Today we dive briefly into the world of LEGO BrickHeadz minifigures with the cubic version of the Monkey King delivered in the Monkie Kid set 40381 Monkey King (175 pieces - 9.99 €). And it's rather a good surprise, the adaptation of the character to this relatively restrictive format seems really successful to me.

I won't repeat the usual verse on the constraints and techniques linked to the construction of these figurines that do not leave many people indifferent, you know the music: it's square, we find the guts / brains duo at the heart of the construction is a lot of SNOT (For Stud Not On Top) and the final result is more or less successful depending on the reference subject.

The main digression here lies in the relatively elaborate dressing of the character's head with its logically more facial hair than when it comes to a figurine representing a human being. The designer gets away with it without overdoing it with a face nicely framed by the monkey's mane which, without offering a very tough construction challenge, brings a little variety to the range.

The finish of this figurine also gives us a very precise idea of ​​what can become of the subject's head when the top of the face is not simply made up of a large 2x4 tile. This is obviously not the only figure in the range to use this process with a forehead masked by hair or a modeled accessory, but it is a new concrete example of the visual effect caused by a slightly more balanced face.

We will retain the few golden pieces used for the shoulder pads of the outfit and the two pad-printed pieces which embody the character's tunic to make it conform to that of the pretty minifig seen in the set 80012 Monkey King Warrior Mech.

The eyes are also a variant with a golden background of those usually supplied in these boxes and they are perfectly matched with the rest of the figure. LEGO does not forget to provide us with the stick with its two new golden handles, always identical to the accessory delivered in the set 80012 Monkey King Warrior Mech, but almost more appropriate here in terms of proportions.

Too bad for the absence of pad printing on the lower part of the figurine. No patterns on the belt or on the legs of the character that could at least have included a golden piece. We console ourselves with a nice finish to the back of the figurine thanks to the split cape that reveals the tail of the Monkey King.

In short, I think that beyond its belonging to the Monkie Kid range, itself vaguely inspired by a very popular legend in China, this figurine should appeal to all those who like products directly related to Asia and to its culture.

The Monkey King is not a LEGO invention, and those who do not want to burden themselves with the many sets in the range that pass this popular tale to the Ninjago / Nexo Knights roping machine will still be able to find something to add to their interior decoration. with this nice little set.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at September 21, 2020 next at 23pm.

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.

We stay in the LEGO Star Wars universe and today we quickly go around the set 75288AT-AT marketed since August 1 at the public price of € 159.99. In this big box of 1267 pieces, we find what to assemble a new version of the imperial quadripod which takes a scrape during the Battle of Hoth and a handful of minifigs.

For those who land in the LEGO hobby and more particularly in the Star Wars range, know that this is not the first version of the AT-AT that the manufacturer offers us. From 2003, the set 4483AT-AT allowed us to obtain a first very approximate interpretation of the machine, followed in 2007 by the set 10178 Motorized Walking AT-AT, then the reference 8129 AT-AT Walker in 2010 and finally the set 75054AT-AT in 2014.

This new version, which will end up on the shelves of a whole generation of fans before LEGO decides to put the cover back, is not free from flaws but it at least has the merit of being more or less faithful in terms of proportions. . It also offers a certain playability even if one gets annoyed quickly when one tries to make him take poses a little more daring than the traditional shift of legs to make as if the machine "walks". This AT-AT is however relatively stable, even if it trembles a little on its four legs and nods of the head at the slightest contact.

In terms of the internal structure, no big surprise with a frame mixing classic bricks and Technic elements including two Frames black already seen in sets 42110 Land Rover Defender , 42115 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 et 42114 6x6 Volvo Articulated Hauler. The four legs also make intensive use of Technic beams onto which are then grafted sub-assemblies which dress the exterior face. The interior of the legs, however, remains in "visible beams". The Technic elements which ensure the articulation of the legs at the knees and at the level of the cabin allow some flexions but we must be careful not to go too frankly, the legs yielding easily under the weight of the rest of the machine.

The exterior cladding of this AT-AT boils down to a few stacking and other variations between stud plates and Tiles, it is sufficient without being ultra-detailed. No stickers in this box, but no pad printing either on each Dish which covers a joint or on the movable panels of the hold. The angles of the various elements of the body of the quadripod seem to me to be relatively faithful to those of the version seen on the screen, the overall aesthetic is very correct. We regret once again that a few blue pines remain visible under the main cabin and it will also be necessary to be content with some rather approximate adjustments between the various panels to be clipped to cover the internal structure.

The head of the AT-AT is connected to the body of the machine by a Technic beam on which we slide a purely decorative sub-assembly composed of three Technic steering wheels. It's original if not realistic, we visually have more the impression of dealing with a spring than anything else. The cockpit can accommodate the two pilots and General Veers. The three minifigs fit perfectly between the different panels and trying to fit them correctly can quickly get annoying if you have big fingers.

Under the head, there are two Spring-Shooters very well integrated and easily removable so that all those who are allergic to these elements of playability are reassured. Too bad the top cover is a little too short to completely cover the head rotation mechanism.

At the rear, the AT-AT's body is fitted with five seats that allow for at least the two supplied Snowtroopers to be fitted, and more if your collection allows. We slip the inevitable little one speeder bike imperial from the rear of the machine on a specially designed rail and we store the E-Web blaster provided on the hook next to the row which has two seats. The layout of the hold is fairly basic, but it is all the easier to install troops there without having to get upset.

The main feature of the product is the winch with its cable which crosses the cabin and which allows Luke Skywalker to be suspended under the quadrupod as if he had just launched his grapple. A wheel placed just behind the cockpit allows you to unwind the supplied sewing string. This winch doesn't exist in the movie, but its presence at least allows Luke to be portrayed in a position known to all fans. A small access hatch is also provided on the belly of the machine so that Luke can pretend to cut the cabin and can throw the grenade he is holding in his hand.

As for the assortment of minifigs, the cockpit is full with two pilots and General Veers but this is minimum service for lambdas troops: You have to be content with two Snowtroopers and you will therefore have to call on your inventory. to fill the AT-AT hold.

The two AT-AT pilots and General Veers are new and they should logically remain exclusive to this box. LEGO finally provides us with a helmet with pad-printed glasses for Veers, it's about time. The pad prints are perfect, nothing to say.

Luke Skywalker's minifig is an assembly of elements already available in many other sets in the range, it is nothing new.

The Snowtroopers are those already seen in the sets 75239 Action Battle Hoth Generator Attack, 75241 Action Battle Echo Base Defense in 2019 then in the set 75268 Snowspeeder in 2020. LEGO makes the effort to provide them with different heads, like the two pilots.

In short, difficult to be categorical on the fact that this AT-AT is the most successful of all those marketed by LEGO so far: Each will have a particular relationship with the different sets concerned depending on the time at which he was able get the box in question and we always develop a particular affect with the big sets that we manage to offer or be offered during their young years. Personally, the set 10178 Motorized Walking AT-AT remains my favorite because it brought what these toys lack: the ability to move around.

One thing is certain, this AT-AT is not missed and it should satisfy all those who waited to be able to add the machine to their collections without having to go through the secondary market to afford an old reference.

If you already have the version of the set 75054AT-AT marketed in 2014, I'm not sure that the few improvements made here justify spending 160 €. If you don't have an AT-AT in your collection, the latest version remains as often the most obvious choice, and the cheapest knowing that this box is currently available for less than 130 € at Amazon Germany.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at September 20, 2020 next at 23pm.

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 quickly interested in a small box from the LEGO Star Wars range which features two BrickHeadz minifigures: the reference 75317 The Mandalorian & The Child (295 pieces - 19.99 €).

For those who haven't seen the first season of the series The Mandalorian broadcast on the Disney + platform and whose second season will begin on October 30, this box features the two main characters of the series: The Mandalorian and the one we call your choice Baby Yoda ou The Child, a small creature with false airs of Yoda who accompanies the hero almost everywhere and about which we do not know much except that it is coveted by the bad guys.

If you feel like sharing the assembly of the set with a friend, you can do so: the bags of parts and the necessary instructions for each of the two characters are independent. Let's face it, we will certainly have to draw lots who will have the privilege of assembling the star of the set who goes rather well to the BrickHeadz pinch. Best of all, Baby Yoda comes with its floating cradle from which it can be removed to really enjoy the figurine. The size ratio between the cradle and the creature is obviously not good, but it is the side Chibi of the concept that wants that.

The big "feature" of the character: the possibility of inverting the direction of the ears to give it a different expression by turning over two pieces. Simple but effective. The designer will not have forgotten in passing to respect the usual codes of the BrickHeadz range by integrating, as on the more classic characters, a pink piece inside the head to symbolize the brain.

The designer will not have pushed respect for the concept to transform the flying bassinet into a square box and that's good. The accessory retains the curves that are characteristic of it and the result seems very convincing to me even if I would have preferred gray to palce of white for the accessory shell.

The other character in the set is a more classic figurine which uses the usual codes of the range, with a few variations to reproduce quite effectively the relief of the Mandalorian's helmet. Two pad-printed pieces allow you to refine the front of the helmet of the figurine, as on that of Boba Fett marketed in 2018 under the reference 41629.

The rest may be visually a bit messy but the level of detail is enough to satisfy even the most discerning of fans. The process of assembling the figurine also offers some interesting techniques that change us a bit from the usual stacking and that's always taken for fun for a few minutes.

In short, there is nothing to philosophize about for a long time on this set. It will no doubt appeal to fans of the series who usually ignore other figures in the BrickHeadz range, it offers a version of Baby Yoda sufficiently accomplished not to become more frightening than likable and the assembly is a little more interesting. than what LEGO usually offers in this range.

For about twenty euros, there is enough here to decorate a desk or a shelf without breaking the bank or to please a fan whose birthday is without tumbling down with socks or a tie. While waiting for the figurines of the set 75292 The Mandalorian Bounty Hunter Transport (139.99 €) which we will talk about in the coming days.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at September 17, 2020 next at 23pm.

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 return to the Marvel Avengers universe with the small pack of LEGO characters 40418 Falcon & Black Widow Team-Up (60 pieces - € 14.99) marketed since June and that I had forgotten in a corner.

This small box which serves as a complement to other sets more or less inspired by the Marvel's Avengers video game published by Square Enix only allows you to obtain one truly new character, the other three figurines being also available in other boxes marketed this year. year.

Black Widow's cute minifigure with prints on the arms is identical to the one delivered in the sets 76153 Helicarrier et 76166 Avengers Tower Battle. Here it is equipped with classic sticks which in my opinion are more suitable than the lightsaber handles with the Harry Potter wands that come with the 2020 version of the Helicarrier.

The two AIM agents are the ones seen in the sets 76143 Avengers Truck Takedown, 76166 Avengers Tower Battle et 76167 Iron Man Armory. No jetpacks or additional equipment for these two villains, here we have to be content with "naked" versions of the usual minifigs with their respirators in Titanium Metallic.

The Falcon minifig delivered in this small character pack is an updated version of the one in the set 76018 Avengers: Hulk Lab Smash (2014), here equipped with legs in two colors. We will appreciate the effort but these legs only accentuate the difference in color between the white of the boots which is tinted throughout and the pad printing, moreover very detailed, of the upper torso.

LEGO also took the trouble to pad two different expressions on the face, but this change in mimicry comes down to the orientation of the line which symbolizes the character's closed mouth. It's thin, a real smile or a really "angry" expression would have allowed for more marked variations. The effect of transparency on the glasses worn by the character is very successful.

The jetpack with the brick-based wings won't necessarily appeal to all fans. Some will prefer the molded wings delivered in 2016 in the set 76050 Crossbones' Hazard Heist or those of the set 76018 Avengers: Hulk Lab Smash (2014). Those provided here at least have the merit of being able to be oriented for poses a little more dynamic, even if they seem a little too crude to me to convince.

Finally, and because we must be able to justify the name "construction toy", LEGO delivers here enough to assemble a small rotating cannon that will be used by the two AIM agents. Nothing crazy, but it is still more playability for the youngest.

In short, for 15 €, there is nothing to think about for too long: If you absolutely want to add this unprecedented version of Falcon to your collection, for the moment you have no choice and you have to do the acquisition of this small pack of characters. The rest of the inventory is not unheard of, but Black Widow's minifigure is superb and the two AIM agents will eventually be able to flesh out a diorama.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at September 16, 2020 next at 23pm.

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.

As promised, today we are quickly interested in the LEGO Harry Potter set 75978 Diagon Alley (5544 pieces - 399.99 €), a large box that allows you to assemble a new interpretation in the LEGO style of Diagon Alley and which therefore takes over the set 10217 Diagon Alley marketed in 2011.

For those who do not know, Diagon Alley (Le Chemin de Traverse in French) is a shopping street very popular with wizards who find everything they need to practice their art. Access to this hidden street is through the back of the Leaky Cauldron pub. Twenty shops make up this street, seen several times in the various films of the Harry Potter saga.

The LEGO version will be satisfied for the moment with six of these shops: That of the manufacturer of magic wands Ollivander (Ollivander's Wall Shop), the Scribbulus writing instruments store (Scribbulus Writing Implements), the Quidditch props store (Quality Quidditch Supplies), the shop of the ice cream merchant Florian Fortarôme (Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor), the Fleury and Bott bookstore (Flourish & Blotts) and the Weasley twins' prank shop (Weasleys Wizard Wheezes or Weasley, Pranks for mischievous wizards). We also get the entrance to the offices of the Daily Prophet and we will also note the presence of the passage to L'Allée des Embrumes (Knockturn Alley), the local Dark Web.

It is therefore not a complete and exhaustive Diagon Alley, especially since at least one important element of the street is missing, the Gringotts bank. The alignment of the various shops and emblematic places of this half of the street is not really faithful to the layout seen on the screen even if the layout of the places seems to change according to the films. Those who already own the set 10217 Diagon Alley may possibly associate the version of the bank delivered in 2011 while waiting to know what LEGO has planned to possibly allow one day to complete this new XXL diorama.

Good news for all those who like to share their assembly experience with family or friends, each building has its own instruction booklet, its 16x32 base plate and its more or less large sheet of dedicated stickers.

The set also deserves to be the opportunity for some unconditional fans of the Harry Potter universe to go in groups to discover each of the shops on the street. The references are numerous, the minifigs too and there is something to discuss and / or remember some scenes of the saga that take place in these places.

This box is actually a set of four Modulars a little narrow and with an uneven finish according to the buildings with constructions whose different rooms are full of furniture, accessories and winks. LEGO could also have marketed these four elements separately, but fans would have bought all of the sets anyway to reproduce this portion of Diagon Alley. At best, separating the four builds into four separate sets would have allowed fans to organize themselves financially and to stagger their purchases.

 Each of the constructions is bordered by a sidewalk with rows of tenons for planting the minifigs, which opens onto a paved section that might have benefited from being a little wider. The final alignment of the various buildings offers a rather exceptional ensemble that will find its place among those who still have an available space of at least one meter long to install the diorama.

I'm not a great specialist in the Harry Potter saga and I don't watch the films available several times a year, but it seems to me that LEGO was frankly in the contrasts and the colors a little flashy with this adaptation of the places.

The street seems much duller to me on screen, but I can understand why the manufacturer wants to offer a product with shimmering colors more attractive than a set of buildings with faded facades. We can also wonder if the designers were not rather inspired by the reproduction of the street accessible to visitors in the decorations of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London, whose lighting effects create a visual atmosphere similar to that of the set.

at € 400 a box of more than 5500 pieces, we can ask ourselves the question of really getting your money's worth beyond the final result. The doubt is in my opinion quickly removed because the assembly is a real pleasure that all those who are already used to Modulars know well.

A few walls and other facades are well stacked, but these sequences are interspersed with more entertaining phases which consist in assembling the stairs, the furniture and the ornaments and other various and varied accessories that fill the rooms of these different shops. There are quite a few shortcuts such as for example the bay windows of the Quidditch accessories shop and the Fleury et Bott bookstore which are transparent elements that are simply pad-printed and a few large pieces on the side walls of the various buildings but lovers of Modulars should still find their account there.

The majority of interior spaces are not tiled (or tiles) and it is necessary to be satisfied with visible tenons which are also often used to maintain some furniture. Others are more or less furnished and may appear a bit empty to some fans. It's not a big deal, the main references specific to each of the shops are there and I think that the vast majority of those who will exhibit this diorama will highlight the facades rather than the interiors.

The only real "functionality" of the set, if we do not count the folding staircase of the store of Garrick Ollivander and the winding staircase of the Fleury and Bott bookstore, it is the automaton present on the front of the store. Weasleys Wizard Wheezes with a latch placed on the roof that allows you to operate a lever to slightly lift the character's hat. Fun but dispensable.

The two movable stairs are not just there to add a bit of playability to the set: the designers have thought of those who do not have a shelf of one meter long to install the diorama on it and the four buildings can be grouped together. to obtain a more compact and totally closed model. The two stairs must therefore be tidy before joining the four buildings. The junction of the roofs and the sidewalks has been specially designed for the result that is still rewarding even if we lose a little in size.

As usual, I let you deduce what is pad printed from what is not and I have given you scans of the four sheets of stickers provided in this box. Most of these stickers do not pose any particular problem except those in two parts which adorn the pediment of the shops and which must be carefully aligned in order to minimize the effect of the gap between certain letters.

There are still more than a hundred stickers to stick on the different elements of this diorama, and for some buildings it comes close to the model with the added bonus of the impossibility of making up for an installation error, LEGO does not provide boards. of substitution.

This Diagon Alley being mainly intended to end his career on a shelf, we can legitimately worry about the state of things after a few years of exposure to light and dust. LEGO could at least have been able to pad the exterior parts which receive stickers and be content to impose stickers on us for the interior accessories and decorations, which are logically less exposed.

The surprise of the set is the presence of a small box whose content has not been revealed on the official visuals. This is a small display with a pad printed plate that allows two minifigs to be installed on the sides. And so it is this box that allows you to get the Harry Potter minifigure, which had been around the web without us really knowing which set to associate it with, with the shirt he wears in Harry potter and the sorcerer's stone during his first visit to Diagon Alley.

The pad-printed plate uses the phrase Hagrid spoke (in English) when he entered the street with Harry Potter through the wall of the Leaky Cauldron. Too bad for the very large injection point which is not even covered by the manufacturer's logo ...

Contrary to what the official description says, the set therefore contains not 14 but 15 minifigs: two versions of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Molly Weasley, Garrick Ollivander, the twins Fred and George Weasley, Gilderoy Lockhart, Lucius Malfoy, Rubeus Hagrid, Florean Fortescue (Florian Fortarôme) and Daily Prophet photographer briefly seen in Harry Potter and the Chambre des secrets.

We could discuss the selection made by LEGO to populate Diagon Alley but that would be an endless discussion. As it stands, the selection of characters navigates between umpteenth versions of characters already very present in the LEGO Harry Potter range and some new minifigs. All the pad prints are or almost flawless apart from a few white or slightly pale skin-colored areas.

I have put a few photos of characters below with furniture and accessories from the different shops, there is something to have fun in this box with many elements that come to populate the windows and the different rooms. We note in particular the new boxes for the magic wands of which ten copies are present at Garrick Olivander, the two mannequins of the Quidditch accessories shop in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw school clothes or the multiple packaging of products sold by the Weasley twins in their prank shop.

In conclusion, there is not much to reproach this set which keeps its promises at all levels and which will easily find its audience among unconditional fans of the Harry Potter universe, at least among those who have the means to spend 400 € on such a bulky exhibition product and which are not too allergic to stickers. After version playsets Modular of Hogwarts, LEGO therefore puts a layer back to empty the pockets of those who knew Harry Potter when they were younger and who today have the opportunity to afford this type of set.

Although this is an exhibition product, the designers did not ignore what makes the salt of these licensed products: the references and other details that will fuel the discussions during the assembly. the various shops on the Chemin de Traverse. Just for that, the product achieves in my opinion its objective.

Fans wanted a new version of Diagon Alley that was more ambitious than the promo set 40289 Diagon Alley offered in October 2018, they were heard and those who will acquire this box should in my opinion not be disappointed. Personally never having really hung on to the universe of Harry Potter, I am not of those who are ready to invest in this luxurious diorama which will perhaps be joined by other modules in the years to come, but I secretly hopes that if the rumor that announces a UCS version of Mos Eisley in the LEGO Star Wars range under the reference 75290 proves to be true, we will be entitled to something as complete and detailed as what the designers offer us here .

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at September 15, 2020 next at 23pm.

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.