Today we are quickly interested in The LEGO Movie 2 set 70840 Welcome to Apocalypseburg, a large playset of 3178 pieces relatively compact which is full of details and which, with the 12 characters included, offers a priori maximum playability. The public price of 299.99 € charged by LEGO on this box does not leave many people indifferent and the debate is lively. I will come back to this point a little later.

I'm not going to repeat the pitch of the set and its different spaces, the official description of the product and the photo gallery that accompanies it are made for that. As usual, I am content to give you some very personal thoughts here.

No doubt about it, this set is a concentrate of fan service that takes advantage of all the know-how acquired by LEGO since the first part of the The LEGO Movie saga and the wave of derivative products released in 2014. There is something for you everyone with the added bonus here of a post-apocalyptic vibe that obviously pleases many fans.

The nod to the film Planet of the Apes is obvious here: in the middle of Apocalypseburg we find the Statue of Liberty lying on its side and half buried seen in the 1968 film which then revealed to Charlton Heston that he had come back to Earth (too bad for the spoiler, the film is 50 years old).

In fact, even if we understand by viewing the various trailers of the film that Apocalypseburg will have only a limited presence on the screen, the risk-taking is minimal for LEGO as the set is full of winks supported by the first part and references to many other universes and themes popular with LEGO fans.

Apocalypseburg is obviously located in the suburbs of Bricksburg, the megalopolis devastated by the events of Taco Tuesday. The refugees from Bricksburg therefore settled in a makeshift camp cobbled together with containers, car wrecks, a train car and salvage materials while waiting for something better. The concept finally allows the designers of the set not to worry too much about the final rendering, the main thing being that the post-apocalyptic souk atmosphere is present.

The large 450-page instruction booklet provides some interesting information on the genesis of the set: interviews with the designers and biographies of the different characters are shared a few pages. This content is only available in English, you will need to download the instruction booklet in digital format to obtain the French version. I repeat it every time, but it's a real shame that we can't take advantage of the extra content in our native language right out of the box.

Note that the assembly is facilitated by a visual detail which significantly improves the readability of the instructions, especially during the final stages: The parts to be added are surrounded by a thin red line which allows them to be quickly located on the concerned diagram .

On the side of the stickers, 55 stickers must be applied in total. No big stickers that are difficult to put on and it seems to me that the designer really made the effort to distribute these sometimes tedious steps in a balanced way. This appreciable effort does not however excuse in my eyes the presence of all these stickers in a very high-end product, especially since some of the patterns here are really poorly centered on their support.

This big playset is really very pleasant to assemble and here too it seems to me that a great effort has been made to avoid boring repetitions and to alternate between the different modules to build. For each finished bag, its reward in the form of an additional element that takes place on the starting support.

The progression is very coherent and rhythmic and I really had the impression to be able to benefit from each graphic wink and each more or less obvious reference to the first part of the saga. Many of these small details will not be easily accessible or really visible afterwards and being able to enjoy them during the assembly is a real plus.

The assembly of the base which will accommodate the different modules is thought out in such a way as to make this step rather distracting, a priori a little boring with an assortment of many colors and a very varied positioning of the parts, even if most of these will not be more visible later. It's always taken for those who swear by the variety of a set's inventory and these colored elements allow you to better find your way in the middle of everything. Tan or this Sand green.

We build the two halves of the support separately, we bring everything together and then we go up to the torch held by Lady Liberty. As this playset is designed as a 360 ° set, you have to constantly turn the base support to build the various modules leaning against the statue. In the center, a simple structure based on Technic parts ensures the rigidity of the construction which quickly gains height.
The surface occupied by the playset remains relatively reasonable: 49 x 33 cm for about fifty centimeters high, you will find a corner of the shelf capable of accommodating this pretty exhibition product.

Visually, it's Lady Liberty's head that catches the eye of the fan who still hesitates to spend € 299.99 in this big box. When the time has come to put the head together, the set finally takes on its almost final form. The face of the statue is really compelling, even up close. The only slightly annoying detail here, the glaring difference in color between the rigid and flexible parts of the branches of the crown (see photo below).

One might think that the set is weakened by the integration of this leaning structure which extends its arm diagonally. This is not the case and even if, in the instruction booklet, the designer does not recommend carrying the playset by grabbing it by the arm of the statue. The whole is quite surprisingly solid and moving around is not a chore if you take care to grab the construction from below its base.

As I said above, the post-apocalyptic theme allows here some fantasies. The somewhat coarse appearance of the back of the statue is therefore a ready-made excuse and remains in the theme. The same goes for some of the different living spaces stacked at the foot of the statue. We could discuss these amalgamations of pieces and colors that don't really match, but it's in the theme, so it's okay.

Each space is filled with various and varied accessories up to the overdose. Going around the playset, we see that no side has been overlooked and four young fans can easily gather around the thing to enjoy it together by replaying the scenes from the film or by giving free rein to their imaginations. Being able to have a product that allows everyone to participate and share their adventures with others is really the big advantage offered by this box.

As usual with LEGO, you have to have small hands and be very careful not to destroy something by accessing something else. The playable spaces are cramped and filled with mini-constructions that easily come off as soon as you play them in a slightly "energetic" way.

The guardrails of the various ladders which are only fixed via a few droid arms are for example very fragile. The same goes for the roofs of the various "modular" spaces which can be removed to access the interior space, the barriers and other accessories placed on them tend to come off if you are not careful.

If I underline these details, it is because the final vocation of this set is a little difficult to define. On the one hand, we have a real playset designed for a multiplayer experience, with many playable spaces that the youngest should love, but we also see that these spaces are designed like those of a Structure intended for exhibition rather than play. As a bonus, this set does not include any significant moving mechanism or elaborate functionality.

The mention "16+" on the box adds to this confusion. No need to be over 16 years old to assemble this set, the different techniques used are within the reach of any somewhat trained fan. On the other hand, you must be at least 16 years old and have a job or a little pocket money to afford it ...

Regarding the level of the many references to the first part of the saga, they will have the value you give them. If a simple sticker is enough for your happiness, you will be served. Otherwise, even the grille of the Batmobile from the first film embedded in the construction will leave you unmoved ...

In the box, LEGO delivers 12 characters and there are also here for all fan profiles: Important characters from The LEGO Movie saga, secondary characters from the first film in "End of the World" version, DC Comics super heroes and minifigs credits in post-apocalyptic outfit that will find their audience among fans of Mad Max or Steampunk dioramas, everyone is served.

The DC Comics quota is here provided by Batman with his usual half-tires on the shoulders but with a different outfit from that seen in the set 70836 Battle-Ready Batman and MetalBeard. The minifig is beautiful, it uses just about all of LEGO's know-how in this area with two-color molded arms and legs and exemplary pad printing.

Harley Quinn accompanies Batman and Suicide Squad fans will immediately recognize the version played by Margot Robbie shyly adapted as a post Taco Tuesday version. It's fan service power 10, but we will not complain, the film Suicide Squad has not been the subject of any variation in LEGO sauce.

Green Lantern completes the DC Comics trio delivered here, with a rather correct dress for the occasion. I still haven't understood the alternate expression on this character's face (see below), the film will certainly let us know a little more about what makes him hilarious (and a little ridiculous).

For die-hard fans of The LEGO Movie saga, LEGO provides Emmet, Lucy Wyldstyle (Cool-Tag here) and Bad Cop. If Lucy and Bad Cop are also entitled to post zombie invasion outfit, Emmet invariably comes with his orange outfit and it's a shame to have to carry another copy of this minifigure available everywhere. We can estimate that the worn reflective bands directly refer to the post taco Tuesday period, but in my opinion, it is insufficient for this box.

For the most assiduous fans of the saga, LEGO delivers some secondary characters who survived the apocalypse and who were already present in different sets based on the first part: The "Where are my pants"Guy with faded underwear, Larry the Barista who changed his hairstyle and who is now at the counter of Coffee Unchained and Surfer Dave who became Chainsaw Dave for the occasion.

There again, the outfits of these different minifigs are very successful, they really refer to the earlier versions of the characters with now a side "I survived and I'm pissed off" which suits them perfectly. Special mention for Chainsaw Dave with his superb, slightly damaged swim shorts.

Finally, Steampunk diorama enthusiasts will be served with three additional characters: the aptly named Mo-Hawk, Roxxi, a warrior who seems to like gears, and Fuse, the camp pyrotechnist.

In different places in Apocalypseburg, there are also six Skeletron heads that must have had a tough quarter of an hour before finding themselves relegated to the rank of hair mannequins or engine decoration ...

No Sewer Babies in this box and it's a shame. You will have to go back to the cash register and afford the little one Accessory Pack wearing the reference 853865 to get two to stage in the city streets.

In the end, this product is probably not intended for the audience that we think of first when discussing The LEGO Movie saga. The high price, the lack of real features and the references to a film already 4 years old are perhaps not sufficiently convincing arguments to seduce a very young audience in 2014 who have grown well since, who have not. had the right to go see Suicide Squad and a good part of which has probably already moved on.

There are still adult fans, those who are indeed over 16 years old, who have the necessary budget to afford this big box, who will appreciate the assembly experience offered and who will understand the different references piled up in the four corners of the set. And who will be delighted to get Margot Robbie.

Personally, I say yes but I still skip this box, having no particular affinity with the The LEGO Movie saga. But I have just enjoyed this set for a few days and I readily recognize its qualities as a successful construction toy that will satisfy the most demanding builders.

My advice for all those who do not want or cannot spend 300 € in this box: Find a friend who bought this set and offer to help him assemble it. You will enjoy the pleasure of assembling it and you will save 300 €. And if you feel like owning this set afterwards, be patient, sooner or later it will end around € 200. Or buy Margot Robbie on Bricklink.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before February 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.

We continue this series of quick tests of the new LEGO Spider-Man with the set 76134 Spider-Man: Doc Ock Diamond Heist (150 pieces - € 29.99), a box stamped "4+" whose content is therefore suitable for the little hands of the youngest fans of the Marvel universe.

And it is an understatement to say that the contents of this box are accessible to the youngest: there are some very large basic elements that simplify the assembly such as a boat hull (which floats), a half-cabin, several uprights for the harbor crane and even a yellow Roller Coaster rail and a Porsche 911 RSR headlight which here serves as a canopy for the cockpit of Spider-Man's plane.

The faster it is mounted, the faster we can play. This is the case here, with a set that does not require an engineering degree or extraordinary patience. Everything is assembled in the blink of an eye without the help of parents and we can quickly get down to business.

The harbor dock and the crane are welcome to set the scene for the clash between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus. It's Pearl Harbor here, with Spider-Man who can bomb Doc Ock's speedboat from his glider (or supersonic jet, it's up to you).

At least the Octopus boat has the merit of being equipped with two robotic arms that allow you to hang the villain's loot on it. Everything is there, from the colors of the character's costume to the pad-printed symbol placed on the front of the shell.

Use in the bathtub for even more epic adventures thanks to the one-piece shell already seen in several sets of the Junior range (10755 Zane's Ninja Boat Pursuit et 10737 Batman vs. Mr. Freeze).

Everyone knows, Spider-Man is nothing without the armada of custom vehicles that he probably stows away in his Spider-Cave. Here, it's a glider that allows him to track Octopus.

The machine is basic with a few parts to be placed on the meta-cabin provided and everything is embellished with a pretty pad-printed logo to be attached to the nose of the device. The cockpit is protected by the canopy which also serves as a headlight for the Porsche 911.

Two disc launchers can knock out the bad guy and LEGO, who knows the kids will lose those two white discs, provides two more ammunition.

Three characters are delivered in this set with a Spider-Man which takes the torso and the head of the minifigs provided in other boxes but which must here be satisfied with simple legs without pad printing or two-color molding.

On the other hand, Doc Ock's minifigure is really accomplished, with a new design that alone justifies investing in this set to afford this detailed version of the character's costume. The torso is stunning, with plenty of detail for the character's metal belt. Too bad the legs remain neutral, they would have at least deserved some mechanical elements on the front of the feet.

The back of the Octopus minifigure is also very detailed and it is almost a shame that it is masked by the accessory (already seen on the Outriders and on Carnage) which serves as a support for the four mechanical arms here symbolized by simple droid arms.

For even more playability, LEGO adds in the box a generic worker to control the crane and whose torso already appears in a dozen boxes of the LEGO CITY range and even in a set of the Speed ​​Champions range (75883).

To put it simply, I say yes but on sale. No stickers, three characters, two simple machines but which will give ideas to the youngest and a magnificent minifig of Doc Octopus, it is more than enough to convince me but rather around 20 € as is currently the case at Amazon :

[amazon box="B07FNW8PHR"]

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before January 27 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.

Today we take a detour through the film Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice with the small set 853744 Knightmare Batman Accessory Set (46 pieces - € 12.99) that I had forgotten at the bottom of a drawer ...

For less than 13 €, LEGO allows us to obtain an exclusive minifig, two generic evil creatures and a very small construction without much interest which serves as an alibi to be able to promote the LEGO concept.

The Knightmare Batman minifigure is therefore exclusive to this small pack, it is written in large letters on the box. No fabric accessories here, everything is pad printing, skilfully designed to best reproduce the Batman costume seen in the film.

And it's quite successful with a host of details and a multitude of different shades to embody the different layers of the outfit. Too bad the transition between the torso and the hips of the character is a little rough, which annihilates the visual effect of a coat whose sides go down to the knees.

The minifigure really highlights everything LEGO can do in the field of pad printing with an accumulation of colors, numerous details underlined by lines of varying finesse, legs molded in two colors and even pad printed areas on the forearm reproducing the bandages seen on the costume of the film.

The character's mask has also been the subject of a nice graphic work with glasses whose shiny and worn effect is very convincing.

Batman is equipped with an automatic pistol with a Tile bearing the Joker symbol similar to the pattern seen on the butt of the assault rifle worn by the character in the film. LEGO has really taken the attention to detail to its limits here.

In the box, LEGO also provides two Parademons, the service villains, identical to those seen in the sets 76086 Knightcrawler Tunnel Attack (2017) et 76087 Flying Fox: Batmobile Airlift Attack (2017)

These superb minifigs come with their transparent plastic wings which would be perfect if they did not so visibly display the copyright printed on the back which is unfortunately not obscured by the Tile which serves to hold them in place.

Anyway, if you haven't yet bought that little pack that delivers what I consider to be the most successful Batman minifigure yet, there's still time to do so by the way. by the LEGO Shop to be sure to spend only 12.99 €. In a few weeks / months, it will be too late ...

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before January 20 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.

Go ahead for a quick peek at the LEGO Marvel set 76113 Spider-Man Bike Rescue (235 pieces - 24.99 €) which proves us once again that LEGO is convinced that Spider-Man really needs various and varied vehicles to go on a mission and face some bad guys.

Here we are entitled to a motorbike which could be acceptable if it was not oversized. The bike is really successful but the minifigure frankly looks ridiculous on the seat with the added bonus of a driving position far from natural. But it is necessary that the youngest have something to have fun and this bike is there for that.

Note that the mini spider drone launcher is functional but the web launcher placed on the left side of the machine does not launch anything at all.

If you are wondering where the two little gray spiders delivered here come from, it is on the side of the Nexo Knights range that you should look, for example in the set 72002 Twinfactor.

The other construction of the set is the generator "with explosion function". The term is a bit pretentious, it is simply a question of tilting a part to eject the two containers placed on it. Everything else is only decorative, with large reinforcements of stickers except for the yellow plates with the black bands which are pad printed.

Some of these stickers are also printed on a transparent support and the effect obtained is very convincing. I would like to see this type of sticker more often.

Everything that is to be built here is ultimately just a pretext to sell us three minifigs: Spider-Man, Miles Morales and Carnage.

The Spider-Man minifigure is a welcome evolution of the one we've already gotten since 2012 in over a dozen sets. The torso turns red with the blue areas now pad printed and the legs benefit from a two-color molding. It was time. Too bad, the blue pad printed on the chest is not exactly the same shade as the arms and legs.

Miles Morales is also an updated variant of the version seen in the set. 76036 Carnage's SHIELD Sky Attack marketed in 2015. Some modifications to the muscles of the torso, but not enough to get up at night if you already have the previous version. I would have put red hands on the character, he often wears gloves with red fingers in the various comics that feature him.

Carnage has undergone a nice facelift and the monochrome pad printing now gives way to details in two rather successful colors. I am however less convinced by the tentacles of this new version and I prefer the shape of the eyes of the minifigure of the set 76036 Carnage's SHIELD Sky Attack marketed in 2015. Carnage here uses the back support already seen on the Outriders in the Avengers Infinity War sets.

A note about these minifigs: LEGO could have made the effort to offer us faces without masks for Peter Parker and Miles Morales, just to be entitled to an alternative presentation and to make these figures even more attractive to collectors.

In short, nothing to discuss for hours on this box which quite simply offers three updated versions of characters already present at LEGO for several years. The big bike will amuse the youngest and the other construction will quickly end up loose in the bottom of a drawer.

24.99 € for a very small box, it's probably a bit expensive for collectors who already have the three characters delivered here, but it seems almost correct to me for a set which provides young fans with three major minifigs at once from the Spider-Man universe.

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before January 17 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.

Go ahead for a quick peek at The LEGO Movie 2 set 70826 Rex's Rextreme Offroader (236 pieces - 29.99 €) which on paper (or rather on the packaging) promises us a 3-in-1 product with two alternative assemblies to the main model.

This is not a new concept, several sets in the range based on the first part of The LEGO Movie saga already offered alternative models to build with the inventory provided (70804 Ice Cream Machine, 70805 Trash Chomper, 70806 Castle Cavalry, 70811 The Flying Flusher).

So we will start with Rex Dangervest's all-terrain vehicle which is assembled in a few minutes. We're at the limit of the set "4+"There is nothing very complicated here. A few stickers to stick on the vehicle, the" official "Rex logo on the left rear fender being the only pad printed element.

The four Stud-Shooters are adjustable via a dial placed under the rear of the vehicle, the two seats in the front can accommodate the pilot and a passenger and there is a firing station placed at the rear. It's compact, playable and the vehicle has a good face.

The blue velociraptor is loaded like a camel with enough to knock down anything that moves and accommodate a minifigure. It's funny.

In this box, LEGO provides us with the instructions to assemble two other models using the inventory provided. So I dismantled the Recon Rex-o-saurus to start editing the Quad Rex-os-saurus. Again, nothing very complicated and the hybrid machine obtained is rather nice.

The real problem is that this 3-in-1 set does not allow all or at least a very large part of the 236 parts provided for each of the three models to be reused. Once the quad is assembled there really are a lot of unused parts left and that's a shame.

The designers could have cracked real alternative models using a larger number of parts. And I'm not even telling you about the planned third model, theExecu-Rex-o-saurus, which is in fact a simple velociraptor with a little gear on its back and which is also far from making good use of the entire inventory of the set.

In the box, two minifigs and a buildable creature. Emmet and Rex Dangervest are here accompanied by a rather funny Plantimal figurine.

You already know, Rex Dangervest, voiced in the original version of the film by Chris Pratt who also plays the role of Emmet, is a mash-up of the characters of Owen Grady (Jurassic World) and Star-Lord (Guardians of the Galaxy) that the actor interprets on screen.

His work outfit vaguely echoes Emmet's with the same reflective bands on the chest, just like the spike in the hair that we find on the heads of the two characters.

The Plantimal figurine is an assemblage of more or less improbable elements with colorful foliage, purple glitter pieces and even a pink crab. Why not.

In short, if offering alternative models with the instructions provided in paper format is a real good idea to increase the replayability of a set, I find it unfortunate that the two additional models in question only make very limited use of the inventory of the set.

At 29.99 € the box, it's far too expensive for what it is, even if this box remains the cheapest of the two that allow you to obtain a blue velociraptor, the set 70835 Rex's Rexplorer which contains two copies being marketed at the public price of € 129.99.

But you already know, this set like all the others will sooner or later end up on sale or in clearance somewhere ... Patience will inevitably be rewarded.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before January 17, 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.