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Lego 4183 The MillLego 4183 The Mill is proving to be one of the most popular sets from the initial Lego Pirates of the Caribbean line. This set is really a lot of fun, and probably one of the best designed Lego pirates sets in a long while. Based on a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, it comes with some great figures and new Lego pieces, making it a must-own if you are a Lego Pirates or Pirates of the Caribbean fan. Honestly this is a favorite of mine from the new POTC line, outdistancing some of the others, especially the similarly priced London Escape, by far. I'm sure Lego 4183 The Mill will be looked back on as a classic in the years to come. Don't miss your chance to get one right away!
Of primary importance to Lego fans are, of course, the minifigs. And let me tell you- Lego 4183 The Mill doesn't disappoint. Lego Jack Sparrow is the same one that we've seen in several of the POTC sets, wearing his bandana and featuring the standard Jack double-sided head. Great look, and great job by Lego translating Johnny Depp's immortal pirate into a worthy minifigure. Lego Will Turner is sharp, with a new Lego hairpiece and good facial expression on the double-sided head. This figure is a reasonable facsimile of Orlando Bloom and is a worthy addition to the POTC figure line.
Lego Admiral Norrington is a superb design, especially with his detailed leg pieces to match the torso. Lego is getting really good about painting legs now to match, which really expands the wardrobe potential for our minifigures. I especially like Admiral Norrington's torso painting, as it well represents an Imperial uniform worn slovenly and with disregard. But the real treat in Lego 4183 The Mill is the Lego Hadras figure. I mean, seriously, isn't this the coolest? Based on a relatively minor character from the movie, the Lego Hadras has that perfect blend of licensed accuracy and Lego goofiness. A cursed crew member from the fated Flying Dutchman, Hadras is some sort of freakish minion of Davy Jones with a crab shell growing out of his head. The Lego representation of his shell gives us a neat new hat piece, which would be funny to stick on a Lego City fig bumping around in one of the new Lego Modular Buildings in a big City diorama. But anyway, I digress...
In the movie, these four characters are chasing around a chest with Davy Jones' heart in it, and, separately, the key to said chest. These elements are given to us in Lego form with a standard Lego treasure chest and a 1x1 dark red circular brick with a heart printed on it (seen in the first picture above). Pretty neat, I guess. Also, we get a couple of Lego's standard over-sized keys.
On to the Mill itself! And this is where the set really shines through. The building design we are treated to here is actually very unique for this type of set- normally something like this would be merely a shadow of the represented building (i.e. the Tavern from the London Escape set- very basic and half-hearted). In Lego 4183 The Mill, however, we get a fully constructed spinning Lego wheel that comes apart and can roll around for the characters to have violent sword-fights on. Pretty neat!
The Lego wheel design is a bit repetitive in the build as you have to construct each "plank" in the wheel separately and then link them together. But really it's a pretty fast process, and in no time you will have your Mill wheel spinning on the river, or rolling around the floor with Jack Sparrow and the gang dancing about on top!
As far as the main Mill building goes, it is pretty straightforwardly done. The greenery and light tan pieces help to break up the monotony of the gray(something Whitecap Bay could have used).
From behind, there are a few interesting features. Underneath the mill wheel is a lever that, when pressed, pushes up on the wheel and send it rolling off of its supports. Pretty neat. Also, in the main building there is a brick-build bell that is hanging from a cord attached to a handle down below. If you untwist the cord from the handle the bell falls to the floor, and the other end of the cord gets pulled into the air, along with any minifigs that happen to be holding on at the time.
I can't recall if this is designed around a specific instance from the movie but I'm going to guess so. The bell itself is an ok design, nothing too special though. If I didn't know it was supposed to be a bell I might think it was a chandelier or something else. I guess I would have wished for more detailing on the bell, but oh well. It isn't a big deal and doesn't hurt the look of Lego 4183 The Mill at all.
On the whole, the look of this set is pretty unique. Even if you are not a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean, it is worth picking up just for the Mill wheel and bell tower building. I was very pleasantly surprised when I completed the build; pictures don't do it justice. For some reason, I have a gut instinct that of the POTC line, this is going to be one of the most sought-after sets in the future. Retailing at $39.99 it is a few dollars more than it should have been, but for the great design of the buildings, solid minifigures, and new pieces (including Hadras' shell hat!) it is well worth the expense. Add Lego 4183 The Mill to your Lego collection today!
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