The announcement and then the marketing of a new set from the LEGO Star Wars range Ultimate Collector Series is always an event for the fans. This year it's the LEGO Star Wars set 75181 UCS Y-Wing Starfighter (1967 pieces - 199.99 €) which has the honors of May 4.

LEGO-style representations of the Y-Wing are not lacking in the LEGO catalog with already five classic sets and two UCS models. Collectors who own the set 10134 UCS Y-Wing Attack Starfighter (1485 pieces) marketed in 2004 are probably wondering if the new reference is a real evolution of the model or a simple opportunistic remake. I think in my case that the 2018 version is much more successful than that of the 2004 set.

I know that those who have sometimes spent a fortune to acquire an old set often take a dim view of these "reissues" and are even willing to show a little bad faith to reassure themselves ... Here , the simple fact that the trim of the boosters is finally (almost) circular instead of being cubic is enough in my eyes to put the 2004 reference out of play.

There is no question here of trying to convince yourself to spend € 200 on this pure exhibition product. Star Wars fans and other die-hard collectors will quickly add this Y-Wing to their shelves while others gaze distractedly and wary at this somewhat expensive mockup. Everyone will have an opinion on the interest of this product which targets a particular segment of customers.

I will spare you the various stages of construction, there is nothing here that is really original or exceptionally innovative. Those who will acquire this box will however take great pleasure in assembling this Y-Wing which gradually takes shape over the stages despite a few repetitive phases.

Nice use of the wheels of the Clone Turbo Tank (75151), here in Medium Stone Gray, in back. The rendering is more convincing than with the white rims present on the 2004 version.

The use of bare Technic axes for the extension of the motors is also welcome. Despite the impression of fragility of this part of the model, the model does not come apart if the parts are well fitted together. It is not designed to play with anyway and it is still prettier than the white tubes of the previous model.

I specify that the model is really very stable on its modular base to present the Y-Wing from different angles depending on your mood of the day. It doesn't rock dangerously.

As with other sets where the many surface details are made up of a multitude of small parts (the greebs), you have to be patient and precise not to miss anything over the pages of the instruction booklet.
And even if you place a specific part in the wrong place, that's okay, it's the organized disorder of these different elements that gives the final rendering to the model.

No parts in Dark Red too visible to dress the outside of the body of the vessel here, and that's good. The visual sobriety of this new model reinforces the high-end model effect. The 2004 Y-Wing always struck me as way too colorful.

You get a little bored during the engine assembly phase, which logically requires you to duplicate many elements. LEGO had the good idea to propose a different order for the phase of greebling of each of the motors, which helps to break up the monotony of this stage of the assembly.

The two boosters finally display curves faithful to those of the model seen in the film. Exit the cubic rendering of the 2004 engines, the designer has applied himself here so that the result is really convincing.

Bonus for convenient storage, both boosters can be removed quickly without breaking everything. This will avoid a complete disassembly when the set has gathered dust for too long and it is time to expose another ship.

The designer has also endeavored to provide a sufficiently substantial covering for the lower part of the vessel, with the added bonus of three retractable landing gears which allow the model to be laid flat in a realistic manner. Unlike the 2004 version, the boosters are dressed on all four sides. As usual, no one is going to exhibit this Y-Wing upside down, but just knowing that the ship is properly finished on all sides will be enough to make its owner happy.

We are talking here about an exhibition product for collectors, impossible to hide once again the presence of stickers in this box sold for 199.99 €. There is still no valid excuse to justify using these stickers on the sides of the canopy, inside the cockpit and on the cabin of a high-end set when LEGO makes the effort to pad print all the contents of sets from the LEGO Juniors range.

The luxury impression that emerges from the set, with its pretty box inside which we find a second white box in the spirit of those seen in the set 75192 UCS Millennium Falcon, its rich documentation with a few pages devoted to the reference vessel and the work of designers and its high public price, is simply spoiled by the discovery of the sheet of stickers.

LEGO has provided a small wheel placed just behind the cockpit that allows you to turn the two ion cannons placed on the back of the canopy. It's a bit superfluous, but we're not going to complain about having a second "feature" in addition to the retractable landing gear, no matter how futile.

On the cockpit side, LEGO has remained on the solution used until now for all representations of the canopy. It's far from being faithful to the version seen in the film, but we make do with it. The canopy of the model is pad printed on the top and the front. Two stickers come to dress the sides. Too bad.

Small nice detail: the aiming device integrated in the cockpit which comes to fall back on the face of the minifig.

To accompany this model, LEGO delivers two minifigures: Jon "Dutch" Vander alias Gold Leader and the astromech droid R2-BHD.
Let's not sulk, a character already present in several copies in the LEGO inventory but delivered here in a new combination of parts is always good to take. A droid seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story also.

Collectors will have recognized the outfit of Zin Evalon, the young Y-Wing pilot delivered with the book LEGO Star Wars Build Your Own Adventure or that of Theron Nett delivered in the Microfighters set 75032 X-Wing Fighter.
The head is that of many pilots in the LEGO Star Wars universe. She is notably used for Dak Ralter (75049), Will Scotian (75144), Zev Senesca (75144), Wedge Antilles (75098), Wes Janson (75098) and a few others.

The droid dome is new, the body was already used in the set 75172 Y-Wing Starfighter (2017) for the droid R3-S1.

If you have a little trouble with the big stickers that dress the presentation plate of the sets in the range Ultimate Collector Series, here's what to get rid of the headache: Spray a little window cleaning product on the black plate, apply the sticker without worrying about the alignment at first then correct the shot.
Evacuate any air bubbles with a cloth, let dry and you're done. Do not smooth the sticker with the edge of your VIP card, you will scratch the surface of the sticker.

No need to philosophize for hours, this set will find its audience only among fans of LEGO and Star Wars who appreciate these very detailed models. I know that some only collect stamped boxes Ultimate Collector Series.
As far as I'm concerned, I say yes without hesitation. The model is a nice evolution of the 2004 version, it's detailed without pouring into the overly exuberant color mix of its predecessor and it's more of a modern reinterpretation of the Y-Wing than a lazy remake. You no longer have any excuse to spend double the price of this new set to treat yourself to the old version.

If you want to treat yourself, it's right now and it's on the LEGO Shop or in the LEGO Stores that it happens.

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 May 11 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.

We end the cycle of mini-reviews of LEGO Juniors The Incredibles 2 sets with the reference 10761 The Great Home Escape (178 pieces - 34.99 €). This box allows to complete the Parr family with three new members who face here the villain of service, simply (and logically) called "The Brick".

In the box, enough to assemble the "house" of the Parr family with a large bay window, a control panel hidden behind the fireplace, a slide, a swimming pool, a deckchair and some accessories to have a little fun. The only vehicle provided is that of Brick, it is equipped with a catapult which allows to throw bricks.

Nothing very complicated here, two thick base plates for the living room, a bay window with three leaves, a simplified chassis for the car, it's Juniors. This playset is in my opinion nothing exceptional but the endowment in characters raises the level a little.

Among the pad printed parts delivered in this box, the front of the car, the base of the phone with the license logo and the control panel also adorned with a small logo.

LEGO provides here the villain of service and the three children of the Parr family: Violet (Violet), Dash (Arrow) and the youngest Jack-Jack.

The Brick minifigure is quite successful, with a nice pad printing on both sides of the torso and hair already seen in many CITY sets or on Alicia (Friends), Black Widow and Supergirl's heads but delivered here in one color unpublished.

Violet has here an accessory that materializes the force field that she can project on her enemies. Dash has the ability to move very quickly, which obviously the minifigure will not be able to do with its jointless legs.

The star of the set is obviously Jack-Jack, a figurine that uses the piece already seen, especially in the sets 10255 Assembly Square (2016) et 60134 Fun at the Park (2016), in a collectible minifig series 16 bag (2016) and soon available again as part of the LEGO CITY set 60202 Outdoor Adventures.

The head used here is new (ref. 6222872), it now has a neck which in my opinion is welcome and which gives the figurine a little more allure.

It's hard to do better to portray young Jack-Jack, even though he lacks the character's signature lock of hair. It's a shame, especially since the head has an open tenon that could have received a small piece of flexible plastic to make the figure appear less generic.
No logo on the kid's chest, it's consistent with the character's outfit in the animated film, but at least one black line is missing to materialize the neckline of the pajamas.

Pity that Frozone is absent from these sets, the character would have deserved his minifigure.

Note that the completists will not be able to do without one of the two versions of Hélène Parr: The two double-sided facial expressions are different on each of the minifigs.
The Parr family is now complete as long as you spend the modest sum of € 94.97 ... It is currently necessary to invest nearly € 55 on Bricklink (without shipping costs) to collect the six figures. It's up to you.

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 May 10 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.

We continue today with the LEGO set Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom 75933 T. rex Transport (609 pieces - 74.99 €) which is marketed directly by LEGO and which is also exclusive to Toys R Us (69.99 €).

The particularity of this set is that LEGO having chosen to use the T-Rex mold already seen in two sets of the Dino range marketed in 2012, 5886 T-Rex Hunter et 5887 Dino Defense HQ and obviously in the Jurassic World set 75918 T-Rex Tracker (2015), the truck was built around the dinosaur. I am exaggerating, but I must not be far from the truth.

The truck is also rather successful, but in my opinion it is not at all suitable for transporting such a creature. In what world would a T-Rex of this size sit wisely in its undersized trailer with a very high center of gravity without tipping it over and without destroying the driver's cabin with a jaw?

This truck is far too small to properly perform its mission but the scale gap between the dino and the transport truck here helps make the T-Rex a more impressive one. This is undoubtedly what LEGO wanted to achieve with this rendering chibi of the truck.

Let's stay positive: If we forget the scale problem, the truck is still more interesting than the shapeless machine seen in the set 75918 T-Rex Tracker marketed in 2015.
I guess the dinosaur is loaded with a crane, access to the trailer is only possible from the sides and I doubt a pissed off T-Rex will agree to wisely come and pull over so the guards can close the side panels .

The two side panels of the trailer can also be opened, it is always that taken and we obtain a kind of platform undoubtedly exploitable for other staging out of your imagination. The tractor can be detached and LEGO has provided a retractable stand so the trailer can stay in place.
As a whole, the truck is neutral enough to be used for example on a construction site in a CITY diorama. There is no logo on the trailer and the few stickers present do not directly associate the vehicle with the Jurassic World universe.

In addition to the truck, LEGO provides a small mobile lab with a computer for sequencing dinos' DNA, the side panels of which fold up for easy transport.
The problem is that there is no place to store this lab in the truck. You can still put it in the trailer, but the T-Rex probably won't agree to share the little space it has with this accessory. I would have gladly done without this small construction against a reduction in the public price of the set.

The only identified character delivered in this box is Zia Rodriguez, the film's veterinarian, played on screen by actress Danielle Pineda.
Nice pad printing on the torso of the minifig with a t-shirt bearing the DPG logo (Dinosaur Protection Group). The legs are also very detailed: They are molded in two colors with a white pad printed band on three sides at the level of the feet. The face of the minifigure is successful, we find the big red glasses worn by the actress in the film. For the hair, it is more questionable.

Usual outfit already seen in several other sets of the range for the two goalkeepers with some accessories to vary appearances.

Finally, LEGO delivers here a variant with lighter tones of the T-Rex already seen in the sets mentioned above. Collectors will be delighted. As a bonus, we get a baby green dino also available in the set 75931 Dilophosaurus Outpost Attack.

In the end, a set with a vehicle and a big dino, it's always good to take (on sale). The endowment in minifigs is in my opinion a little light for 74.99 € and a second important character of the cast would have been welcome.

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 May 10 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.

The and 10760 Underminer's Bank Heist (149 pieces - 32.99 €) is the second of three sets in the LEGO Juniors range based on the animated film The Incredibles 2. It will allow the youngest to reproduce a scene from the film and collectors to complete a part of the family Parr.

Here, it is the Demolisseur (Underminer) who gives a hard time to Robert "Bob" Parr and Hélène Parr alias Mr. and Mrs. Indestructible. There is plenty of fun with two vehicles, the tunnel boring machine and the Incredimobile, a safe to break through, banknotes and jewels to steal and a street corner that will complement the scene.

As usual in sets from the LEGO Juniors range, the two vehicles are assembled in a matter of minutes. Their chassis is a massive block on which are grafted some parts for a quick assembly and immediate playability.

Other than the blue lines and the red circle on the hood, the Incredimobile provided here has little to do with the vehicle seen in the animated film, LEGO could have made an effort to come up with a more faithful model.

Note that if the content of sets in the LEGO Juniors range is simplified to the extreme to allow the youngest to discover the LEGO universe System, the instructions are also much more detailed and didactic than those of the classic sets.

As usual, no stickers to stick in this box which allows you to obtain some pretty pad printed pieces including a wanted notice for Underminer, a safe door, a clock and three banknotes. It's always taken.

On the minifig side, this set allows you to get Underminer with his miner's helmet that made the heyday of the CITY range in 2012 and his oversized fists seen in many sets of Legends of Chima, Nexo Knights or Super Heroes.

Robert and Hélène Parr are entitled to two-color molded arms and legs, and Bob's minifig is different from the one seen in the Disney collectible minifig series (ref. Lego 71012). The orange belt is now pad printed directly on the torso instead of being placed on the hips.

The two facial expressions of Hélène Parr are here different from those of the minifigure of the set 10759 Elastigirl's Rooftop Pursuit.

We can discuss the choice of minifig format for Bob. The character might have deserved to be represented as a bigfig to keep the proportions seen on the screen: He is much taller than his wife and the minifigure does not really pay tribute to the man's muscles.

This set offers a lot of fun (a good chase, it's always fun ...) and the assembly phase is a little more consistent than for the set 10759 Elastigirl's Rooftop Pursuit. It is in my opinion the most fun of the three sets that are marketed. There is still € 32.90 for Mr and Mrs Parr, it's a bit expensive ...

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 May 9 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.

With the Juniors range, LEGO has invented the transition product for children accustomed to large DUPLO bricks who are old enough to switch to parts System. On the price side, parents will already be used to the high public prices of DUPLO sets and we do not change a winning team ...

Three new LEGO Juniors boxes and a pack of two characters in BrickHeadz format (41613 Mr Incredible & Frozone) are marketed around the release of the movie The Incredibles 2 (The Incredibles 2). No "classic" sets. This is quite logical considering that the main target of these derivatives are very young children.

LEGO sent me the three LEGO Juniors sets in question, so it's an opportunity to take a tour of these three boxes that offer something to bring together the entire Parr family.
Those who collect only minifigs also probably already have Mr Incredible (Mr Indestructible) and Syndrome, two characters present in the bags of the Disney minifig series (ref. Lego 71012). They will find in these different boxes something to expand their collections.

So we start today with the set 10759 Elastigirl's Rooftop Pursuit (95 pieces - 26.99 €) which allows you to obtain Helene Parr in her costume of Elastigirl and Screenslaver, a villain who hypnotizes his victims using the rotor of his helicopter. Elastigirl has her own ... Elasticycle, obviously. The fairing already seen in the LEGO Ninjago set 70638 Katana V11 (2018) is provided here in Medium Stone Gray.

As usual in the LEGO Juniors line, the content is sold as "easy to build". To put it mildly, it looks like a Happy Meal toy with the meta-pieces that make up the skeleton of the various vehicles. But this is the concept intended by LEGO and it is indicated roughly on the box.
For those who do not yet know, there are no stickers in these sets, everything is pad printed.

If you are over 5 years old, the set will be assembled in five minutes flat, including the coffee break. The end result is very honest with two protagonists, two vehicles, a helipad and even a laptop and a walkie talkie. There is plenty of fun, that's the purpose of this box.

The Elastigirl minifig delivered in this box is equipped with flexible plastic arms which cross the torso of the figurine on the same principle as Ms. Marvel in the set 76076 Captain America Jet Pursuit. For those who do not have the Ms. Marvel minifigure, know that you can slide the tube to one side or another to lengthen or shorten one arm (and therefore logically shorten or lengthen the other ... ). This tube is not removable and LEGO does not provide conventional arms.

We will appreciate the legs of Elastigirl molded in two colors and the new reusable hair for other female characters but we will regret the absence of pad printing on the back of the various members of the Parr family. The orange belt materialized on the front of the torso would have deserved to be printed also on the back. We will do with it.

You won't see Screenslaver's face here, you'll find out why later. The characters' legs are in Pearl Dark Gray, they are also present in the LEGO Star Wars sets 75190 First Order Star Destroyer et 75201 First Order AT-ST or in the LEGO Marvel set 76103 Corvus Glaive Thresher Attack.
If you're only targeting members of the Parr family, you can skip this set. Hélène Parr is also delivered in another box, with standard arms.

26.99 € is a bit expensive for two minifigs and a few coins. A third character would have been welcome. But as the other would say: when you love, you don't count (or so little) ...

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 May 9 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.