Review: LEGO Ideas Tron Legacy (21314)
I have to say that I am a huge fan of the Tron movie and television series. Not so much for the story but for the world that introduced us to computer programs battling it out in a virtual world.
So I was super excited when the BrickBros UK submitted their LEGO Tron project to the LEGO Ideas platform as it stood a good chance to actually be made into an official set. It is compact enough and it is also part of the repertoire of an existing IP partner (ie. Disney).
It is with great relish that I’m able to review this set just slightly ahead of the launch day and finally enter the grid.
Unboxing
This is the second smallest set released by the LEGO Ideas label with the first being the LEGO Ideas Research Institute (21110). It clocks in at 230 pieces and it really makes full use of the elements available.
The pieces are split into two numbered bags and it comes along with a neat instructional booklet that has a little write up on the Brick Bros UK and the LEGO Designers who fashioned that project into official LEGO canon.
There are little informational tidbits of the movie included in the book as well to kind of give us context of the film and the world this is supposed to inhabit.
I’m also happy to announce that I encountered zero stickers for this set so the finer details are all printed which I’m pretty happy with considering that this is a set primarily for fans.
Build Experience
As this is a small set (230pcs), it was quite easily completed within 30 minutes even with stopping every now and then to admire the building process.
The first bag contains the three minifigures and the parts to build “the grid”. It a straight forward dual layer base with a lot of black and trans-light blue tiles.
The real fun begins from the second bag onward as you get to build the light cycles. I’ll admit that there are some intermediate techniques employed to get the look of the light cycles.
The designers actually designed it in such a way that you build the main chassis and then attach the front and back frames later which gives a nice flow to the construction of the bikes.
It is also a very nice touch that the wheels move as well, albeit independently.
Minifigures
The minifigures are really the main highlights for me. The set comes with three minifigures, Sam Flynn (Son of Kevin Flynn), Quorra and Rinzler and they all have unique torso and leg prints!
Sam Flynn comes with helmet and new visor which looks like it came out of an Ultra Agents set. He is also equipped with the two-stud neck bracket (18986) that allows you to store his ‘disc’ which is a 2×2 printed round tile with a hole in the center. He also comes with dual face prints and a hairpiece.
Quorra also comes with dual face prints and the two-stud neck brace for her disc. She also comes with a regular katana which is supposed to represent her light sword from the movie.
I’m not too sure why this was design choice as there already does exist a trans-light blue blade from Nexo Knights which would have been more in theme with Tron.
Rinzler comes with a neck brace with a technic pin (48724) to store his dual discs.
He also has some really intricate torso designs and his helmet comes with matching motifs.
And that’s not all, both Sam and Quorra come with arm prints as well. I have to say that I’m really impressed with the minifigure design for these guys. Simply top notch.
Design
The LEGO cycles embody all the iconic design elements of the original light cycles down to the coloured wheels and the light trails.
This is definitely would not have been achievable without the 4×4 printed dish that make up the wheel mechanism. I thought the wheels were static when I first saw the production images but I was pleasantly surprised that the designers actually allowed the wheels to spin.
The handle bars are made up of 1X1 Round W/3.2 Shaft and a mechanical claw but with this set up, it is possible to actually push and pull back the throttle just like in the movies. 
The printed ‘discs’ for the minifigures were also a really nice touch as that was one of the most iconic things from Tron Legacy. The set may be small in parts count but it does fashion an iconic display that is instantly recognisable from the movie.
Value
Now here is where we have some contention as there have been some feedback that this set is too expensive. It is retailing for SGD$54.90 here in Singapore and that would make it 23¢ per piece. With the LEGO Certified Store 10% discount, it drops to 21¢.
Frankly, that is not too bad for a set that has an existing IP and on top of that, include three exclusive and beautifully designed minifigures.
I feel that this is priced just right which seems to be a regular trend for a lot of LEGO Ideas sets so far.
Conclusion
A nicely packaged and reasonably priced set for any Tron fans or throttle jockeys out there.
Pros
- Value for money
- Iconic movie vehicle
- Beautifully designed minifigures
Cons
- Where is Quorra’s light sword??
The set will be on sale on March 31st 2018! If you cannot wait till then, here is the designer video that LEGO just released.
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