Better late than never, after a few twists and turns including a package sent to the wrong address (which the recipient was careful not to mention), I finally received and assembled the set LEGO Creator Expert 10256 Downtown Diner (2480 pieces - 159.99 €) which is simply called a Structure in authorized environments. Even if you have had plenty of time to form your own opinion on this set, I would like to take this opportunity to take a quick look at it, just to give you some very personal impressions (and to make someone happy).

When the first visuals of the set became available, fan reactions were mixed to say the least. Some already regretted the very classic design of the buildings which constitute, at the rate of one per year, this range of Modulars when others praised the designer's creative risk-taking. In the end, looking back, I think everyone agrees that this set is still aesthetically very successful.

That being said, it is therefore a Structure atypical (as on M6) with which it will obviously be impossible to play despite the many accessories piled up in the different spaces that compose it. Rare are those who will have fingers thin enough to place and move a minifigure inside the different spaces and having to remove a floor to play with the one below is nothing very exciting. There are much more suitable (and cheaper) products in the LEGO range.

As I have said in the past for a similar set, this is once again a pure showpiece full of details that only those who own it really know what's inside. and that we do not see.

The Modulars, it's like Ikea furniture, fans all have the same living room or the same city. Only the placement of the different pieces of furniture or buildings can bring a vaguely personal touch to the whole. A few minifigs staged on the sidewalk, a few vehicles in the streets and it's already one more step towards a truly personalized LEGO city.

Don't laugh, I know people who try to reproduce in their homes the living room seen in the nearest Ikea store and others who try to convince me that LEGO has defined a "official roster" some issues Modulars...

The arrival of this Diner the 50s will therefore give all these a little austere towns a big blow and that is good news. It may be difficult for some to integrate this set in the context usually offered by other sets of the same barrel but the effort will undoubtedly be rewarded.

The most successful space in my eyes: the restaurant on the ground floor indicated by a sign that you will see from a distance and which gives its name to the set, with its original facade, its retro atmosphere and the multitude of details and accessories that help make it a true reproduction of what a Diner (Hollywood, I was not born ...) from the 50s could be. Grease, American Graffiti or to Saturday Night Fever, maybe at Back to the future and why not at Walk the Line, it depends.

Ce Diner is not very spacious, it is a bit overwhelmed by the counter flanked by red stools but everything is there, from the tiles to the jukebox, passing the benches with the well-padded backs. The large bay window makes it possible to distinguish what is going on inside, this is quite rare for a Structure. It is well seen.

The floor above is crowded. This gym accommodates a disproportionate ring which spoils the room a bit. We only see that, and given that in any case LEGO only provides us with one boxer, this ring which could have almost been the only "playable" space of the place is useless. The punching bag and weight bench are in turn a little cramped. The water dispenser is original, that's already it. Next.

The second floor is of little interest. It's ordinary, we know that it's a recording studio thanks to the presence of acoustic foam panels and some accessories, but it lacks personality to really convince. If I were slanderous, I would say the designer was already short of inspiration when he reached this level.

As usual with the Modulars, many very ingenious construction techniques are used, especially for the brick facade and the roof cornices. You will inevitably have the opportunity to marvel at some of them or to discover some tips that you may find useful for your personal creations. We don't get bored and that's a good thing.

Another characteristic of Modulars, the rear of the construction is much more sober than the facade. Only the presence of the ingenious staircase leading from the first to the second floor deserves to be mentioned. This is minimum service, but it is often also the case on real buildings, how can I blame LEGO ... I note in passing some subtle differences in color between the Duck Blue parts (Teal) which form the basis of the walls. Pity.

On the minifig side, LEGO provides six in this box. They have the merit of being finally equipped with faces a little more expressive than the basic heads usually provided in this range of sets. Some cried sacrilege when they discovered the first visuals of the set, LEGO sent them back to the ropes by invoking the right to do as they see fit. Still happy...

In the lot, only the boxer finds favor in my eyes because I find that he looks like Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrel).

Finally, LEGO provides a vehicle in this set. The machine vaguely resembles a 1959 Cadillac Convertible, with a passage through the box Chibi while retaining the possibility of putting some minifigs. It's a good compromise and it's in the theme, why not. Too bad for those who complain because LEGO "wastes parts on a car instead of stuffing the rooms in the building a little more"...

As I'm not the type to go into ecstasies over a new flower or a few leaves, just know that this set will allow you to get some new pieces. As a bonus, if you like Bleu Canard (Teal), you will have at your disposal an assortment of pieces in this color which, as we have said many times already, is making a comeback in the LEGO inventory.

In the end, what to think of this new Structure ? I want to end on a positive note by applauding with both hands the creativity implemented here to try to give a little pep to a range which still lacks a little even if the set 10232 Palace Cinema had already paved the way for more originality. It is high time that the LEGO city incorporated more original constructions than the usual age-old buildings.

You collect the Modulars, go for it. You like constructions that are a little more elaborate than stacked bricks, go for it. Do you need 159.99 € for something else? Keep your money. If you want to see it for real before you decide, head to a LEGO exhibit near you, there is always a town based on Modulars somewhere on a table.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before the February 28 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 for a little tour of the track in a Ford Fiesta, with the LEGO Speed ​​Champions set 75885 Ford Fiesta M-Sport WRC (203 pieces - 14.99 €).

Even if it sells us a little less of a dream than the high-end supercars or the vehicles that made automotive history that LEGO has accustomed us to so far in the Speed ​​Champions range, This modest Ford Fiesta should find its audience among rally enthusiasts.

If you've purchased a Speed ​​Champions series set in the past, you know what to expect when you open the box. Here, the purpose is not so much the assembly of the thing as the possibility of playing then with your vehicle or of putting it away wisely on a shelf alongside other machines from the same range.

We are therefore tackling the LEGO version of the 2017 Ford Fiesta WRC driven by Ott Tänak and Martin Jarveoja and for which I finally spent more time trying to correctly position the 36 stickers provided than assembling the vehicle.

For those who still wonder, there is no overlap of stickers on several pieces. A 1x1 piece is entitled to a tiny sticker even if it is placed next to another piece on which the skin continues.

Sponsors, decorations, paint, headlights, everything goes, ... But it must be admitted, the Ford Fiesta only really takes shape with the help of this dressing. The names of the driver and co-driver placed on the rear side windows are here replaced by the brands Stilo (helmets) and OZ Racing (rims).

36 stickers is probably a record for a set of this size ... Some of them would almost be justified since we are in the presence of a rally vehicle and everyone knows that these machines are usually covered with stickers. LEGO, however, did not push the vice so far as to impose a sticker on the pilot's helmet, which remains white.

We may regret that the set does not contain any pad printed part of the brand's logo. Too bad for a licensed product developed in partnership with the brand in question.

All the attributes of the machine are there with an attention to detail in terms of colors and dressing on the part of LEGO that must be emphasized. A rally fan will recognize the Ford Fiesta in question at first glance.

On the general appearance of the vehicle, it is much less obvious with a somewhat clumsy, not slender enough and coarse enough in certain details. The windshield is not tilted enough and the rest of the body therefore gains height, reinforcing the sensation, already very present due to the "collection"on four studs of the central part, to have in my hands a vehicle that is too narrow. But as it is LEGO and in addition on a scale which does not allow all the fantasies, I remain indulgent.

An interesting feature of this set is that it is possible to add or remove the Lazer LED headlight rail placed at the front by replacing the central part of the hood and LEGO provides a second set of rims. Anecdotal, but these options at least have the merit of putting the LEGO concept forward.

Difficult to criticize this type of product if we admit that the principle is simply to assemble a car to play with. This is not a high-end model that would claim absolute fidelity to the reference model, it is indeed a toy that will be rolled by vroom-vroom.

at 14.99 € the box, it's a bit expensive for a "small car", but the playability is guaranteed and the purchaser has as a bonus a minifig in pilot's outfit for his collection.

For the MOCeurs, a close-up on some pieces delivered in this set with the 2x2 half-tiles 6214807 (Black) and 6214808 (dark Blue), the mudguard 18974 in dark Blue (6214809) and Slopes 29119 and 29120 delivered in white (6213880 and 6213881):

Note: The set presented here, provided by FORD, is involved. To participate in the raffle, all you need to do is post a comment on this article before the February 22 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 was an idea, LEGO made it a set. Is it absolutely necessary to make a set of all the ideas that find their audience on the LEGO Ideas platform? Nothing is less sure.

Initially, there is Jacob Sadovich, a LEGO fan who uploaded a project of bottle with a ship inside. The realization is not perfect but the idea is there. The project brings together the 10.000 required supports, it is validated by LEGO and therefore goes into production.

The result: the set LEGO Ideas 21313 Ship in a Bottle (69.99 €) with its 962 pieces, its bottle and its micro-galleon proudly displaying a coat of arms which nevertheless closely resembles the logo of a Strasbourg brewery.

Everything has already been said about this set. I will therefore content myself with raising a few points that seem important to me. For the guided tour, you will find dozens of reviews to the glory of this box elsewhere.

Let's get rid of the price issue right away: it's far too expensive. There it's done.

The purists of this art of building a boat IN a bottle should take no offense, here we build the boat BEFORE putting it in the bottle.

You can always try to convince me that this boat is successful, that it's LEGO, that it's because of the scale of the bottle, and that if I don't like it, I just have to build another one, etc ... It's crude and barely the level of a good polybag with this too rigid wing.

In fact, LEGO has reversed the rules of the game: in general, you put a pretty boat in a lambda bottle that simply serves as a case through which you can see the result of a particular know-how. Here, it's the opposite, the bottle is successful, its content is much less.

The LEGO designer who took over the file admits himself, the bottle of the initial project was too big. Its size logically dictates the scale of everything else and the boat pays the price.

When the micro-vessel is assembled, it is then a matter of fixing it in the bottle before closing the latter. Nothing complicated, this set will not require any special skills at this stage. It is when it comes to closing the bottle that things will get a little tough.

Further in the assembly phase, we therefore find the bottom of the bottle with the vessel firmly fixed to the wall and the upper part with the neck and the stopper that will have to be fixed to close everything. It's a bit laborious but you end up doing it with a little patience and not following the instructions that recommend fixing the neck before joining the two halves of the bottle.

Nice stopper by the way, with a wax seal which we will talk about later.

Watch out for fingerprints and scratches ...

The fourth panels 6x6x9, which are back in the LEGO inventory here and which form the top of the bottle, are delivered loose in the box without bag or protection. This results in some unsightly marks and traces that will annoy the most perfectionists.

Before finalizing the assembly of the bottle, do not forget to add the water, the waves, the waves. This crucial step here is simply to pour 284 round 1x1 plates, or nearly a third of the contents of the set, into the bottom of the construction.

Can pouring a set of parts into a container be considered a construction technique? It's up to everyone to decide, especially since this process has always been used by many OMCs. I find the technique very lazy even if I understand the intention on the part of LEGO to leave these elements their mobility to better embody what they represent: water.

Should it be specified that the bottle is not waterproof? If some hoped to be able to really fill it with some liquid, this is obviously not possible and it is normal.

The support which accommodates the bottle is successful. It is stable and the bottle is perfectly maintained. It is also the only element of the set with the stopper which brings a little construction pleasure thanks to some well thought out techniques that the buyers of the set will discover.

The only regret, once the bottle is in place, we no longer really see the compass (obviously fictitious) which is however the central element of the base which supports the construction. This compass is a good idea, but it is in the wrong place. So much pad printing effort for something barely visible, it's a shame.

It should also be noted that the wax seal attached to the ingenious cap bears the initials ... of the LEGO designer Tiago Catarino who took over the project.

Jacob Sadovich will not have had the honor of seeing his idea greeted by this detail. It's a shame, he deserved at least to leave a personal mark in this set, beyond his signature on the packaging on the occasion of different events that allow to meet him and the page dedicated to him in the instruction booklet.

It will remain "the one who had the idea"and he will be able to console himself with the royalties on the sales. Flattering his ego in a nice way was not on the program.

In short, you will understand, this set leaves me a little indifferent even if I welcome the originality of the product which has its place in a range called LEGO Ideas. Bravo for the bottle, very realistic, too bad for the boat. I wish I could have said the opposite.

I note in passing that the assembly areas of the transparent parts hinder the visibility of the contents of the bottle from certain angles. You will tell me that this is normal, because it is LEGO and not glass. And you will be right. It's up to you to find the perfect place to display this set, with the right lighting.

I am not a collector of references from the LEGO Ideas range, nor a retired former sailor, and the concept developed here will therefore never find its place in my living room. Even though I'm a LEGO fan, this set is still way too kitsch for me. I will skip the same way if LEGO one day offers us a stuffed boar's head to hang on the wall because I don't have a chalet in the mountains or a hunting cabin.

For those who will acquire it, this set is also a good starting point to do something sexier. At the cost of some modifications, the fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean saga can for example try to give a little cachet to the whole by transforming it into a beautiful tribute to the Black Pearl:

It's up to you to get creative, the bottle can accommodate whatever you want: another micro-boat, micro-spaceship, minifigs on a micro-raft, etc ... As long as it fits.

You can even extend the experience by filling the bottle with different layers of 1x1 plates in different colors for a more modern effect on the Ikea dresser. It's up to you.

Otherwise, you can also prank your friends in the evening:

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before the February 10 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, it 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 confirmed, the LEGO Nexo Knights range, launched in 2016, will not survive the year 2018. The wave of six sets launched in January will therefore be the last (ref. 72001 to 72006). I don't know if there will be many people to mourn the disappearance of the band of young knights, but the discontinuation of the range was officially announced during the Nuremberg Toy Fair as indicated Zusammengebaut.

If you want to treat yourself to a last memory before moving on, know that the publisher Qilinn (Huginn & Munnin) has just published the encyclopedia of characters Nexo Knights in French version.

in 176 pages, you will be able to tour all the different protagonists of this medieval-futuristic universe and you will get as a bonus the exclusive minifigure of Clay in his phase of transformation into a villain Stone Clay with his mutating armor, Claymore sword and a special Nexo Power: "Chromium Bell".

As with all encyclopedias of the same genre, it is abundantly illustrated and filled with facts and anecdotes about the different characters.

As a bonus, a few pages are devoted to the genesis of this universe with preliminary sketches and other rather interesting interviews with the members of the team of LEGO designers in charge of the file.

Unfortunately, the book, which is the translation of the English version published in September 2017, does not mention the six boxes marketed in 2018. Too bad.

If you liked the range, this book will still give you a memory of its existence and you will probably wipe away a little tear when you leaf through it in a few years. I leave the last word to Jestro:

The LEGO Nexo Knights Encyclopedia of Characters - 176 pages - 21.95 € at amazon ou on FNAC.com.

Note: The book presented here, along with a second book on the adventures of the Nexo Knights, is up for grabs. To participate in the draw, all you have to do is post a comment on this article before the February 7 at 23:59 p.m..

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 a new publication from the publisher Qilinn (Huginn & Munnin): LEGO, Chain Reactions (24.95 €) which is none other than the French translation of the educational book offered since 2015 by the publisher Klutz (LEGO Chain Reactions).

This book is a very elaborate product, the development of which has obviously been carried out with care. The visuals are good, the illustrations are explicit, the text is didactic and the box itself is cleverly designed.

The product pitch is also promising: