Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO Star Wars set 75366 Advent Calendar 2023, a box of 320 pieces sold at the public price of €37.99 on the official store and around €20 elsewhere. If you don't want to see in advance what's in the box that you probably bought just because you know what it contains, don't go any further.

I'm not going to lie to you, I set out to unpack this calendar as it should be by opening one box per day. Tired of the mediocrity of the contents of several of these boxes, I finally unpacked everything at once so I could move on to something else by eating my daily Kinder.

On arrival, once free of the product packaging, the new interior cardboard insert and the 24 plastic bags, there remained 143 grams of LEGO bricks, I weighed everything. It's a lot of packaging for little content, but it's at this price that the marketing has its effect on the shelves and that LEGO can sell this small batch of parts at full price.

This calendar is broken down into four categories of mini-things of varying interest depending on your affinities with this type of product: vehicles and other vessels, accessories for the characters, some reproductions of more or less recognizable and emblematic places from the saga and some figurines. We're not going to lie, many here only buy these calendars for the few new and possibly exclusive figurines they contain.

As for ships and machines, I must admit that this calendar is not the worst of what LEGO has marketed in the same format so far. Some are quite successful given the scale imposed and it's easy to get into the game of assembly. It remains to be seen what to do with it afterwards, but the micro-things offered this year more than do the trick.

As for accessories and mini-micro-nano-dioramas, we feel the need to fill boxes with additional elements which for the most part do not add much to the project.

It is sometimes extremely symbolic and possibly useful to showcase the figurines provided and give consistency to a product which lacks a little and even if the flying wing of the Ewok is intended to be placed in a slightly strange due to the limited mobility of the associated figurine or that the battle station intended for the Clone Trooper is a bit ridiculous and that the STAP is relatively stable. We'll make do.

Upon arrival, there remains a small handful of characters who will probably not end up at the bottom of a drawer or a toy bin. Most of the elements used for these figurines are, however, far from new and LEGO does not really make an effort to reward those who spent €38 on this box.

The Omega figurine is also in the set 75323 The Justify, that of the Clone Trooper of the 212th is in the set 75337 AT-TE-Walker, Leia is in the set 75353 Endor Speeder Chase Diorama but it is delivered here without his helmet, Palpatine uses elements already seen and there are only the Ewok and Palpatine's sweater that are completely new and undoubtedly exclusive for eternity to this box.

I'll spare you the Battle Droid without any special pad printing, it's just a box on the calendar that can be quickly filled in at a lower cost. The festive Pit Droid and the Gonk Droid disguised as a reindeer don't really count, they are just assemblages, certainly interesting, of very common parts.

In the end, I came for the figurines but I especially remember the few rather well executed ships this year, this 2023 calendar having at least the merit of offering some interesting and original constructions.

€38 is obviously much too expensive for what it is, even if some will see it as a tradition that extends over 24 days and which would almost justify this incredible price. For around twenty euros, it's already more acceptable but the supply of figurines is still sparse and in my opinion once again lacks panache.

For all practical purposes and if you do not want to ruin the product packaging by taking out the interior insert from the side rather than opening each window, please note that the assembly instructions are available in PDF format at this address.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at December 18, 2023 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.

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

Today we very quickly go around the content of the LEGO DREAMZzz set 71469 Nightmare Shark Ship, a box of 1389 pieces available from LEGO at the public price of €139.99 but accessible for much less from the vast majority of resellers.

This is the largest and most expensive set of the first wave of products derived from the animated series which promotes these boxes and we find there the main cast of this “in-house” LEGO license.

This product may therefore seem essential to begin in the best possible way a collection which will then be expanded with several small additional products allowing you to imagine new adventures and to obtain some more or less secondary characters.

Everyone knows the main construction proposed in this box, so I set out to build the variant proposed in the pages of the instruction booklet, I find in passing this shark on wheels with a boat placed on its back even more successful than the simple flying boat shark presented by default which does not stand out.

Like all the sets in the range, this box allows you to vary the pleasures a little and extend the "experience" by choosing the model to assemble in the last pages of the instruction booklet. The formula imagined by the designers does not reach the level of the best sets in the Creator 3-in-1 range but it seems to me to be sufficiently simplified to allow the youngest to not have to take everything apart to quickly enjoy the secondary model.

It is in fact only a question of implementing certain accessories differently on the product, the common core of the two variants using the majority of the inventory. I also note that the secondary model here attempts to make maximum use of the parts delivered in the box and that on arrival there are only a handful of parts left on the floor (see photos below), c 'is appreciable on a large product like this.

In both cases, this shark vessel with an articulated tail benefits from a few features that should please young people with a winch whose cable (a simple wire) with its grappling hook circulates through the shark's mouth, a movable jaw, an accessible cage by manipulating the shark's ribs and a chest hidden in the upper floor of the ship. No mechanism integrated into the wheels to, for example, open and close the jaw when the shark tank is moving.

It is also possible to remove the boat's cabin to use it separately and take advantage of its interior layout, which remains basic but which will allow some interactions between the King of Nightmares and the young heroes Mateo and Izzie who have come to free Nova.

The number of stickers used remains limited, which is good news for a toy intended to be handled without care by young audiences. I note some fragilities of the whole here or there, you will have to be careful not to lose some decorative elements which only hold on a tenon like the railing or the lanterns of the bridge but we cannot however complain of having the right to a construction which benefits from numerous finishing details despite its frankly crazy side which visually takes over.

This range manages to surprise me, all things considered because I am obviously not the target of this universe, with some pretty details which testify to the obvious care taken in its design. LEGO is not making fun of its youngest fans here, there is both a real effort on aesthetics and on the pleasure of construction.

As for the figurines provided, it is as usual in this range relatively balanced and very well executed. I have said it and repeated several times, the minifigs are very accomplished and the level of detail of each of the characters will undoubtedly be enough to annoy fans of other ranges which provide less polished and somewhat economical figurines. .

With this truly original construction measuring 60 cm long by 31 cm high, fans will have the “flagship” of the LEGO DREAMZzz range on their shelves, and they will then be able to try to convince their parents and friends to offer them gifts. other less ambitious but complementary sets.

The fact remains that in my opinion all of this is not worth the €140 requested by LEGO, especially for an in-house universe without an external license or royalties to be paid back in the form of a percentage of sales. Fortunately, this box is available elsewhere for a little less than a hundred euros, so we approach a price more consistent with the content offered.

The public price of the product does not seem to scare customers, however, this box being indicated as a restocking course at LEGO with availability promised for December 15. Elsewhere the product is still currently in stock: at Amazon at €99.99 or at Cdiscount at €99.99, the other brands having already raised their prices as is customary to do during the last weeks in the run-up to Christmas. If you don't know what to get a young LEGO fan for Christmas and want to keep them away from the usual Star Wars or Marvel licenses, this product shouldn't disappoint.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at December 14, 2023 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.

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

Today we are very quickly interested in the content of the two small promotional sets currently offered subject to purchase on the LEGO online store as well as in the LEGO Stores: the references 40603 Wintertime Carriage Ride et 40604 Christmas Decor Set.

These two small boxes with a festive theme are automatically added to your order as soon as the minimum amount required is reached, namely €70 for the set. 40604 Christmas Decor Set and €150 for the set 40603 Wintertime Carriage Ride. The two offers are obviously cumulative.

The 153-piece carriage seems very well executed for a promotional product with limited inventory. It's elegant, detailed, solid and functional and you can easily install the three minifigs provided to make it wander the streets of a Winter village made up of a few boxes on the same theme.

The machine is pulled by a horse whose hitch pivots on the integrated front axle, this is useful for taking turns correctly. Note that the coachman does not have a whip, LEGO undoubtedly having wanted to avoid offending animal lovers or at least not to provoke unnecessary reactions around this product.

The three minifigs delivered in this box make good use of rather common elements, nothing very original at this level except the head of the young woman which bears a new reference, even if I think that the coachman would have deserved a torso dedicated to the place to be satisfied with that of the train driver or the lighthouse keeper. We can imagine a versatile retiree who combines seasonal jobs.

As for the three balls to hang on the branches of the tree, the constructions are identical right down to the exterior motifs and it is only the color of the object that changes. You can, however, display all your creativity by mixing the colored faces together to obtain something more colorful, it's up to you depending on what you put on the branches of your tree. The rings provided by LEGO are those already seen in several sets since 2022, they are perfectly suited to the use intended here.

The three balls are therefore well designed with the necessary solidity in mind to be able to handle and hang them easily without breaking everything. The inside of each of these balls may seem a little crude but that was undoubtedly the price to pay to make them real decorative elements that will withstand the end of year celebrations. It will also be easy to produce others if you have a suitable inventory.

Should we agree to pay a high price for a few boxes and reach the threshold of €150 which allows the two offers to be combined to obtain these two products presented as limited editions? It's up to everyone to see if the game is worth it and if these two little sets have a usefulness that will go beyond the end of their career at the bottom of a drawer.

If you're used to decorating your home with festive-themed LEGO products, I think the effort is worth it. If this is not the case and you do not plan to resell these two boxes to recoup the expense made on the official online store, you can skip it and find your favorite sets (excluding Shop exclusives) for much cheaper elsewhere.

Note: The products presented here, provided by LEGO, are as usual put into play. Deadline fixed at December 11, 2023 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.

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

Today we take a very quick look at the contents of the LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog set. 76995 Shadow's Escape, a small box of 196 pieces which will be available from January 1, 2024 at the public price of €20.99.

And the guided tour will indeed be very quick as this little box is almost content to be a simple extension of the more global concept developed in the already very extensive Sonic the Hedgehog range : there is in fact not much to build and only one minifigure is provided.

We will note in passing that the inventory of this box is delivered in two “paper” bags, LEGO having recently recalled that the shift announced for a long time will eventually materialize in 2024 in Europe. I mention the word paper in quotation marks, the material being abundantly coated with plastic inside to prevent the pieces from tearing the packaging and we still find in these bags the usual small plastic packaging containing the smallest elements of the inventory.

LEGO promises an “infinity of stories” to invent with the contents of this product, however you will need to have a little imagination to get something out of it. Shadow can be imprisoned in the "cryogenic tank", he can escape, he can confront the Badnik Rhinobot in passing and then escape on his motorcycle. Why not, do it once before posting the thing in a corner to amortize the investment.

The motorcycle is very decent considering its limited inventory, Shadow can be installed in a seated position on the seat, this is not always the case with LEGO motorcycles, and can even really take hold of the roller-based handlebars paint. The machine is not unworthy, it is neat knowing that there are no stickers in this box and that the motorcycle therefore benefits from pad-printed elements.

The other construction of the set brings some functionality to the product with the possibility of ejecting the glass from the tank by pressing on the two-tone edge of the base so that Shadow sets sail. The barrier placed behind the tank is synchronized with the ejection mechanism of the canopy, Shadow can then smash it with his motorcycle. the bottom of the tank is furnished with a very successful pad-printed piece (see photo below).

The Rhinobot is correct even if it struggles a little to embody the creature with its shell and its central wheel seen on the screen in video games where the villain makes an appearance, it is missing at least one yellow band which crosses the shell of the evil robot. the Clucky provided is symbolic, the idea is there and the little figurine will do the trick even if the hen's crest would in my opinion have deserved a plastic excrescence instead of being satisfied with a simple printed pattern.

We cannot therefore say that the product is crazy playable and exceptionally creative and for €21 LEGO is clearly content with the bare minimum to encourage us to buy the new Shadow figurine delivered in this box.

The latter is rather well executed even if the white pad-printed area on the black background of the torso is too dull compared to the more "intense" white of the legs, which is a shame. The legs and arms benefit from particular care and these nicely pad-printed elements are successful.

For the head of the figurine, some will perhaps only see an interpretation that strays too far from the initial concept of the LEGO minifig, others will find that the mold is frankly successful, everyone has their own appreciation of the liberties taken by LEGO in this range to offer credible characters resembling their digital alter egos.

In short, this little additional pack which could possibly flesh out a diorama made up of a few boxes from the Sonic the Hedgehog range doesn't have much to offer but it only costs €21 and we all know here that the motivation will come from the presence of a new figurine that many fans of this universe were waiting for in a LEGO version.

That's already good, we learn not to be too demanding over time and to be satisfied with what we are offered if the price seems acceptable to us. In my opinion, this is the case here, the motorcycle saving the furniture in the process concerning the constructions provided.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at December 10, 2023 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.

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

Today we take a quick look at the contents of the LEGO promotional set 5008076 Marvel Taxi, a small box of 150 pieces which will be offered to members of the LEGO Insiders program from November 24 to 27, 2023 for the purchase of the LEGO Marvel set 76269 Avengers Tower which I spoke to you about yesterday.

We're not going to lie, this extension to be integrated at the foot of the diorama offered by LEGO in its big box at €500 looks a bit like content that the manufacturer would have finally decided to remove from the set 76269 Avengers Tower to make it a promotional product aimed at encouraging purchase.

The product is packaged in the small soft box, and a little ugly, reserved for promotional sets available via the LEGO Insiders program, the pieces are simply thrown into a resealable bag slipped inside the packaging and that's the cover of the instruction booklet which serves as the front of the box.

LEGO is expected to ship the two products separately, the LEGO Marvel set 76269 Avengers Tower being already packaged in a dedicated box which does not leave room to add this small box. So much the better for those who hate receiving sets crushed during transport.

The contents of the set are very quickly assembled with a yellow Tesla-looking taxi and four minifigs provided: Black Panther in a version already seen in the set 76212 Shuri's Lab (€9.99), two Outriders introduced in 2023 in the set 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda and a taxi driver who uses a very common head as well as the torso of Harry Potter delivered in the set 76405 Hogwarts Express Collector's Edition.

Note the presence of a cap bearing the Avengers logo identical to the one worn by Kevin Feige in the large set associated with this promotional product and the absence of stickers in this box, all the patterned elements being pad printed. The two windshields used by the vehicle are obviously a little scratched upon unpacking, no pleasant surprises there.

The good idea of ​​the product: the possibility of staging Black Panther on the roof of the taxi thanks to the transparent parts provided and the presence of supports for the two Outriders. This is in line with the possibilities for dynamic presentation of the different characters offered in the set 76269 Avengers Tower.

It will be up to everyone to see if they should fall for the LEGO Marvel set 76269 Avengers Tower from its launch at the public price of €499.99 to be offered this little extension which should have been in the box or if it is better to try to obtain this set via the secondary market which should not fail to be quickly flooded with proposals.

The content of this promotional product therefore seems rather convincing to me overall with four figurines provided, no stickers and a little construction, it's up to you to see if all this is enough to make the pill pass more easily.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at November 27, 2023 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.

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