Today we take a quick look at the contents of the LEGO Avatar set 75572 Jake & Neytiri's First Banshee Flight, a box of 572 pieces which will be available at the public price of 54.99 € from October 1, 2022.

It is difficult to evoke the universe of Avatar without mentioning the Banshees (or Ikrans in Na'vi language), these large birds that the Na'vi tame and ride on Pandora. LEGO therefore goes there with its interpretation of these creatures with a box by offering two copies to stage on a support made up of a few rocks, a waterfall and a little vegetation.

We could actually summarize the content of this set by simply saying that it's Ninjavatar, as the two birds are similar in their design, with their qualities and their defects, to the creatures declined until more thirsty than the regulars of the Ninjago range know well.

Both Banshees have an identical structure, only the color of the parts changes. It's a bit logical, they are two creatures of the same species. Nothing rocket science during assembly, it is dispatched in a few minutes and it will be possible to build the contents of the set with several people with three separate instruction booklets: a booklet for each of the Banshees, a booklet for the presentation structure.

This is a children's toy and the two creatures are made more "friendly" by an assortment of bright colors that make them a little less stark and threatening than in the movie. They are properly articulated with movable wings via notched attachments, an adjustable neck from bottom to top and a head fixed on a ball joint which allows a wide range of movement. This is more than enough to vary the settings and find a dynamic presentation solution that will give color to your shelves.

Regarding the fenders, the manufacturer takes a shortcut here that may disappoint some fans by dressing them with large pieces of flexible plastic. These elements are nicely executed with very colorful prints and a nice transparency effect at the ends but they are only printed on one side and are covered with the usual legal notice reminding us that this is a LEGO product. They are as usual at LEGO fixed via black pins which remain clearly visible on the surface, the effect is not of an exceptional finish.

The heads of the two Banshees are stamped, it is successful even if LEGO could have pushed the effort to integrate teeth of another color. The body of the two birds has also been designed to make it easier for the youngest to handle them with a sufficiently large protrusion, it is well seen and we will thus avoid grabbing the Banshees from above or by the wings with the risk of damaging the four flexible plastic inserts.

However, one could wonder if it's still LEGO with these pieces of soft plastic hanging on the wings, it's up to everyone to assess the relevance of the solution used here by LEGO when we know that the manufacturer is capable to produce wing elements in hard plastic as for example on the Ninjago dragon of the set 71762 Kai's Fire Dragon EVO (2021)

The small presentation base is embellished with a little vegetation but it is once again very far from what one would expect from a representation of the planet Pandora with its floating mountains embodied here by a few pieces placed in suspension . As for the other boxes, it will be necessary to combine the various pieces of rocks surrounded by some plants to begin to obtain something acceptable. LEGO adds a few phosphorescent elements in each of the boxes in the range, here five radioactive carrots are provided. You understood, there are no stickers in this box.

Under the rocks, there is a copy of the transparent element that also serves as a support for the helicopter in the set  75573 Floating Mountains: Site 26 & RDA Samson. This piece is here delivered in blue, it is perfect to embody a waterfall while having a discreet and stable support thanks to the embedding of its foot in the construction.

Two minifigs are delivered in this box, Jake Sully and Neytiri, and they are exclusive variants to this set. Complete collectors will therefore find it difficult to ignore, the others will probably be satisfied with a single copy of these two Na'vis.

I'm on the third set of the first wave of merchandise based on the 2009 movie and I still can't appreciate the facial expressions of these Na'vis: some look like Egyptian statues while others have in my opinion look a little silly with their mocking smile. The long thick legs and the big ears do not help but the hairstyles are on the other hand successful with their point of connection at the end of the hair. We will have to deal with it, LEGO has chosen its camp and the second wave of derivative products which will be based on the film expected in theaters in December 2022 will necessarily continue to provide us with Na'vis in the same format.

In short, the youngest will undoubtedly find something for them with creatures that may remind them of their Ninjago years and the beginning of a plant diorama that will have to be completed with other sets from the range. The connection clips are already provided at the foot of these mini-constructions and the argument to convince parents is therefore all found. Regarding the public price of this box, I have a little trouble seeing where the requested €55 is, but I'm not worried: these sets will inevitably end up being sold at a knockdown price one day or they will take advantage of an offer. promotion that will allow them to be acquired at a more reasonable and acceptable price.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 4th October, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

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

We continue the series of tests of the new features of the LEGO Avatar range and today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Avatar set 75573 Floating Mountains: Site 26 & RDA Samson, a box of 887 pieces which will be available from October 1, 2022 at the retail price of €99.99. Don't be fooled by the product title, there aren't really any floating "mountains" in this set. I salute in passing the work of the graphic designers on the boxes of the range, it is sold with foliage everywhere and floating rocks in the background...

This product derived from the 2009 film therefore offers us to assemble an SA-2 Samson helicopter, a container embodying the Sector 26 mobile liaison unit and a small piece of vegetation. Everything is well accompanied by an honest handful of figurines but I still have a little trouble seeing where the 100 € requested by LEGO are.

Site 26 is actually two containers longer than the one proposed by LEGO and linked together in the movie, we only have one here. The latter is rather well done even if it is highly compressed as if the manufacturer had only had the means to offer us an economical version of this container. LEGO still manages to install the box that houses Jake Sully and a workstation for Dr. Grace Augustine while leaving a little space inside.

Everything is easily accessible by removing the roof associated with a section of wall, difficult to do better in terms of playability. The container cannot be transported by the SA2-Samson helicopter, nothing has been planned by LEGO to strap and hang the thing under the flying machine. The more adventurous will undoubtedly tinker with something in their spare time.

The other big construction of the set is the SA-2 helicopter with its coaxial propellers. Trudy Chacon being here at the controls, it is therefore the Samson 16. Most adult fans were probably hoping for better than the somewhat simplified toy provided in this box, but the construction remains in my opinion generally very correct at this scale.

We recognize the Samson 16 at first glance and that is the essential thing. The machine is flanked by a few stickers but the canopy of the cockpit is stamped with a very successful pattern. I think that LEGO had to simply resolve (perhaps even reluctantly) to print this part so as not to impose on the youngest the ordeal of having to stick a sticker on the angular surface of this part.

If the helicopter is well equipped with skids which allow it to be displayed correctly on a shelf, LEGO innovates a little by including a transparent support which allows it to be presented in flight or placed on the floating "mountain". The presence of the two elements that make up this support is also justified by the desire to offer us a "floating" rock and to kill two birds with one stone by fixing the helicopter to the top of the construction. The support itself is rather well designed, it offers maximum stability, well helped by the base of the decorative section of the product and by two pins which secure the two uprights.

It is by assembling the meager portion of vegetation, to be connected to the various modules delivered in the other boxes via the clip provided, that we finally understand the title of the product. The rock floats, it's not a montage but the symbolism is there. Pandora's interpretation is therefore also very minimalist here, and that's an understatement... A few flowers and other plants, some of which are phosphorescent, simply hide the anchoring system of the support on its base.

This box allows us to obtain five characters: Jake Sully, his Na'vi alter ego, Dr Grace Augustine, pilot Trudy Chacon and Norm Spellman in Na'vi version. I won't repeat the verse on the Na'vi for you, it's up to everyone to judge the relevance of this LEGO-style interpretation of the creatures that inhabit Pandora. Of the two figurines provided here, the frankly cartoon side prevails with facial expressions that seem a little strange to me.

For the rest, Grace Augustine's minifig looks like Sigourney Weaver and it's easy to imagine Michelle Rodriguez looking at Trudy Chacon's minifig. Bravo to the graphic designer for the face with the colorful patterns around Trudy's eyes, it's faithful to the film. Jake Sully is a little more neutral, here he is installed on a new version of the wheelchair different from the one available since 2016 in many boxes.

The two rear wheels change in diameter and the armrests gain in height. Why not. Sully and Augustine both enjoy alternate faces with the mask that allows them to walk around Pandora without dying of asphyxiation. It's graphically very well executed with a simple but effective reflection effect.

The two Na'vis figurines in the set are accompanied by a Pa'li ​​(or Equidius), the local six-legged horse. We come close to the type toy My little Pony with this blue figure molded without joints and it might have needed to put a touch of beige and some additional patterns on the mane to stick to the creature of the film. It is possible to install a Na'vi on the Equidius by removing a few parts, even if the almost tone-on-tone rendering obtained is not really convincing in my opinion.

On arrival, if we take this product for what it is, a colorful toy for children, it is in my opinion generally successful and there is something to have fun with, especially by combining the contents of this box. with that of other products in the range. Those who have dreamed for many months following the leak of the titles of the various products in the LEGO Avatar range are on the other hand a little for their expense: we obtain a half-container which is itself half of Site 26, a minimalist helicopter even if it is rather faithful to the reference machine, a floating "mountain" which is not a mountain and a blue horse much too flashy for my taste.

It's all a bit skimpy for a discerning adult fan, so it'll take a bit of skill and a lot of imagination to improve the various builds a bit. The leads are there with the design of the container or the principle used for the rotors of the helicopter, all you have to do is get started.

We note the arrival of the transparent element which is delivered here in two copies to serve as a support for the "assembly" and the helicopter, this piece opens up new possibilities for displaying various and varied flying machines at the using "official" coins.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at September 29, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

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 Avatar set 75571 Neytiri & Thanator vs. AMP Suit Quaritch, a small box of 560 pieces which will be available at the retail price of €44.99 from October 1, 2022. As you have known since the announcement of this new range, the first wave of sets is not based on the second part expected in in theaters in December 2022, the five planned boxes are simply there to set the stage with a belated homage to the 2009 film. More sets will follow in 2023 with at least four releases that will logically be based on that year's film.

Yesterday's children who might have been interested in these colorful playsets are now 13 years older and it will therefore be necessary to encourage the youngest to watch the first part of what promises to be an endless saga so that they understand what we're talking about. When the first rumors around a possible LEGO Avatar range began to circulate, all fans were bound to try to imagine how LEGO would get away with offering a coherent interpretation of the Na'vis. For the rest, it's no surprise, LEGO was bound to enjoy reproducing the lush vegetation and colorful creatures of Pandora.

However, we will weigh the creative enthusiasm expected around this new range by noting that everything is a bit on the economy in these boxes whose public prices are distributed between 20 and 150 €. The dose of flowers, foliage and various and varied elements that serve to flesh out the scenes a little is not enough for us to really believe it.

In this box, the "decor" offered is minimalist to say the least and it will be necessary to combine the different sets of this first wave of derivative products or to call on its stock of colored pieces to start obtaining what we could then call a jungle. . It's a bit of a shame, there are some good ideas on the side of the vegetation, in particular thanks to the presence of some phosphorescent parts, and we would necessarily want a little more.

The set in question here features the confrontation between Colonel Miles Quaritch at the controls of his mech and Neytiri who rides a Thanator. Those who remember the scene know that the mech is actually equipped with a machine gun and not just a giant chainsaw like here.

However, we cannot conclude that LEGO was only entitled to a few very preliminary artworks, the film being released in 2009, and it is therefore a deliberate choice to ignore a weapon frankly lethal to replace it with another a priori less worrying for the parents who will buy this box. The mech is stable on its legs, with no knee joints like the Ninjago line mechs stamped 4+, but with ball joints at the level of the thighs and the ankles and it benefits from a relative mobility of the arms with three articulations per member without counting the (three) fingers of each hand.

In the other hand of the mech, we find the machete with which Miles Quaritch completes the Thanator, a creature whose first appearance on the screen in a memorable scene had frightened a whole generation of spectators. The LEGO version of the animal is in my opinion on arrival just passable: it takes up all the morphological attributes of the Thanator seen on the screen but it looks more like a big blue mutant mouse and black than to the menacing creature of the film.

Once again, LEGO has its young children's audience in mind and tries to tone down a bit the bestiary of menacing creatures and the dramatic context of the reproduced scenes. The animal remains truly mobile with its six legs and it can be attached to a plant in the scenery to simulate the attack on Quaritch's mech. The result is a pretty decent little dynamic diorama for fans to eventually display.

As for the minifigs provided, we have to be satisfied here with the two characters who clash in the scene of the film: Miles Quaritch and Neytiri. The angry colonel is rather well done with a nice camouflage effect on the outfit, except for the area that should have been flesh-colored on the character's torso according to the very optimistic and retouched official visual of the figurine.

Regarding the Na'vi Neytiri, opinions will inevitably be very divided: this species which lives on the Pandora moon has a vaguely human appearance but the physique of these creatures is sufficiently different from that of the usual characters who end up in minifig format for LEGO to have to adapt at the cost of some compromises. The result is there, with figurines with long legs, big ears and a detailed but somewhat flat face. LEGO is trying to refine the head of the Na'vis by stretching it, drawing a pointed chin and lengthening the neck and we cannot say that no effort has been made to try to stick to the physique of these creatures.

Some will however find these figurines totally irrelevant while others will consider that they are sufficiently faithful without deviating too much from the usual LEGO codes. Personally, I am not convinced by this interpretation of the Na'vis and LEGO may be missing an opportunity here to highlight its other format of figurines, the mini-dolls. I would not have been shocked by the mixture of these two formats in this context, the threadlike side of the mini-dolls being in my opinion perfectly adapted to the morphology of the Na'vis.

On arrival, this little box offers a little fun with a frank opposition that does not require going back to the checkout. The youngest who will discover the universe of Avatar on the occasion of a viewing of the first part or a cinema session to discover the second will undoubtedly find their account. I will make the effort on my side to get a copy of the mech piloted by Miles Quaritch, I remember having really enjoyed the scenes with these machines and this one will finally do the trick even if it is relatively minimalist.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at September 24, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

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