6416 - Poolside Paradise

Rating:
Pros: Creative modern design, some unique parts alone make the set worth picking up
Cons: Some of the colors
Contents: 219 pieces including 4 mini-figs
Price: Discontinued
Reviewed: 28-Feb-1997
Reviewed by: Joseph Gonzalez

Ah yes, life in an affluent coastal community. Where the nights are even hotter than the days and most of the heat isn't coming from the sun! Allow us to zoom in on one such abode to view the individuals living there. Here at the poolside paradise, we see Barb (ever ready to live up to her name) spouting orders and insults like a Pez dispenser on speed at the overpaid butler, Marco, who has plans to have Barb kidnaped and sold to white slave traders so that he and Barb's younger sister, Doh (no, not as in a female deer, more like as in a Homer Simpson expression), can take over the hacienda and turn it into a taco stand. Doh, on the other hand, is plotting to leave Marco once he is arrested for kidnaping Barb so she can pay for her illegitimate brother's costly medical operation and live happily ever after with Sammy the pool boy who seems only interested in teaching the always-inebriated but extremely rare parrot how to listen in on and repeat private conversations for blackmailing purposes. All this and more as we watch Lifestyles of the Rich and Plastic!

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There are plenty of complaints about the Paradisa sets, and while I can assure you that pink pieces in and of themselves will never get a rave review from me, some of these models have some fantastic designs. Add to this the fact that the town theme almost screams for something besides another police or fire station, and you'll have to admit the Paradisa sub-theme serves a very necessary purpose. Town additions through this theme include a lighthouse, sidewalk cafe, stables, a ranch, and finally, this model: a fancy transparent dome-adorned abode that could almost pass for a large terrarium or a space lab if it weren't for the pastel colors.
Since the domes make up a large portion of the set, it is obviously a what-you-see-is-what-you-get set: a two-level hacienda with driveway and pool. The first level of the house is mainly a kitchen and a small cubicle for plants or the parrot to hang out. The second story has winding stairs leading up to a partially enclosed dining area and a small balcony. The set also comes with a small black convertible (okay, pushing the white and pink stripes on the car was a bit too much). Details of cobblestones on the baseplate and a small porch-type security light next to the driveway entrance to the house were great yet subtle touches to this model.
Minifigs included with the set include two men and two women plus a standard red parrot. New/unique pieces are the large and small dome pieces, two sliding drawers that go into a 2x3x2 cabinet element (as opposed to a simple hinged door), and the uniquely sized/shaped baseplate with pool which you probably aren't going to see in any other themes (but don't quote me). Face it, you need a set like this for the domes!
I don't see a lot more of the Paradisa sets sneaking into my collection, but the design on this one is very cool and easily worthy of four if not five stars.