LEGO ICONS 10497 Galaxy Explorer tackles a true classic for the 90th anniversary - but can it successfully push our nostalgia buttons while simultaneously delivering something fresh and new?
If there’s one word that’s synonymous with old-school LEGO, it’s spaceship (spaceship, SPACESHIP!). Sure, classic LEGO includes much-loved themes like Castle (which is getting its own 90th anniversary update in 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle) and Pirates, but none quite captured the imagination of children in the late ’70s or early ’80s in the same way as LEGO Space.
From the utterly adorable and perpetually happy spacemen minifigures to the now-iconic colour scheme and shaping of the spaceships themselves, the LEGO Space theme gave us a chance to live out our intergalactic fantasies, and build the extraterrestrial spacecraft of our dreams. Fast forward four decades, and to celebrate the LEGO Group’s 90th anniversary, the original and iconic 497 Galaxy Explorer has been updated and upscaled, embracing and adopting a wealth of modern parts and techniques in the process.
However, we live in an age where reboots and remakes across all platforms come thick and fast - the consequence of which is that they’re often hit and miss. At this point, we’re all used to seeing our beloved childhood memories tarnished by cynical cash-ins, missed opportunities and modern takes on classics failing to do justice to their revered source material.
So, will 10497 Galaxy Explorer be able to craft a model that’s more than just an exercise in nostalgia, and deliver a set that’s not only worthy of standing next to its iconic predecessor, but will also be considered a classic in years to come?
Music by Kevin MacLeod (www.incompetech...) and Bensound (www.bensound.com)
Original LEGO 497 Galaxy Explorer photo courtesy Andrew Gould (www.flickr.com...)
6 сен 2024
