Second in my Monkie Kid review series comes Red Son’s Inferno Jet (80019). As I am working my way through the third wave of sets in size order, it goes without saying that this is the second to smallest set. It is also one of the less interesting in my opinion. Perhaps even the most uninteresting. However, even this set has a little something to offer to the avid collector. Read on to find out more.
NOTE: The LEGO® Group provided this set for review. However, the provision of products does not guarantee a favorable review. I will use my usual rating system (click here to learn more) and provide my honest opinion.
RED SON’S INFERNO JET SUMMARY
- NAME: Red Son’s Inferno Jet
- SET #: 80019
- THEME: Monkie Kid
- COST: $44.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 299
- MINIFIGURES: 3
- RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2021
RED SON’S INFERNO JET QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 77% (Satisfactory cost-per-brick, average build time.)
- BUILD: 60% (The front of the fuselage looks nice, but the rest misses the mark.)
- MINIFIGURES: 90% (Good number of well-designed minifigs. Cheapest way to get Red Son too.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 65% (Sadly, I do not like this set. However, it has play potential for kids.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 73%
RED SON’S INFERNO JET REVIEW
VALUE: 77%
At full price, Inferno Jet costs $44.99 in Canada. Additionally, the kit contains 299 pieces. Consequently, the cost-per-brick is $0.150. For comparison, my average cost-per-brick is $0.14. Therefore, Inferno Jet costs slightly more than average. However, the value remains satisfactory and earns 77%. In terms of only other Monkie Kid sets, my average cost-per-brick is $0.137. However, compared to the other sets I own, Inferno Jet has the second worst value for the theme. In that regard, the set earns 69%. Averaging these cost-per-brick scores gives a grade of 73% in this category.
This set took me 54 minutes to assemble. Therefore, at full price, the cost-per-minute is $0.83. On average, my cost-per-minute across all themes is also $0.83. For the Monkie Kid theme alone, my average is $0.71/minute. However, as I write this, I have not built all my Monkie Kid sets. Therefore, the theme average is not particularly reliable. Compared only to LEGO® sets in general, Inferno Jet earns 80%. Taken with the cost-per-brick score, this set earns an overall value grade of 77%.
BUILD: 60%
Red Son’s Inferno Jet includes the set’s namesake jet, but also a small waterfall build. The small build is nothing particularly interesting, unlike the spider-drone from Monkie Kid’s Cloud Bike. I do not see the purpose for including it. In fact, the jet would benefit from repurposing the waterfall brick count for added detailing.
The actual Inferno Jet is nothing to write home about either. I did not pick up any new build techniques. However, there are some interesting pieces. This set includes a smaller version of the ¼ arch brick than I have not seen before. I cannot say for certain if it is a new piece, but I cannot remember seeing this size variant before. It forms the rounded edges of the jet’s nozzle. Additionally, the strange pipes sticking out the front are large macaroni-like pieces I have not seen before either.
Otherwise, the Inferno Jet features a gun-like build. There is a handle on the underside and a trigger. Pulling the trigger fires two missiles out of the nozzle. The play feature works well. However, the underside of the jet is not visually appealing. Additionally, I do like the stumpy wings sticking out the back of the vehicle. They hardly seem able to make this contraption fly. Not to mention the odd pipes sticking out of the front of the jet. The design of this ship misses the mark in my books. I like the parts and design of the front fuselage. For that reason, this build earns a passing grade of 60%.
MINIFIGURES: 90%
As with other Monkie Kid sets, the Minifigures are nice in this set. Obviously, you get Monkie Kid. He is a great character and one of my favorite minifigs. However, I am starting to have a lot of them. This variant is identical to ones seen in wave one with the headphones around his neck. Additionally, you get a bull clone to build up your army. The real highlight here is Red Son though. He looks identical to previous versions. However, this is the cheapest set to include him. One of my complaints about wave one was the character distribution. You had to buy several large sets if you wanted to collect all the Minifigures. The cheapest set to include Red Son before was $74.99. From there, the price jumped to $149.99 or $179.99.
Red Son is the highlight of the Inferno Jet set.
Otherwise, these characters come complete with all the standard Minifigure parts. Like other bull clones, this one’s head is simply a red transparent piece. However, Red Son and Monkie Kid both have double-sided faces and leg printing. All the characters have front and back torso printing. In terms of accessories, Red Son has a coattail piece, two launching flame pieces and a robotic glove. The bull clone has a gun piece built into his flame thrower. Meanwhile, Monkie Kid has headphones. Overall, I rate the character design at 87%.
Three Minifigures in a 299-piece kit is good. The brick-to-fig ratio is 99:1. Comparatively, my average ratio is 144:1. After Monkie Kid’s Cloud Bike, this is also one of the best Monkie Kid ratios I have seen. Compared to all LEGO® sets, Inferno Jet earns 89%. Compared to my current selection of Monkie Kid sets, it earns 95%. Therefore, the overall ratio score is 92%. Taken with the design score, these characters earn a Minifigure rating of 90%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 65%
I do not like the look of this jet. It feels like leftovers from wave one or two. The bull clone is like a relic that only appears in this set. Additionally, Monkie Kid is identical to the wave one variant, unlike the slight redesign seen with Monkie Kid’s Cloud Bike. As an AFOL, the only draw this set holds for me is Red Son. However, I needed a cheap Red Son with wave one, not wave three. Neither of the two largest sets from wave one came with this character. Incidentally, those were the only two sets I wanted early on. In this wave, he also comes in the Dronecopter set. That kit looks far more interesting than this one. Since collectors might want this character in an inexpensive set, I will give Inferno Jet a passing AFOL score of 60%.
Kids might enjoy Inferno Jet more than I do. The gun-like build is ideal for play. Likewise, the firing missiles are fun. However, as a kid, I always wanted the hero vehicle first. As such, I did not have many rides for my villains because they were never at the top of my wish list. Additionally, this whole theme still suffers from the fact that the show only aired in Asia. Canadian fans have no connection to these characters or their vehicles. The price point is not bad for a kids’ set though. I give this set a KFOL score of 70%. Overall, that leaves us with an entertainment score of 65%.
OVERALL SCORE: 73%
If the LEGO® Group had not offered this set to me for review, I would certainly have passed on it. I wanted the Red Son character. However, I have been waiting for a set that I like to include him. The previous releases did not interest me. This set also missed the mark. Had I purchased any third wave Monkie Kid sets I would have bought the Dronecopter to get Red Son. With that said, Dronecopter is much more expensive than this set. Therefore, Red Son’s Inferno Jet still presents a cheaper alternative to getting Red Son than any other kit in the Monkie Kid theme. That is this set’s main selling point in my opinion. How do you feel about the Inferno Jet? Feel free to comment below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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