That time of year has rolled around once again! A time of snow, mistletoe, pine trees, maxed out credit cards, awkward family gatherings, light shows, seasonal songs, and anchors on FOX News bursting an artery over some people wanting to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"! ...It's a season of very mixed feelings, is what I'm saying...
But it's also a time of reflection and gift giving! And nothing combines the two like an Advent Calendar! Every day, you'll get another gift based on the theme of the calendar. And at the end, you can reflect on how much money you spent on toys you'll find at Savers next week! ...But your kids will be happy for a few weeks, so that's all that matters.
I love this time of year, because I get to bust out a format that makes no sense to do anytime else! Every day*, I get to grab my own brick-based advent calendar, open the door for that day, and give my thoughts on what's behind it! Not only do I get a gift of a new toy every day, but you get the gift of a new review every day! Truly, this is the season of giving! ...As long as you don't expect me to give you the toys afterwards. They're MINE!
We've already had two instances of Advent Calendar unboxings on this blog. First in 2016, with the Despicable Me/Minions calendar
Then in 2017 with the Monster High calendar!
And this year, we're going to be revisiting a theme from a previous year! For Christmas 2018, we are looking at Mega Bloks/Construx's SECOND Minions-themed calendar with the Despicable Me 3 Advent Calendar! Because we need another biblical theme for this season! While the holiday month reminds us of the birth of Christ, the Minions will remind us of Noah's flood, and how the world is currently drowning in these mutant Simpsons toys, with no end in sight! ...Glub, glub, glub...
Still, my grandmother is crazy about the Minions, and this is my gift to her. I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY, GRANDMA! ...Let's get started!
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Name: Despicable Me 3 Advent Calendar
Distributor: Mega Construx
Model: FFC88
Pcs: 164
...ANOTHER Minions set?! I'm SERIOUSLY talking about more Minions on this blog?! ...I really don't plan these! They just happen!
I've already given my opinion of the Minions, and the Despicable Me series in general, several times in the past. ...I don't like them. I think the movies are child-pandering fluff, with annoying voice acting, subpar animation and just an overall sense of "...What were they thinking?!" They're not the worst movies I've seen, and Illumination isn't the biggest mainstream producer of animated junk--not while the empty shell still calling itself Dreamworks continues to limp along--but I think they're stupid, obnoxious, and have very little to offer for anyone older than 10. I was forced to watch the first two movies, and if I'm forced to see any more, I'll snap my own neck...
However, I'm apparently the exception rather than the rule, because this franchise that started in 2010 is still going strong to this day! The films have been a HUMONGOUS success for Illumination and Universal, grossing an ENORMOUS profit against relatively small budgets for animated movies. The most recent films, Minions and Despicable Me 3, have made over a BILLION dollars apiece, making the franchise the highest-grossing animated series of all time, beating out animation giants like Disney! Critics like myself may not be impressed, but audiences still flock to the movies like a Best Buy on Cyber Monday!
And that's just the movies! The franchise has also seen a dozen shorts, some shown theatrically, a handful of video games, a ride at Universal Studios, and COUNTLESS books and toys based on the series' characters. Walmart could fill up their entire toy section solely with toys based on the Minions, that is how crazy the world is about the franchise's breakout characters!
With how much money Illumination and Universal are raking in from the franchise, they've given no indication they're going to stop anytime soon! Minions 2 has a release date for 2020, with a Despicable Me 4 to follow soon after, giving the franchise enough juice to run for another decade! The future has been revealed, and it's yellow gibberish!
The franchise is so massive, that even I, someone who despises the series, can't escape the mass marketing! I've already featured several Minions-themed brick sets and figure lines on this blog, including a Nanoblock statuette, a line of blind bag figures, and 2016's advent calendar!
And with how many other sets and figures have inadvertently ended up in my collection, who knows when the next Minions invasion might occur?! ...Still, like I said, my grandmother likes and collects Minions, so I also collect and feature them as a favor to her. She needs SOMETHING to be happy about in her declining years...
It's not like the market's going to run out of Minions-themed brick sets anytime soon, anyway! With the success of the franchise as a whole, building brick rights holder Mega Bloks/Construx has been hard at work churning out set after set featuring characters and elements from each of the movies, no matter how loosely they tie into the continuity!
From large sets, to mini sets, to giant buildable figures, to even Kubros, Mega Construx is there to fill any empty space on your shelves uninhabited by a very specific Despicable Me set, figure, or accessory!
Not to mention their long-running Minion mystery bags, which are currently up to Series 13! ...I had a hard enough time getting the whole Series 10 collection. The chances of featuring another line of Minion figures are about the same as the Minions not shouting "BANANA!" every 5 minutes...
And since the sets have been such a big hit for Mega Construx, they've produced not one, but TWO advent calendars featuring the sentient yellow earplugs! We've already seen the first, now let's take a look at the second! ...And hopefully not worry about a third.
Again reminding you of the first Minions calendar featured, as well as the first advent calendar of the blog, I said the front box image was possibly the most creative part of the entire package! Everywhere you looked, there was something else going on! Minions standing on top of each other, driving sleds into objects in their way, throwing milk at each other, piling up and wrapping Christmas lights around themselves, it was pretty wacky! ...The only thing that ruined the experience was the crap camera I was working with at the time...
The picture for this box, however, is much more restrained, not even containing a tenth of the insanity from the first advent calendar. What we have here is a basic recreation of the layout of the toys you'll find contained in the calendar, placed in a fantasized winter wonderland. There's a tree surrounded with presents, a train circling the tree, and a mishmash of most of the other toys just placed around the edges in a desperate attempt to fit them somewhere.
The layout of the chair, fireplace, and table with cookies and hot chocolate looks fine and seasonal where it is.
...But then you have drums, a guitar, and sheet music just sitting in the snow. ...That's one way to get out of lessons, I guess. Throw the instruments outside, tell your parents you lost them, and by the time they're found, they're too cracked and warped to use. ...Expect a thrashing afterwards...
Even the Minions are pretty restrained! One of them is holding maracas, while wearing either skates or snowshoes. ...He's not "playing" the maracas, as his arms are perfectly straight with no motion lines to suggest he's moving them, he's just holding them straight out on either side! ...While smirking as he sneaks up on this reindeer... ...However this scenario ends, it will NOT end well for one or both of them!
This other Minion looks like he's having fun, though, as he barrels through the ice fort's walls, barely clutching this speeding sled as he gives a look of "I'm having SO much fun! ...But what's going on?!" ...I now have a happy mental image of him keeping that expression as he inevitably slams into the Christmas tree!
Also, he broke through a fort that likely took a long time to construct! ...Jerk! ...Unless this is the new Minions fort-builder/FPS game Red vs. Green and he was supposed to do that. ...I'd play.
Especially if this kamikaze plane was included to ram into the Minions! As it likely will here.
As with the first calendar, we're given some more Minion "hilarity" on the sides of the box! Seen here with the Minions doing some drunk caroling
Banging the drums at 3:00 in the morning before the cops show up
Performing dangerous skating stunts that will end horribly within the second
And stupidly carrying presents, and each other, while ice skating, in this scene caught 2 seconds before the Minions fall flat on their backs and crack the ice open, ruining their gifts! ...Hope none of them were for Gru, or Nefario will be getting some new lab rats for Christmas...
The rest of the box just contains the standard Mega Construx advent calendar layout. We have the Mega Construx line to remind us Lego doesn't own EVERY license out there.
We have the Despicable Me logo and this reassurance that we can, indeed, "build it!"
And we have this stock art of a Minion wearing a Santa hat. ...A Minion that, by his expression, has just tooted and can't wait to see the expressions on the other Minions' faces.
Either that, or he's staring at the reindeer with terrible thoughts on his mind... ...Does this reindeer need a restraining order? ...Do the people at Mega Construx desperately need therapy?
We're also told that there are "24! Days to build and collect!" ...If there's a toy that actually grants you the ability to collect and build packets of time to your specifications, I will be first in line to buy!
You may also notice that I jumped the gun and opened the first door before I featured the calendar. ...Whoops.
The back simply shows all the different toys you'll eventually get out of this calendar. Normally, I'd hide this part due to spoilers. ...But the front of the box is one big spoiler, anyway, so what more harm can it cause?
However, according to the back, we're only getting TWO Minions in this calendar, as opposed to the three figures contained in the previous two calendars. ...I can live with that. Considering the terrible paint jobs for the Minions in their last calendar, if they needed to eliminate one to give us better design work, that's fine by me! ...Besides, one less Minion equals one less headache...
Finally, we have our usual "0-3" warning
Despite the toy being for 5+
Anyone between those ages will quickly find that not all Minions are friendly and harmless...
Alright, same drill as last year. Let's (re)open the first door and get this Minion-flavored holiday season rolling! Starting with...
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Day 1: Minion Figure
As per the norm, we start this calendar off with a figure. A figure of... whatever Minion this is. Tom? Dave? Phil? I don't know. ...Nor do I particularly care.
I also need to show you how big the door is, compared to the size of the figure we get. ...I like it. Throwing off the customer's expectations is a good strategy for an advent calendar! ...But not for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
I think I've said all I can say about Minion figure builds the last few times I featured them. Claw hands, feet on ball joints, two-piece bodies, goggles that are attached by a rubber band, hole on top of the head, it's all here. ...And that's it. There's nothing else to add, because they added nothing. It's a normal Minion figure, as you'd expect, and, like the previous figures, it's a pretty accurate and solid build.
Also, take off the arms, and it becomes a suppository! ...Or a Mighty Beanz, if you want a less-disgusting interpretation.
However, there is one thing that draws my attention. I mentioned earlier that I hoped fewer figures meant they'd put more effort into the figures they DO have. ...And, if this figure is any indication, that's what they did! I'm actually REALLY impressed with the pattern and design work of the figure's torso! They painted a green-and-white sweater on him, with hearts and Xs patterned in layers above and below solid colors. It doesn't look like they just quickly painted over the standard Minion overalls, like the previous figures. It actually looks like he's wearing a sweater! Already a HUGE improvement over their first calendar!
...Unfortunately, the pattern doesn't continue on the back...
Featuring guest painters from LEBQ!
Still, I guess I can say I'm impressed enough that they started from scratch for this design and put a pattern on what they did. It already looks like one of the best Minion figures I've found from Mega Construx, and, as long as I keep it facing forward, it'll stay that way! I think we're already off to a good start, so let's see what the Minions bring us tomorrow! ...Hopefully, no terrible jam...
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