This will be the only box marketed by LEGO to accompany the release of the film Ant-Man & The Wasp: the small set 76109 Quantum Realm Explorers (200 pieces - 26.99 €) that I tested for you and which does not contain only good surprises.

At first glance, this box has it all with the two heroes of the film, the villain on duty and an original vehicle. If I usually criticize the machines delivered in the LEGO Super Heroes boxes for serving as an alibi to sell us some pretty minifigs, it's the opposite in this set.

Le Quantum Sub delivered in this small box of 200 pieces saves the furniture. It is compact, solid and original with its cockpit bubble around which the two transparent domes are closed. It also seems rather faithful to the model of the film, which does not spoil anything.

The machine makes several appearances in the various trailers of the film published so far and it is therefore possible to try to compare the LEGO version with the vehicle of the film. The 76109 set model therefore seems really up to the task, with a sufficient level of detail and an overall look that makes it believable.

The youngest will have at their disposal two Stud Shooters discreetly integrated into the skids of the machine. The side thrusters are mobile and can be oriented to suit your mood.

I am less a fan of the use of barrels for reactors, I feel like I have already seen this designer tip too much even if these parts do the trick here.

There are half a dozen stickers in this box, but the two side windows are pad printed. Thanks for that. The machine will also be doing well without the stickers provided.

The problem with the 76109 Quantum Realm Explorers set lies elsewhere. You guessed it, these are the minifigs I'm talking about and it's all in the details.

While Ant-Man's outfit is true to the character's costume in the movie, the helmet is far from doing the job. This is the same one seen in 2015 in the set 76039 Marvel's Ant-Man Final Battle and this is not a reproduction of the helmet worn by Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) in the upcoming film of which set 76109 claims to be a derivative.

Regarding Hope Van Dyne aka The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), it's worse: The helmet worn by the minifigure is the piece already on Iron Man's head (76077 Iron Man: Detroit Steel Strikes), Vulture (76083 Beware the Vulture) or Rinzler in the LEGO Ideas set 21314 TRON Legacy.

It's rude, oversized and pad printing is no illusion. Funny detail: The provided head displays two different expressions which will never be exposed anyway, the visor being fictitious ... Regarding the character's outfit, I do not find in the trailers the golden color present on the costume of the minifig and you will have noticed that I am not even talking about the wings ...

The results are eloquent: Two of the three characters provided in this box are in a configuration that does not really meet my expectations as a demanding fan. Too bad.

The third minifigure delivered in this box is quite successful. The Ava / Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) costume is correctly reproduced even though the hood would have deserved a new piece. If you feel like it, the included head can be placed to reveal the character's face.

This is the whole problem with this set, the designer seems to have limited the costs by reusing a maximum of existing pieces to the detriment of the fidelity of the different elements. Some approximations are always forgivable, but now it starts to show ...

We must already be content with a single set around this film whose pitch still offers many possibilities by playing on the different scales (The Pez Hello Kitty distributor!) As the set did very well. 76039 Marvel's Ant-Man Final Battle in due course, if the result is a little too lazy to convince, how not to be disappointed?

You'll have to live with it, this set is the only derivative product based on the Ant-Man & The Wasp movie and it's relatively affordable even if Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne deserved better.

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 July 2 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 are interested in the set 40305 Microscale LEGO Brand Store (362 pieces - 24.99 €) which promises to be able to assemble a LEGO Store "supplied with modular building sections that you can modify to create your own store".

When the first visuals of this set were available, many people logically thought of a promotional product that would be offered by LEGO in the months to come. This is not the case, you have to go to the cashier to afford this box.

Everyone who has been to an official store of the brand at least once will be on familiar ground here. Most of the characteristic attributes of these LEGO Stores are indeed reproduced with shelves lined with sets, a wall Pick & Build, the islands placed in the center of the store, some models displayed in the window, a counter with a cash register, etc ...

The only notable problem is that this LEGO Store is delivered without a seller. LEGO does provide two customers, a father and son (or an AFOL and a young fan), but there isn't a shadow of an employee to help them with their shopping and ask them to pay before they leave. places.

On the other hand, LEGO did not forget to place an ATM on the outside wall of the shop. Thanks for the reminder. In order to push realism to the limit, LEGO could have provided one or two banknotes ...

This 15 cm high shop will easily find its place in a mini-city based on Creator 3in1 models but it will have a little trouble fitting into a street based on Modulars whose two-story buildings are about thirty centimeters high.

Small detail very successful: The roof covering with the reproduction of the tenons of a 4x2 yellow brick.

Another detail, less successful: The sign is a simple sticker. LEGO pad prints its own logo all year round on all kinds of media and doesn't even bother to do it for the sign of one of its shops in a € 25 box. Sorry.

Half a dozen stickers dress the different micro-sets placed on the shelves of the store, they are rather simplistic but we still find the logos of the CITY, Creator, Friends and Juniors ranges. It's minimalist, but sufficient.
Regarding the wall Pick & Build, no sticker to dress this space as was the case in the poly bag VIP 40178 offered in 2017.

It is impossible to rationally explain the absence of at least one LEGO employee with a logo on his chest or back. A theory: This is a simple store under the LEGO license as there are in some countries. The sellers are therefore probably not always dressed in the usual outfit and the adult provided can act as a seller responsible for advising the young fan who has come to buy a set. As I often say, your imagination will do the rest.

If you want to add a seller and you have in your possession the poly bag VIP 40178 or the set 5005358 Minifigure Factory offered this year, the supplied minifig will do the trick.
If you collect the various existing LEGO Stores, this set will join the references 3300003 (2012) and 40145 (2014) offered so far on the occasion of the opening of the various official stores.

There is nothing to discuss for long hours on this box which, if it had been offered on condition of purchase, would have been worthy of interest. At € 24.99, it's expensive to pay for a self-promotion product.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before June 24 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.

Make room in your garage, the Bugatti Chiron joins the Porsche 911 GT3 RS from set 42056!
The recipe is the same for this new set LEGO Technic 42083 Bugatti Chiron (3599 pieces - 379.99 €) which aims to be a global experience in the same spirit, starting with its luxurious packaging.

Since the announcement of the set, you have had plenty of time to form your opinion. So I'm not going to overdo it, so I'll just give you a few impressions as usual. If you have planned to buy the set, you will find out more in detail and for yourself what it has in store for you in terms of assembly.

As for the Porsche RS 911 GT3, this set seems at first glance to appeal to a much larger audience than regulars of the LEGO Technic range.
But if the Porsche had for it to be a "achievable" dream vehicle (from 155.000 euros in your favorite garage), the Bugatti Chiron, which borrows its name from the driver Louis Chiron, is reserved for a privileged few who have the skills. means (and the desire) to afford this exceptional car by paying 2.4 million euros.

It is therefore logically more difficult to find in the LEGO version a collector's item related to one's own passion. Fans of Porsche cars who own or dream of being able to afford a model of the brand one day are mechanically more numerous than those who own a Bugatti Veyron or Chiron ...

LEGO had announced it, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS was the first model in a series of exceptional vehicles based on the same concept. the 42056 set is therefore joined this year by a Bugatti Chiron with LEGO sauce, developed in partnership with the car manufacturer.

And this partnership seems to be a little more successful than a simple exchange of licenses and logos, judging by the presence in Billund on June 1 of the CEO of Bugatti (Stephan Winkelmann), of the chief designer of the brand (Achim Anscheidt ) and a real Bugatti Chiron specially sent for the official presentation of the set. We were told about the fruitful partnership between the two brands, the many exchanges between the designers, the long months of reflection to arrive at the final product, etc ... I almost wanted to say: All that for that.

The packaging and the retail price of the thing indicate the color, this is not a lambda set that LEGO sells us, this is a very high-end product ... The pretty box with its sub- Luxurious packaging and its four wheels neatly stored in their respective locations does indeed have its small effect, but when a LEGO fan invests his money in a set, it is above all for the contents of the box, as original as it is.

We can discuss the aesthetics of the LEGO version of the vehicle for a long time. The Bugatti Chiron is a supercar with organic lines and a question inevitably arises: Should we embark on such a project and how in this case to reproduce a curvaceous vehicle with flat, rectangular and angular parts?

The French designer in charge of the project, Aurélien Rouffiange, was present at the press conference organized for the presentation of his "baby". He readily admits that the challenge was considerable and that he tried here not to alter the aesthetics of the vehicle while making the best use of all the available parts. He adds that he has also endeavored to offer an interpretation that respects both the reference vehicle and the spirit of the LEGO Technic range.

On this point, difficult to contradict, we find here a general aesthetic "in the spirit" of the Porsche of set 42056 with the same defects. Not being a big fan of the LEGO Technic range, however, I find it difficult to be satisfied with this "interpretation" in the LEGO version of the Bugatti Chiron.

There isn't much left of the fluid lines of the Chiron and we end up with a really sketchy front cover. Should we produce new meta-pieces for the occasion? I think so. A prestige set sold at 380 € was well worth the effort. Wanting to always go further in realism with the existing inventory has its limits and LEGO molds new parts in other ranges for less than that ...

The assembly phase of the chassis, the engine and the various functions is a real pleasure, even for a novice who is not necessarily used to this range. My feeling of disappointment comes mainly from the final rendering and the comparison with the vehicle that served as a reference.

The LEGO model is an illusion from certain very specific angles and in particular in profile, but not at the level of the front which is only a distant adaptation of that of the real Bugatti Chiron and which here takes on the air of an American supercar.

So playing the 7 errors game will not help here. The LEGO version hardly compares with the original model on the aesthetic level, especially at the level of the front hood whose fluid curves pass by the hatch or are embodied by simple pipes and flexible axes. Your imagination will do the rest ...

The gray flexible pipes used to form the characteristic metallic curve that dresses the sides of the vehicle also look more like a lazy shortcut than a true find from an inspired designer and I believe many of us will find that it is the rear. of the vehicle that is ultimately the most successful.

I'm not going to repeat the usual spiel on the subject, but let's not forget the essential stickers present in this box, some of them are badly printed on my copy. They must therefore be glued by offsetting them to obtain a correct result.

More laughable, the interior trim of the doors and the front shelf are here embodied by horrible vaguely stylized stickers. Finding extenuating circumstances in LEGO on this point is no longer the order of the day and the manufacturer ruins all his efforts by throwing these stickers at the bottom of the box.

Everyone will judge the final result, but it is LEGO which has embarked on this adventure and which today submits to the appreciation of its customers a product seeking to appeal to a much larger audience than crane enthusiasts and others. backhoe loaders with gears.

What if this LEGO version Bugatti Chiron had much more to offer than a somewhat lost attempt at reproducing a vehicle with such a distinctive design?

Judging by the reactions of specialists in the LEGO Technic universe, the designer has clearly outdone himself in the design of the W16 engine which is on the real Chiron consisting of two VR8 blocks arranged at 90 degrees on the same crankshaft.
However, the latter becomes in a LEGO version a three-crankshaft engine with a V8 and two L4 engines (4 cylinders in line) placed below ... It will be noted that the scale of the model and the inventory of available parts probably did not allow not to reproduce the original engine. Too bad for the fidelity to the original model, however praised all day long by the various speakers during the press conference.

Car enthusiasts will also have noted that LEGO has offered the luxury of adding an additional speed to the 8-speed gearbox of the LEGO model, the real Bugatti Chiron having only 7 gears ...

In short, these few freedoms aside, the technical sub-assemblies will give you value for your money. You will obviously have to be satisfied with the construction phase to appreciate these different elements using a few new parts, they will not be really visible when the model is fully assembled.

You can then have a little fun by opening the doors, turning the steering wheel, shifting forward or reverse and changing gears using the paddles placed on either side of the steering wheel, if you can reach them.

The whole vehicle is almost flawless in its solidity. Only doors fixed to a single hinge are much less rigid, especially when they are open. Too bad for a model at this price. On my copy, however, I did not notice the problem with the return of suspension mentioned by other owners of the set.

As a bonus, LEGO includes in the box what to assemble the Speed ​​Key provided by Bugatti to its customers. In real life, this key activates the mode Top Speed to exceed 380 km / h.

At LEGO it is used to deploy the rear spoiler (which can also simply be raised by hand) by sliding it between the fender and the wheel. It's cute, but it doesn't make my day unlike all those who rave about this detail as if to hide the big aesthetic flaw of the set.

I even made a short video for you to show you the thing in action, just to divert your attention:

When I said above that this type of set is not only for fans of the LEGO Technic range, I already knew that this is only partly true. This Bugatti Chiron is not really the ultimate model with impeccable aesthetics that could appeal to fans of LEGO models to display ready to spend 380 € and it is not the few digital bonuses to download thanks to the unique code provided in the set that will make me change my mind ...

Fans of the LEGO Technic range will likely find something to their liking with intricate sub-assemblies, a few new elements and an assembly process that pays homage to the techniques used by Bugatti in its factories.

However, they may be disappointed by the fact that all the mechanics at work are not accessible or visible. As usual, there will always be those who like to know it's there, even if it can't be seen.

Those I met during the official presentation of the set seemed convinced by the technical part of the model. On the other hand, there was also a consensus regarding the hazardous aesthetics of the thing on certain details which nevertheless make the real Chiron an exceptional vehicle.

Those who have invested in the 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 Rs set and who have vowed to continue collecting vehicles marketed in the same format and on the same 1: 8 scale will no doubt make the effort to acquire this new set.

As always, you will always find someone to show indulgence towards LEGO and explain to you that this set is a real success, that it is in the spirit, that we could hardly do better, that the rims are pretty, that the box is nice, etc ...

As far as I'm concerned, I remain in my position: The vehicle provided in this box only looks very much like a scale model of the real Bugatti Chiron and yet that's what LEGO wants to sell us. Even though the mechanical sub-elements provide a very pleasant assembly experience, the overall aesthetic of the model is not convincing enough to deserve my 380 €.

Like the Porsche from set 42056, this Bugatti Chiron a little too expensive for what it has to offer will sooner or later end up at rock bottom at amazon and a few others. If you hesitate to buy yourself this box, wait at least next August 1, then it will certainly be available around € 300.

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before June 24 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.

It's a little late that I finally take the time to take a look at the LEGO 40291 Creative Storybook set currently offered from € 65 purchase on the LEGO Shop and in the LEGO Stores.

LEGO sent me a copy, just to be able to make you want to go spend your money on the official store, and I must admit that this small set of 370 pieces does not usurp its name of "Creative book".

This is a product that has much more to offer than it seems thanks to its "modular" design. The two scenes placed on the pages of the book are indeed easily removable and replaceable by other outputs of your imagination. The instruction booklet also gives some examples of scenes that can be produced on a 6x8 plate which then suffices to place in the space provided.

The basic book, simple but nicely executed, will therefore be customizable according to your interests and your desires.

For this model featuring the Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, LEGO delivers a pretty Tile pad printed which can also easily be replaced by a neutral version if you decide to change the two scenes delivered as standard.

For those who are wondering or who have not yet opened and assembled their copy, the book does not close. The amplitude of the opening is anecdotal and the set will only be presentable in the planned configuration. The two flaps of the book are also not covered with Tiles and the section benefits from a relatively basic dressing.

In the box, LEGO delivers two minifigs with a probably very approximate representation of the writer and a young boy whose torso appears in many sets whose references 21310 Old Fishing Store, 10261 Roller Coaster or even 31084 Pirates Roller Coaster.

Congratulations to LEGO for this very original creation which opens the door to many possibilities for customization. More than the basic content, it is this relative modularity that is in my eyes to be applauded here.

It cannot be ruled out that LEGO will offer other versions of the product in the future, with some new personalities staged for the occasion. In the meantime, let your imagination work.

This box is currently offered from 65 € of purchase on the LEGO Shop and in the LEGO Stores. The offer is in theory valid until June 24, but its duration is as usual subject to the available stock.

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 June 19 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.

Many of you have long hoped for the arrival of roller coasters in the LEGO catalog. Your wish has finally been granted with the set Creator Expert 10261 Roller Coaster (4124 pieces - 349.99 €).

LEGO sent me a copy, I assembled it, I tried to find a place for it, I played with it for a long time and I therefore give you here my impressions, as usual, very subjective on this large box that many of you have already been able to offer since its effective availability on the LEGO Shop.

I have put two short videos in this article to give you a more precise idea of ​​how the merry-go-round works (and the noise of the mechanism). I won't get an Oscar for that, but it should be enough.

First observation, the assembly was not always a part of pleasure. Those who bought this set and who have already assembled it will agree that there are some really very repetitive and a bit boring phases (pillars, support bars).

Of the 4124 elements in the set, 530 round pieces (614301) are used for example to assemble the support pillars and 203 links (6044702) constitute the long chain which allows the wagons to climb the starting ramp. Those who bought the set 10260 Downtown Diner you will find here a sign of the same type to assemble, it is the fun moment of history.

LEGO has tried as often to distribute the sequences in question by inserting a few more fun steps, but nothing helps, we are a little bored. However, it is difficult to blame LEGO on this point, it is the subject that defines the assembly process and it is at this price that we can then enjoy this imposing toy.

In contrast, the Clutch Power (interlocking capacity) of the red rails really seems less "biting" than that of the usual parts. It is not uncommon that after a few tens of minutes of operation some of them slowly begin to detach from their supports due to vibrations. The difference is minimal, but sufficient to slow down or even derail the train of cars.

On the aesthetic level, I finally regret that this Roller Coaster, which if it existed in real life would offer only few sensations, did not benefit from a more thematic look. It's really very neutral and I'm not a fan of the choice of colors for the pillars and rails. It's obviously very personal and I tend to consider LEGO red as too vintage to my taste.

The purple rails of the set 70922 The Joker Manor offer in my opinion a much more modern rendering than the red used here. The dominant white of the structure also doesn't help make this Roller Coaster a really fun ride. Looks more like an old merry-go-round placed in a temporary seaside Luna Park than a big fat one (smiles to sensations.

Regarding the proposed circuit, it is difficult to do better by relying solely on the inertia of the train of three wagons and without climbing even higher. The train descends more or less quickly to the starting point depending on the slope and is content to take turns to the right.

Obviously, a Roller Coaster without looping and without changes of direction, it is of little interest for the regulars of strong sensations, but we will do with in the meantime rails with a curvature and an angle adapted to possibly one day be able to create a looping with a reasonable diameter and gain some speed in the turns.

The 17 green base plates of the merry-go-round do not completely cover the occupied surface, weakening the construction and making the Roller Coaster difficult to transport as is. If you have a few large baseplates, don't hesitate to assemble the merry-go-round on it, you'll thank me later. Otherwise, see the end of the second instruction booklet, LEGO shows how to move everything without taking too much risk.

However, don't be fooled by the two-part construction process of the Roller Coaster. Unfortunately, it is not enough to unhook the two halves of the merry-go-round to move it more easily: Many parts, including the drive chain and some rails, overlap the two modules and must be temporarily removed and then put back in place.

As often, LEGO delivers a set with manual functions and you have to rewind to get the train of cars to the top of the ramp. It's fun five minutes, but if you want to be able to watch your Roller Coaster in action while quietly eating your barbapapa, you'll have to go back to the checkout and purchase a Motor separately. Power Functions (ref. LEGO 8883- 8.90 €) and a standard AAA battery case (ref. LEGO 88000 - 13.99 €) or the version with rechargeable batteries (ref. LEGO 8878 - 59.99 €).

At this point, I'm not even saying it's a shame not to include these items in the box. It is simply unacceptable. The very principle of a merry-go-round is to be in action. Winding while watching the cars go up the starting ramp quickly becomes boring, especially as the train of cars is again ready to go up in a few seconds. Automation should no longer be optional, especially in 2018 and when LEGO sells us a Batmobile that can be controlled via a smartphone application or trains managed by a Bluetooth module ...

If you calculate the spacing correctly, the two three-car trains provided can run on the track at the same time without any problems. With or without minifigs installed in each wagon, they will manage to make a complete turn and will resume the starting ramp. As I said above, be careful to fit the rails well on their supports. The slightest deviation is enough to slow down or derail the train of wagons.

The structure of the ride is really solid, it's more the fact that something gets loose every now and then here or there that ends up being annoying. Before each session, I got into the habit of going around the arena to check that the circuit was in place. I then said to myself that I was doing maintenance like the teams of amusement parks do in real life ...

Too bad the ingenious tire-based drive mechanism placed in the first corner is not better integrated into the merry-go-round. It drives the train of wagons by friction until the first descent and even if the solution employed does its job, aesthetically I find these three appendages rather unsightly. A second sign could have concealed the entire mechanism.

To accompany the merry-go-round, LEGO provides a large handful of minifigs (11) and a few items that add a little life to the middle of the white pillars plugged into the green plates. Ticket booth, fruit juice stand, barbapapas saleswoman, etc ...
It's decorative, and these independent elements can easily be moved elsewhere, for example in the middle of the different rides at your fun fair. LEGO even thought of integrating a route that visitors must take to access the start area. In real life, this path would be bordered by barriers ...

For those wondering what integrating elements from the LEGO Boost 17101 Creative Toolbox set into this ride, the answer is simple: The Move hub and the motor are used to drive the chain when the sensor installed at the foot of the ramp detects the arrival of the train. Your tablet will also play typical fairground music.

LEGO does not mention the possible use of elements from the Bluetooth ecosystem Powered Up which will accompany the new LEGO CITY trains and the Batmobile in set 76112.

This Roller Coaster is obviously doomed to become the star of exhibitions where it will work in a loop as long as there are batteries, to the delight of children. If you want to set it up in your home, make sure you have the space and the inclination to watch it play on a loop.

In short, after the wow initially, I came to my senses and the set lost some of its splendor in my eyes. At 350 € a toy, like many of you, I take the time to assess the qualities, the faults and in this specific case the playability of the product.

By the way, LEGO could crack an alternative model for this type of large box. Building a second Roller Coaster with a slightly different circuit could have prolonged the fun even if the assortment of rails provided automatically limits the possibilities.

I am not sulking my pleasure, I am very happy to have been able to have this Roller Coaster in my hands. During the first few minutes, I admit that I took great pleasure in seeing it work. But I'm no fan of animated dioramas, and I wouldn't know what to do with such a merry-go-round, other than watching it dust on a piece of furniture and let time do its work on the white pillars which will inevitably turn yellow.

The 10261 Roller Coaster set is undoubtedly a beautiful demonstration of LEGO know-how, but in my opinion it lacks the little extra that would make it a really fun and spectacular toy. You can do better by purchasing The LEGO Batman Movie sets for the same budget. 70922 The Joker Manor (279.99 €) and Creator Pirate Rollercoaster (84.99 €), two rides themes which are obviously less interactive but also less neutral.

If you bought this set, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. There will probably be as many opinions as there are owners of the set, other readers can get a better idea of ​​the interest of the thing.

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 June 10 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.