Rock Lobster? Rock Monster!

It's day five of the five-day, five build challenge (which, incidentally has had five names in five days). And it was time to crack out the big guns, or drills.

Set 8960, Thunder Driller, which I didn't think I'd see until after Christmas just happened to be on the shelves of Target last night. And the 235-piece just happened to find itself in my cart. And I just happened to have a valid credit card to use at the register. Ah, the joys of purchasing toys as an adult.

"Do you need a gift receipt?" asked the sales clerk.

"No," I replied, leaving off the rest of the sentence: I never need a gift receipt.

But on to Thunder Driller, one of the new sets in the Power Miners series. The main vehicle in the set is outstanding, it features a rotating drill head and a set of head lamps that are cool enough to make you want to buy the set. The driller looks like a dune buggy mated with a Bond villain's mode of transportation. Personally, I'm excited that I'm starting to see how the base of a vehicle should be put together in order to make sure the dimensions work and the construction is sound.

What you see above is a rock monster (eating my finger). With a head that opens like a Pez dispenser, he's one of the cooler minifigs I've encountered. If I sound like an eight-year-old in my review, it's because the idea of a society underground is an imagination starter. So, those two brave LEGO minifigs willing to tunnel below the earth (one head appears to be scared, while the other is "covered" in soot), were going to be a hit with me.

Final Verdict: Some sets speak to boys and those featuring an oversized drilling vehicle and a cave-dwelling rock monster come close to topping that list.