We quickly get interested in the LEGO Star Wars set 75246 Death Star Cannon (159 pieces - € 19.99), a small box that joins the set 75229 Death Star Escape in the section of derivative products inspired by scenes taking place on the Death Star.

We are also close to the 4+ classification here with a very basic content that does not even reach the level of detail of the gun seen in the set 75159 UCS Death Star and it only takes a few minutes to assemble the contents of this box without stickers.

Come to think of it, this set is the perfect addition to any box featuring a Rebel Alliance ship: several children can have fun with a shooter that will target their buddy's ship (s). Anyway, I don't see what young fan would have hours of fun turning off the tractor beam. The designer has not made any particular effort to integrate the missile launcher into the barrel and it's a bit of a shame for a set dedicated to this weapon.

The opening in the hull of the Death Star is there, but a piece of partition is really missing to hide the extension on which the tractor beam is located. With a few more pieces, there was however material to give a little more consistency to the scene. By the way, I would like to point out that the aim of the barrel is not limited to this opening, the weapon can be oriented as you see fit.

The functionality of deactivating the tractor beam is also very basic and integrated in a somewhat dubious way. The lever that must be pulled to drop the set of blue parts in the provided support is not even delivered in a color to match the rest of the model.

We also notice that there is only one gunner post at the foot of the barrel while the equivalent weapon in the set 75159 UCS Death Star correctly install two soldiers in command. Here, LEGO does not even provide a seat, you have to be content with the four studs available to the right of the barrel.

The designer on the other hand tried to give a little volume to the model by placing it on a support which slightly elevates the platform of the tractor beam. It's always taken to simulate the risk-taking of Obi-Wan Kenobi who has no more room here than in the film to move around the console and reach the controller with which he must deactivate the ray.

Obi-Wan Kenobi's minifigure retains the face seen in several boxes since the set 75052 Mos Eisley Winery (2014) but here it benefits from a new torso and a new hood.

Obi-Wan is not wearing his hood during the tractor beam deactivation scene and some additional white hair would have been welcome in this box. No pad printing on the characters' legs, the available budget had to be exceeded. No bubble in the lightsaber, part of the budget had to be spent on solving this recurring problem which finally seems to be solved for good.

About the new hood I'm less enthusiastic than many fans who find it more successful than the somewhat dated but curvy one delivered so far.

It's massive, a little too thick for my taste and the visual continuity between the hood and the cape is not really guaranteed, the fault of the different materials used for these two elements which nevertheless benefit from similar colors. The side pleats are well done but the upper area of ​​the hood seems less successful to me.

The special one Imperial gunner provided in this box is nothing new: the minifig is the one delivered in the 2019 LEGO Star Wars Advent calendar and the helmet had made its first appearance in 2018 in the set 75217 Imperial Conveyex Transport.

In short, I will wait for the set to drop below 15 € before offering me this box to add Obi-Wan Kenobi's minifigure to my collection. I can understand LEGO's desire to explore the catalog of more or less cult scenes that take place on the Death Star in the form of small affordable boxes, but if they do not offer anything more successful than what is already available in the existing sets, I do not see the point of the approach.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual put into play. To participate in the raffle, all you have to do is post a comment (avoid the "I participate, I try, etc ..." be a little more constructive) on this article before November 10, 2019 next at 23pm. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

Today we are talking very quickly about the other LEGO DC Comics set stamped 4+ marketed since this summer: the reference 76138 Batman and The Joker Escape (171 pieces - 39.99 €).

It is a box intended for the youngest fans of the DC Comics universe, who can therefore have fun with the Arkham asylum from 4 years old by simulating the escape of its most dangerous prisoners.

On the construction side, there are as usual very large parts here, some of which will undoubtedly be difficult to reuse out of context. The base plate in green Lime is the one seen in the Toy Story 4 set 10769 RV Vacation and MOCeurs will find here some always useful parts now available in Sand green.

Everything is pad printed, no stickers in these boxes for very young fans. To adapt to children who are gradually abandoning large DUPLO bricks to take an interest in format elements System, LEGO has made the effort to turn one of Gotham City's worst places into an almost welcoming princess castle. I don't know if this is a good thing.

A facade, two cells, a guard post, everything is there even if the whole is summed up in its simplest form. the main feature of the set: rush with the motorcycle on the door held by a board and escape the asylum by tearing off the security barrier.

Batman will be able to pursue the two escapees with a relatively sketchy but rather successful Batcopter. One wonders what the blue catapult does in this box, but it can still be used to burn the asylum with the few incendiary bombs provided. No Stud Shooters on the different machines, LEGO reserves this type of functionality for older children who are able to not shoot their little brother's eye.

We will also remember the nods to some emblematic villains, distributed inside the structure: the Penguin hat (seen this year in the LEGO CITY set 60234 People Pack - Fun Fair), Mr. Freeze's spoke gun and fear gas by Scarecrow. I am not sure that a 4 year old child can recognize the fear gas from Scarecrow at first glance ...

For those who are wondering, the chassis of Harley Quinn's motorcycle in Medium Azure is not new, it is the one already delivered in the set The LEGO Movie 2 70833 Lucy's Builder Box. The red fairing was already provided in the set 76055 Batman: Killer Croc Sewer Smash in 2016 and in two LEGO CITY sets released this year.

As for the minifigs delivered in this box, the stars of the set are obviously the Joker and Harley Quinn with a nice exclusive torso identical for the two characters. The only slightly embarrassing detail, the t-shirt that appears under the outfit of the two escapees should have been white as on the official visuals, here it is rather pink.

The double-sided head of Harley Quinn with its two very successful expressions is also exclusive to this set, that of the Joker was however already delivered in the sets 10753 The Joker Batcave Attack (2018) et 76119 Batmobile: Pursuit of the Joker (2019)

The guard's torso is an exclusive piece to this box, his cap is the same as that of Officer Noonan seen in the set 70620 Ninjago City (2017). The character takes on the features of many stormtroopers, Sandtroopers and other clone troopers already seen in the LEGO Star Wars range.

The Batman minifigure is also present in the other set stamped 4+ of this wave 2019, the reference 76137 batman vs. The Riddler Robbery.

This box is sold for 39.99 €, an incomprehensible price given its content. Fortunately, we already find it around 30 € at amazon. When it comes to giving this type of set to a 4-year-old, it's up to you to decide on their ability to tell the difference between fiction and reality. The Joker, Harley Quinn, an asylum which serves as a prison for the most dangerous characters of Gotham City, an escape: the theme of the set, even watered down and passed to the cartoon mill, may seem a little borderline for some parents.

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included as usual. To participate in the draw, all you have to do is post a comment (avoid "I participate, I try, etc ..." be a little more constructive) on this article before the November 3, 2019 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

LEGO having a keen sense of timing, only now the manufacturer is sending three copies of the LEGO XTRA polybag 40368 Christmas Accessories (32 pieces - 3.99 €) to different sites and blogs.

I'm not going to do a fifteen-page "review" of it, this new bag from the XTRA range contains only 32 pieces on the theme of the end of the year holidays and there is therefore no reason to philosophize during hours about its content.

No minifigs in these accessory bags that are used to expand your dioramas, but this one at least allows us to get a copy of the husky already seen in many boxes including the LEGO CITY 2015, 2016 Advent calendars, 2018 and 2019.

The blue crystal is the one that makes the heyday of the LEGO Disney Frozen range (Snow Queen) and which is also provided in the 2019 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar.

For the rest, you have to be content with a rather basic snowman to build, two golden barriers already seen in particular in the defunct Elves range, a tree, two flowers in Pearl Gold seen in the LEGO Creator Expert set 10267 Gingerbread House, a white sheet, a blue cap (Dark Azure) and a set of snowshoes already seen in the LEGO CITY Arctic Exploration (2018) sets, a bag and some pieces to assemble gifts and decoration.

Too bad that the snowman's head is neutral, even a rough pad printing would have given the contents of this polybag a little relief. We will console ourselves with the husky which is technically exclusive: the technique used to inject the gray color of the coat induces slight variations on each copy.

In short, nothing to get up at night, especially at € 3.99 per bag.

Note: The three bags presented here, supplied by LEGO, are as usual brought into play. To participate in the draw, all you have to do is post a comment (avoid "I participate, I try, etc ..." be a little more constructive) on this article before the November 3, 2019 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory. 

Update : The three winners were drawn and were notified by email, their nicknames are indicated below. Without a response from them to my request for contact details within 5 days, new winners will be drawn.

We continue the tour of the new LEGO Star Wars products launched on October 4 for Triple Force Friday with the set 75254 AT-ST Raider (540 pieces - 59.99 €), a small box based on the new series The Mandalorian which will begin broadcasting in mid-November on the Disney + platform.

Since the series has not yet been broadcast, it is difficult to put the contents of this box in a particular context. All we know is that the action in the series takes place five years after the Empire was defeated (Episode VI) and 25 years before the appearance of the First Order (Episode VII). That being said, a brand new AT-ST is still a good idea for those who don't already have one on their shelves. Those who, however, already have a few in their drawers will immediately understand that this new version is frankly inspired by that of the set 75153 AT-ST Walker released in 2016 on the occasion of the film's release Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

This AT-ST is obviously a model recovered and tinkered by the Klatooiniens Raiders delivered in the box. We are therefore entitled to a patchwork of colors (and stickers) which give a little freshness to this new version. Colored parts, visible cables, various and varied additions, the machine visually becomes a little more attractive than the gray versions seen so far.

It is assembled very quickly, we spend almost as much time to stick the different stickers properly as to fit the parts. The cockpit is obviously mounted on an axis which allows it to change position via a relatively discreet wheel placed at the rear. Two minifigs can take place at the controls of the machine, one must remain seated behind the controls, the other can be hung on the side handles to observe what is happening outside through the upper hatch.

Because it was necessary to add a little playability to the whole, two Spring-Shooters are placed under the cabin and they are sufficiently well integrated so as not to disfigure the machine. The missiles are ejected by pushing on the two protuberances placed at the rear at the foot of the cabin.

Do not expect to walk this AT-ST, the two legs are not articulated. The majority of fans will be content with a static device to display but it's still a shame that it is impossible to simulate a movement effect while maintaining the balance of the construction.

As I said above, it's the party of the sticker in this box with 23 stickers to put in place. Impossible to do without the details provided on these stickers, they ensure the "tinkered" effect of the machine which is the interest of the product. A good point: the AT-ST also looks good when viewed from behind with a sufficient level of detail.

At the risk of sounding like rambling, I once again underline the presence of blue Technic pins which remain visible on the final model. All the possible explanations aimed at finding extenuating circumstances at LEGO's choice in this area will do nothing, I find that frankly unsightly.

On the minifig side, the assortment provided here is balanced with two major characters from the series and two more generic villains. A second vehicle may be missing in the box, just to balance the forces involved.

The Mandalorian is portrayed onscreen by actor Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones, Narcos) but LEGO was certainly instructed not to provide a face to the character in this first derivative product. We will probably have to wait for another set based on the series to obtain a version with a real face under the helmet. For the rest, the character's outfit is consistent with what Disney has unveiled for the moment in the Trailer and the few teasers and other posters already available.

Pedro Pascal is accompanied by actress Gina Carano (Angel Dust in Dead Pool) who plays Cara Dune in the series. Here too, the costume is more or less faithful to the outfit seen in the trailer but it lacks the reinforced shoulder pads worn by the character. LEGO is content here with a gray point to symbolize the logo of the Rebel Alliance tattooed on the cheek of the character. Difficult to do otherwise, I salute the attention to detail.

Both Klatooinian Raiders are equipped with the same head and legs and are only differentiated by their torso and accessories. The pad printing is generally very successful on all of these minifigs with an appreciable level of detail and a finish without major flaws.

I'm not really a fan of assembling blasters / lightsaber handles / various accessories to embody the weapons of the different protagonists. In my opinion, it would be time for LEGO to go to the trouble of molding these extendable weapons so that minifigs can finally have visually believable accessories.

In short, there is not enough to philosophize for a long time on this box without taking any risk. The set is a nice derivative of a series that has not yet been released and if we take into account that an AT-ST is still good to take, we can only complain about the price charged for this box: 59.99 € for that, it is much too expensive. We will wait for the inevitable promotions to come to have fun.

AT-ST RAIDER SET 75254 ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

THE OFFER IN BELGIUM >> THE OFFER IN SWITZERLAND >>

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included as usual. To participate in the draw, all you have to do is post a comment (avoid "I participate, I try, etc ..." be a little more constructive) on this article before the November 3, 2019 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory. 

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

As promised, I suggest you take a quick tour of the LEGO Ideas set 21320 Dinosaur Fossils (910 pieces - 59.99 € / 74.90 CHF) and to give you in passing some very personal thoughts on the contents of this box.

As a preamble I would like to point out that if we had to demonstrate once again that when fans vote for a project on the LEGO Ideas platform, they only express their interest in the idea developed by the project leader, this set Today brings a new rather spectacular confirmation.

There isn't much left of the original project in this new box except the general idea of ​​featuring dinosaur skeletons. The official version is more like the project 6 in 1 Fossil Dinosaurs still in the process of recruiting support for the project Dinosaur Fossils Skeletons - Natural History Collection by French fan designer Jonathan Brunn aka Mukkinn.

The LEGO designer in charge of adapting the initial idea, Niels Milan Pedersen, took such ownership of the project that I think he forgot a little that 10.000 supporters enthusiastically supported the original idea. Exit the beige color of the bones and the delicacy of the skeletons which gave an organic side to the whole probably at the cost of a very important fragility, we find ourselves here with more massive representations, even coarse and a mix of colors not always very judicious. We will have to do with it.

Two of the three skeletons, the T-Rex and the Triceratops are perched on a display from which they cannot be removed without having to partially dismantle the support. We build from the bottom up, starting by firmly anchoring the legs in the base which guarantees excellent stability but deprives us of the possibilities of staging these skeletons in other contexts such as for example the discovery of one of between them in an excavation field.

Fans of the LEGO Star Wars range will also have a feeling of déjà vu by assembling the legs of the T-Rex: Looks like those of an AT-ST, pins Technic and plate-based cladding included. The result is a little disappointing: the framework is very thick and some pins and other colored joints remain too visible for my taste on the finished model.

The recipe is the same for the Triceratops with legs well anchored in a black base which hides a few colored pieces and a patchwork of shades for the rest of the skeleton. As with the T-Rex, the tail is articulated and can be oriented at different angles to save some space on your shelves. For the rest, this skeleton is logically very static, only the head can (a little) move. The finish on the legs is in my opinion very disappointing, especially at the front, and these little sloppy finishing details confirm that the whole will look especially good from a distance.

The Pteranodon is assembled in three minutes flat. Nothing very exciting in the structure of the animal which is in fact the most mobile of the three specimens thanks to the joints of the wings and the head. Here, I find that the creature looks good and it is the one that in my opinion most closely resembles the style proposed by the bearer of the reference project.

Overall, I find the dominant white color inappropriate. The few touches of beige (Tan) and gray present on the different constructions are not enough to give a realistic aspect to these skeletons. I challenge you to find skeletons of such immaculate white in your favorite museum, but if you've invested in the LEGO Jurassic World set 75930 Indoraptor Rampage at Lockwood Estate (2018), you have here something to expand a little the museum on the ground floor of the building already symbolized by a creation of the same style, that's always taken.

The set is presented as a product suitable for people aged 16 and over. In my eyes, nothing really justifies this classification except perhaps the very large number of small parts and the white tint of the different models which could possibly make this set difficult to assemble for the youngest. The construction techniques used here are mostly widely available to fans who are under the age of 16.

But how many parents will simply ignore this mention on the box when this type of product should be within the reach of any young dinosaur fan? If parents read me, buy this box, help your children to assemble the different models if they stumble on certain steps and offer them in the process a copy of the excellent LEGO Dino book which will be the perfect companion to the experience offered here.

The designer added a minifigure and a touch of humor inside the box, two welcome elements even if I have the impression that it is more marketing than creativity that motivated these additions. Minifigs sell, especially if the content of the set is having a little trouble standing on its own, it's no secret.

We therefore obtain a paleontologist with his large magnifying glass, his notebook, some bones, an egg and several tools gathered in a crate, all accompanied by a human skeleton perched on a base dressed with a sticker bearing the mention Lego sapiens. In principle, there is often a minifigure that vaguely resembles the original project owner in these boxes, but it looks more like the LEGO designer than the fan who had the good idea to start ...

The set can be assembled in several because the manufacturer still had the good idea to separate the assembly instructions into three separate booklets. Unfortunately, these booklets contain very little information on the three dinosaurs in question and LEGO didn't even bother to insert a few facts through the pages.

The description of the three species is two pages long with a font size that is not really easy to read. As usual, the booklets are in English and you will need to download the French version in PDF format as soon as it is uploaded to the manufacturer's server if you have an interested young fan at home who has not yet mastered Shakespeare's language.

What in my opinion could have become a nice product with a pseudo-educational vocation is ultimately only a slightly sloppy adult toy and I find that a shame for a manufacturer that does not fail to pride itself on training future astronauts and other engineers in the making thanks to its ultra-creative products.

In the end, I find the whole a bit too quickly shipped and reworked to really pay tribute to the work of Jonathan Brunn. However, there had to be a better compromise to be made between the draft version and this total reinterpretation. Do not let this prevent you from supporting Jonathan Brunn by buying this box sold at a reasonable price, he will receive his commission on sales like all project leaders who have seen their creations go down in history. You can also vote for his new project online on the LEGO Ideas platform: 150 Years of 20 Leagues Under the Sea.

THE SET 21320 DINOSAUR FOSSILS ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

THE OFFER IN BELGIUM >> THE OFFER IN SWITZERLAND >>

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included as usual. To participate in the draw, all you have to do is post a comment (avoid "I participate, I try, etc ..." be a little more constructive) on this article before the October 31, 2019 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory. 

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.