Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO DREAMZzz set 71456 Mrs. Castillo's Turtle Van, a box of 434 pieces currently on pre-order on the official online store at the retail price of €47.99 and which will be available from August 1, 2023.

For those who have not followed, the LEGO DREAMZzz universe is the new "in-house" license at LEGO and the manufacturer is once again putting the means to try to demonstrate that it is able to create a complete ecosystem of products without having to s rely on external licenses. Of all the attempts at LEGO, only the Ninjago and Monkie Kid ranges are still in the catalog, the other most recent home universes have all been more or less quickly dropped by the wayside for a long time after a few waves of boxes.

The LEGO DREAMZzz license therefore comes at the right time to try to generate a new long-term commercial dynamic and it is based in passing on an animated series broadcast on Youtube, Netflix or even Prime Video with a dozen episodes already online and a new season to come. LEGO has obviously planned a substantial lifespan for this new universe as well as many products derived from products already themselves derived with, for example, a slew of activity books to be published accompanied or not by various and varied figurines. Everything is obviously aimed at the youngest, so it is important to keep the target audience in mind to form an objective opinion on these products.

In this box, we assemble Madame Castillo's food truck parked a few streets from the home of the two young heroes of this universe, Mateo and Izzy. The version of the vehicle seen on the screen not being based on bricks, that of the set is therefore necessarily a largely simplified interpretation of the thing. We get an 8-stud wide vehicle vaguely inspired by a VW van with a rather basic interior, a few stickers and a removable roof.

The LEGO version looks just like the show, but it's yet to be seen how younger kids will enjoy these simplified, loosely inspired by-products of a series that features minifigs in a classic brick-free cartoon setting.

The van can be converted into a flying turtle or a submarine and therefore LEGO offers two variants of the starting construction. These transformations are rather well documented in the instruction booklet and it is not necessary to disassemble everything to transform the vehicle into Señor Tortuga. Changing from one version to the other only requires a few minor modifications and the process will therefore not discourage the youngest. There are still a few unused parts after each modification, but the remainder is limited.

We can therefore consider that the 3-in-1 aspect of the product is really exploitable here, this is not always the case in the products presented by LEGO as offering the possibility of assembling several variants of the product offered with very often a large pile of untapped coins. The sheet of stickers to stick on the van is substantial but all these stickers are not used, there remains a small handful of stickers (bottom right on the scan above) which will allow you to personalize the vehicle as you see fit. All the patterns visible on the different elements of the set and which are not on the sheet of stickers are therefore stamped.

As for the minifigs delivered in this box, it's a pad printing party. LEGO puts all its know-how at the service of this new range and this is in turn good news for all the other ranges of the manufacturer: the new parts or the variations of certain elements in colors not offered until now produced for the he LEGO DREAMZzz universe will sooner or later end up being exploited elsewhere.

Madame Castillo, for example, is converted here into a unique piece integrating the backpack worn by the character associated with two yellow arms from the Super Mario range. We will once again regret the gap between the official visuals and the "real" minifig, some details of the character's dress are a bit overlooked.

The young Mateo is also delivered in this box, he is the male hero of the series and the minifig is rather very faithful to the version seen on the screen except perhaps for the giant pencil which is here a simple stick with a mine at the end. In the animated series, minifigs break free from the limitations of plastic versions with mobility impossible to replicate in real life and the ability to grasp accessories much larger than real plastic hands allow. The Zoey minifigure is also highly detailed with over-the-top graphics on the chest and legs. We can't blame LEGO for saving money on the plastic versions of the characters seen on screen, it's visually successful.

The two mini-creatures, Z-Blob and Grimspawn share the same main mold which allows them to receive an accessory on the head and possibly wear an element under the arm. These figurines are not completely stable, but they can be plugged into a stud and the heads of each of these two creatures can be removed. The big one missing from this box is Tortuga, Madame Castillo's mini pet turtle in "real" life, which only appears in the set as a simple sticker.

The set is at least as confusing as the series, with a profusion of elements that may seem irrelevant if we ignore the pitch of this new license. Watching the animated series will not necessarily help, the passage into the world of dreams reveals a totally crazy universe which inevitably opens the way to equally crazy derivative products.

This box seems to me to be one of the most "readable" of the range, the transformation of the van into a turtle is a good idea well exploited. The public price of the product, 48 €, however, seems to me a bit high for what it has to offer knowing that the LEGO DREAMZzz license has no liabilities and that it is a simple launch. There is also no guarantee that the concept will go beyond this first wave and a possible other batch of sets already ready but marketed at the end of the year, sales will serve as a judge of the peace.

If the LEGO DREAMZzz universe is an industrial accident, there will be massive destocking and those who want certain pieces present in these boxes will find what they are looking for and if the range is a hit with the youngest, the most interesting elements will then be available in several sets. Everyone will win on arrival. In any case, LEGO will have invested time and money in new elements and new colors that will sooner or later have to be recycled elsewhere and that's always taken.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 9, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Technic set 42161 Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica, a box of 806 pieces that will be available from August 1, 2023 at the public price of 52.99 €.

It's not worth making tons of them, with such a small inventory of 806 pieces including more than 250 diverse and varied pins, it is difficult to hope for anything other than this somewhat approximate model of 28 cm long 12 cm wide and 8 cm high. In my opinion, the designer is doing honorably despite the inventory constraints and, as often, he will have to make do with a few somewhat empty spaces and a few somewhat hazardous angles.

This is a children's toy and not an ultra-detailed exhibition model, so the contract seems fulfilled knowing that the vehicle offers as a bonus three essential features on this type of model: doors and a bonnet. front ends that open, functional steering that can be manipulated by turning the remote wheel on the roof (but not via the vehicle's steering wheel) and a V10 engine whose pistons visible at the rear come into motion via one of the rear wheels when moving.

No suspensions on this model, we are talking about a product at 50 €, we should not hope to have access to this type of mechanical refinement in this price range. The doors are fixed to the structure only via a single axis, they take a little play in use but nothing irreparable, it's LEGO and it is enough to push these two sub-assemblies well to restore their rigidity.

The assembly of this Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica with LEGO sauce is logically quickly dispatched, there are indeed a few stickers to stick here or there to refine the level of detail of the construction a little, dress the seats and embody the headlights and the toy the aggressive lines obtained should appeal to the youngest. It's LEGO Technic, so we find the "signature" mix of blue, brown or red colored pines that remain clearly visible on the construction, you have to deal with it as always.

Don't look too much for absolute fidelity to the reference vehicle, that's not the point of this type of toy which above all has the merit of introducing some techniques to the youngest fans before they move on to more advanced products. both technically and aesthetically. We also note that the Lamborghini logo is well stamped on the central part of the steering wheel but that it is not on the front cover. I would have made the opposite choice if I had been asked for my opinion on this point, the front cover deserved to escape the glaring difference in color between the sticker and the room that hosts it.

The problem with this product is elsewhere and you probably already know what it is all about if you have carefully looked at the photos in this article: you have to deal with at least three different shades of green, with two shades for the parts to which is added that of the bottom of the stickers. Those who bought the set 42115 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 (449.99 €) have had the painful experience of these differences in color which slightly disfigure their model, the problem is exactly the same here.

LEGO does not currently provide any detailed explanation concerning the origin of the problem and one is entitled to wonder how a product suffering from this appearance defect can end up on the shelves without the manufacturer wondering if it is better not postpone it or simply cancel it pending an acceptable solution. It is not for lack of reminding the manufacturer on this point which is regularly mentioned at the LAN level in the hope of obtaining a convincing technical explanation but nothing has been officially announced to date. We will talk about it again if the quality department brings technical elements later.

Worse, the official visuals of the product present on the box and on the official online store are extensively retouched to hide this defect and many are those who will be disappointed when unpacking and opening the bags. There is no point in contacting customer service to obtain replacement parts, you will receive parts with the same defect until proven otherwise.

I am willing to admit that the problem is more complex than a simple story of the dosage of color pigments according to the type of plastic used, but the desire to hide this defect, which has been regularly present for several years now at LEGO on the visuals used to promoting the product is a questionable process to say the least.

That being said, those who are willing to put up with these unsightly color variations should have a little fun with a few slightly complex construction steps and the pleasure of obtaining a toy that looks and which is equipped with a few essential functions in this price range. The others will wisely wait for this product, which sails in the soft underbelly of the LEGO Technic range, to be available for less than 40 € at Amazon or elsewhere, the finish defect found confirms that it does not deserve to spend the 53 € requested.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 7, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

We are quickly interested today in the content of the LEGO Star Wars set 75359 Ahsoka's 332 Company Clone Troopers Battle Pack, a small box of 108 pieces which will be available at the retail price of €20.99 from August 1, 2023 via the official online store and LEGO Stores.

The title of the product is sufficiently self-explanatory, this is a Battle Pack or a pack of minifigs intended to swell the ranks of a battalion or an army of figurines. LEGO is therefore content to coat the content of the product with a few parts to justify the designation of construction toy, but the main subject obviously remains the four characters provided.

We will quickly forget the micro-mortar provided, it necessarily brings a little playability but it is still very basic with this Stud Shooter loosely staged on its four-legged stand. The Swamp Speeder included is correct without being transcendent, you can install two minifigs by storing their handguns on the sides of the rear engine and the machine is equipped with two Stud Shooters which allow you to have a little fun. Minimum service for additional construction but it's always taken.

Un Battle Pack LEGO is above all a handful of figurines which in principle should allow you to build a small army at a lower cost. Here, we can count on three generic Clone Troopers but it will be necessary to deal several times with Captain Vaughn in the case of the acquisition of multiple copies of the product.

The latter can be rid of the visor of his helmet but the stripes stamped on the unique torso will still be there. This small graphic detail will however be easily forgotten in the middle of several rows of Clones, the legs and the helmet of the character being identical to those of the other three soldiers provided.

The pad printing of the helmets is generally successful despite the obvious technical constraints and very faithful to those of the reference accessory, but LEGO still finds a way to miss one of the four Clone heads provided in the copy I received with a big white streak between the two eyes. (see photo below, head of the first Clone on the left).

So we get four nicely executed copies of the new helmet with side holes and LEGO logically recycles the generic torso and legs already seen in many sets since 2020: the squad staged here is above all a company of the 501st Legion. The blue jetpack is not new, it is the one already delivered in 2020 in the set 75280 501st Legion Clone Troopers.

I remind you for all practical purposes that the visors and rangefinders are delivered in an individual bag per set of four units of each of these accessories. Only one visor is used here, so you will have enough left to equip other Clones if you feel like it.

This Battle Pack does not deserve it, it will offer fans the possibility of building a small squad and obtaining several very decent Swamp Speeders along the way, given the limited inventory of the product, but it will be necessary to wait for an offer that allows afford these boxes at a price lower than that requested by LEGO. 21 € for that, it is in my opinion a bit expensive even if Star Wars fans have long been resigned.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 7, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO Star Wars set 75365 Yavin 4 Rebel Base, a box of 1066 pieces which will be available at the retail price of €169.99 from August 1, 2023 via the official store and LEGO Stores.

We're not going to lie to each other, this box is only a luxury modular playset for spoiled children, it is very far from equaling the exhibition potential of the set 75251 Darth Vader's Castle (1060 pieces - 129.99 €) marketed in 2019 and which offered a somewhat similar design. All those who hoped one day to be able to obtain a real model of the base of Yavin are at their expense, it will be necessary for the moment and in the meantime better to be satisfied with this very summary and simplistic interpretation of the places.

LEGO is trying the bet of the double interior/exterior scale but it is without conviction and insufficient to be credible: the leaves placed in different places of the exterior structure of the base visually ruin this notion of scale and struggle a little to embody the lush vegetation that climbs the walls of the imposing structure.

The shaft associated with its lookout post is on its side barely at the level of what is found in products stamped 4+, there was however reason to propose something a little more successful while remaining in the inventory and the imposed budget. The nacelle can be raised and lowered by manipulating the rod placed in the half-trunk of the tree and locking it in an intermediate position.

We can not say that the set is rich in features, there are almost no moving parts, doors or various and varied hatches. This playset is static, you will have to use your imagination to have a little fun with it.

That being said, the assembly is possible with several people thanks to the breakdown of the product into six booklets which allow you to build the different modules to be grouped together later. This is a good point, some children will at least be able to share the pleasure of construction for lack of anything better.

The set does not contain any revolutionary technique, we tirelessly pile up a few Flats, Slopes and other large bricks, we add a little vegetation for the shape and you're done. No even basic and symbolic doors for the hangar, it's a bit of a shame. The different modules are then connected to each other via a few pins to obtain the final construction.

Only the Y-wing supplied with its Speed ​​Champions vehicle windshield allows you to have fun with an almost Midi Scale which I find very successful. The ship is equipped with two Spring-Shooters but these can easily be removed to obtain an acceptable show model.

There is no escaping the traditional sticker sheet with some of these stickers printed on a transparent background and which take place on large pieces. The youngest should get help to avoid the massacre, there will be no second chance, the repositioning of these stickers being difficult.

Those who will be lucky enough to be offered this box sold for €170 will be able to have a little fun with the different spaces available, even if I don't see what's fun in replaying a briefing or a final scene from self-congratulation with awarding of medals for (almost) everyone, even for the youngest fans of the saga. The construction is well equipped with two cannons of the type Stud Shooters but there is no one here to shoot.

Fans wanted Yavin 4, so LEGO is responding to them by offering a minimalist playset that should calm the flow of claims and be enough to satisfy those who only want to keep the figurines provided anyway. We can also see the glass half full by considering the construction as a luxury display for minifigs, it's always sexier than a somewhat sad showcase.

There will therefore remain on arrival a large handful of a dozen figurines to please collectors, with the main cast made up of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2, joined here by General Dodonna, pilots Garven Dreis (Red Leader) and Jon Vander (Gold Leader) accompanied by his astromech droid R2-BHD (Tooby), a Rebel Fleet Trooper and a Rebel mechanic. The new droid's body is only stamped on one side while R2-D2 does use the patterned version on both sides of the cylinder.

The most observant will have noticed that the set recycles many elements already seen in other boxes, the two pilots borrow in particular Luke's outfit available since 2021 in the sets 75301 Luke Skywalker X-wing Fighter et 75313AT-AT, they are both equipped with the same face but benefit from pretty new helmets. Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2 are also figurines already available in this form in other boxes, Leia uses a new torso on a skirt already seen, Han Solo and Luke benefit from design elements that are visually familiar but slightly modified and Jan Dodonna is identical to the version of the set 75301 Luke Skywalker X-wing Fighter.

The medal, supplied in three copies, is nicely pad-printed and the accessory is interesting. Impossible to put on the third copy provided on Chewbacca, it does not work with the molded head of the character. I prefer this solution of a separate medal to the one that allowed us to get Luke (LEGO Star Wars The Visual Dictionary) and Han Solo (LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia) with their respective torsos on which the charm was stamped. The relief created by the use of a dedicated accessory highlights the latter, these medals deserve that.

As you will have understood, this is a simple children's toy and this somewhat coarse base has only a very limited potential for exposure. It's very quickly assembled, the playability here is all relative and there's only the big ladle of figurines to save the furniture a bit. We will wisely wait for this product to be offered at a price much lower than its public price to crack, the whole thing does not deserve the 170 € requested in my opinion.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 5, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Ideas set 21341 Disney's Hocus Pocus The Sanderson Sisters' Cottage, a box of 2316 pieces displayed at the public price of 229.99 €, which is a product derived from the film Hocus Pocus: The Three Witches released in theaters in 1993 and whose official version is based on the project Hocus Pocus - The Sanderson Sisters' Cottage (Updated) proposed by Amber Veyt on the LEGO Ideas platform.

If you have no idea what the subject is here, just know that the film in question was a relative box office flop when it hit theaters in 1993 but has become a real phenomenon over the years by integrating the annual Halloween movie playlist of many Americans. This is undoubtedly what explains the enthusiasm of the fans on the LEGO Ideas platform which allowed the initial idea to reach the 10.000 supporters necessary for the passage of the project in the review phase and the final validation by LEGO and Disney of this creation.

It is therefore a question of assembling the house of the three witches embodied on screen by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, a construction which acts as a lair for the three sisters in the introductory scene which takes place in Salem in 1693 and then a museum abandoned in the rest of the film whose action is set in 1993. The LEGO version offers a mix of the two eras with the possibility of removing elements to possibly rid the museum of its attributes intended for visitors.

The house is built like a Structure with an interior in which furniture and other references to the film are piled up until thirsty and an exterior structure which seems uninspired but which ultimately remains more or less faithful to the building seen on screen. Many fans will find the execution of the half-timbered walls and roof with damaged roof a little sketchy, even 'academic' and it is indeed difficult to compare the result obtained here with the considerably more finished construction of the LEGO Ideas set 21325 Medieval Blacksmith (2164 pieces - 159.99 €).

This house, which is home to the three Sanderson sisters, has many rather well-integrated attributes, but the whole thing almost only deserves to end up in the background in a diorama, to "furnish" it like a movie set, the parts of which less exposed would not benefit from the refinements of those visible in the foreground.

The set still offers some features with a light brick integrated into the base of the house to light the fire under the cauldron and a paddle wheel that sets the two purple plumes of smoke in motion via a rod that circulates inside. of the fireplace. Nothing crazy for a display model, but fans of the film might find something to enjoy there for a few minutes before putting the set away on the corner of a shelf.

The furniture and accessories which are so many references to scenes from the film will allow all those who are enough fans to spend 230 € in this box to find their account, it's pure and hard fan service down to the smallest details with the magic grimoire under its window which benefits from very successful stickers, the black flame candle, the bubbling cauldron, the vacuum cleaner which serves as a flying broom for Mary Sanderson or even the suspended cages which welcome in the film Jay Taylor and his sidekick "Ice".

The latter are also not in the cast of the minifigs provided and are simply replaced by skeletons, Disney having been actively involved in the design of this derivative product and having probably not wished to glorify these two adolescent stalkers who notably rob the young hero of the film by stealing his pair of Nike sneakers and who force the children to give them their Halloween candy gleaned by going door to door.

Always like a Structure, we should not hope too much to be able to take advantage of the different interior spaces at the end of the assembly of the product, even if we note that the designer has tried to offer correct accessibility by integrating two mobile panels on the front to take advantage of the development of the ground floor, an entire section of roof on hinges to allow access to the first floor and a removable extension of the fireplace hearth which allows a peek inside the premises. Difficult to make more accessible in the state with a cube-shaped house of less than 30 cm side closed on all sides.

From a more technical point of view, the set suffers from the usual problems with many scratched or damaged parts right out of the box and monochromatic surfaces which really suffer from these appearance defects, color differences between parts of the same color which have become commonplace but which are still just as unacceptable on toys sold at a high price and once again there is no escaping a large sheet of stickers. These are as often graphically very well done but I still can't convince myself that it is wise to stick twenty stickers on a pure display product.

The house is accompanied by a secondary construction consisting of a gate and a piece of cemetery, this set is mainly used as a display stand to display the half-dozen minifigs provided. It is rather well seen knowing that the house is closed on all sides and that it is therefore impossible to really take advantage of the minifigs if they are staged inside the premises. This display is not attached to the house, it's up to you to place it wherever you want.

The endowment in minifigs is content with the essentials and it's a bit of a shame: we only get the three Sanderson sisters, Max and Dani Dennison, Allison Watts and the young Thackery Binx transformed into a black cat from the start of the film. LEGO could have made the effort to provide us with the latter in his human form accompanied by his sister Emily Binx, just to really justify the possibility of staging the house in its initial form and not being satisfied with the "museum" version. " places.

The young Emily being sacrificed by the witches at the beginning of the film, Disney will have wanted to avoid proposing a dead child in a toy and his brother indirectly pays the price for this impasse. It also lacks Billy the zombie with the sewn mouth and the wandering head who is still very present in the second part of the film, there was no doubt a way to offer a figurine of this almost endearing character.

Once again, the comparison between the "real" minifigures and the digital versions used by LEGO on the product sheet is not to the advantage of the plastic minifigs: the official visuals are extensively retouched with, for example, pad printing which sits nicely flush with the lower torsos and upper skirts of the three witches and a much rougher impression on the real figures. Same observation for the neck of Winifred and Mary Sanderson which is too pale to be perfectly matched with the heads of the two characters.

That being said, the faces of the three sisters in the LEGO version perfectly resume the outrageous makeup seen on the screen and it is generally very successful. Same observation for the hair of the minifigs which are very well executed. Too bad for the soft capes, the three witches would have deserved real hooded coats like those worn in many scenes of the film.

The Dani Dennison minifigure is also very well executed, the outfit of the young girl minifigure matches the one seen on screen and the hat with integrated hair is beautiful. However, I'm not sure that the hair color is right, the red used here seems a little too pronounced to me. The minifigs of Max Dennison and Allison Watts are more generic but we find the two teenagers in their outfits seen in the majority of the scenes of the film.

The stamped salt box delivered in the set is a nice nod to several scenes from the film, fans will appreciate. The presence of Thackery Binx in his form of immortal black cat with green eyes was essential as the animal plays an important role in the film, the figurine is perfectly fitting.

This set under official Disney license will undoubtedly have a little trouble finding its audience here, but its potential across the Atlantic should not be underestimated. The film that inspires this box has become a great classic for many Americans and the support for this project, like its definitive validation by LEGO, is not the result of an accident or a choice out of spite.

With us, it will be less obvious, Hocus Pocus and its sequel released directly on Disney + in 2022 remain for many sluggish, overplayed and a little outdated comedies, so there will not be enough to offload 230 € to obtain a aesthetically uninspired derivative product, even if the latter offers a large dose of fan service.

However, there may be some nostalgics of the LEGO Monster Fighters range to checkout, it will however be necessary to wait for LEGO to offer this product at a reduced price which will undoubtedly happen on occasion. for example from Black Friday 2023. A little thought in passing for all those who exhaustively collect sets from the LEGO Ideas range, this reference probably not being the most essential or the most successful of the range.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 2, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.