Given my previous experience with the Stargate sets from BlueBrixx, I have been looking forward to their Gate Room set with much anticipation. Now that I’m done building the set, I must say that my optimism was justified. Although as a Stargate fan I’m totally biased, I have tried my best to take multiple aspects into consideration in this review of the familiar “Embarkation Room” from Stargate SG-1.
The S.G.C. Gate Room by BlueBrixx has 2,430 pieces and costs around €160 ($172 USD, plus shipping). It took me about 10 hours to complete the build, but it may be less time consuming for others. Although parts of the eight construction phases were somewhat challenging, at times they also dragged a bit. I had to retrace my steps on several occasions due to having to use different shades of gray bricks. The setbacks I suffered were mainly caused by my slipping focus while doing building sessions lasting more than an hour at a time.
THE SIZE (AND SOME COMPROMISES)
Being as big as it is, this set requires a huge chunk of space on the shelf. Regardless of the fact that the interior of the Gate Room is far more interesting than the exterior, I had to make the compromise when displaying the finished piece.
It’s clear that BlueBrixx had to make a few compromises as well. Similarly to LEGO, the BlueBrixx minifigures are all the same size. They’re not on par with the scale of the Stargate itself, but I don’t see this as an issue. Collectors don’t expect LEGO-compatible sets like this to be perfectly to scale. The ramp being so narrow, however, is unfortunate. I can’t fit the four characters side-by-side to recreate that iconic embarkation scene, nor can the M.A.L.P. go up the ramp all the way to cross the threshold of the Stargate.
While the manufacturer surely could apply a remedy, this risks worsening the situation. Imagine BlueBrixx making the set 30% bigger for an extra $40 — resulting in a $200 price and collectors complaining endlessly about issues they experience when it comes to displaying such a massive product. Again, I think they have carefully maxed out this set within the optimal range of price and size. Making the ramp narrow to keep down the overall scale is a good choice.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE BUILDING
As I mentioned before, the instructions for building this set spans eight phases. There are several packs of mixed bricks that we have to use for each respective phase. Luckily the packs are all numbered, making our job considerably easier.
Without criticizing the design, as in the show itself the Gate Room is basically a large, square room with gray walls. Phases 1 through 5 cover the room itself — thus two-thirds of the building process feels rather monotone (monochrome?). Going into phase 6, which is the Stargate itself, things naturally take a 180-degree turn and it all becomes fun and interesting! Phases 7 and 8 are also great: I had fun assembling the minifigures and other equipment such as the M.A.L.P. There are no missing pieces, but there are some leftover, spare pieces.
The fact that such a set is currently exclusive to the BlueBrixx Pro Stargate line takes me by surprise. Star Trek fans are yet to receive something similar (an engine room or a bridge of a ship for example). I love the sliding doors! The side of the Gate Room is removable, which is useful (and helpful for display). But it’s also the reason you have to be very careful when moving the set.
The quality difference between LEGO and BlueBrixx really shows when it comes to the minifigures. The legs and the torso of LEGO minifigures come separately, but the BlueBrixx figures are all but one piece and they have a strange gap in between. I had a very hard time attaching the hands to the torsos. There is certainly room for improvement there. The wormhole event horizon also has some parts on the sides that are so loose that they fall off upon touch. The iris is similarly built, but has no such issue.
Other than the Stargate itself (with its active and inactive chevrons, and active wormhole or closed iris), my favorite thing about the Gate Room is the looming possibility of set expansions. I don’t necessarily mean other areas of Stargate Command, but mini kits like the golf scene, which is included in the upcoming Stargate Advent calendar. I love the idea that it will allow me to recreate the iconic scene with Jack O’Neill from the SG-1 episode “Window of Opportunity”!
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Rather than a toy set to play with, in my opinion the BlueBrixx Gate Room’s intended purpose is to be on display. This set can very well be the crown jewel of a Stargate collection. If you have room to park it up front, good for you, otherwise even with the removable side it’s very difficult to display! Due to the boxey nature of the room the internals lack proper lighting (though of course you can help it by adding some lights of your own).
You can customize the minifigures with additional caps, and they have a vast lineup of weapons available. And since Amazon MGM have approved the darker gray shade for the Stargate, I guess I’m fine with it. Should I ever run out of free space on the shelf, my plan is to remove the Stargate and all the minifigures and keep them on display without the huge box itself.
This is clearly a product for Stargate fans from Stargate fans. The care and the level of attention to detail are both 100 percent there! I think it would be also reasonable for BlueBrixx to release a separate Stargate set sometime in the future.