Two projects have been validated during the new phase of the LEGO Ideas review: The playset featuring the Flintstones Family (The Flintstones) submitted by Andrew Clark and The Treehouse of Kevin Feeser. Everything else goes by the wayside.

These two sets are being adapted to the LEGO standards and their marketing is announced for 2019, probably with the references 21316 and 21318, the reference 21315 being attributed to the Popup Book of JKBrickworks.

It is therefore the second project submitted by Andrew Clark to be validated by LEGO after the one that had served as a working basis for the set. LEGO Ideas 21304 Doctor Who. (2015).

If you are a member of the LEGO VIP Program and you like big modular robots, know that the LEGO Ideas set 21311 Voltron Defender of the Universe is now available on the LEGO Shop and in the LEGO Stores.

You have to pay 199.99 € to afford this big box of 2321 pieces.

If my opinion interests you, go read the test of the set at this address.

Umpteenth reminder for those who do not know the VIP program accessible for free at LEGO (Register at this address): For each order placed, you accumulate points (1 € spent = 1 point). 100 points accumulated entitle you to a reduction of 5 € to be used on a future purchase. 

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.

The LEGO Ideas set 21311 Voltron Defender of the Universe will be available in a few days and LEGO has uploaded the video presentation of the set by the two designers in charge of the adaptation from the original project by Leandro Tayag : Niek van Slagmaat and Mark Tranter.

We will talk about this big box again in a few days with its good ideas and interesting choices, obviously mentioned in the video below, and what I consider to be the sometimes annoying faults of this "modular" set sold all the same 199.99 €.

It will obviously be necessary to take into account the fact that the Voltron license is almost unknown in our regions and that few French fans will acquire this set out of pure nostalgia.

VIP preview from July 23 on the LEGO Shop and in the LEGO Stores.

While waiting for my opinion, you can make your own with the video below:

LEGO finally unveils the highly anticipated LEGO Ideas set 21311 Voltron Defender of the Universe based on the Leandro Tayag project which had reached 10.000 supporters in May 2016 and which was then definitively validated in August 2017.

In the box, 2321 pieces with a public price for France set at 199.99 € (The set is online on the LEGO Shop at this address).

On sale in VIP preview from July 23, 2018, global availability scheduled for August 1, 2018.

Those who know the animated series dating from the 80s which is a mixture of Japanese series GoLion et Dairugger XV and from which this set is inspired will therefore be able to assemble the giant robot of the Voltron Force with these five robot lions to obtain a 45cm high figurine with its sword and shield.

The initial project posted on the LEGO Ideas platform foresaw the presence of six characters present in the animated series (Hunk, Allura, Sven, Lance, Pidge and Keith) but LEGO chose to market this box without these minifigs.

The same with Goldorak, I take. There, I remain a little marble ...