LEGO having had the good idea to send me a copy of the set 21311 LEGO Ideas Voltron Defender of the Universe, I therefore suggest that you set off on a discovery of this giant robot of 2321 pieces sold for € 199.99 which will certainly find its audience across the Atlantic but which may leave a number of French LEGO fans a little indifferent.

As far as I'm concerned, my younger years were filled with episodes of Grendizer, G-Force, Spectreman, Bioman, Albator, Cobra, Cosmocats or even Masters of the Universe, but I didn't I have absolutely no memory of the Voltron series which was however broadcast on Antenne 2 in 1988 in the program Hot ice cubes!... I also haven't watched the new version of the series online on Netflix.

That being said, even if the subject doesn't bother me, I have to admit that this set is not without interest. A giant LEGO robot based on lion-robots that assemble? I say why not. The promised modular aspect caught my attention and I was not disappointed on this point.

LEGO had the good idea to include six instruction booklets in the box. A booklet for each lion and separate instructions for assembling the five lions together to get the massive robot. In addition to the symbolic aspect of this distribution of the assembly phases, this set of booklets allows you to share the assembly of the set with others. Everyone assembles a lion, and we put it all together for Voltron to take shape.

Over the assembly sequences of the different lions, we quickly understand that the main objective of the designers is indeed the final robot and that everything is motivated by the constraints of the weight of the robot and the connection of the different elements between them. The different lions are quickly put together with basic points of articulation that will ultimately only serve to place the limbs in the correct position for the final reunion.

I looked for some visuals of the other toys replicating the robot from the animated series and have to say the lions are quite successful and don't have to blush at the ones sold by Bandai, Toynami or the copy called LionBot that made the heyday of many kids in the 80s.

These different lions are in any case not intended to be exhibited as is, the whole point of the set lies in their assembly to obtain an imposing robot nearly 50 centimeters high.

If the 16 Tiles rounds on the joints of the lions' legs are pad printed, there are still some stickers in this set, exactly five. They are used to identify the different lions by their respective numbers.

In the official video presentation of the set by the designers, they claim that these stickers are present to allow fans who want to get a faithful version of the robot from the original Japanese series (Beast King Go Lion) not to apply them. It's up to you to see if you are convinced or not by this explanation.

The most interesting is the sequence of connecting lions to each other. Each lion reveals all its modularity over the pages of the final instruction booklet and it is a real pleasure to set up the arms and legs of Voltron which will come to connect to the torso, embodied by the lion N ° 1. Lions 2 and 3 form the robot's arms, and Lions 4 and 5 represent Voltron's lower legs and feet.

At first glance, both feet appear to lack stability when brought into their final position but not yet connected to the torso. The problem will be quickly resolved by the fixed angle of the two legs of Voltron ...

If, while younger, you have had in your hands licensed Transformers or Power Rangers toys, here you will find the pleasure of modifying the original shape of a vehicle, a ship or a robot animal so that 'it takes its place in a more global context.

We pick up, we turn, we rock, we clip, everything is there. It is truly a pleasure to bring Voltron into being using the various items provided. Everything fits together perfectly, the end result is solid and easy to handle and the different modules do not come off unexpectedly. Well done to the designers for that.

We also assemble the sword and shield of Voltron. Nothing complicated here, we get some new pieces in passing. Silver Ink which will make MOCeurs happy. It's worse than chrome, but it shines almost as well. Too bad Voltron's sword isn't double-sided. It will be necessary to choose its orientation according to the angle of exposure of the robot to hide the somewhat unsightly back of this accessory.

The handle of the sword must be modified to put the latter in the hands of the robots via two Technic pins. Voltron's hands are fixed and do not feature real fingers.

When Voltron is finally assembled, this is where the going gets tough. The head and arms can be oriented in different positions, but the robot's wrists, waist and legs remain disconcertingly rigid. Impossible to modify the angle of the thighs or the knees to present for example Voltron with a knee on the ground or to put it in phase of displacement. Even the size is fixed, impossible to orient the bust of the robot in a position other than that envisaged by the designers.

The rear of the robot is logically less attractive, but it's LEGO and we'll do with it. No one will display Voltron from behind on their shelf ...

This lack of joints makes this toy a pure derivative product intended exclusively for exhibition. Contrary to what LEGO claims in the official product description, it will be difficult to "... reenact compelling stories from the original 1980s animated TV series Voltron and the modern DreamWorks series Voltron: The Legendary Defender ...."with this robot a little too rigid for my taste. So it's up to everyone to see if this very static Voltron deserves a place on a shelf.

A support with a nice sticker presenting the series would have been welcome, as much to push the concept of the exhibition product to the end. LEGO probably wanted to maintain the ambiguity about this toy which is not really one but which could still appeal to young fans of the new animated series airing on Netflix.

Finally, I must admit that I let myself be taken on by the final assembly phase of the robot which took me back many years, even if Voltron does not mean anything to me and I would have preferred a Grendizer. So I want to be indulgent with the few flaws of this set which are largely offset by the pleasure of the construction and the vintage side of the whole. I say yes, for the half hour of nostalgia offered by the clicks of the modular lions.

Since it's unlikely that LEGO will ever release a version of Grendizer, Voltron will do, but I'll wait until I find this box a little cheaper. I would have spent 200 € without hesitation on Grendizer, I will not do it for Voltron.

The LEGO Ideas set 21311 Voltron Defender of the Universe will be available as a VIP preview from July 23 on the LEGO Shop and in the LEGO Stores.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before July 31 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

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.

This will be the only box marketed by LEGO to accompany the release of the film Ant-Man & The Wasp: the small set 76109 Quantum Realm Explorers (200 pieces - 26.99 €) that I tested for you and which does not contain only good surprises.

At first glance, this box has it all with the two heroes of the film, the villain on duty and an original vehicle. If I usually criticize the machines delivered in the LEGO Super Heroes boxes for serving as an alibi to sell us some pretty minifigs, it's the opposite in this set.

Le Quantum Sub delivered in this small box of 200 pieces saves the furniture. It is compact, solid and original with its cockpit bubble around which the two transparent domes are closed. It also seems rather faithful to the model of the film, which does not spoil anything.

The machine makes several appearances in the various trailers of the film published so far and it is therefore possible to try to compare the LEGO version with the vehicle of the film. The 76109 set model therefore seems really up to the task, with a sufficient level of detail and an overall look that makes it believable.

The youngest will have at their disposal two Stud Shooters discreetly integrated into the skids of the machine. The side thrusters are mobile and can be oriented to suit your mood.

I am less a fan of the use of barrels for reactors, I feel like I have already seen this designer tip too much even if these parts do the trick here.

There are half a dozen stickers in this box, but the two side windows are pad printed. Thanks for that. The machine will also be doing well without the stickers provided.

The problem with the 76109 Quantum Realm Explorers set lies elsewhere. You guessed it, these are the minifigs I'm talking about and it's all in the details.

While Ant-Man's outfit is true to the character's costume in the movie, the helmet is far from doing the job. This is the same one seen in 2015 in the set 76039 Marvel's Ant-Man Final Battle and this is not a reproduction of the helmet worn by Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) in the upcoming film of which set 76109 claims to be a derivative.

Regarding Hope Van Dyne aka The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), it's worse: The helmet worn by the minifigure is the piece already on Iron Man's head (76077 Iron Man: Detroit Steel Strikes), Vulture (76083 Beware the Vulture) or Rinzler in the LEGO Ideas set 21314 TRON Legacy.

It's rude, oversized and pad printing is no illusion. Funny detail: The provided head displays two different expressions which will never be exposed anyway, the visor being fictitious ... Regarding the character's outfit, I do not find in the trailers the golden color present on the costume of the minifig and you will have noticed that I am not even talking about the wings ...

The results are eloquent: Two of the three characters provided in this box are in a configuration that does not really meet my expectations as a demanding fan. Too bad.

The third minifigure delivered in this box is quite successful. The Ava / Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) costume is correctly reproduced even though the hood would have deserved a new piece. If you feel like it, the included head can be placed to reveal the character's face.

This is the whole problem with this set, the designer seems to have limited the costs by reusing a maximum of existing pieces to the detriment of the fidelity of the different elements. Some approximations are always forgivable, but now it starts to show ...

We must already be content with a single set around this film whose pitch still offers many possibilities by playing on the different scales (The Pez Hello Kitty distributor!) As the set did very well. 76039 Marvel's Ant-Man Final Battle in due course, if the result is a little too lazy to convince, how not to be disappointed?

You'll have to live with it, this set is the only derivative product based on the Ant-Man & The Wasp movie and it's relatively affordable even if Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne deserved better.

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before July 2 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

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 interested in the set 40305 Microscale LEGO Brand Store (362 pieces - 24.99 €) which promises to be able to assemble a LEGO Store "supplied with modular building sections that you can modify to create your own store".

When the first visuals of this set were available, many people logically thought of a promotional product that would be offered by LEGO in the months to come. This is not the case, you have to go to the cashier to afford this box.

Everyone who has been to an official store of the brand at least once will be on familiar ground here. Most of the characteristic attributes of these LEGO Stores are indeed reproduced with shelves lined with sets, a wall Pick & Build, the islands placed in the center of the store, some models displayed in the window, a counter with a cash register, etc ...

The only notable problem is that this LEGO Store is delivered without a seller. LEGO does provide two customers, a father and son (or an AFOL and a young fan), but there isn't a shadow of an employee to help them with their shopping and ask them to pay before they leave. places.

On the other hand, LEGO did not forget to place an ATM on the outside wall of the shop. Thanks for the reminder. In order to push realism to the limit, LEGO could have provided one or two banknotes ...

This 15 cm high shop will easily find its place in a mini-city based on Creator 3in1 models but it will have a little trouble fitting into a street based on Modulars whose two-story buildings are about thirty centimeters high.

Small detail very successful: The roof covering with the reproduction of the tenons of a 4x2 yellow brick.

Another detail, less successful: The sign is a simple sticker. LEGO pad prints its own logo all year round on all kinds of media and doesn't even bother to do it for the sign of one of its shops in a € 25 box. Sorry.

Half a dozen stickers dress the different micro-sets placed on the shelves of the store, they are rather simplistic but we still find the logos of the CITY, Creator, Friends and Juniors ranges. It's minimalist, but sufficient.
Regarding the wall Pick & Build, no sticker to dress this space as was the case in the poly bag VIP 40178 offered in 2017.

It is impossible to rationally explain the absence of at least one LEGO employee with a logo on his chest or back. A theory: This is a simple store under the LEGO license as there are in some countries. The sellers are therefore probably not always dressed in the usual outfit and the adult provided can act as a seller responsible for advising the young fan who has come to buy a set. As I often say, your imagination will do the rest.

If you want to add a seller and you have in your possession the poly bag VIP 40178 or the set 5005358 Minifigure Factory offered this year, the supplied minifig will do the trick.
If you collect the various existing LEGO Stores, this set will join the references 3300003 (2012) and 40145 (2014) offered so far on the occasion of the opening of the various official stores.

There is nothing to discuss for long hours on this box which, if it had been offered on condition of purchase, would have been worthy of interest. At € 24.99, it's expensive to pay for a self-promotion product.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before June 24 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

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.

Make room in your garage, the Bugatti Chiron joins the Porsche 911 GT3 RS from set 42056!
The recipe is the same for this new set LEGO Technic 42083 Bugatti Chiron (3599 pieces - 379.99 €) which aims to be a global experience in the same spirit, starting with its luxurious packaging.

Since the announcement of the set, you have had plenty of time to form your opinion. So I'm not going to overdo it, so I'll just give you a few impressions as usual. If you have planned to buy the set, you will find out more in detail and for yourself what it has in store for you in terms of assembly.

As for the Porsche RS 911 GT3, this set seems at first glance to appeal to a much larger audience than regulars of the LEGO Technic range.
But if the Porsche had for it to be a "achievable" dream vehicle (from 155.000 euros in your favorite garage), the Bugatti Chiron, which borrows its name from the driver Louis Chiron, is reserved for a privileged few who have the skills. means (and the desire) to afford this exceptional car by paying 2.4 million euros.

It is therefore logically more difficult to find in the LEGO version a collector's item related to one's own passion. Fans of Porsche cars who own or dream of being able to afford a model of the brand one day are mechanically more numerous than those who own a Bugatti Veyron or Chiron ...

LEGO had announced it, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS was the first model in a series of exceptional vehicles based on the same concept. the 42056 set is therefore joined this year by a Bugatti Chiron with LEGO sauce, developed in partnership with the car manufacturer.

And this partnership seems to be a little more successful than a simple exchange of licenses and logos, judging by the presence in Billund on June 1 of the CEO of Bugatti (Stephan Winkelmann), of the chief designer of the brand (Achim Anscheidt ) and a real Bugatti Chiron specially sent for the official presentation of the set. We were told about the fruitful partnership between the two brands, the many exchanges between the designers, the long months of reflection to arrive at the final product, etc ... I almost wanted to say: All that for that.

The packaging and the retail price of the thing indicate the color, this is not a lambda set that LEGO sells us, this is a very high-end product ... The pretty box with its sub- Luxurious packaging and its four wheels neatly stored in their respective locations does indeed have its small effect, but when a LEGO fan invests his money in a set, it is above all for the contents of the box, as original as it is.

We can discuss the aesthetics of the LEGO version of the vehicle for a long time. The Bugatti Chiron is a supercar with organic lines and a question inevitably arises: Should we embark on such a project and how in this case to reproduce a curvaceous vehicle with flat, rectangular and angular parts?

The French designer in charge of the project, Aurélien Rouffiange, was present at the press conference organized for the presentation of his "baby". He readily admits that the challenge was considerable and that he tried here not to alter the aesthetics of the vehicle while making the best use of all the available parts. He adds that he has also endeavored to offer an interpretation that respects both the reference vehicle and the spirit of the LEGO Technic range.

On this point, difficult to contradict, we find here a general aesthetic "in the spirit" of the Porsche of set 42056 with the same defects. Not being a big fan of the LEGO Technic range, however, I find it difficult to be satisfied with this "interpretation" in the LEGO version of the Bugatti Chiron.

There isn't much left of the fluid lines of the Chiron and we end up with a really sketchy front cover. Should we produce new meta-pieces for the occasion? I think so. A prestige set sold at 380 € was well worth the effort. Wanting to always go further in realism with the existing inventory has its limits and LEGO molds new parts in other ranges for less than that ...

The assembly phase of the chassis, the engine and the various functions is a real pleasure, even for a novice who is not necessarily used to this range. My feeling of disappointment comes mainly from the final rendering and the comparison with the vehicle that served as a reference.

The LEGO model is an illusion from certain very specific angles and in particular in profile, but not at the level of the front which is only a distant adaptation of that of the real Bugatti Chiron and which here takes on the air of an American supercar.

So playing the 7 errors game will not help here. The LEGO version hardly compares with the original model on the aesthetic level, especially at the level of the front hood whose fluid curves pass by the hatch or are embodied by simple pipes and flexible axes. Your imagination will do the rest ...

The gray flexible pipes used to form the characteristic metallic curve that dresses the sides of the vehicle also look more like a lazy shortcut than a true find from an inspired designer and I believe many of us will find that it is the rear. of the vehicle that is ultimately the most successful.

I'm not going to repeat the usual spiel on the subject, but let's not forget the essential stickers present in this box, some of them are badly printed on my copy. They must therefore be glued by offsetting them to obtain a correct result.

More laughable, the interior trim of the doors and the front shelf are here embodied by horrible vaguely stylized stickers. Finding extenuating circumstances in LEGO on this point is no longer the order of the day and the manufacturer ruins all his efforts by throwing these stickers at the bottom of the box.

Everyone will judge the final result, but it is LEGO which has embarked on this adventure and which today submits to the appreciation of its customers a product seeking to appeal to a much larger audience than crane enthusiasts and others. backhoe loaders with gears.

What if this LEGO version Bugatti Chiron had much more to offer than a somewhat lost attempt at reproducing a vehicle with such a distinctive design?

Judging by the reactions of specialists in the LEGO Technic universe, the designer has clearly outdone himself in the design of the W16 engine which is on the real Chiron consisting of two VR8 blocks arranged at 90 degrees on the same crankshaft.
However, the latter becomes in a LEGO version a three-crankshaft engine with a V8 and two L4 engines (4 cylinders in line) placed below ... It will be noted that the scale of the model and the inventory of available parts probably did not allow not to reproduce the original engine. Too bad for the fidelity to the original model, however praised all day long by the various speakers during the press conference.

Car enthusiasts will also have noted that LEGO has offered the luxury of adding an additional speed to the 8-speed gearbox of the LEGO model, the real Bugatti Chiron having only 7 gears ...

In short, these few freedoms aside, the technical sub-assemblies will give you value for your money. You will obviously have to be satisfied with the construction phase to appreciate these different elements using a few new parts, they will not be really visible when the model is fully assembled.

You can then have a little fun by opening the doors, turning the steering wheel, shifting forward or reverse and changing gears using the paddles placed on either side of the steering wheel, if you can reach them.

The whole vehicle is almost flawless in its solidity. Only doors fixed to a single hinge are much less rigid, especially when they are open. Too bad for a model at this price. On my copy, however, I did not notice the problem with the return of suspension mentioned by other owners of the set.

As a bonus, LEGO includes in the box what to assemble the Speed ​​Key provided by Bugatti to its customers. In real life, this key activates the mode Top Speed to exceed 380 km / h.

At LEGO it is used to deploy the rear spoiler (which can also simply be raised by hand) by sliding it between the fender and the wheel. It's cute, but it doesn't make my day unlike all those who rave about this detail as if to hide the big aesthetic flaw of the set.

I even made a short video for you to show you the thing in action, just to divert your attention:

When I said above that this type of set is not only for fans of the LEGO Technic range, I already knew that this is only partly true. This Bugatti Chiron is not really the ultimate model with impeccable aesthetics that could appeal to fans of LEGO models to display ready to spend 380 € and it is not the few digital bonuses to download thanks to the unique code provided in the set that will make me change my mind ...

Fans of the LEGO Technic range will likely find something to their liking with intricate sub-assemblies, a few new elements and an assembly process that pays homage to the techniques used by Bugatti in its factories.

However, they may be disappointed by the fact that all the mechanics at work are not accessible or visible. As usual, there will always be those who like to know it's there, even if it can't be seen.

Those I met during the official presentation of the set seemed convinced by the technical part of the model. On the other hand, there was also a consensus regarding the hazardous aesthetics of the thing on certain details which nevertheless make the real Chiron an exceptional vehicle.

Those who have invested in the 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 Rs set and who have vowed to continue collecting vehicles marketed in the same format and on the same 1: 8 scale will no doubt make the effort to acquire this new set.

As always, you will always find someone to show indulgence towards LEGO and explain to you that this set is a real success, that it is in the spirit, that we could hardly do better, that the rims are pretty, that the box is nice, etc ...

As far as I'm concerned, I remain in my position: The vehicle provided in this box only looks very much like a scale model of the real Bugatti Chiron and yet that's what LEGO wants to sell us. Even though the mechanical sub-elements provide a very pleasant assembly experience, the overall aesthetic of the model is not convincing enough to deserve my 380 €.

Like the Porsche from set 42056, this Bugatti Chiron a little too expensive for what it has to offer will sooner or later end up at rock bottom at amazon and a few others. If you hesitate to buy yourself this box, wait at least next August 1, then it will certainly be available around € 300.

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before June 24 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

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.

It's a little late that I finally take the time to take a look at the LEGO 40291 Creative Storybook set currently offered from € 65 purchase on the LEGO Shop and in the LEGO Stores.

LEGO sent me a copy, just to be able to make you want to go spend your money on the official store, and I must admit that this small set of 370 pieces does not usurp its name of "Creative book".

This is a product that has much more to offer than it seems thanks to its "modular" design. The two scenes placed on the pages of the book are indeed easily removable and replaceable by other outputs of your imagination. The instruction booklet also gives some examples of scenes that can be produced on a 6x8 plate which then suffices to place in the space provided.

The basic book, simple but nicely executed, will therefore be customizable according to your interests and your desires.

For this model featuring the Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, LEGO delivers a pretty Tile pad printed which can also easily be replaced by a neutral version if you decide to change the two scenes delivered as standard.

For those who are wondering or who have not yet opened and assembled their copy, the book does not close. The amplitude of the opening is anecdotal and the set will only be presentable in the planned configuration. The two flaps of the book are also not covered with Tiles and the section benefits from a relatively basic dressing.

In the box, LEGO delivers two minifigs with a probably very approximate representation of the writer and a young boy whose torso appears in many sets whose references 21310 Old Fishing Store, 10261 Roller Coaster or even 31084 Pirates Roller Coaster.

Congratulations to LEGO for this very original creation which opens the door to many possibilities for customization. More than the basic content, it is this relative modularity that is in my eyes to be applauded here.

It cannot be ruled out that LEGO will offer other versions of the product in the future, with some new personalities staged for the occasion. In the meantime, let your imagination work.

This box is currently offered from 65 € of purchase on the LEGO Shop and in the LEGO Stores. The offer is in theory valid until June 24, but its duration is as usual subject to the available stock.

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before June 19 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

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.