15/02/2022 - 13:59 LEGO ICONS Lego news New LEGO 2022

76989 lego horizon zero dawn forbidden west tallneck 2022 2

LEGO today unveils the set 76989 Horizon Forbidden West Tallneck, a box of 1222 pieces developed in partnership with the publisher Guerrilla which will be available from May 1, 2022 at the retail price of €79.99. Product inventory will allow you to assemble a Tallneck (Large-neck in French), these robotic creatures that allow you to obtain a map of the area in which they evolve.

Also in the box, a Watcher whose scanner can be blue, red or yellow and a minifig of Aloy, the main character of the Horizon Zero Dawn / Horizon Forbidden West video game which inspires this derivative product, with a very successful pad printing and unique hair.

The Tallneck is 34 cm high, 23 cm wide and 17 cm deep, including the display stand.

76989 HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST TALLNECK ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

(The link to the shop redirects to the version of the official shop for your country of connection)

 

76989 lego horizon zero dawn forbidden west tallneck 2022

76989 lego horizon zero dawn forbidden west tallneck 2022 aloy

The video game that serves as a reference for this derivative product is expected for February 18:

[amazon box="B09FF5FD99,B09FF4JBNB,B09FF1WPMC" grid="3"]

75343 lego starwars dark trooper helmet 1

We end this series of reviews of the 2022 novelties of the LEGO Star Wars range helmet collection with a quick look at the contents of the set 75343 Dark Trooper Helmet, a box of 693 pieces which will be available at the retail price of €59.99 from March 1, 2022.

For those wondering where the helmet to be assembled here comes from, it is actually the head of a Dark Trooper battle droid, an armor that made the heyday of several Star Wars licensed video games, including the very pixelated Dark Forces which I spent long hours on in the 90s, and which is here based on the third generation version seen on screen in the second season of The Mandalorian series.

This model is undoubtedly the most divisive of the three launched this year: it is not really a helmet, it is content with a completely black surface, it is also covered with visible tenons on its upper part and the interpretation in LEGO version of what was featured in The Mandalorian series won't be to everyone's taste.

Once again, this product will only exist aesthetically from certain angles or under lighting that will make it possible to reinforce the shadow areas essential to the legibility of the design. In full light, it's a graphic mess with improbable angles and a front face that will inevitably make one think of an animal's muzzle which would be made up of smooth elements as opposed to the rest of the construction with its visible tenons.

The two "eyes" of the droid may seem a little too small, but there is an explanation for this choice: the head of this droid in the LEGO version is tilted slightly forward and the designer will have wanted to adapt the size of the eyes to reproduce the effect seen on the screen. The translucent red pieces are fixed on white elements, the contrast obtained is not to the advantage of the reproduction with eyes which struggle a little to be noticed in the middle of all this black carcass. As you will have noticed, the photo of the product on the packaging is retouched to really highlight the eyes.

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The finish on the front of the droid's head is not quite true to the version seen on screen, only those who vaguely remember the various scenes where these droids are present will think otherwise. The face of the droids is not made up of angular pieces that go all over the place like on the LEGO version. On screen, the "cheeks" are simply made up of several layers that converge relatively cleanly towards the muzzle.

On the LEGO model, there are only two left, the eye area being an amalgamation of parts that are too complex and messy for my taste. We could also discuss the two ingots which are in principle present to add a finishing touch to the muzzle, we only see them on arrival thanks to the reflections on this part of the helmet.

LEGO misses in my opinion here the opportunity to bring an original finishing touch to this product, even if it means breaking the usual codes of this range: The integration of a luminous brick in the half-empty skull of the droid to allow even light up the eyes occasionally at the push of a button. At €60 for the pile of black pieces, there was room to add this element without cutting too much on the margin and the product would then have taken on a whole new dimension, this lighting making it possible to forget the aesthetic approximations of the product.

Here too, the cluster of studs on the upper area of ​​the helmet contrasts a bit with the smooth parts, as if this Dark Trooper was wearing a hat that was too tight. It has become the signature gimmick of the range, it will have to be done with or turn to other products with a finish that is more respectful of the reference object.

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This model does not escape a sheet of stickers which allows to refine some areas of the droid's head. As usual, I don't give much credit for the condition of these stickers after a few months of exposure, they will eventually peel off and LEGO does not deign to provide replacement stickers in the box.

On the staging side, the head is slightly tilted forward, so we can see some mechanical elements of the droid's neck under the border of the armor. It's nicely executed and the product can be admired from every angle without disappointing even if we think that LEGO could almost have offered us a complete bust of the thing rather than cutting off the head of this droid to put it on the base usually used by products in this range.

As often with products that use an inventory mainly composed of black elements, you will have to sort out the parts that are too scratched to deserve to be placed on the model and contact customer service to obtain the replacement of those that do not meet your requirements. finishing criteria.

The opportunity to exploit the presence of this new generation of Dark Troopers in The Mandalorian series was too good, LEGO had to try something. The minifigs are convincing, this head of the helmet collection is in my opinion a little less even if it is finally fitting with the other helmets both in the interpretation and the inevitable approximations imposed by the format.

It will therefore be up to everyone to assess the interest of the three new products in this collection of affordable decorative objects that take up little space. You have my opinion on these three products, it's up to you to make your own. I remind all the same to those who have a little trouble with the criticism of products derived from their adored range that passion should not prevent criticism. I collect products from the LEGO Star Wars range without discernment, this does not prevent me from finding some of them less successful than others, or even completely missed.

Only two of these three sets are currently offered for pre-order on the official online store, the references 75327 Luke Skywalker (Red Five) Helmet et 75328 The Mandalorian Helmet. You will have to wait until March 1 to buy a copy of the set 75343 Dark Trooper Helmet.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 23th February 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Not agreeing with me is not grounds for disqualification.

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

YannElbe - Comment posted the 13/02/2022 at 17:54

75328 lego starwars mandalorian helmet 12

We continue the tour of the 2022 novelties of the helmet collection LEGO Star Wars with a quick look at the contents of the set today 75328 The Mandalorian Helmet, a box of 584 pieces which will be available from March 1, 2022 at the retail price of €59.99. I'm not making you a drawing, it's about assembling Din Djarin's helmet aka The Mandalorian in the series broadcast on the Disney + platform. On screen, the accessory offers a wide range of reflections on which the directors of the various episodes of the series never hesitate to linger, this will not really be the case here.

Indeed, it cannot be said that the LEGO version pays a brilliant tribute to the accessory worn by the bounty hunter. It is once again the codes of this range of derivative products launched in 2020 that take over and the upper zone of the helmet is, as usual, only a cluster of stepped studs.

It is therefore necessary to rely on the metallic headband which crosses the helmet from side to side to embody the expected roundness and shiny surface. LEGO will undoubtedly have considered that this product sold for €60 did not deserve to be covered with metallic parts and the result suffers a little from this choice which we will be sold as an aesthetic bias but which undoubtedly also has an economic justification. In the box, there are only fifty elements in metallic Silver, that's meager for a derivative product like this.

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Assembling the helmet is rather pleasant, at first it feels a bit like building a big BrickHeadz figurine with its colored entrails and then all you have to do is connect different sub-assemblies with studs more or less visible on all sides. The angles of the side panels are well managed, the black T-visor is decent and the designer has done what he can to reproduce the "cheeks" of the helmet with their particular angles.

The result offers an effect that seems interesting to me seen from a certain distance but which struggles to convince me from a little closer. The vertical metallic bands placed along the cheeks seem a little alone in the middle of these shades of gray, the shine of the helmet is too suggested for my taste to be credible. The overall look of the model remains despite everything on arrival very acceptable. Quickly assembled, quickly displayed, this affordable derivative product should appeal to fans of the series.

As with other helmets in the range, whether they are Imperial or Mandalorian accessories, it will therefore be necessary to admit that the curves are only suggested and to accept that LEGO frankly wishes to differentiate its products from other interpretations of the same objects by manufacturers. toys or models.

The abundance of exposed studs on the upper surface of the helmet will not be to everyone's taste, however, and the shiny band that circulates around the construction will not be enough to compensate for the staircase effect that has become one of the emblematic markers of this range with well-defined codes.

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The somewhat abrupt transition between the smooth side surfaces made up of more or less scratch-free parts and the upper area lined with tenons is on its side a bit disarming, especially when this helmet is seen from the side or from the back. It will really be necessary to play on the lighting of the exposure area to obtain an effect that takes advantage of the shadow areas and for this product to be highlighted thanks to a light gray which visually becomes a little more "dull". As on the box.

It is once again the public price of the product that will be the arbiter of the match: for 60 € at LEGO, you should not be too demanding and this helmet will not ruin the fans. The icing on the cake, not a sticker on the horizon in this box, I don't see what they would have been used for here anyway.

A small note about the fifty or so metallic pieces delivered in this set: the ink layer is uneven and it seems to be poorly applied in places. I'm not talking about the scratches linked to the friction of the parts in the oversized bags themselves thrown into an oversized box, but about the very imprecise application of the ink. It's a bit of a shame, you already have to settle for the union minimum for a product which by definition should give pride of place to reflections, it's a bit annoying to get more parts with a very random level of finish.

It's not worth making tons of them, fans of the series will undoubtedly be convinced by this model which will not cost them very much and which will allow them to show their passion for the character without having to bother with umpteenth ship and some figurines.

Those who do not like studs will have to turn to reproductions offered by other manufacturers, no doubt more faithful to the reference accessory but which do not combine two worlds associated for better and for worse for many years. : LEGO bricks and the Star Wars license.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 20th February 2022 next at 23pm.

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

miata57 - Comment posted the 11/02/2022 at 8:02

75327 lego starwars luke skywalker red five helmet 7

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Star Wars set 75327 Luke Skywalker (Red Five) Helmet, a novelty for 2022 of what we can now call the helmet collection LEGO Star Wars which will have eight references from March 1st. In this box of 675 pieces which will be available at the public price of 59.99 €, enough to assemble a reproduction of the pilot's helmet worn on screen by Luke Skywalker.

Before going into detail, it is worth putting this derivative product in its context: it is one more element in a range of small models which are neither ultra-detailed models nor toys. This LEGO helmet collection has its well-defined format, its aesthetic codes and its price bracket, it will therefore be necessary to adapt to it or to pass its way according to the requirements of each one. The box is as often too big for what it contains, LEGO still seems so obsessed with the idea of ​​convincing its customers that they really get their money's worth with these half-empty packaging.

That being said, this new product has at least the merit of refreshing the range a little, it innovates with an open helmet that changes us a bit from the accessories worn by imperial troops and other Mandalorians. However, do not expect to use this 12 cm high helmet off the base as a disguise, it is obviously not on a human scale and it is attached to its presentation support.

The foot of the presentation base matches the rest of the collection, but its upper part is designed to allow the bottom of the inner part of the helmet to be attached to it. It is well seen, the final result is really believable with the impression that the product is simply placed on its support and that it can be easily removed.

If this pilot's helmet seems at first glance rather faithful to the reference accessory, it will be a little more difficult to convince if we look a little closer or if we simply turn the box over to compare the reference helmet LEGO version. The shell of the helmet in the LEGO version does not descend enough on the face of the pilot and the visor which here transforms into a pair of goggles is a little too short. The junction between the two "glasses" of the visor is also very symbolic on this model, we do not obtain continuity with the outline of the nose seen on the screen. From the front, we have the impression that the helmet is in fact oriented upwards while it is perfectly vertical in profile.

75327 lego starwars luke skywalker red five helmet 8

The assembly experience is pleasant and unlike the BrickHeadz range which is often content with fairly similar techniques for the internal structure of the figurines, these helmets generally benefit from original and colorful variations in the filling of their internal structure. The model offered here involved a technique that allowed wrapping around the character's head while leaving an empty area inside and beautifully executed.

The visor, however, would have required a little more care and the two yellow tubes that run along the central strip are superfluous in my opinion. It will be necessary to adjust these perfectly so as not to spoil the appearance of the product and you quickly get annoyed by trying to find the right curvature. I'm not sure that the simple yellow border seen on the screen required such a riot of plastic on this LEGO version.

The outer surface of the helmet is a somewhat shapeless cluster of studs that struggle to embody the expected roundness. This task is entrusted to the red band, the two yellow tubes and the two cupolas. Around these different elements, it's a bit anarchy but these tenons are ultimately only visible in profile or from behind.

The two headphones with their ear cushions are present in the structure of the helmet, this detail allows to give a little consistency inside the construction, it is successful. The external surface of the sides of the helmet is in my opinion too straight, we do not find the curvature which ends on the edge because of the Dish central with too small a diameter. It's not so serious, the intention is there and the whole remains coherent. The chin strap and the boom microphone add a nice finishing touch to the foot of the helmet, they help to reinforce the impression of overall volume and clearly define the location of the face of the person wearing the accessory.

75327 lego starwars luke skywalker red five helmet 10

For the rest, it will be up to everyone to see if the reproduction of the helmet is credible or not depending on how you look at what this range of products offers: if you are looking for a faithful model, go your way. This universe is also a bit like what LEGO offers in its BrickHeadz range: the manufacturer has defined a very specific scale and codes that leave little room for maneuver to designers who try their hand at the exercise. . We therefore find ourselves on arrival with products with a sometimes questionable style and aesthetic approximations that are more or less acceptable depending on everyone's expectations.

Small disappointment, even if many elements are pad printed, the product does not escape a sheet of nine stickers which allow you to personalize the helmet. As for the pad-printed parts, the two white domes adorned with the Rebel Alliance red logo to be installed on the upper zone of the helmet are successful, the thirteen red elements crossed by white stripes are a little less so, LEGO having as usually not considered useful to apply several coats of white to properly mask the red background and the strips are a little dull on arrival. I cannot repeat it enough, I think that the presence of stickers on these display products presented as high-end models for adults is not really acceptable, even at 60 €.

In short, this helmet will bring a little variety to the shelves of collectors who are trying to accumulate the different proposals already on the market and that's a good thing. Until now, we were going around a little in circles with a gaggle of imperial helmets and this model brings a little diversity. The fact remains that the scale of the product defines the limits of the exercise and imposes aesthetic approximations that will be more or less acceptable depending on your tolerance threshold. The usual fan indulgence will be further accentuated by the public price of the set: Everyone knows that at LEGO, for 60 €, one should not expect an ultra-faithful and detailed product.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 19th February 2022 next at 23pm.

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

soprano 54 - Comment posted the 10/02/2022 at 18:52
28/01/2022 - 19:04 LEGO ICONS Lego news New LEGO 2022

31205 lego art jim lee batman collection 7

LEGO today unveils the novelty of the LEGO ART range which had been the subject ofa bit of teasing in recent days: The set 31025 Jim Lee Batman Collection, a box of 4167 pieces sold at the public price of 119.99 € which will allow you to assemble different mosaics from March 1st. The set alone offers three characters to choose from: Batman, Harley Quinn and the Joker. By combining several copies, the bill will increase but the possibilities will be interesting with two combinations that I find rather attractive.

As usual, the product will come with a two-hour audio podcast (in English) to listen to during assembly.

31205 JIM LEE BATMAN COLLECTION ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

31205 lego art jim lee batman collection 1

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