Building the Palace Cinema 10232

matt1147 · 2014-10-03T00:49:52.000Z

I was able to pick up a 100% complete, open Palace Cinema 10232 with box and manuals from Ebay. The Palace Cinema is, of course, part of the Creator "Modular" series and is considered Expert since it is labeled for ages 16+. It was released on March 1, 2013 and is the third corner building after the Cafe Corner and the Grand Emporium. The large red baseplate is unique to this set. It contains 2196 pieces, many dark tan and dark red, and retails at $149.99 USD. Some think the design is inspired by Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. The set contains 6 minifigures and a black convertible, however, my review does NOT contain the convertible due to missing pieces. THE BOX & MANUALS The large box measures 22.5" x 19" x 3.5" and is beautifully done: There is 1 instruction sticker sheet and 3 manuals: THE MINIFIGURES There are 6 minifigures - child star, chauffeur, female and male guest, photographer, and cinema worker. THE BUILD The build starts with the limousine (not pictured) and a couple minifigures before getting into the building's first floor. The sidewalk portion of the building utilizes a bunch of assorted tiles for a real smooth, clean look. The first floor interior is a little plain with a snack bar, a ticket booth, and a stairway up to the 2nd floor. Since the cinema is a corner building, the front doors are attached using claws and poles and they swing open wide. The second floor facade continues the use of arches and windows and an interesting use of "skeleton feet" to create a wrought-iron gate look. The interior of the second floor is the movie theatre itself - 2 rows of 3 seats facing a movie screen (sticker) with an old-fashioned movie reel in the back. The third floor is just the roof. The back part of the roof is rather plain, but does include an access door from the stairway below. Whatever the back lacks in detail and design, however, is made up for by the front facade of the roof - beautifully done "shingles" are created by utilizing 1x1 round cannonball pieces. The apex of the roof is also nicely done utilizing some snot techniques with dark red bricks. The final build is the marquee "Palace" sign that attaches to the front of the building. The design is very clever, spelling out the word "palace" using only blue and white bricks. When it all comes together, you're not disappointed: For investing purposes, the only "cons" that I could think of is that the building only contains 2 actual floors, when others have 3, and the use of stickers in key locations - like the marquee and the movie screen. However, that is nit-picking in my opinion. The Palace Cinema is a beautiful build and displays very, very well. It is only the 2nd modular building that includes a vehicle, and while the 6 minifigures aren't anything too special, they are typical for a modular. The corner design should help it's popularity, and the fact that most modular fans will want/need this set. Of course, there is speculation that the more recent modulars have been made in larger quantities than some of the earlier ones (like Cafe Corner, Market Street, and Green Grocer), but no one really has access to that information. I believe that even these recent modulars will be in high demand to some degree. There are "new" LEGO collectors entering the market every day - whether they are new to LEGO or coming out of their dark ages - and once they discover the modulars, they will want to include as many as possible in their collection. So while the Palace Cinema won't probably see values like the Cafe Corner, there's a good chance it's value could mirror the Fire Brigade after retirement.