LEGO 70419 Wrecked Shrimp Boat is a versatile set for filmmakers switching from live-action to Lego stop motion animation. It has new elements and exclusive minifigures, which could increase its potential value in the future. Finally, Hidden Side is a theme that has an accompanying augmented-reality game you can play on your phone when you’re bored and/or procrastinating. I mean when you’re looking for inspiration and motivation, of course.
Making a Brickfilm with LEGO 70419
My goal was to make a video with only pieces from the set, adding nothing else from my LEGO collection other than a baseplate. In this case, it was the dark blue baseplate we associate with water.
I added a turntable plate and turntable base to spin the Captain around for his transformation.
I used poster putty to keep the boat securely in place.
You can see a black rod sticking out of the rocks. The rod fits into the hole in the bottom of either side of the boat if you wanted a dramatic look for your wreck. Ordinarily, I would’ve hidden the rod with more foliage or removed it altogether.
With both halves of the boat on the rock formation, the boat was in the way. I couldn’t position my phone as close to the Captain as possible, and I didn’t have a clear shot of him, either.
I loved
- the green eyes, and will probably use them and the green teeth on LEGO Dots bracelets
- the shiny brown vegetation pieces that look like roots
- the fact that UV light makes the possessed captain’s head glow
- not one but TWO green cutlasses, so you could have a sword fight!
- the wheel on the boat can be rotated, and it’s nice to have a moving part that won’t move your entire set and make you look like this is the first brickfilm you’ve ever made.
I didn’t love
Stickers
Stickers add detail to LEGO pieces. Here, they add cracks to windows and the name and registration number of the boat, among other things.
Personally, I don’t like stickers because they can be difficult to line up properly. For this particular set, the transparent edges are visible to the naked eye. In your brickfilm they’re going to be even more noticeable. You want your viewer to be sucked into your story, not distracted by the fact that the “wood” near the bottom of the boat is clearly a sticker.
Railing
The railing attached with modified 1×1 plates are not secure. Touch those grey bars even lightly, and they fall off. That can push you over the edge during the animation grind.
Parker’s marvelous lavender hair and Jack’s cool hoodie with baseball cap don’t allow their heads to turn, which is disappointing since minifgures are already limited in terms of movement.
Details of 70419 Wrecked Shrimp Boat
Price and Size
Price: US$29.99
Pieces: 310
Synopsis
The storyline for this LEGO theme is that the town of Newbury is overrun by ghosts and ghouls. Parker and Jack are hunting for those unwanted guests, zapping and trapping with their phones. Their pet is a ghost dog called Spencer. This set is one of their adventures, one involving a shrimp boat and a captain who turns into a ghoul or monster.
Location
- shrimp boat
- rocky area coastal area
- open sea cave
- beach
- underwater if wrecked
Cast/Costume/HMU
- Jack, young man – black pants, white hoodie over red baseball cap, two facial expressions: terrified and smile
- Parker, young woman – ripped jeans, fanny pack, lavender, hair with light yellow hat, two facial expressions: smile and curious
- Captain Jonas, senior man – yellow hat and rain coat, yellow pants, serious expression, facial hair
- Captain Archibald – costume change for Captain Jonas: a ghoul/monster with a yellow-green translucent head and tentacles
- Jonas Jr. dark – adult man – blue beanie hat, yellow overalls – beard stubble, scared face
Props
- 2 lime green cutlasses
- 1 monster in the rocks
- 1 ghost dog: Spencer
- 1 albino crocodile
- 1 yellow kayak
- 1 oar
- 1 salmon/pink cell phone with a ghost on the screen
- 1 blue cell phone with a ghost on the screen
- 2 silver fish
- 2 shrimp
- 1 tan box for the catch
Suggested additions
- net
- green alligator
- more heads for more facial expressions
- SCUBA divers or snorkeler and more animals
- more bricks and slopes for rocks
- more plant pieces
- 1×1 studs to suggest sea foam
- bricks to hide the bottom of the boat and kayak so that they’re actually sitting in the water rather than gliding over it
Possible story elements
Jack, Parker, Captain Jonas, and Jonas Jr. can interact with
- the possessed, ghoulish Captain
- each other
- the monster
- the ghost dog
- the albino (or ghost) crocodile
- The shrimp boat can be on the open seas, in a cave, on the beach, or on the coast, for example. However, since it’s made to break into two pieces, it can also be wrecked in all those places or . . .
- things underwater. There you can add things like treasure, mermaids, SCUBA divers, and animal and plant life.
- The two light-green cutlasses add the option of a swashbuckling ghost or a swordfight.
- The captain wrecked the ship because he was possessed. I stole this last idea from The Cool Factor‘s video.
LEGO Hidden Side AR Gaming
If you’re interested in the AR gaming part of this theme, be sure to check if you’re using a compatible device. It worked on my iPhone but not on my friend’s Android.
If you like the game part, remember that each of the other sets of the Hidden Side theme offers new ghosts and quests.
It was fun to scan the shrimp boat and see my dining room table turn into a beach complete with a leaping shark and the albino crocodile lounging on the beach.
I never play games on my phone, so I was glad to have instructions. Otherwise, I would not have known what to do. I kept shooting at ghosts, and they refused to be obliterated.
A number of reviews in the App Store indicated the game wasn’t intuitive, so it wasn’t just my gaming ineptitude. That’s okay. I quickly lost interest since collecting ghosts and having green goo thrown at me doesn’t make my heart go pitter-patter.
Bonus: Collectibility
Since the captain, the creepy albino crocodile, and some other parts, like the windshield on the boat, are new and/or exclusive, the set is more appealing to collectors. Brickstastic Blog gives this set a score of 8/10 for collectability as well as value for money while just2good on YouTube gives it a grade “A for the $30 price.”
Keep this in mind if you think you might want to sell or trade this set in the future. You might hold on to it for 1 or 2 years after LEGO stops making it and then sell it for at least your purchase price. Lego investing is fascinating.
Other Reviews of 70419 Wrecked Shrimp Boat
Reviewers used the terms “rustic look,” “memorable,” “detailed,” and “unique.”
Brick Fanatics thought it was “phenomenally good value for money,” while other reviewers thought a fair price would’ve been $2 or $3 less.
Comments on just2good’s YouTube video included, “I can see neck attachment being used for symbiotes in the future” and “stickers never look good, even when perfectly applied.”
The Cool Factor was enthusiastic about this set for its play factor, something I hadn’t considered because I don’t actually play with my LEGO. Hmmm. Perhaps I’m missing out?
Conclusion
The LEGO 70419 Hidden Side Wrecked Shrimp Boat is so versatile that if you have only this set and a baseplate, you can create multiple LEGO stop motion animation projects. You’ll be getting good value for your money. Also, higher collectibility means better prospects for selling or trading it when you’re ready to move on to your next brickfilm. You’ll have to decide on whether to use the stickers because their obvious appearance might take your viewers out of the story. If you like AR gaming, that aspect could be an exciting bonus for you.
Watch brickfilms that use the 70419 Wrecked Shrimp Boat
The first few minutes of this brickfilm use the LEGO Hidden Side 70419 set.
This one uses the wrecked shrimp boat as well. I’ve cued it up to that particular section for you.
This isn’t stop motion animation, but it’s made by The LEGO Group and gives you their take on all the adventures from all the sets. The shrimp boat is first, and it’s fun.