VS
Well, this is it. The final day of the LEGO Advent season. Looking back, what have we learned?
We learned that CITY, while repetitive, can still come up with a good mini-model or two. That it's steeped in
repetition tradition, and will hold on to its core themes even to the point of being a bit stodgy.
We learned that Belville, for a first time Advent Calendar, did a heck of a job. $10 cheaper than the CITY calendar, filled with rare and unusual parts, and even a couple of interesting mini-models. It lacked the structured order of the CITY, but still managed to tie everything together in a vague sort of way.
So now, without any more pointless introduction...Day 24.
DOOR NUMBER TWENTY FOUR
"Young fool. Only now, at the end, do you understand."
- The Emperor, Return of the Jedi
As in years past, the final door of the CITY Advent holds a holiday treat. Unlike previous years, there's no Santa Mini-figure to deliver presents. The one figure that should be repeated every year doesn't make an appearance.
But, in his stead, is a tree. A tree decked out with Christmas lights and candles, with gifts a-plenty underneath.
It's an interesting choice - LEGO has a couple of one-piece Tree models that are very nice. Instead we get the most complex mini-model of the year. Plenty of pieces, lots of details.
True, it doesn't look as sleek or pretty as a pre-made tree, but that's not what CITY is about, is it? CITY isn't about nature. CITY is about a fake tree made from plastic that you have to build yourself. Sure, it looks sad, but you built it. Who really should take the blame?
Belville, as expected, takes a more elegant route. The tree here is one of the two models I mentioned in the CITY review - only cast in super-rare swirls of white and green. Previously only available in
last year's Holiday Train the 2005 Belville "Snow Queen" set, these trees have been a highly sought after part. And the Belville Calendar has just made them much more plentiful.
The small presents that accompany the tree are much more glittery than their CITY cousins - more blocks and tiles for that stained glass window.
But there's really not much building to do here. And that, sadly, is really the theme of Belville. It looks great, but there's not a lot of building to be done.
JUDGMENT:I've decided to call a truce here on Christmas Eve - today's battle ends in a tie. Both CITY and Belville delivered a solid, Holiday-Themed end to their journeys. And, as I talked about already, each one is truly a winner in terms of serving the Calendar's theme.
The total score finds that the Belville Calendar was slightly ahead - a final score of 14 to 11. But look closely at that
scorecard. Every day was a coin toss - and if you didn't want a bunch of oversized LEGO pets to deal with, the CITY would have been the right choice for you.
The final Judgment is this:
LEGO, you did a decent job. There's room for improvement, but then, there always is.
Next year, though, let's give CITY a rest and try a new theme out, eh? Please? For me?
TODAY'S WINNER: AND
THE MATCH GOES TO:
The December 2007 Buy-Me-Mizer promotion ends in a few hours, and I thought this would be a good time to highlight the (presumably) last of the Naughty Elves to escape my Workshop.
The December Challenge has entered the final hours - if you're finishing up a build, best get to it! Photos need to be in my mailbox by Midnight EST tonight!
VS
Read the comic here.
Merry Christmas, everyone. 
Posts
