Breaking News! UFO Captured by a Huge Mechanical Octopus! (JMBricklayer 70123 Building Set Review)

JMBricklayer 70123 Mechanical Octopus Review

"In the distant future, Earth faces an invasion from extraterrestrial beings, and humanity develops half-mechanical organisms to fight back. Amidst the turbulent waters of the sea, the half-mechanical octopus engages in a fierce battle against the UFO."

That's the cool blurb from JMBricklayer for their set the Mechanical Octopus 70123 which is now available for purchase on their website.  Thanks to JMBricklayer for providing this set for my review!

Welcome back to Brick Toy Reviews, my blog about the latest Lego compatible building block sets coming from China.  

JMBricklayer is a leading provider of a variety of building block sets with cooperation of other brands. The Mechanical Octopus is part of JMBricklayer's Fantastic Idea theme and is a collaboration with Top Toy.  The set is age rated 14+ with 806 pieces.  

Unboxing the Mechanical Octopus

What's in the box?  The contents include several large bags of parts numbered 1 through 5, a thick 73 page instruction booklet, and a sticker sheet.

Here's a closer look at the sticker sheet (which I didn't use).

I'm looking forward to installing the chrome and molded pieces.  A handy brick separator is a nice bonus item to have included.

This set consists of five distinct steps matching the numbered bags.  Ok, let's build!

Step 1 - Build the base 

The base of the display is easily constructed. You can almost hear the crashing of the ocean waves with that the bricks depict. 

Use the gray lever to test the light brick to make sure it is working.

Step 2 - Build and Attach the Flying Saucer

The flying UFO, is circular with a white body and a transparent blue dome. Along the edges, fluorescent green ducts wind around it, adding a futuristic touch. 

The blue canopy is hinged but there's no interior to speak of.

Here is the first of several mechanical arms.

The arms and the flying saucer are now positioned onto the base.

Here's the another view.  There are a total of 4 mechanical arms, some short and some long.

Step 3- Build and Attach the biological arms

Those arms look so realistic.

Shape them as you please since they are attached with ball joints.

Complete step 3 by attaching the natural octopus arms to the display.

Step 4 - Build the mechanical brain

Here are the silver but not quite chrome pieces.  Would be really cool if they were super shiny.

The mechanical engine that is the heart of the octopus.   Looks great with the shiny pieces installed.

Here is the second light feature of the mechanical octopus.  It's controlled by toggling the gear piece.

Step 5- Mount the mechanical engine brain to the display and place the head

I really like the orange and light green accents along the mechanical side of the octopus.  It contrasts nicely with the dark gray.

Here's the mechanical octopus before we add the molded head.

Attaching another light tube to the interior.  It's bright enough as installed but after the red molded head is affixed, it's hard to see the glowing light underneath.

The mechanical octopus makes a nice display piece even without the flying saucer.

How would you display this set?  With the flying saucer or without?

Tada!  The mechanical octopus set is now complete!   Looks awesome!

"Inside the mechanical side of the octopus’s brain, the glowing cerebral structure is exposed. The brainstem, tentacle nerves, and ocular nerves are revealed and appear more realistic with the help of detailed stickers. As the switch is turned, a soft  glow emanates from the energy engine and cascades through the various brain structures, illuminating the inner workings with a mesmerizing radiance."

"On the base with turbulent water waves, the octopus takes center stage, its presence awe-inspiring. Its head, a massive red transparent sac, gazes with wide, almost angered yellow eyes. Whether its red biological tentacles or the nimble mechanical ones, reach out in various directions into the air, each one asserting its power and dominance. One of the tentacles tightly captures a flying UFO, unable to escape the octopus’s grasp. "

  (I used ChatGPT to generate these paragraphs, lol).

If you are a fan of these unique half mechanical sets, JMBricklayer has a wide assortment of other related sets.  Heres a few more JMBricklayer sets I've had the opportunity to review:

The Mechanical Astronaut 70109

The Mechanical Dinosaur 70001

The Mechanical Chameleon 70124

The Mechanical Spaceman 70102

Where to get the Mechanical Octopus

Product launch of the Mechanical Octopus set on the JMBricklayer website.

Or you may search for it by the product code: https://www.jmbricklayer.com/?s=70123

Amazon US and Amazon Canada

For US Amazon, the website link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCRG6XB6, the coupon code VIPHARRY15 for US Amazon applies only to the non-discounted Mechanical Octopus 70123 and is valid for one month, offering a 15% discount.  

For CA Amazon, the website link https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CCRG6XB6, the coupon code VIPBATZI15 for CA Amazon applies only to the non-discounted Mechanical Octopus 70123 and is valid for one month, offering a 15% discount.   

Also, feel free to use my discount code "itsnotlego15%" to save on all regular priced items on the JMBricklayer website.

In conclusion, the JMBricklayer Mechanical Octopus is a must-have addition to any Lego-compatible building block collection. Its stunning and eye-catching design makes it a standout choice for builders and collectors alike. Whether you're a fan of deep-sea adventures, alien encounters, or simply appreciate well-crafted building block sets, the Mechanical Octopus has something for everyone.  

Thanks for visiting, bye for now!