Today we take a very quick look at the contents of the LEGO Harry Potter set. 76434 Aragog in the Forbidden Forest, a box of 195 pieces which will be available on the official online store and in LEGO Stores from June 1, 2024 at the retail price of €19.99.

I'm not drawing you a picture, there isn't really a Forbidden Forest in this box, at least no more than in the LEGO Harry Potter set 76432 Forbidden Forest: Magical Creatures and the star of the product is obviously the spider Aragog.

The latter is for once rather realistic and well designed, LEGO has really focused everything on the design of this Acromentula to impress the children who will receive the product. You would almost believe it and the object could possibly be used to make a few jokes during Sunday meals.

Too bad for the slightly missed forest scene with a simple extension to possibly connect to the modules of the set 76432 Forbidden Forest: Magical Creatures and polybag 30677 Draco in the Forbidden Forest to start getting something really more substantial.

We are used to it with LEGO, many references are in reality only extensions of products with which they should in principle have merged to obtain fewer boxes on the shelves but more sets with convincing content.

The manufacturer absolutely wants to maintain a range effect covering all price brackets and addressing all budgets, this type of box with interesting but minimalist and incomplete content is therefore unfortunately inevitable.

We will therefore salute the creation of the spider which even benefits from a pad-printed face, movable legs and an adjustable abdomen, we will note that the outfits of the two figurines of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley with their frightened expressions are consistent with the outfits seen on screen in the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and we will appreciate the presence of two additional small spiders for the same price.

We will regret the absence of Fang who could have made an appearance in this box and we will possibly consider adding the vehicle from the LEGO Harry Potter set 76424 Flying Ford Anglia to replay the flight of the two heroes pursued by a horde of threatening spiders. You will therefore have to recover the dog from the LEGO Harry Potter set 76428 Hagrid's Hut: An Unexpected Visit to get the full cast seen in this scene and flesh out the diorama.

You will have understood, this box has difficulty existing on its own, it needs to be combined with other products to make a convincing and really fun set. The fact remains that the €20 requested by LEGO is almost justified in my eyes, just to salute the efforts undertaken to offer a spider with a look that seems very convincing to me.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 24th May 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.

Today we're talking very quickly about the contents of the LEGO Star Wars set. 75378 BARC Speeder Escape, a small box of 221 pieces available at the public price of €29.99 since March 1st. There's no point buying it, this product won't go down in the legend of the best sets in the LEGO Star Wars range and it's much too expensive for what it really allows you to obtain.

The initial premise is nevertheless interesting, it involves reproducing an interesting scene from the third season of the series The Mandalorian during which Kelleran Beq saves Grogu from the Clones who are implementing Order 66. Except that this scene takes place in a slightly more complex context than what LEGO wants to sell us and here we have to be content with what we suppose to be a lamp post where there was undoubtedly room to add at least a door and possibly a piece of platform.

LEGO prefers to sell us a speeder that is once oversized far from being on the scale of the minifigs, the manufacturer knows that these machines sell. Fans who never tire of adding speeders of all kinds to their shelves will happily be satisfied with this, but this box is ultimately just a pretext with crude strings to obtain a new character in the range, Kelleran Beq with its rather successful pad printing if we compare the outfit of the minifig with that of the character seen on the screen, yet another Grogu figurine still affected by the same color difference between the head and the hands and two Clone Troopers from the 501st composed parts seen in other boxes including the new “hole” helmet.

It's meager for €30 and even if I can understand that LEGO is drying out the two trilogies of the saga with sets with sometimes questionable content, the series The Mandalorian deserved better than this kind of lazy derivative product.

It will be argued that this set is intended for young people, but they don't really have anything to enjoy here in the absence of context. It is impossible, for example, to tip a Clone Trooper into the void under the effect of the Force as seen in the series because LEGO does not even provide a wall edge. If you think about it, the whole thing is only worth around twenty euros at best because there are a few parts to assemble a relatively consistent speeder, but no more.

But we all know that if this type of product sells, it's because fans always find at least one minifig that deserves to join their collection. Here it is that of Kelleran Beq, played on screen by actor Ahmed Best, who justifies the checkout.

Everything else is just filler to sell us this figure as much as possible, marketing wins once again and we are willing victims. Everything is going well in the best of all possible worlds and LEGO has no reason to change strategy.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 24th May 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.

Today we quickly take a look at the contents of the LEGO DC set 76274 Batman with the Batmobile vs. Harley Quinn and Mr. Freeze, a small box of 435 pieces which will be available via the official online store and in LEGO Stores from June 1, 2024 at the public price of €59,99.

This set is a derivative product of the animated series Batman The Animated Series (BTAS for close friends or Batman The Animated Series here), we therefore find the emblematic Batmobile seen on the screen with a rather surprising choice of color since LEGO preferred to give it a dark blue color whereas it is much darker in the series where we can imagine that It is black with blue highlights.

Please note, the LEGO version of the machine is in reality a little darker than what the official visuals on the official online store suggest.

We will do with this aesthetic bias, as with the one-piece windshield which lacks a central pillar. For the rest it is rather faithful and one would have to be in bad faith not to immediately associate this version with the reference media.

LEGO presents the vehicle on a support identical to that already seen in the set 76188 Batman Classic TV Series Batmobile or in the promotional set 40433 1989 Batmobile Limited Edition offered by LEGO in 2019. This is so much the better for collectors who can therefore line up vehicles benefiting from the same staging on their shelves and enjoy all these Batmobiles from every angle, the support in question being rotatable.

The assembly of this new Batmobile is shipped relatively quickly, we build a solid chassis based on beams from the Technic ecosystem, we add two gears which will be used to rotate the exhaust of the vehicle made of a barrel and we then begin the installation of the bodywork. We will note some variations in color between the blue pieces, the effect will only be visible in a certain light but it is there. No engine or hood, this is not a model from the ICONS range, it is a child's toy.

The driving position of this Batmobile can accommodate the owner of the vehicle and it is not necessary to remove his rigid cape to install him at the controls, which is appreciable. Two Stud Shooters Removable are mounted on the hood of the vehicle, they are not retractable but they can be easily removed. All that will remain then are the holes which accommodate their anchoring points, nothing serious.

I find the design of the vehicle generally successful, even if we lose a little here the rounded shapes of the bat symbol which forms the rear of the body. We clearly see the massive side of the machine, the grille is rather well interpreted and if we consider that it is LEGO on a scale which does not allow all the fantasies, it is already very good as it is. I'm waiting for the ICONS version of the thing, a larger version would allow more fidelity in the details. We can dream.

There are obviously a few stickers to stick in this box: four for the cockpit of the Batmobile, two for the front headlights and the one that adorns the vehicle's presentation plate.

The set allows you to obtain three characters from the series: Batman, Harley Quinn and Mr Freeze. Too bad for Harley Queen, a minifig also available in the set 76271 Batman The Animated Series Gotham City, with his white collar which once again turns pink because it is pad printed on a red piece, Mr Freeze is content with neutral legs and it is Batman, also available in the set 76271 Batman The Animated Series Gotham City, which stands out here with a pretty pad printing of the torso, very detailed legs, the now usual mask which incorporates the white eyes and a pretty new cape molded to the most beautiful effect which was not in the fresco.

This Batmobile ticks all the boxes in my opinion that make it worthy of your attention, especially if you've watched the animated series it's inspired by. It's nicely executed given the scale, we benefit from some basic but welcome features and the presence of the small rotating base associated with a presentation plate is a real plus which gives character to the whole. The three characters provided are correct, the homage to the series is therefore in my opinion successful.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 21th May 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Architecture set 21061 Notre-Dame de Paris, a box of 4383 pieces currently for pre-order on the official online store at the public price of €229,99 and which will be available from June 1, 2024.

The reactions were generally rather positive when the manufacturer announced the product, it therefore remained to be verified whether the assembly experience is commensurate with the final result knowing that the LEGO Architecture range must be up to the mark. lives up to the expectations of the most demanding fans on this specific point.

It was my sidekick Chloé who carried out the exercise with a progression spread over several days so as not to saturate and make the most of what the product has to offer. Slightly repetitive sequences are obviously on the program, it is the subject covered which imposes them, and weariness can quickly set in and degrade the promised experience.

The single instruction booklet which distills the 393 assembly steps, however, remains readable even when it comes to sequences requiring the installation of elements at the heart of a well-advanced construction, it is tone on tone ( or Tan on Tan) and the risk was to get a little visually lost during certain stages.

The systematic use of the red border to demarcate the parts or sub-assemblies concerned by the step in question is of great help, we never find ourselves lost in this pile of parts of the same color with the added bonus of an effect of perspective which can quickly become problematic on certain pages, even for the most seasoned fans.

My usual advice: if you intend to purchase this product, do not spoil too much the construction process as well as the techniques used and keep the pleasure of discovery intact. Your decision to buy or not this box from the LEGO Architecture range is not based simply on these arguments and knowing too much before opening the box will only spoil the promised experience.

The instruction booklet is put into context by the addition of a few pages of information on the process of building the real cathedral through four major eras, this information is in English on the document provided in the box but the booklet will be available in French in digital format as soon as the product becomes available.

Some facts come to enhance the assembly process throughout the pages, it is always a very appreciated attention which allows to put the product in its context and to explain certain aesthetic choices. The set is not, however, a history lesson; read up on the subject if you feel like it.

At the chosen scale, certain details are simply suggested or necessarily overlooked, this is inevitable and we cannot blame the designer who here did his best to preserve the main attributes of the building. We recognize Notre-Dame de Paris at first glance and anyone who still has any doubts will in any case have before their eyes the Tile pad printing usually used in sets from the LEGO Architecture range to specify what it is.

We could debate for a long time concerning the proportions of certain parts of the building, quibble over the inevitable aesthetic shortcuts, regret the absence of stained glass windows which are simply symbolized by transparent pieces or even discuss the choice of color Tan (beige) for the walls of the cathedral, the proposal is there with its scale and its constraints and we must accept it as it is or ignore it.

The beige used here corresponds to the "idealized" and sun-saturated visuals that we find almost everywhere, it is more or less in line with the image we generally have of places. For the rest, don't expect to come across a few gargoyles or install the fittings on the doors, this model gets to the point and it makes rather intelligent use of what the current inventory at LEGO has to offer.

Enjoy the internal spaces of the cathedral as construction progresses, they will then only become visible by removing the portion of roof which will allow a quick look at the cluttered interior of the model. The floor is partially covered with paving alternating black and white pieces, with a pattern which is obviously not on the scale of the rest of the construction but it works visually and the reference at least has the merit of existing.

We spend a lot of time adjusting certain sub-assemblies that only fit on a single stud so that the result conforms to the wishes of the product designer, with for example droid arms at the back or magic wands that you must orient at 45° at the level of the two towers on the facade.

We will also endeavor to straighten the flexible foils planted at the top of the two facade towers and the spire so that the construction does not lose its splendor. It is sometimes a little tedious, but by spreading the assembly of the product over several days we will enjoy coming back to it occasionally.

For those who are wondering, the three dish pad printed used on the model are identical, it is the same piece with the same pattern. No stickers in this box, they weren't necessary at this scale anyway. The twelve statues which surround the spire of the place are there, they are embodied by nanofigs which seem to me judiciously used and that of Viollet-le-Duc is turned towards the spire of the building. No particular religious symbols on this construction, if we obviously forget that the roof of this Gothic cathedral is itself a cross.

LEGO asks 230 € for this product, one could imagine that it is a lot to pay for a construction which ultimately only occupies 41 cm long by 22 cm wide but the invoice includes the many hours spent building the thing and the contract seems to me here to be filled with a global experience which features more than 4000 pieces, which can really be spread over time and which will not leave purchasers of the product unsatisfied as is sometimes the case with other boxes shipped too quickly.

Meticulousness is necessarily required here, coupled with a few steps of careful deciphering of the instructions and the challenge seems sufficiently high to satisfy even the most demanding fans of the LEGO Architecture range.

This product from the LEGO Architecture range therefore, in my opinion, largely lives up to what we can expect in this range with the qualities we know about it but also the usual limitations linked to the reduced scale of the products concerned. This model of Notre-Dame de Paris seems to me to be a good compromise with a pretty, sufficiently detailed model with a small footprint, a relatively reasonable price and obvious exhibition potential.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 18th May 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.

Today we quickly take a look at the contents of the LEGO Harry Potter set 76433 Mandrake, a box of 579 pieces which will be available on the official online store from June 1, 2024 at the public price of €69,99.

We have known for a long time that the plastic variations of flowers and other plants regularly offered by LEGO have largely found their audience among the brand's adult customers, we therefore understand that the manufacturer wishes to capitalize on this popularity by adding a license which is also very popular to a product that imitates a plant seen in the Harry Potter saga.

Was it absolutely necessary to stretch the license to this extent by marketing a simple plant? Many fans will think that this is a good idea and it is not me, who regularly settles for products with sometimes even more anecdotal content marketed in the LEGO Star Wars ranges, who would contradict them.

We therefore assemble a Mandrake and its pot to replay the famous botany lesson and we can then have fun removing it and setting it in motion. However, don't expect to hear it scream, LEGO hasn't bothered to try to integrate a sound brick into the heart of the construction and you will have to shout instead of the plant.

However, there was undoubtedly a technical solution that could be used on this product to offer it a little more interactivity, similar to what was done earlier in the year in the LEGO Harry Potter set. 76429 Talking Sorting Hat which features a vaguely interactive Sorting Hat.

That being said, the result obtained here seems rather convincing to me with a plant whose root is quite faithful to the version seen on the screen and some large green leaves which can be adjusted as you wish. Pressure on the torso of the root sets the mouth and arms of this Mandrake in motion. It's fun for five minutes and the effect is guaranteed during your evenings with friends.

However, we regret that the sheets are flanked by huge stickers, they would have benefited from being properly pad printed to guarantee the product aging in the best conditions under the onslaught of the sun and dust. Especially for €70.

The Mandrake comes with its pot whose label confirms what it is, it is aesthetically very successful and the accessory will allow you to display everything in a very suitable way on the corner of a shelf. To store the plant in the pot, simply fold the legs of the figure and find the right angle so that the construction fits perfectly into the pot.

The product will undoubtedly seem too anecdotal for many fans who will prefer the sections of playsets available elsewhere within the June 2024 wave, but there will be quite a few fans of the Harry Potter universe who will be satisfied with this nod. have an eye for accomplished aesthetics and not be burdened with constructions intended to amuse the youngest.

It's well executed, the product has the essential functionality that allows it to make sense, all that was missing was that the Mandrake really screams that LEGO is making the effort to pad print the leaves of the plant. As is often the case, I remain a little mixed because the manufacturer quibbles over details which should no longer be an issue given the high-end positioning of its products, which is a shame.

This product is currently on pre-order at the public price of €69,99, I think we should wait carefully for its actual availability scheduled for June 1st to try to get it for a little cheaper from Amazon and others.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 17th May 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.