Dragon of the East Palace

"A BrickScore of 71.5 captures a genuinely good set with a spectacular facade, excellent minifigures, and clever mechanisms that falls short of its potential at the price because of exposed Technic work and a finished footprint smaller than the cost implies. The 100 percent owner recommendation rate suggests buyers who commit are not disappointed."

The Dragon of the East Palace is a 2,364-piece Monkie Kid set that impressed critics with its spectacular exterior design, vibrant color scheme, and an excellent nine-figure lineup, while drawing mixed reactions on value at its $189.99 MSRP. The Brothers Brick rated it 75 as a great play set with clever mechanisms; Brickset was more guarded at 68, citing exposed Technic elements, smaller-than-expected finished size, and price concerns. Owner ratings from 16 LEGO.com buyers average 4.65 stars with 100 percent recommending it, tracking more closely with the positive end of the critical range. Its BrickScore of 71.5 puts it squarely in Recommended territory.

Where they split: The Brothers Brick and Brickset agree on the quality of the minifigure lineup and the attractive exterior, but diverge on the overall value judgment. The Brothers Brick reads it as a great play set worth the price; Brickset finds the exposed Technic elements, modest finished size, and sparse interior rooms hard to accept at the premium price point.