but not the glow in the dark pieces.

The two instruction books in my set were badly crumpled. There's a total of 75 pages of instructions. The page background is often themed. In this case there's only a faint moon in the corner of the light blue-grey pages.

Parts

There are many great parts in this set. Some grey bricks and slopes for the main structure of the lab, some brown for the wood-accents and of course medium blue for the car. Some highlights: the glow-in-the-dark spider, rat and skull, the transparent dome and bottle, the tranquiliser gun in dark brown and Dr Rodney's sword.

There are 2 stickers; one on the bumper with a license plate and one with some scientific equipment on a brown 2x4 tile.

Minifigures

All the minifigs look great in this set. All have torsos printed on both sides with lots of details and the Major also has printed legs. Dr Rodney is my favourite; the distinguished gentleman with a twist. I love his hat and the vest with the pocket watch. Major Quinton Steele looks like he's just back from a tropical exploration with his dark tan suit and pith helmet. The crazy scientist of course has Einstein-like wild grey hair and a jacket that looks like a cross between lab coat and straight-jacket. The monster is an olive green Frankenstein in a dark brown suit.

The build

It's not the most difficult set to build but it's entertaining all the same. There are two parts to the set and each has its own booklet.

The car has a chassis using some Technic bricks for attaching wheels and the sliding mechanism. As usual the front and read bumpers are attached to bricks with studs on the side. Otherwise the car is built studs up. Nice details are the combination of the wheel arch over the radiator and the covered up rear wheels.
The lab quickly goes up thanks to some tall wall panels and support girders. The mechanism for the light brick is simple and clever, using knob wheels. The are more Technic pieces for the moveable table under the laser. The jail cell looks like it could have come from a castle set, using grey log bricks, slopes and an arched window. All is built studs up.

The completed model

The lab looks great. The moving table and the big laser will remind older builders of a famous movie scene; "No mr Bond, I expect you to die!". The combination of colours is perfect. The grey and brown give it an almost steampunk feel and the the space supports and some wheels and levers make it all look very technical. The light brick is controlled by a wheel at the back and can either be turned on or pulsate. The workbench connecting the laser tower to the jail cell is simple but effective. The jail cell has a back wall that can be pulled out by the car.

The car. It took me a while to realise it's a 2CV on steroids! The covered rear wheels, the shape of the bonnet and wheel arches... It looks great! It has a sliding mechanism to move Rodney outside of the car to shoot a flick missile. My only problem with the car is that Rodney can't reach the steering wheel. It would have been nice if that had been on the sliding mechanism.

Summary

At full price in Europe I think it's a bit steep at €50 but it should please both kids and AFOLs. It's a great looking set with lots of play functions, interesting parts and nice minifigures.

For those who wondered about the title: it's an 80's song that happened to play just before I wrote this review. With the looks of the mad scientist I thought it was a good title.

3/5

The building experience was meh, but the parts were very decent. I never fully built it, but I did get some good playability from the light brick and what I could build of the car. But even if I did build it correctly, the car is a bit too chunky. Frankenstein and the Crazy Scientist are amazing figures though. Add Rodney Rathbone and Major Quentin Steele, then you get a good selection of figures. The price should've been $40 though.