It happened. I bought this set just for one picture.

My imagination was immediately turned on when I saw this set and I answered the devil’s call. You can’t say no to the devil, especially when is made of bricks.

But #nospoiler for the moment, I’ll let you guess which of next pics is the activator (solution at the end of the review).

Let’s see which kind of potentiality has set 41381 Friends Rescue mission boat for a toy photographer.

Interior

Not so much space here, but plenty of light. There are windows everywhere and this was one of the things I liked the most of this set.

You can use them for some nice effect or to let the light fall in place where you need it and shoot through them.

Unfortunately, sometimes you have to remove some pieces to have enough room to shoot or to have a nice view of your subject.

Not a big deal, you can think of a lot of stories to take place here.

Exterior

I’ve already mentioned the windows? I wanted a night shot, to show what a party house is this boat, phenomenal!

Then, the morning after, you can greet the sun or chill out on the comfortable deck chairs, sipping some unspecified drink (my guess: granita).

The design of the boat is so elegant and camera-friendly that you can’t go wrong shooting it
(challenge: Go wrong).

Other builds

The set includes two small detached builds. The first one is an underwater super-secret place with a hidden treasure. Very nicely decorated but a bit challenging to shoot: it’s supposed to be underwater.

The second build is a small heart-shaped island approachable with a yellow rubber dinghy. You can place here your happy unicorn whale (spoiler: it’s a narwhal) to be rescued.

About minidolls

I have to say that is tough to shoot them, less mobility than regular minifigures, already not so flexible. But if there is one thing I’ve learned from them is the neverending optimism. They always smile.

Here, for example. Look how enjoyable is this dinghy ride during a ferocious sea storm.

Or take a look at this boarding from a bunch of scurvy seadogs.

Taken by surprise, our beloved minidolls smile and greet the newcomers, hoping for a new, exciting friendship.

Everything else

Unfortunately, a pirate is a pirate. The natural evolution of this boat is as a sea raider. But at first, why not enjoy the beauty of the galley and make it a sea cruise?

I’ve even used the small island for a treasure hunting story (and, as you know, X marks the spot).

You can also use the boat as a stage for a tragic-romantic story.

I’ve also tried a shot from the deep, where a mysterious creature is ready to face the crew. But probably, the minidolls will greet it with smiles and love.

Being more “regular”, I’ve placed a quiet family relaxing on their holidays, with the father occupied in inflating the whale for his little kid.

And did I mention there’s a small bathroom for your nee…oh, sorry.

Zombrickfication

This is the last test for the set, the zombrickfication. I’ve changed the boat to make it a shelter for some raider gang in a post-apocalyptic world.

I’ve had so much fun in doing it, probably I’ve put too many details for a photographic point of view, maybe it can distract a little bit, but honestly I’m fine with it, they tell a story (or more than one).

Conclusion

Lot of ideas for this set and is also extremely pleasant to build.

With every picture I shot, I’ve thought at other 4 or 5 that I could have taken, especially for the apocalyptic world.

If you like to break apart the sets, for sure you can find different frames for your images, with great results.

If you are not into LEGO friends, buy it anyway and hide the minidolls, but remember: they can teach you neverending happiness.

(Oh, yes, I almost forgot: the reason why I bought this set was so I could take a picture of the pirate cruiser pink sea barracuda! ARR!)