Stout Files did the irreparable: He designed a UCS version of the now famous Flick-fire missiles. He introduces its MOC on Eurobricks and beyond the obvious second degree of this achievement, I take this opportunity to ask this existential question: Why LEGO persists in wanting to offer these missiles on almost all of its machines or buildings?

LEGO has always defended the playability of its products with great reinforcements of hatches that open, things that spin, gadgets that close and missiles that can be fired at the touch of a button. These missiles have become ubiquitous: They are found in many sets and not always wisely ... A ship with these missiles, still passes, a land vehicle, come on we want to believe it ... But a tree or a roof of a building, one should not exaggerate either ....

Even the 9516 Jabba's Palace will be equipped with missile ramps as evidenced by the description of the set:
... Can she get past the roof-mounted missiles, defense guns and surveillance equipment to reach them? ...

Especially since if you have tried, you already know that it is almost impossible to aim correctly while trying to send one of these missiles towards its target. I did the test with my 7 year old son. And his answer is final, these missiles are null. They do not go very far, are not very powerful, and over time, they only drop when you manipulate the device carrying them. 

But why is LEGO insisting with these rockets? To justify an additional functionality? To attract the youngest who like everything that pulls, launches, pushes ...?

Personally, I have nothing against these missiles, except in the case where they disfigure a machine when they have nothing to do there ... And you, what do you think?

We could fear the worst when the first ultra-preliminary visuals of the box had been disclosed. This green, white, black, red, finally multicolored Starfighter did not thrill me more than that. The box Also featured minifigs of Saesee Tiin, Even Piell as well as the R3-D5 droid in drafts.

The models presented at the New York Toy Fair have undergone many modifications and I must admit that they already inspire me more. The red has been removed, and that changes everything. The Starfighter has a beautiful line, a successful cockpit, a silkscreen print on the fuselage which contributes to the dynamics of the ship, in short, I like it a lot.

Minifigs have also evolved significantly from the first visuals. We find the impressions in The Clone Wars sauce, we get used to it, and let's be honest, Even Piell and Saesee Tiin are very successful. Some will regret the slightly oversized appendages, but difficult to do otherwise. I note that on Saesee Tiin's minifig the head is printed all the way to the top of the piece, and we thus have guaranteed continuity of the screen printing with the appendix. Ditto for Even Piell.

Finally, the astromech droid R3-D5 is really nice. You never have too many droids in your collection and as soon as it's not yet another R2-D2, I'm always delighted ...

Once again, and while I am always inclined to publish preliminary visuals which rarely pay homage to the final rendering of the sets in question, I readily admit that you should never stay on a first impression and leave a chance. it is up to LEGO to finalize its products to offer us something successful. Which is the case here.

I'm doing what you are right now, past the excitement of the announcement, I spend my time scrutinizing the hundreds of images of the sets taken by the lucky ones who were able to attend the New York Toy Fair 2012 and I just saw myself. realize a little late that the set 9470 Shelob Attacks will have a nice functionality. No, it's not flick-fire missiles for once, but Shelob's ability to weave his web to imprison Frodo.

The box of the set presented shows a white canvas, but the real model exhibited at the show has a black thread coming out of Shelob's abdomen.

In fact this set still brings together a good number of essential elements: The ring, Gollum, Frodo and Samwise; and it guarantees good playability for the youngest who will be able to replay the film scene endlessly. The red grapple which a priori represents Shelob's sting (????) would deserve at least one other color ...

We can clearly see this feature in the photos taken by FBTB during the show, and you can see more in the flickr gallery dedicated to this set.

It's nice to see, MED offers an excellent brickfilm with a complicated story of a machine that assembles a Y-Wing (9495 Gold Leader's Y-wing Starfighter) in the presence of Han Solo, Luke and Leia, all three in uniform Celebration, with flashing diodes, and a ship taking shape before your eyes.

Didn't you understand anything? So, watch this video, it's excellent (and reassuring) to see that here too we have brickfilm directors who know how to do something other than battles between clones and droids ...

MED, if you read me, will have to do the rest of the range now ... just to amortize the machine.

We no longer stop Georges Lucas and his band of marketing kings. Here are a few more LEGO Star Wars themed merchandise to add to the long list of lamps, key chains, and other clothing already available.

So on the menu: Darth Vader Desk Lamp (pre-order in the USA for $ 59.99), the     Stormtrooper Key Light ($ 11.99) or the Darth Vader Head Lamp (17.99 $).

With all this, you will be sure to have light on all floors ...