When it comes with brick building sets, there are a lot of companies in the marketplace. There are some big name brands as well as smaller brands. One of those smaller brands, JMBricklayer, is a relative newcomer the to genre. In the past year, they have many great products with a wide range of themes including medieval and modern buildings, construction vehicles, automobiles, ships and even trains. The also have a series of sci-fi sets that have a lot of detail. I had the opportunity two build two sets from this series: the T-Rex Dinosaur and the Spaceman.
The T-Rex Dinosaur building set comes with almost 1500 plastic building pieces which can be assembled into a mechanical prehistoric carnivore with moveable and poseable parts. The Spaceman building set is made up of 900 pieces and comes with some cool golden metallic looks pieces. The sets are suggested for builders ages 14 years and up and made by JMBricklayer. They are currently available directly from JMBricklayer as well as the JMBricklayer store on Amazon. The T-Rex Dinosaur normally sells for $89.99, but is currently on sale at both sites for only $62.99. The Spaceman sells for a suggested retail price of $53.99. A variation of the Spaceman set with multi-c0lored pieces instead of golden is on sale for only $32.49
I really like how JMBricklayers sets divide the pieces into many smaller numbered bags. The full color instruction manual is divided into similar numbered sections so you can only open the bags you need for that part of the build. The instruction manual is also easy to follow. Each step lists the parts needed for that step and then shows where those new pieces go with the pieces for the step illustrated in color while the rest of the build is grayed out. This helps builders focus on where to attach the new pieces without having to really study hard to see how each successive illustration is different.
The T-Rex Dinosaur features the left side of the build with a brownish skin like look while the right side reveals all the gears and pistons of the mechanical workings of the dinosaur. It is almost like building two different models. In fact, one step builds the mechanical arm and leg while another step builds the fleshy arm and leg. The finished product is pretty large at nearly 24 inches long, 12 inches high, and 10 inches wide. This model was actually somewhat difficult to build. There is a lot of detail to the model with lots of little pieces that carefully attach. Therefore, as you are assembling it, you have to be careful or those small pieces may get knocked off and then you have to reattach them. Since it is fairly heavy, assembling all of the pieces and attaching the dinosaur to the base can be tricky. It took me a while to get the two feet into their posts and connect the arm without it falling over. Once I got the balance correct, I then had to go back and reattach all the little pieces that game off during the mounting process. However, the final product looks incredible and was worth the effort.
The Spaceman is a bit smaller build at 10 inches high and 6 inches wide. However, it also features a lot of detail. Like the T-Rex, it has a finished side and a mechanical side. The arms have poseable joints at the shoulders and elbows while the wrists rotate and each of the fingers can move. The legs have bendable knees and ankles. The model is held up at the back by a support connected to the base so you can position the limbs how you desire for the display. The hoses, air tanks and shiny visor really add to the details on this model.
I’ve had the opportunity to build several sets by JMBricklayer. My son helped me build the T-Rex Dinosaur while one of my high school students helped me build the Spaceman. While I enjoy building sets by myself and find it relaxing, I also enjoy working on sets with other people. I also like to take my time and spread out my building over the course of several days, enjoying the assembly process rather than rushing to get to the finished model. Both of these sets are intended for display rather than play and the suggested age of 14 and up is appropriate since there are lots of little pieces and details. I have been impressed by the quality of all of the JMBricklayer sets I have built and their prices are lower than comparable products by the big name brands. This value allows builders access to sets which they might not normally be able to afford. The company is also building up a following on social media with builders posting their creations on their Facebook Group. This group also offers monthly contests and discounts to followers so be sure to check it out.
The T-Rex Dinosaur and Spaceman are part of a series of science fiction sets by JMBricklayer which includes a Dragon Head and a 3D Frame Dinosaur. For more information, check out these sets at the JMBricklayer website or on their Amazon store. Be sure to watch for monthly sales at both sites to save even more.
Disclosure: GeekDad received a sample of this item for review purposes.
