The Ninjago Movie looks like it is going to be a heap of fun, and like the LEGO Movie and LEGO Batman Movie before it LEGO have released a series of tie-in minifigures. With 20 different minifigures in this series there is a lot to cover, so lets get stuck in to it.
There are two parts to this review, first up brief review of each minifigure with pictures. The second part is a full 360° degree look at each minifigure. I have grouped the minifigures into four different batches for the 360° looks; Ninja Crew, Garmadons, Shark Army & Others.
The Minifigures
Lloyd
Lloyd is undoubtedly the main character of the movie and this minifigures features him in his ninja outfit. The two-part ninja mask works well but I am sure that a lot of kids are going to misplace the smaller neck part in time. The optional hair element gives you some flexibility in play/display options. The highlight of this minfigure may just be the printed tile. The blue on white is quite striking and the design perfectly matches Lloyd’s mech. The printing on the torso reads NINJA.
Jay Walker
Unlike Lloyd Jay is only wearing regular clothes in his minifigures appearance. The scarf element is a nice piece and the colour matches well with his blue outfit. The selfie stick build is effective with minimal pieces and the printing on the phone tile is well done.
Cole
It seems that Cole is a fan of classic Aussie rock, or at least the Ninjago version of it. For those of you who can’t read Ninjago Cole’s shirt says “AC DC”. I love this torso which also has printing on the back indicating that it’s a vintage tour shirt from 1985. The black and gold boombox is an appropriate accessory.
Kai Kendo
For the unfamiliar Kendo is a Japanese martial art that uses armour and bamboo swords. The elements that make up this minifigure perfectly represent the real world counterparts. The Kendo helmet makes it a bit hard to see Kai’s face, but a hair piece is included if you prefer. The armour covers the torso which has FIRE printed in Ninjago script.
Spinjitzu Training Nya
Nya’s white outfit is nicely accented with gold and black printing. The legs feature a small print of the world NINJA in Ninjago script, while the torso features a Master Wu motif on the front and rear. Nya comes with two brown training swords. I am a big fan of both the hair piece and her face print.
Zane
Another member of the Ninja crew presented in regular clothes. Zane, who is the ice ninja, is presented in a suitably wintery vest. The retro video game design is outstanding. The backpack with rolled up sleeping bag is great piece that could easily be used for a generic backpacker. Zane’s cheesy grin is a little creepy.
Master Wu
The bottom half of Wu’s robes are created with a printed cloth element that is surprisingly well printed. The design on the material perfectly matches up with the torso printing. Wu’s accessory is a large box of cornflakes. While I like the design it is a little bit awkward as the 1x2x2 brick is a bit difficult for a minifigure to hold. You kind of just have to sit it beside him.
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Lloyd Garmadon
The second version of Lloyd in this wave is a non-ninja variant. The oriental style bowl with dragon print is a stand out and I can see it being used in a wide variety of MOCs in the future. The hoodie element is nice but the hair is grey rather than Lloyd’s natural blonde. The promotional images for this minifigure do show the blonde but looking around online they all seem to be grey.
Garmadon
The first of three Garmadon variants in the wave. This Garmadon is straight up classic bad guy in all black. There is very subtle printing on the legs. I quite like the menacing face print. The double torso makes this minifigure somewhat imposing, and the staff helps with the overall evil aesthetic.
Volcano Garmadon
While the last Garmadon was menacing and evil this version is anything but that. With the film not yet out it’s hard to know the context of Garmadon in pyjamas but I love this minifigure. The sand green bowl is another useful element, but without a doubt the standout has to be the printing on those pyjamas. It’s amazing.
Flashback Garmadon
Thanks to the second movie trailer we know that Flashback Garmadon is based on the time when he met Misako. The design of this minifigure is perfectly retro. The brown suit with orange shirt, the aviator sunglasses. It’s great. Also included is a wonderfully detailed printed tile, featuring a volcano and the world HOME in Ninjago script.
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Shark Army General #1
Again, without seeing the film all we know about the shark army is that they are the force Garmadon uses to take over Ninjago City. Shark Army General #1 is an intriguing minifigure – despite being a general this figure comes with a pink smoothie rather than a weapon. It’s hard to fault the printing though, as the torso design is impressively detailed and the legs feature metallic scale style printing. The two part cape included with this minifigure is an interesting translucent plastic material.
Shark Army Great White
It looks like this minifigure has seem some action as legs, arms and helmet all feature scorch marks. The torso features intricate war medals that all seem to be melting. I am guessing that a lot of the minifigures will make more sense once we’ve seen the movie. Buried away under the shark helmet is an awesome head with impressively bushy eyebrows. The weapon of choice for this character is a flaming fish.
Shark Army Angler
You may not have realised it from promotional images but this is another female member of the shark army. The face printing features a character with eye shadow, red lips and a mean looking scar. The Angler Fish header is a brilliant element and could potentially even work as a standalone piece. Another fishy weapon is included, this time a fish mace.
Shark Army Octopus
If I had to pick a favourite from the shark army it might just be this guy. The orange octopus headgear is just plain cool. This guy also has an actual stud shooter gun, which seems like the most effective option. Don’t worry though, he is also carrying a fish for good measure.
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Misako
I suspect that this minifigure is based on the same flashback as the Flashback Garmadon minifigure, but don’t know for sure. Misako is Lloyd’s mum and her minifigure features detailed torso printing and a nice purse accessory. The hair piece with chopsticks is exclusive to this minifigure and the Ninjago City version of the character.
GPL Tech
I have no idea how this character fits in to the Ninjago Movie, but regardless this is a cool minifigure. The sneaky Batman shirt under the lab coat is an playful design choice that adds character to the minifigure. The face printing is also wonderful with those thick glasses.
Sushi Chef
With Ninjago City having a strong Japanese influence it makes sense for a Sushi Chef to be around. While the dual moulded legs are nice the torso is brilliant with printed shrimp design on the front and rear. Included are two printed sushi tiles – one to hold and the other gets placed on a 1×1 round brick to make a roll.
N-POP Girl
There is no part of this minifigure that isn’t cute. The Princess Unikitty shirt is cute. The stripy stockings and mismatched boots are cute. The tutu is cute. The two-tone hair element is cute. The face print is cute. Even the pink teddy bear is cute. This minifigure is going to be the favourite of a lot of people and for good reason. It’s a really unique character.
Gong & Guitar Rocker
This minifigure rocks (see what I did there?). From top to bottom this minifigure has awesome elements that combine to create a minifigure loaded with personality. The head features two different face prints, one subdued and one rocking out. The arm tattoo printing is surprisingly detailed for something so small. I love the inclusion of the word METAL in Ninjago script on the torso. The legs are dual moulded and feature intricate printing. My only complaint would be that the long black hair element covers the torso so you can’t see the full print.
360° Views
(Use your mouse to rotate through the frames)
[360 width=”100%” height=”400px” src=”yofla360/Ninjago CMF 360 Ninja Crew”]
[360 width=”100%” height=”400px” src=”yofla360/Ninjago CMF 360 Garmadons”]
[360 width=”100%” height=”400px” src=”yofla360/Ninjago CMF 360 Shark Army”]
[360 width=”100%” height=”400px” src=”yofla360/Ninjago CMF 360 Others”]
Larger Picture Gallery
