The buzz around The LEGO Batman Movie has already subsided for several weeks and the Blu-ray / DVD release on June 14 will probably not be enough to revive the machine. It is in this context that LEGO plans to market five new boxes that will join the thirteen sets already on the market, not to mention the collectible minifigs, BrickHeadz and the slew of derivative products, polybags, etc.

Today we are therefore interested in one of these five sets planned for the second semester: the reference 70915 Two-Face Double Demolition, its 564 parts, its excavator, its Bat-thing and its 4 minifigs.

We do not change a winning team: A few vehicles, good guys, bad guys, stickers, missile launchers and let's go:

Batman comes with his aka Batcycle The bat hawk. Nothing exciting, the minifig barely fits in the cockpit but it rolls, it shoots missiles, the canopy opens, the side bat wings are movable and it's playable.

Two-Face's vehicle is more interesting: The excavator is also "Double-sided adhesive". Half of the machine is in the colors of the Falcone's Legit Construction Company, the company of Carmine Falcone, the godfather of Gotham City's crime. We find the classic "construction" aspect and the reproduction of the machine is rather successful.

The other part displays a less "Public Works" look to match the character's duality. This results in an interesting asymmetric assembly with different colors and sets of parts depending on the side of the machine. Placed in profile, the excavator creates an illusion. The dark side is rusty, gaunt, decked out with sharp blades worthy of a good old Carmaggedon on wheels. Without overdoing it and with a few well-chosen details, LEGO offers here a convincing machine that fits perfectly to the image of its driver of the day.

No direct steering on this backhoe loader but the front part, the arm and the bucket are articulated, which offers a minimum of playability. The bucket alone is dressed in five stickers to give it that rusty appearance on one side, shiny on the other.

On the minifig side, we find the eternal Batman with his yellow belt, Harvey Dent aka Two-Face, and two officers of the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) with their tactical jackets and accessories.

The torsos of each of these police officers are identical to those available in the set 70912 Arkham Asylum. No distinction between the torso of the male officer and that of the female officer. The tactical vest is identical to that of Barbara Gordon seen in the set 70908 The Scuttler. No double face for the male officer, due to the use of a cap which would reveal the other side.

Two-Face, the star of the set that will motivate collectors, is here based on the version played by Billy Dee Williams in Tim Burton's Batman in 1989 with his three-piece suit and blue scarf. The actor also lends his voice to the character of The LEGO Batman Movie in the original version. The minifigure is beautiful with a very satisfactory level of detail. special mention for the visible underpants ...

In summary, this set is in my opinion a nice box which leaves a good place for the main vehicle but which is nevertheless not essential. If you have to choose, among all those marketed around the film, the boxes that you will offer to the youngest, there is better in the next wave.

Two-Face isn't the kid's favorite villain and if you want a backhoe loader, there's less in the City range. The Bat-thing obviously does not deserve on its own that you invest around fifty euros in this set (49.99 € in the LEGO Shop).

Note: We are doing as usual, you have until May 23, 2017 at 23:59 p.m. to come forward.

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 May 30, a new winner will be drawn.

Today we are interested in the new set of the LEGO Ideas range, the reference 21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V., its public price of 119.99 €, its 1969 coins and its micro-astronauts.

I won't make the suspense last any longer: This set is in my opinion exceptional in its quality as a LEGO product. Everything is there, from the very interesting construction techniques it offers to the truly impressive end result, including the total absence of stickers.

The set is marked 14+ (suitable for builders aged at least 14) and it is justified. Even a child who is familiar with assembling LEGO sets can quickly find himself in difficulty. Better to plan to collaborate with him or in any case to assist him in the event of a problem so as not to spoil the pleasure of seeing Saturn V growing up before his eyes.

During the assembly of the internal structure of each module, the instructions sometimes become visually a little confused and it will be necessary to be careful not to create a shift or an inversion which will prove to be fatal for the rest.

Admittedly, this is a model intended to be exhibited, but unlike other boxes with the same destiny, everyone will find something here to develop their arsenal of construction techniques.

This is the strength of this box, each page of the instruction booklet is a lesson in creativity and ingenuity. Poor builders like me will take great pleasure in discovering all these tricks that allow you to assemble the Saturn V fuselage.

We sometimes wonder where the designers are coming from before realizing that everything has been thought out so that this one meter high launcher is as solid as possible while retaining the possibility of detaching and manipulating each element (and that the symbolic figure of 1969 pieces is reached ...).

We therefore build in order the first stage S-IC and its Rocketdyne F-1 engines, the second stage S-II with its five J-2 engines, the third stage S-IVB with its J-2 engine, the LEM and the control module. Vigilance is essential, believe me, you will quickly have badly nested a part that will fall inside the structure and that you will then have to go and look for, trying not to have to dismantle everything ...

For once, "the lego experience"so vaunted by the manufacturer is very real and the public price of this box seems very reasonable to me given the pleasure of construction it provides. I often jeer at LEGO on this subject, but I also know how to recognize when a set contributes to perpetuate the "legend", sometimes a little overrated, expertly maintained and exploited by the manufacturer.

Not a sticker on the horizon. Everything is pad printed and that's good for the resistance to light, heat and dust of this model. MOCeurs will inevitably find some alternative uses to the different pad printed pieces delivered here, even if those bearing the American flags and the words "United"and"States"have too many connotations to be really versatile.

Beyond the obvious appeal of the product, it is also up to everyone to assess their interest in the history of the conquest of space. I don't really see myself exhibiting a rocket of this size at home and the historic nature of the event it commemorates is not a sufficient argument for me to willingly allocate the space necessary for its development. .

Was it necessary to put mini-prints with the pad printing developed in this set instead of the microfigs with the generic outfit? I think yes and a few differentiable minifigs would have paid tribute more strongly to the three astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission: Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins.

Diorama enthusiasts, on the other hand, will find something to furnish their space stations with these generic microfigs, and LEGO had the good idea to put four of them in this set.

Was it necessary to integrate a launching ramp, even basic, to really stage this launcher, one meter high and 17 cm in diameter, which will feel very lonely on the living room chest of drawers? I think so, even if the public price of this box would necessarily have increased by a few tens of euros. LEGO has preferred to be content with a few supports that allow a horizontal presentation. It is a logical choice, the vertical stability of the whole is effective only as long as an unfortunate gesture does not send the thing off.

As soon as the set goes on sale, the MOCeurs will obviously take up the subject and I am sure that we will quickly see some convincing examples of shooting range.

Finally, a presentation plaque in the spirit Ultimate Collector Series with some technical information on the rocket and some key dates would have been welcome to allow optimal development of the whole.

The result is a surprisingly strong, easy to move launcher. I expected it to have a bit of trouble standing upright, but it's pretty stable thanks to the half-barrel-based F-1 engine nozzles. The assembly and separation of the different elements is done almost without clashes or destruction. Sometimes a part or two will detach from the fuselage during the operation, but they will be quickly put back in place.

No one will really play with the content of this set. The rocket will make a few revolutions in orbit around the living room table and will then quickly go to the location chosen to exhibit it.

The real interest of this box is elsewhere: the educational potential of this set is enormous. The reproduction of the various elements of the launcher is sufficiently credible to make it a first choice educational tool. Each stage of the launch of Saturn V since its takeoff on July 16, 1969, of the moon landing of the LEM on July 21 and of the return to Earth on July 24 of this space mission which marked history can be explained, detailed and illustrated by the presentation of the different stages and modules of the launcher. We can also combine the command module with the LEM to explain the different phases of the mission.

You will understand, I am really very enthusiastic about this set which celebrates in a really very convincing way the very concept of the LEGO Ideas platform and all the know-how of the original creators of the project (Felix Stiessen and Valérie Roche) and LEGO designers (Carl Merriam, Mike Psiaki and Austin Carlson) who worked on its adaptation.

If you are passionate about space conquest, LEGO, and you have 120 € to spend, this set is for you. When a toy meets all the conditions to become a great product, rather than trying to find flaws in it just for the sake of quibbling, I bow.

Availability announced for June 1st on the LEGO Shop and in the LEGO Stores (The set is already online on the official LEGO store at this address.

Note: We are doing as usual, you have until May 31 at 23:59 p.m. to come forward. Bananas are not provided.

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 June 12, a new winner will be drawn.

Today let's take a quick look at the LEGO Technic set 42065 RC Tracked Racer released this year and whose packaging is (as usual) full of promise.

To sum up, I think this product is a good idea well presented with an attractive look and enticing possibilities, but too many little flaws weaken the playfulness of the thing in my eyes. Especially at the public price of 89.99 € for 370 pieces including a good hundred of Technic Pins and 74 track elements.

An important point: Do not be fooled by the presence of a purely aesthetic antenna which could make you believe that this vehicle is radio-controlled.

It can only be controlled in infrared with all the limitations linked to this technology used by the elements Power Functions, especially in terms of distance and sighting between the remote control and the IR receiver. LEGO announces 10 meters range, in fact beyond 3 meters, it often becomes complicated especially outdoors.

Don't let the name of the product fool you either. the term RC used here is a contraction of "Remote Controlled", no "Radio controlled".

As for the assembly, nothing very complicated or very original, the goal being above all to assemble the thing to go and play with it. The vehicle is built around the Battery Box the two battery access hatches and the start button are accessible thereafter.

It is difficult to properly store the connection cables of the various motorization and control elements, nothing has been planned by LEGO to conceal them properly but they must however be rolled up here or there to prevent them from catching a possible obstacle.

The rather basic bodywork is attached to the chassis from the front but nothing retains it from the rear. It just lands on the infrared receiver. It is therefore impossible to grab the car from above to move or reposition it. This is a rather embarrassing detail. Be careful not to partially hide the infrared receiver with the rear spoiler ...

The elements Power Functions necessary for the motorization are supplied: 2 M motors, a battery box, the infrared receiver and the remote control. Batteries are not included. We are in 2017 and LEGO could crack a rechargeable battery with this type of product. Until better, you need 6 AA 1.5V batteries for the Battery Box and 3 AAA 1.5V batteries for the remote control.

The 150 grams of batteries in the Battery Box So come a little heavier the machine (a little more than 600 grams in total including batteries), which is not a bad thing if we consider that it contributes a little to the stability of the whole without putting the two engines to the trouble.

Each engine sets a caterpillar in motion independently, one at the front, the other at the rear. This positioning of the motors visibly allows the weight of the assembly to be distributed fairly.

The supplied remote control (8885) only allows the two motors to turn in one direction or the other, independently and at constant speed. To check the speed of the motors, you will need the remote control bearing the reference 8879 (15.90 €).

Proposing a tracked machine implies that it is therefore all-terrain. This is the case, and it's going pretty well despite the absence of suspensions. In the video sequence above, the machine climbs a slight slope without suffering too much.

After a few minutes of playing outdoors, I noticed a few scratches appearing on the tracks, which should not get better over the hours. Maniacs, refrain from driving on hard or abrasive floors. LEGO does not provide any replacement parts for the tracks in the box.

I note in passing that by looking more closely at the official description of the product, LEGO clearly indicates that this product is "... Designed for indoor use only ..." while the visual illustration of the box clearly implies the opposite ...

89.99 € for this box is much too expensive. the presence of the elements Power Functions necessary for the motorization of the machine is not sufficient to justify this price. Without these elements the set would have no interest anyway. Fortunately, several brands including amazon regularly offer this box at much more attractive prices.

To end on a positive note, there is still plenty of fun with this machine with aggressive curves, respectable speed of movement and correct handling (despite a tendency to pull left on my copy surely due at a slight difference in rotational speed of the two motors).

It is possible to assemble a secondary model, an all-terrain truck with a pseudo-suspension system, but the instructions are not provided in the box. You need to download them at this address.

In short, as far as I'm concerned, it's still too expensive, the editing "experience" is very limited, it's nice to play for five minutes in the living room, but it's not the toy of the year.

Note: We do as usual. You have until May 17 at 23:59 p.m. to come forward.

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 May 29, a new winner will be drawn.

All those who despaired of being able to add to their collection one day a LEGO model of the Snowspeeder or T-47 AirSpeeder in UCS version (Ultimate Collector Series) must feel relieved since the announcement of the set 75144 Snowspeeder (219.99 € in the LEGO Shop starting April 29 for members of the VIP program).

The and 10129 Rebel Snowspeeder (1457 pieces), marketed from 2003 to 2005, has long since become inaccessible except to resolve to spend more than 1500 € to afford this box which has become rather rare in new condition. Needless to say, the 2017 version is also vastly superior to that of 2003 in terms of design.

In any case, the LEGO and Star Wars fan who wishes to add this machine to his collection will therefore not have much choice: The set LEGO Star Wars 75144 Snowspeeder, with its 1703 parts, its two minifigs and its public price of 219.99 €, is essential.

LEGO sent me a copy of this set and I take this opportunity to give you my impressions of this new version of the Snowspeeder.

Rest assured, I am ultimately very enthusiastic about this model, even if as usual I point the finger at certain details and shortcuts that seem questionable to me.

Some will rightly wonder about the color of the LEGO version. The manufacturer once again delivers a reproduction where white predominates while the models used on the filming of the film were obviously gray:

It will undoubtedly be possible to find at the bottom of an obscure encyclopedia on the saga an article indicating that the Snowspeeders were immaculate white before going to wallow in the snows of the planet Hoth and being damaged by the shootings. Empire AT-ATs. But the fact remains that the Snowspeeders present on the screen are not white.

By turning over this Snowspeeder, we also notice that LEGO has largely dressed the machine with gray parts. It is sketchy, but sufficient. Once placed on its base, the Snowspeeder does not reveal much of this dressing anyway.

It's hard to know why LEGO chose white for the Snowspeeder. In 1999, LEGO nevertheless marketed a gray version of the machine in the set System 7130. We can bet that a marketing study will have concluded that the color gray was not sufficiently attractive and that white was essential.

It took me an evening to overcome this model. Nothing very complicated. Until the installation of the thirty stickers that dress this set including those that define more precisely the lines of the cockpit. We can never say it enough, the words Ultimate, Collector et Stickers definitely don't go together.

Regarding white stickers or on a white background, their color does not match that of the parts. It's "too white" or "whiter than white" and visually it's average.

You can oppose me all the reasons in the world to justify the presence of so many stickers in a box of this type, they are in my eyes inadmissible. We're talking about an exhibition product intended to collect dust and endure the ravages of time, sold for more than € 200 by a toy manufacturer that is making crazy margins. Find me a valid excuse, I'm listening to you.

LEGO seems aware of the difficulty of putting some of these stickers correctly and gives some tips to facilitate their application:

Today we are talking about a LEGO product that is a little different from the ones we usually discuss here.
It's about WeDo 2.0 starter kit (ref. 45300), one of the products in the range Lego education which allows the youngest to develop in a fun way "their scientific, technological, engineering and programming skills". An entire program.

As a preamble, I would like to point out that I am neither a teacher, nor particularly a teacher. So far from me the idea of ​​issuing a peremptory opinion on the educational relevance of this product.

The basic pack contains a Bluetooth smart brick called Smarthub, a tilt sensor, a motion sensor, a model M motor and an assortment of 280 parts. The Smarthub is supplied by default via two 1.5V AA batteries (not supplied) but it is possible to acquire separately a compatible rechargeable battery (ref. 45302) and a mains charger (ref. 45517). Too bad the rechargeable battery is not included in the starter pack sold for 155 €. It is sold separately at a price of 61 € ...

WeDo 2.0 products use a new type of connector which, according to LEGO, should be used on all products Power Functions et mindstorms in a close future :

Everything is delivered in a rather well thought-out box with storage bin and stickers to stick to the bottom of each bin so that the child can locate and store each part in the right place.

This kit is intended for children aged at least 7 years old and who follow elementary or middle school cycles (CE1 / CE2, CM1 / CM2). So I put my 7 year old son to work. It is essential to accompany the child during the proposed activities. It could do it on its own, but that is not the point of this product.

The assortment of 280 pieces is interesting: the colors are nicer and more modern than the basic colors used for version 1.0 of the WeDo concept and you will have no trouble expanding the inventory with matching pieces from your previous purchases. of LEGO products.

This product is nothing without the app LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 that goes with. It can be downloaded for free and it is via this digital tool that we will be able to manage the Smarthub and the various sensors. The Smarthub is not directly programmable. It is possible to connect up to 3 smart hubs on the same interface, which therefore allows the use of six extensions simultaneously (sensors / motors).

Depending on the platform you use, LEGO offers a suitable version: Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android, Chromebook, everything is there. I tested the application on a tablet under Windows 10 and on an iPad, no particular problem to pair the Smarthub in Bluetooth and launch the programmed sequences of events.

Be careful not to confuse WeDo 2.0 products with the range Lego boost which will be marketed next summer. With these products from the LEGO Education range, we have fun and we build, but always in a purely educational context through some twenty projects combining environmental, mechanical or scientific considerations.

For each thematic project, the child must first take into account the context of the project, answer a few questions, assimilate some concepts and only then can he move on to putting it into practice by assembling an interactive model that will be controlled via the app. It is therefore advisable to consider this product as a global concept and not to assimilate it to a simple kit of construction of simplistic robots capable of performing a few actions.

The central building block of the concept, the Smarthub, being totally dependent on the software that allows you to control it, you must therefore always have a tablet or PC on hand to animate your creations. The software is not available on smartphones. Fortunately, Bluetooth allows you to do away with the wired connection (USB) of the WeDo 1.0 version.

The assembly instructions for the different models are self-explanatory. In any case for the first of the three models offered by theme. For the following two models, only a few photos of the final result are displayed, the child will have to guess how to add the additional elements by deduction. It's an interesting exercise.

Even if the LEGO software that allows you to interact with the elements of this kit is very well designed, those who know and use Scratch interface can connect the Smarthub in Bluetooth via a dedicated software extension. They will then benefit from all the possibilities of this programming interface which will probably be more suitable for children already perfectly mastering reading and the principle of dragging and dropping action icons.

While my youngest son (7 years old) was concentrating on the big, very explicit icons of the LEGO software, my other son (13 years old) preferred to switch to the Scratch interface which he already uses in college.

This compatibility between the products of the WeDo 2.0 and Scratch range offers a not insignificant extension of the LEGO concept towards age groups higher than those envisaged by the manufacturer, and it is rather a good thing even if the older children will tend to quickly turn to products from the Mindstorms range.

I would point out for those who have not understood, this LEGO Education kit is not a toy with which you can give free rein to your artistic creativity. The number of parts is limited and the finish of the models offered suffers. The construction phase here is ultimately only a pretext to move towards the acquisition of scientific or engineering notions with an introduction to programming.

The products in the LEGO Education range are obviously more aimed at teachers and their students. They offer a turnkey educational concept, then instruct the teacher to animate and flesh out the thing to make the activity attractive.

If you have patience to spare, you will find, as parents, enough to organize interesting edutainment activities with your children. It is a good first approach to simplified programming and it is above all the opportunity to share a good moment of creativity and knowledge sharing with the family.

The kit is sold for 155 €. it contains elements 100% compatible with other LEGO products and technical elements such as the sensors and the motor have the new type of connector which will eventually replace the existing connector on the products Power Functions, which guarantees their durability and their compatibility with other future references.

Special thanks RobotAdvance, official distributor of the LEGO Education range in France, who provided me with this kit that I obviously put into play, like all the products sent to me by different brands.

To participate, you must intervene in the comments. You have until 3th April 2017 to 23h59 to contribute to the discussion and a draw will determine the winner. The winner's name / nickname will be posted here within 24/48 hours of the contest closing date.

Update : The winner has been drawn, his nickname is indicated below.