Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Harry Potter set 76399 Hogwarts Magical Trunk, a box of 603 pieces sold at the public price of €59.99 since March 1, 2022. The product is original enough to stand out among the usual sets, so it remains to be checked that the small trunk keeps the promise made by LEGO to 'get a product that "...has a magical mix of locations and characters to customize...".

We quickly realize that the trunk, which seemed more imposing to me on the official visuals and the packaging of the product, is in fact only a very small box 17 cm long, 7 cm wide and 6 cm high. high. The object assembly is quickly shipped with symmetrical or mirrored sub-assemblies that will form the shell, a road plate Dark Tan for the bottom, a closing mechanism with a unique hook attached to a Turntable on the front and it's over.

The trunk can then be customized in the colors of your favorite house, LEGO provides all the necessary parts for each of the four combinations. This dressing is only present at the front of the box, the other three sides will remain identical. You can then choose between the three interior layouts offered: the sorting ceremony with the Sorting Hat, the start of the year party and the common room.

Assembling the furniture that will serve as a backdrop for the various proposed scenes is a little more fun. Some elements are designed to have two different sides which will be used in one or other of the settings and will also serve as the back of the trunk: the bookcase with the hourglasses of the Four Houses Cup on the other side , the cupboards with walls flanked by candles on the other side or the fireplace with a neutral wall on the back.

The other pieces of furniture will have to be dismantled and then reassembled to adapt them to the setting in question: the purple sofa, for example, turns into a pair of armchairs to put in front of the chess game hidden under the starting piece of furniture and the tables of the Great Hall with their benches become a bed and a desk.

Under the two tables to disassemble you will also find something to dress the beds in the colors of the chosen house. The product is therefore "modular" but you will have to keep the instructions handy or learn the different modifications by heart before going on vacation with the object under your arm.

It was undoubtedly inevitable, the possibilities of personalization promised pass in particular here by two enormous sheets of stickers with a total of sixty stickers including eight which dress large flags with a neutral face based on stained glass and candles and the other face in the colors of one of the four houses. These flags are there to give a little volume to the scene, however I find the rendering a little disappointing with these four too thin panels simply attached to the sides of the box. LEGO includes a second sheet of stickers that will allow the youngest to personalize their trunk, their school notebooks or the fridge door a little more.

I rarely talk about the sets' packaging or instruction booklets, but the booklet provided here is beautifully illustrated in the style of a Hogwarts admission letter. The logo that was already present on the letter of the LEGO Harry Potter set 76391 Hogwarts Icons Collector's Edition is repeated here but the spelling mistake has fortunately been corrected on the mention "Draco dormiens nunquam titillanso"(Never tickle a sleeping dragon).

As for the minifigs, there is only Minerva McGonagall who is a character defined from the start and the figurine is identical to that of the set 76382 Hogwarts Moment: Transfiguration Class. The character is accompanied by a pretty owl which is also delivered in the set 76398 Hogwarts Hospital Wing.

The rest of the inventory allows you to choose which characters you want to stage with 5 pairs of small legs, 2 skirts, 5 different torsos, 11 heads, 17 hairs and 5 wands. Diversity is on the program and there is something for everyone with a wide range of skin colors including a new color Medium Brown, blue or pink hair, male or female faces, glasses, etc... You will have calculated it, it is only possible to assemble in all cases five complete minifigs at a time. So don't expect to fill the large room with students from the same house, it's impossible with a single torso from each of the houses in the box.

Don't expect to take the trunk, its furniture and all the parts needed to assemble the minifigures either, not everything fits in the small suitcase without forcing a little on the structure. It should also be noted that the four pieces of furniture which also serve as the back of the trunk are not fixed to the structure from above, they will sometimes tend to come off during handling.

The unmodified starting furniture can be stored with a specific layout, the lock mechanism is efficient and the box will remain securely closed during transport. For those who wonder where the ring attached to the pretty key comes from, it is an element available since 2021 in the DOTS range. If you lose the key, a simple Technic axis will suffice to open the trunk.

The set benefits from an attractive aesthetic and the highlighting of the many possibilities offered combined with a public price which remains almost reasonable will be enough to trigger the purchase. In practice, this derivative product is aimed in my opinion especially at the youngest who will be able to really exploit all the customization options offered to their heart's content.

It will be necessary to disassemble and reassemble certain sub-assemblies using the instructions in the booklet to change the scene and this little trunk will quickly no longer have much magic when it comes to deciding to modify the interior staging, but the product is original, it is well executed despite its few flaws and its price seems correct to me given the playability offered. There's actually no good reason not to make it a nice birthday present or a premium reward for a good report card.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 21, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment (something to say what) under the article to participate.

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

Today we quickly tour the LEGO Speed ​​Champions set 76908 Lamborghini Countach, a small box of 262 pieces sold at the retail price of €19.99 since March 1st. We no longer need to present the small vehicles in the Speed ​​Champions range, with their always original techniques and their aesthetics that are often successful but sometimes also a little banal due to the use of the same canopy for many models and square parts for bodywork. with often asserted curves.

The Lamborghini Countach in LEGO version uses these last two flaws to its advantage for once and that's good news. The Countach is not very young, its aesthetics testifies to it, and it made a whole generation of teenagers dream in the 80s, including yours truly. It was the sports car that was talked about in schoolyards when it came to arguing with a friend who preferred the Ferrari Testarossa.

The Countach was also one of many luxury vehicles used in the Miami Vice TV series, those who follow the series may recall a chase that featured a Countach 50000 QV and Sonny Crockett driving his fake Ferrari Daytona Spider.

All that to tell you that this vehicle sends me back a few years and that the arrival of a LEGO version makes me really happy, at least more than many others super/hyper/machine cars a bit too dark for my taste.

The LEGO version is immediately identifiable and there is no doubt from any angle: it is indeed a Countach. It's already taken when you know some products in the range that are difficult to identify without having the box on hand. White suits me, it's the color I remember. Others might have preferred a yellow (Sunstreaker) or red (Lambor) version to stick to their nostalgia for Transformers toys, a question of time and generation.

Square parts for an angular vehicle? in principle, everything should go well here given the subject matter. And in my opinion it is. Despite the limitations of the format, the designer was able to perfectly reproduce the "curves" of the vehicle and even gratifies us with some truly original techniques with angles managed in a sometimes surprising way.

I tried not to spoil too much the composition of the various sub-assemblies in the photos, but if you want to keep the element of surprise and fun intact, avoid the galleries below. The fans should in any case take pleasure in assembling this Countach which takes shape before our eyes, it was the case for me.

The usual canopy is used wisely here, and once is not custom it really looks like that of the reference vehicle. We just regret that the pad-printed white areas are "too white" compared to the rest of the bodywork, which is rather cream. Again, LEGO fails to lightly color the ink used to try to match the hue of their parts and that's unfortunate. The manufacturer is trying to attenuate the color difference a little on the official visuals, but it's even worse in real life.

No scissor doors on the LEGO version, you can't have everything on this scale. Too bad for the purists who would have liked to exhibit the vehicle with the "Lambo Doors" In the air, we will have to do without. We will also be satisfied with the classic steering wheel which is not perfectly placed in front of the driver, even if I think it is time for LEGO to imagine a more suitable solution.

The four rims are pad printed, and it's successful, the sheet of stickers is quite large but they are stickers on a transparent background whose glue is not visible on the white background of the bodywork and the rendering is therefore overall satisfactory. The headlights are as often based on stickers but here they are placed under transparent parts and the effect obtained seems satisfactory to me.

The minifigure provided is not stunning, we are satisfied with a driver with a torso flanked by the Lamborghini logo, a black helmet without patterns, hair and a key which is not out of place but whose primary purpose is to remove the hubcaps from the wheels.

The LEGO Speed ​​Champions range is often a somewhat thankless subject for designers who try their hand at the exercise and the result is sometimes a bit approximate despite all the efforts made to reproduce the vehicles concerned. For this time, I really admire the result with a Lamborghini Countach that is fun to build and pleasant to observe from every angle.

Nostalgia is no stranger to this sentiment, the Countach has long been my favorite supercar and I'm thrilled to finally be able to display one on the corner of a shelf as a reminder of the endless Lamborghini/Ferrari debates that filled my recreations.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 19, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment (something to say what) under the article to participate.

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

Today we are quickly interested in the contents of the LEGO Marvel Infinity Saga set 76209 Thor's Hammer, a box of 979 pieces sold at the public price of 119.99 € since March 1, 2022. The title of the product is sufficiently explicit, it is a question here of assembling a reproduction of Mjolnir (or Mjöllnir), the hammer of Thor.

The idea of ​​offering this iconic accessory from the Marvel universe is not bad, it remains to be verified that the final product lives up to its claims and its public price which seems to me in any case far too high. You will have seen it for yourself since the announcement of the product, the result is quite uneven with a design faithful to the reference object, a rather credible handle but a head which ignores the runes and which content with a neutral surface. No runes, but no stickers either.

Don't rely too much on assembly experience to get your money's worth: the neck is a repetitive succession of identical sub-assemblies framed by a few Technic beams and covered in brown and gray parts.

This part is assembled in a few minutes and then we move on to the internal structure of the hammer head which is also not really in the lace. A few large pieces Tiles and gray plates for the exterior texture, it is here also dispatched in a few minutes.

The hammer comes with a display stand made from new road plates which might have been a nice touch if it weren't so flimsy. We also assemble a small display that brings together the Infinity Glove with all its stones, the Tesseract already seen in this form in the set 76201 Captain Carter & The Hydra Stomper and Odin's Eternal Flame. The object is independent of the rest of the construction but it can be stored in the head of the hammer, just to add functionality to this exhibition product.

No mechanism specific to this product functionality, You will have to remove a few Tiles to slide the assembly into the head of the hammer and close the whole thing. The most complicated thing will then be to try to remove the thing later if you have connected the small display to the studs available inside by pressing hard, you will then have to shake the hammer vigorously or disassemble part of the head.

The assembly will therefore not leave you with an imperishable memory, and even if the object is ultimately rather convincing, there are not really any surprising or innovative techniques. It is on closer inspection that the defects of this product appear: There are some scratches on the parts in Reddish brown of the handle, all the gray parts are not quite the same gray and LEGO insists with its Tiles 6x6 mates flanked by a large injection point in their center.

There are 18 in this box and they are obviously all placed on the head of the hammer where they are surrounded by Tiles smaller and brighter. Those who remember the roof of the Batmobile from the LEGO Batman set 76139 1989 Batmobile know what I'm talking about Tiles should no longer be used when they must be visible and especially framed by other pieces in the same shade. In 2019, LEGO had replaced the Tile 6x6 batmobile roof mate in threes Tiles 2x6 bright and the improvement was welcome.

I am not sure that the manufacturer will one day put the cover back on this new product but I find it disappointing not to have avoided the use of this piece which no longer corresponds to the standards of collection and exhibition products sold at high prices. .

For those wondering, the hammer is strong enough to be picked up and handled. The internal structure does its job and the assembly is both very light and flawlessly rigid. We will easily play with five minutes before putting the thing back on its support. The latter is designed to accommodate the hammer in a precise position, do not expect more.

The plinth is in my opinion lacking in finish with a single layer of road plates and a few finishing pieces dotted across the surface. It also lacks a bit of inspiration and even if this element of the set is ultimately only secondary, there was probably a way to make it something a little more accomplished than a foil that just inflates the 'inventory. Note that the hammer is not fixed to the base, it can be removed at any time by grasping it by the handle.

For originality, we will console ourselves with the use of a rather convincing strap at the end of the handle. For those who don't know, the element is not new or specific to this product, it comes from the defunct LEGO VIDIYO range where it served as a carrying handle for the various BeatBoxes.

The object is intended to be displayed on a shelf as is already the case for the glove of the LEGO Marvel set 76191 Infinity Gauntlet, but LEGO makes the effort here to provide us with a minifigure of Thor to pass the public price pill. Only the torso of this minifig is new. The character's head is delivered in four boxes marketed since 2021.

When the product was announced, I was seduced by this model which seemed to me really original and accomplished. I'm less enthusiastic after putting it together, mainly due to the degraded appearance of having these Tiles 6x6 mates that spoil the aesthetics of this hammer, which is very successful.

The absence of runes on the head of the hammer is also disappointing, this plastic model of less than 1000 pieces sold for 120 € deserved in my opinion better than this somewhat austere finish.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 17, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment (something to say what) under the article to participate.

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

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO set 40530 Jane Goodall Tribute, a small box of 276 pieces which will be offered on the official online store and in LEGO Stores from €120 of purchase without restriction of range from March 3, 2022 and in principle until March 15, if necessary. remains in stock until then.

As you can see, the set pays tribute to the famous British scientist, adventurer, activist, ethologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall, best known to the general public for having closely studied chimpanzees.

The set is also not stingy in primates with three copies of the chimpanzee available since 2011 with the marketing of the fifth series of minifigs to collect in bags. The primate has since been seen in the company of the "jungle boy" of the seventh series of minifigs marketed in 2012 and LEGO is content here to provide us with three copies. The mold and the pad printing are identical, but the chimpanzee is identified in the inventory of this box by a new reference. It's always taken even if I would have liked to obtain at least a new variant of the primate with a different pose instead of three identical figurines. The product deserved that and the animal could have been reused anyway in a box from the CITY range.

The central character of this tribute is represented here by a minifig with a unique face and torso. The outfit is consistent with that seen in many photos of Jane Goodall and with the white hair provided, it is perfectly fitting. The head and the torso used here should in my opinion not remain exclusive to this box and the face will undoubtedly be reused later to embody a senior in the CITY range.

The rest of the set is only used to highlight the minifig and the three chimpanzees provided, it is a question of assembling a base with curves similar to those of the set 40450 Amelia Earhart Tribute offered at LEGO last year at the same time and then furnish the support with some trees, some vegetation and a piece of stream. A small plate with a sticker confirming the identity and qualification of the figure provided is placed on the front of the mini diorama. It is well done without being revolutionary, the object can be enthroned on a shelf or on the corner of a desk without taking up too much space but being noticed.

Do you absolutely have to spend €120 on products sold at their retail price because this little set is free? It will be up to everyone to see if the tribute paid here is worth the effort or if it will be better to wait a few days and possibly buy this little box on the secondary market.

Although Jane Goodall has been the focus of several documentaries that have contributed to her popularity with the general public and her influence in the field of wildlife conservation and the relationship between humans and animals is indisputable, not everyone knows this lady and some LEGO fans will no doubt be a little insensitive to the homage developed here.

They will always have the argument of the presence of three copies of the chimpanzee absent from the LEGO catalog since 2012 to possibly switch and spend the minimum amount required for this promotional product to be automatically added to the basket.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 13, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

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

Today we are interested in the content of the LEGO Technic set 42140 App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle, a box of 772 parts which will be available at the public price of €129.99 from March 1, 2022. The promise is once again enticing with this new foray from the manufacturer into the world of vehicles equipped with engines and controllable via the application. Control+. The buggy of the set 42124 Off-Road Buggy marketed in 2020 had a very attractive look but it was unfortunately not up to the task in terms of driving experience. Will this new attempt be more convincing?

As usual, do not let yourself be carried away by the illustrations on the product box, this is an indoor toy that it is better to avoid moving around in the mud or in the snow. But LEGO is changing its tune this year and is no longer content to promise us from the product packaging a tracked vehicle with an aggressive look which in the end will roam limply on the floor of the show: the machine is designed to support a reversal and it offers two different skins with a resolutely sporty all-terrain on one side and an exploration vehicle on the other.

Those who already bought this type of product at LEGO in 2017 probably remember the LEGO Technic set 42065 RC Tracked Racer (89.99 €) with a sports machine with a look similar to one of the two skins delivered here but which then benefited from a motorization then based on the defunct ecosystem Power Functions. So we put the cover back, but better.

Under the hood of this new machine, a Smart Hub Powered Up (88012) delivered here in a new version with a battery box cover freed from the usual clips and now equipped with four screws and two L motors (88013). The change of fixing system for the cover of the Smart Hub is welcome, this element no longer risks being unhooked by accident when the hub is used on a product subjected to slightly more violent stresses than those undergone, for example, by a static construction machine. The piloting goes as usual through the dedicated Control+ application.

The assembly of the model is dispatched in a few minutes and it is within the reach of the youngest who will be impatient to see the machine evolve and to check if the promises are kept. The two casings are integrated on the chassis based on Technic beams and colored elements to easily guide the integration of cables.

The two motors are grouped at the rear of the vehicle to facilitate the rocking, we add the tracks, we stick the very large handful of stickers and it's ready. The button of Smart Hub no longer directly accessible, it can be activated via a lever that moves the control to the rear of the vehicle. synchronization with the application only takes a few seconds and it will be necessary to pass an essential firmware update before starting to play.

Two shock absorbers are responsible for deploying the corresponding covering following the overturning of the vehicle, the two cabins are surmounted by small wheels which will protect them from shocks during tipping and the material used for the tracks of the machine has evolved, it was incidentally already the case with the construction machine of the set 42131 App-Controlled Cat D11 Bulldozer : the plastic is less smooth and rigid, it seems to me more suitable for use on slippery ground and the grip here is further reinforced by the presence of small rubber inserts which further improve grip.

In practice, the function of reversal with change of vehicle functions with all the blows as long as your batteries are powerful enough so that the machine raises frankly and begins to hang on the wall. It is this possibility that makes the product so interesting and that compensates for the usual weaknesses of this type of machine piloted via the Control+ application. You will also have to take the time to get used to piloting via the dedicated application which acts as a remote control in which the few challenges offered are of little interest.

This interactivity with a digital remote control with an attractive design and the resulting possibilities will necessarily appeal to the youngest. Those who are insensitive to these digital refinements will therefore simply have fun sending the machine crashing against a wall to see it turn around or make 360° rotations on the living room floor.

I tested two types of rechargeable batteries: classic Panasonic Eneloop Ni-Mh 1.2V 1900 mAh batteries and Ansmann NiZn 1.6V 1600 mAh batteries and the result is clear: the Ansmann batteries offer more power and the machine runs smoothly. moves noticeably faster. If you plan to really play with this type of product, do not hesitate to buy this type of battery and the essential charger compatible with the NiZn standard. The set represents a certain investment but it will save you the usual disappointment of noticing that your vehicle does not move forward and that in this specific case it has a little trouble climbing up the wall to turn around.

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It will be necessary from time to time to check the connections of the various bodywork elements or the presence of all the small rubber inserts placed on the tracks so as not to lose anything, but overall the model is strong enough to withstand intensive indoor use. Smartphone or tablet under iOS or Android essential as for the other sets which use the dedicated Control+ application.

I have often taken a very critical look at LEGO's various attempts to offer drivable motorized vehicles, whether they are based on the old ecosystem Power Functions or on the new Control+ interface. I must admit that the efforts on the part of LEGO to offer a new toy that is more attractive than the previous ones make me a little more indulgent with this new version: the flip function is well integrated, it works every time and it offers playful possibilities certainly limited but really new.

At €130 a box, however, I remain cautious, it's far too expensive for a use that will undoubtedly remain anecdotal beyond the first five minutes of use. I will therefore wisely wait for Amazon to offer this product for less than €100 to pay for it at its fair price.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 12, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

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