Because it takes a few baddies to stand up to this bunch of pretentious young ninjas with their robots of all kinds, today we are talking about the set The LEGO Ninjago Movie 70609 Manta Ray Bomber, with its 341 pieces, its 4 minifigs, and its public price of 29.99 €.

If you've watched the movie trailer closely, you already know that this stingray seaplane bomber with a Zodiac on its back is actively participating in the invasion of Ninjago City. It is the basic flying machine which comes in excess to darken the sky of the city.

First observation, the thing actually looks like a manta ray. The designers did the job, and whether from the front or from above, we find the curves and the expression of the batoid that everyone knows.

We add to that a color that gives it a military aspect without seeming to touch it too much, a few stickers with numbers and that's enough to create an army of mechanized flying fish.

The presence of the Zodiac on the back of the craft seemed incongruous to me at first. But that was without counting on the fact that these infamous shark-men can thus go hunting for the nice frightened civilian in the port of Ninjago City and knock them out with the on-board cannon after having destroyed half of the city by dropping their bombs. colored. A good point for the playability.

The machine seems to me here faithful to the version of the film and that is a good thing. No excessive narrowing or massive simplification. The spring rifles are really well integrated in the mouth of this bomber and the machine is easily handled.

On the minifig side, we get the young Ninja Cole, the frightened nice civilian Shen-Li with his yoke and two buckets, and two villains: one Great White and Shark Army Gunner. It's enough to have fun.

As usual, too bad for the difference in color between the arms and the upper torso at Cole's. Yellow on a black background, it's yellow less yellow ...

Those who want to build a fleet of flying rays will have a few copies of Cole to sell to amortize the investment. The other minifigs can still be used to create a large army. Regarding Shen-Li, it seems that we all have a double somewhere ...

There is nothing here to philosophize for hours but this set does the job. So I say yes for this box, it is above all a good way to get something to tickle at a reasonable price. The LEGO Ninjago Movie mechs by spraying them with bombinettes disguised as bees before zigzagging in a Zodiac in the canals of Ninjago City. An entire program.

Note: We do as usual, you have until August 19, 2017 to manifest yourself in the comments.

Update : The winner was drawn and 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.

A bridge, some rocks, a bamboo cage, a river and two scorpions, this is the box The LEGO Ninjago Movie 70608 Master Falls, with its false pre-movie set airs, its 312 pieces, its 3 minifigs (and a skeleton), and its retail price of € 29.99.

You saw it in the second trailer of the film which gives us a glimpse of the scene reproduced in this LEGO box, here is the simplified version of the bridge on which Garmadon and Sensei Wu clash, with perhaps the key to a unenviable fate for the old sage with pants off.

Once again, LEGO kept only the essentials and transformed the film bridge into a simple strip of nougat-colored caterpillars stretched between two rocky peaks incorporating a few meta-pieces. It's minimalist, but we'll do with it. Everything is symbolic in this set: the river, the vegetation, the ruins, the rocks ... There is a bit of everything but above all too little of each element.

The set will probably find its place in a "house" jungle and perhaps provide a few hours of play for young fans of the Ninjago universe even if I have the impression that when choosing between something that flies and who throws bombs and this bridge, the young fan will move towards other sets.

There are two blue Technic pins on the bridge, to easily stage two minifigs without them falling. Why blue, I don't know.

The railing of the bridge is summed up here in an alignment of a few pieces which hang in the void. They are not even connected to the deck floor. It's almost aesthetic but not very functional. You will spend time aligning the pieces that make up this railing, it will keep you busy.

Integration of three color microfigs Tan in the ruins does not save the furniture, but it is still taken.

The minifig collector will find here something to fill his Ikea frame inexpensively with Garmadon in "Jungle" outfit, the usual version of Sensei Wu and the young haired Kai.

Something definitely bothers me about Kai, probably the fact that he seems to have lost his way under an Italian ice cream machine ...

"Jungle" Garmadon is here decked out with a "camouflage" epaulet that struggles to hide its strong hairiness and that we will probably see again equip some less festive custom minifigs very quickly.

The skeleton holds a map in its hand that leads from Destiny's Bounty to the Temple of the set 70617 Temple of The Ultimate Ultimate Weapon passing through the bridge in question. This card is also logically present in the set 70618 Destiny's Bounty since the boat is according to the drawing the starting point of the quest which leads to the temple.

I am far from sharing the enthusiasm found in other "reviews" about this box. The bridge bears little resemblance to the one in the movie, and while I can understand LEGO's desire to provide a solid and playable set, it's visually very, very far from the reference scene. The use of caterpillar elements seems to me to be more laziness than creative genius.

This set could possibly come to complete the temple of the reference 70617 but it will be difficult to be sufficient on its own. Even putting the whole thing together isn't very exciting. A good point for the bamboo cell which will occupy you five minutes, the time to correctly align the bars that compose it.

In short, I pass. This set is a starter product that does not appeal to me much.

Note: We do as usual, you have until August 14, 2017 to manifest yourself in the comments.

Update : The winner was drawn and 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.

This is one of my favorites from the line of sets based on The LEGO Ninjago Movie: The Set 70616 Ice Tank, with its 914 pieces, its 5 minifigs and its retail price of € 79.99.

I'm even ready to forgive him for being once again just a budget version of the machine seen in the trailer for the film. The ensemble, with its futuristic insect look, caught my eye.

My first thought went to Plasma Bugs from Starship Troopers, find out why. This is probably what unconsciously attracted me to this tank with the appearance of a bellicose insect.

In the first trailer of the film, the original version of this tank is equipped with two sets of tracks on each side and a very elaborate suspension system. The LEGO version is less ambitious.

As usual, LEGO has therefore simplified the thing but I want to be indulgent today: the end result does not suffer too much. I was already a fan of Titanium Ninja Tumbler from set 70588 with its removable cell released in 2016, and here I find the type of vehicle that a ninja like Zane must have in his garage.

While moving, the tank spins the mixer of the ice cream vat, the blue abdomen, which contains a few parts. The functionality of this ice cream maker is admittedly anecdotal, but I found the idea pretty cool.

The rotation of the blades striking on the parts which themselves strike on the surface of the tank generates a noise which will probably please the youngest but that some will quickly find annoying. It will suffice to remove these pieces to find a little silence on the living room carpet.

The whole is held up rather well, the machine is easy to move. The blue tank is well designed, it does not fall apart at the slightest manipulation. The less careful will find their account without having to rebuild everything after each slightly hectic session.

The machine really suits Zane, Elemental master et Ninja of ice of his condition. We are in the theme, no doubt about it.

As for the planned armament, it is necessary to be satisfied with the rotating cannon located to the left of the cockpit. A gear allows the cannon to be put into action to sow coins all over the living room. It's limited, but there is a bit of fun.

Lots (too many) of stickers to stick again, mainly to dress the cockpit and the banners located at the back. But it is at this price that the whole gets a really nice look. No stickers to put on the canopy of the cockpit, that's already it. A second canopy identical to the one protecting Zane is located under the cockpit. The MOCers of spacecraft may find their account there.

As on the other sets which feature these vaguely Japanese flags, these elements are the weak link of the whole. They hamper the handling of the machine a little and have a tendency to turn and to unhook a little too easily. We can always consider removing them temporarily for an "active" play session so as not to spoil the fun.

On the minifig side, LEGO obviously provides the owner of this Ice Tank, namely Zane, a Shark Army Thug, a Shark Army Angler, Patty Keys and Torben. A single ninja for 79.99 € is not much, especially since the rest is made up of generic characters.

Regarding the two frightened civilians to protect, nothing very exciting as it stands. We will have to see what their exact role is in the film to judge the interest of these two characters and determine if LEGO is filling or if Torben and Patty Keys are doing anything other than running away from Garmadon's men.

A good point for the Shark Army Angler's helmet, if you like monkfish this is for you.

As is the case with many other sets in this film-based range, this gearbox is sorely lacking a second vehicle, even minimalist, driven by the two villains.

For maximum playability, it will therefore be necessary to extend the planned budget and purchase another set featuring the machines piloted by the shark-men such as the sets. 70609 Manta Ray Bomber ou 70610 Flying Jelly Sub which we will talk about in the coming days.

You can still have fun crushing baddies with the caterpillars of this tank, I tried, but it's fun for five minutes, no more.

In summary, the machine has style and that's what makes me say yes. Regarding the public price, it is the high bar. This box will end up being available for barely more than 50 € one day or the other and it will be time to have fun.

Note: We do as usual, you have until August 11, 2017 to manifest yourself in the comments.
Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.
If I do not get a response from him to my request for contact details before August 20, a new winner will be drawn.

This is a bit of a downside to the entire line of sets based on The LEGO Ninjago Movie. There are good ideas, but the realization is in decline, the fault of a blatant simplification of the vehicles, probably to ensure them a certain solidity and to contain the selling price.

The and 70611 Water Strider does not escape this adaptation as a rule to obtain a solid product intended for the youngest and we also end up with a machine that looks from afar to that of the film but which is in fact only an economic reinterpretation of the thing . The result: a box of less than 500 pieces, with 4 minifigs and a reasonable retail price of € 39.99.

As the official description of the set indicates, the cockpit rotates 360 °. Which does not add much knowing that the vehicle is symmetrical. The cockpit cannot be tilted, even slightly, it remains horizontal on its axis of rotation.

The canopy is not equipped with a fixing and opening system, it must be removed to place Nya in the cockpit of this "Hydro-climber". Too bad. This canopy does not have any blue reflection in the LEGO version. The part is quite simply transparent, which is a little detrimental to the visual cohesion of the whole. Re-damage.

At the front, a rotating cannon ejects round 1x1 pieces thanks to the mechanism located at the rear under the cockpit. It's fun and rather well integrated even if to vary the angles of fire it will be necessary to play with the angles of the legs, the cockpit not being orientable. And that's it, it's the only gun available. The other weapons placed around the cockpit only have an aesthetic function.

Before starting to build the machine, I could already see myself making him take the "memorable fighting poses"praised by the description of the set to stage it. I'm a little disappointed, the four legs are well endowed with a joint at the" knees ", but they are connected to the central axis in a fixed way. take the pose seen in the trailer of the film by raising the top of the legs of the machine as much as possible.

This somewhat rigid spider which seems to have escaped the late range Ultra Agents is here accompanied by four minifigs including two ninjas: Nya, Kai, Puffer and a Shark Army Thug. By the way, a small jet-ski would have been of good quality to give the two villains something to escape and optimize the gameplay.

Nya is supplied with her skirt (or her kusazuri), also simplified for the occasion. The prop is in two colors in the film, it's totally gray here. Kai is similar to the set version 70615 Fire Mech.

Nothing special from the bad guys. The polycarbonate visor integrated into the Puffer helmet is nice, you can remove the helmet without keeping the design of the visor on the head of the manifig.

In the end, we also see here that LEGO has taken liberties in adapting the machine from the film. Nothing prohibitive for the young audience who are the target of these sets, but we are still in the rough. This Water Strider isn't an exact representation of the film version mechanically and aesthetically and (I said this before) it's a real shame.

I'm not totally convinced by this set, the machine lacks mobility and the spider effect is not fully achievable with the proposed structure. The more creative will not fail to modify the system of fixing of the legs around the central axis to correct the problem.

Note: We do as usual, you have until Aug 8, 2017 to manifest yourself in the comments.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.
If I do not get a response from him to my request for contact details before August 20, a new winner will be drawn.

On to a series of articles on the different sets based on The LEGO Ninjago Movie.

As usual, I will not describe to you by the menu what you see, I will just give you my humble opinion on each of these boxes. I will do so while tempering my ardor as an old collector, I am not necessarily the target of these products.

We start with the reference 70615 Fire Mech (Fire Armor in French) which for the modest sum of 74.99 € will allow you to assemble the mech of Kai accompanied by six minifigs.

Depending on your generation, you will see in this set influences from the Gundam, Transformers, Pacific Rim or even Power Rangers universes. Or a futuristic red robot-firefighter which here doesn't launch water but is equipped with flamethrower guns. Paradoxical.

As much to tell you right away, as you might expect, the LEGO version is not 100% faithful to the one in the film, seen in the trailer.

LEGO has integrated additional stickers to dress the thing and in the process simplified the construction especially at the level of certain joints. Too bad for a product based on a film itself based on a range of products even if in the end the robot willingly does without most of these stickers without undergoing major aesthetic degradation.

By the way, LEGO could consider offering stickers on a transparent background, especially for those that cover a large area, to avoid slight differences in color between the background color of the sticker and the color of the part on which it is must be applied.

The difference between the film model and the LEGO version is particularly obvious in the joints of the robot's arms. On the LEGO version, it is minimum service, which can be understood in view of the audience of young destructive fans targeted by this box.

Another very important point to note for all those who would consider reproducing the action of the film with their robot-fireman-arsonist, there is no articulation in the knees despite the dressing of the latter which could suggest the opposite.

So hard to get some epic poses to this mech red which remains a little stiff on its legs. It will take play on the joints of the feet to give it allure on the shelf in the bedroom of the young LEGO fan.

The two cylinders that feed the weapons of this robot are dressed in large stickers on a gray background that are difficult to place correctly with such a large area and the roundness of the part which serves as a support which does not help matters ... Visually, it is however very successful.

The two Japanese banners find it difficult to hold in place during handling, but the robot does very well if necessary. The set is compact, solid and easy to handle without too much breakage.

LEGO has provided two disc launchers integrated into the robot's arms and these flaming discs are also pad printed. And that's all. No missile launcher concealed in the forearms. It's a shame, the action is limited.

As for the minifigs, it's rather generous: This set of 944 pieces allows you to obtain the young ninjas Kai and Zane, Lauren, Henry, Hammer Head and Jelly. We will have to wait to see the film to judge the importance of certain secondary characters and therefore the interest of their minifig versions. Two ninjas in a set, it's not so bad, other boxes do less well.

Pad printing side, it's clean. The minifigs are successful. The two half-spheres that come to be placed around Jelly's head are well designed. They fit together perfectly and LEGO has even provided a small notch to separate them. The assembly turns with a slight clicking sound when handling the minifig. It is unsightly but it is not overly annoying. the less careful will be careful not to step on it ...

A robot, with a cockpit to put a minifigure in, you can't refuse. This set fulfills the contract despite its few flaws and its simplified finish compared to the film model. I say yes, although it will take the budget to find this mech an opponent of his size among the other sets in the The LEGO Ninjago Movie range (70613 Garma Mecha Man ?).

Note: We do as usual, you have until Aug 4, 2017 at 23:59 p.m. to manifest yourself in the comments.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.
If I do not get a response from him to my request for contact details before August 20, a new winner will be drawn.