2017 review: My tops and my flops

Like every year, let's take a look back for a quick assessment with a selection of sets that will not have left me indifferent in 2017.

And the two sets which in my opinion deserve to share the first place of my top 2017 are two LEGO Ideas boxes, a range that I rarely spare as it is capable of the best and the worst.

Sets 21310 Old Fishing Store et 21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V. have put back on track a range which in my opinion had until now too often sold its soul to the devil with sloppy boxes and without much interest.

However, I readily admit that the sets that are marketed under the LEGO Ideas banner are only a reflection of the popularity of the projects on which they are based and of the final selection made by LEGO among all the contenders.

Each of these two boxes allowed me to rediscover this feeling of assembling something consistent with a history, an atmosphere and a playful or educational interest and I ended up with two models that really reflect the know-how of the brand in terms of creativity.

When LEGO really puts itself at the service of a good idea, the pleasure is really there and I have in both cases had the satisfaction of living this "experience" that LEGO sometimes sells us a little too much.

As an unconditional fan of the LEGO Star Wars range, I also have to put the set at the top of my list 75192 Millennium Falcon (UCS).

This exceptional set, the popularity of which far exceeds the circle of LEGO fans, is a show of strength on the part of the manufacturer. It combines superlatives, not always to its advantage, and will remain for a few years the symbol of the brand's expertise in derivative products.

This Millennium Falcon is also (too) expensive, it's an imperfect mockup, but it's at the center of my collection, like the biggest toy I've ever had. There are few sets that have so far caused me this kid's feverishness in front of a big box and this box is one of them. It's refreshing to find this feeling ...

Another reference from the Star Wars range, more modest, which in my opinion deserves to be mentioned here: the set 75532 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike. It will definitely have changed my relationship to these Buildable Figures sometimes very rough design thanks to the presence of the device which highlights the figurine and provides it with a context.

I have never been a big fan ofAction Figures LEGO style, but this set finally convinced me of the possibilities offered by this scale, provided you associate a vehicle with the character to make it something other than a simple articulated figurine that has a little trouble competing with the best designs from manufacturers like Hasbro.

In 2018, another reference that I look forward to will feature a character and his vehicle: the set 75539 501st Legion Clone Trooper & AT-RT Walker.

My 2017 flop: the set 76075 Wonder Woman Warrior Battle which is in fact the scapegoat of history and which is the perfect symbol of these sloppy derivative products that we regularly drink from LEGO.

The DC Comics range is not the only one affected, the Star Wars and Marvel ranges are full of similar products based on visuals that have never made it past concept arts or on scenes cut from films from which they are supposedly inspired.

People can tell me again and again that LEGO is working very early on on these derivative products, I will continue to consider that this is not a sufficient excuse to market products that no longer have much to do with the work on which they are in principle based.

I remain a collector of Star Wars, Marvel and DC Comics sets, but I have more and more trouble with all these boxes whose content is ultimately only a pretext to sell us some figurines, otherwise often very successful. .

This small non-exhaustive selection obviously reflects only a very personal opinion and I know that there will probably be as many opinions as boxes. I look forward to hearing which were your favorite 2017 sets and which ones you consider disappointing ...