Iron Man 3 LEGO: A Closer Look

As the movie hits theaters, we explore the Iron Man 3 LEGO goodies available.

One of the true delights of being an adult in this era is the abundance of cool stuff that has been made even cooler since I was a kid. As a young lad, I would sit cross-legged on the floor of the living room clicking and clacking my way to building a generic space station, hospital or whatever calico-LEGOed building I could cobble together with my tiny fingers and giant imagination. But never did I dare to dream about an age when LEGO would be based on the other things floating around in my Mountain Dew-addled brain: Star Wars, Spider-Man, (gasp!) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

But here we are, and it's a glorious place. Now the child in me, the collector in me and the adult who still loves all of the above can coexist in awe and bliss. Because now when The Avengers comes out, LEGO do, too, and that's pretty amazing. Every single time I go to Target, even for the most inconsequential household item, I have to swing through the LEGO aisle to see if anything's been added. It's the same feeling as when I was eight when I see a brand new Star Wars or Spidey set, except now I don't have to tug on mom's leg.

Iron Man 3 comes out today, and that means LEGO! They have been out for a while, but I put them together in the lead-up to the movie to build anticipation and wanted to take a look at three Iron Man 3 sets close-up.

LEGO Super Heroes Iron Man vs. The Mandarin Ultimate Showdown (76008)

As always, some of the sets take a little creative license with the material. For instance, in the movie, The Mandarin doesn't drive around in this crazy death wagon spewing fire at Iron Man... but maybe he should! Here's a look at the box:

Getting in close for a look at the minifigures, there are some awesome details. The painting on Iron Man's chest is very intricate (other sets have other armors, and they do a good job of mimicking what's in the movie and differentiating between the various looks). The blue translucent bricks serve as repulsor energy. Both characters have faces on either side of the head, so you have a range of two expressions for your play-time. Make 'em count!

Here's a look at Tony with the mask up. I chose the quippy, no-nonsense looking mini-figure face. The other side looks like Tony's in a spot of bother, and.... no. When I flip up the mask, I want to see this cocky chap staring back.

Here's a better look at the Mandarin's ride. You can make the missiles fire by pushing them through the back.

LEGO Super Heroes Iron Man Extremis Sea Port Battle (76006)

Extrem-is things are happening in the water, and Tony and Rhodesy have to regulate on some nano-jacked goons. This one is worth the price of admission for the War Machine mini alone, but it's yet another Iron Man armor, and a pretty sweet go-fast boat, to boot.

The figures below also have two faces (stick with Tony's smug hero look). Killian's second look is some real Super-Saiyan stuff. And look at War Machine. Once in awhile, I just sit and think about how cool it is that there are things like Deadpool and Wolverine and Asajj Ventress minifigures in the world. War Machine is in that category.

The boat (pictured below) also fires missiles, but there is a little lever to propel them, so you can get some good torque going and fling 'em further than the Mandarin set. If you're into that kind of thing.

More detail of the minifigures with the masks up. Note that you can make the hand repulsors look like they are floating.

LEGO Super Heroes Iron Man Malibu Mansion Attack (76007)

Probably the best set piece in the film, the mansion attack is righteous, and this set is also quite amazing. The front of the mansion structure is patterned after the disc-like architecture from the film, and when you flip it around, Tony's lab is revealed. His minifigure is in street clothes, but there is an extra armor thrown in (Mark 42 if scoring at home) to maximize the fun. Here's the box (rocky outcropping not included):

Five separate minifigures, including Pepper Potts and (as mentioned before) maxin' and relaxin' Tony. They werethis close to just painting sweats on him and calling it a day.

The lab comes complete with Stark's transparent displays...

And armor display cases (also mini-kitchen):

What attack would be complete without an assault helicopter? This one shoots plastic missiles.

Of the three sets, the Malibu Attack one is the most robust, and the most involved build. The mansion itself is fun to piece together and unlike any other building I've seen LEGO do. In all, the Iron Man 3 sets are a great complement to the movie and add some very special minis to the mix.

LEGO photos by Cherie Roberts. Follow her onIGN.

Chris Carle is the Entertainment Editorial Director of IGN. His favorite mini figure ever is Kit Fisto. Don't judge. Follow Chris on Twitter@chriscarle andIGN.