My LEGO 2023 review: my tops and my flops

Today we take a quick look back at a year 2023 which will once again have been very rich in products targeting in a completely uninhibited and assumed manner an adult clientele who can afford plastic toys. . Like each of you, I was seduced, enthusiastic, annoyed or disappointed by some of these products but the tastes and colors cannot be discussed and the sets that I consider successful or unsuccessful will undoubtedly not be so for everyone.

I say this so as not to appear to be obsessed only by overpriced products, I am an adult fan generally seduced by sets which have a little more to offer than simple fun functionalities and my gaze is therefore turned logically towards the boxes at the high public price that LEGO tries to sell me all year round.

My big favorite this year is undoubtedly the set 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell (€499.99), a box which allowed me to immerse myself in a universe initially too poorly exploited for my taste by LEGO and put aside for too long afterwards. This product was an excellent surprise, not trying to take on the appearance of a playset by fully assuming its status as a pure exhibition model and the adult that I am was largely satisfied with it, both in terms of content and on form, despite a price that will probably seem unreasonable to many fans.

Another favorite in a universe that also takes me back a few years, the set 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol (€149.99) which is also a nice display product which does not, however, miss out on some well-integrated features. The object pays a beautiful tribute to the film from which it is inspired and I found something to get excited about and even have a little fun while having the possibility of displaying a relatively compact diorama on my shelves. I'm not one of those who dedicate an entire temple to their collection at home, but I like to keep a few sets assembled in a corner, at least until another box steals the spotlight and temporarily takes their place. This set fulfills this role perfectly.

In the LEGO Star Wars range, these are not the two stamped products Ultimate Collector Series marketed this year which excited me the most with on the one hand yet another X-wing and on the other the nevertheless very successful Hunter, the good surprise came for me from the set 75356 Executor Super Star Destroyer (€69.99), an accessible box which offers an excellent compromise between level of detail and space occupied by the construction. I obviously remain a fan of the more ambitious models regularly offered in this range, but the possibility of having on hand some more compact products without being too simplified or symbolic really appeals to me.

Another set that found an audience at home: the LEGO Disney reference 43227 Naughty Icons (139.99, €) with its references to the cartoons of my childhood and especially the presence of a VHS cassette which takes me back to my younger years. This product, which is obviously aimed at a Disney clientele "before", reaches its target as far as I am concerned, the worn-out video cassettes, erased by mistake or rewound by hand having punctuated a large part of my youth. Ultimately, it's almost more the presence of this cassette that attracts me here than the subject matter.

I also place the LEGO Harry Potter set 76419 Hogwarts Castle & Grounds (€169.99) in my top of this year, even if I am not an unconditional fan of this franchise. The construction takes up just enough space so as not to invade my living space while offering an effective and affordable nod to this universe. It's a good compromise which appeals to me and which allows all those who like the license to have access to a derivative product that is less invasive than the usual Hogwarts playsets. Once again, LEGO wants to seduce what I call fans in "mode"casual", those who love a license or a franchise but not to the point of living in a plastic museum all to the glory of the universes they appreciate.

A special mention for some products from the LEGO Ideas range such as the sets 21338 A-Frame Cabin (179.99 €) and 21343 Viking Village (€139.99), two boxes which in my opinion have favorably embodied the concept this year. Some will no doubt consider that this range sometimes strays a little by trying to ride trends or attract an audience that is not the brand's usual clientele, but there are still some good ideas that are often well executed. among the selected creations which meet the expectations of the most demanding fans. In my opinion, this is sufficient to tolerate the more hazardous attempts which leave those who are not fans of the universes, licenses or franchises in question.

My main disappointment 2023 materializes in an overall award awarded to the LEGO Marvel range which was content with a few derivative products without any particular flavor and the marketing of the very acceptable set 76269 Avengers Tower (€499.99) was in my opinion not enough to relaunch. The 2023 offer oscillates between a large, somewhat crude shield and some very messy micro-dioramas, I needed a little more to get me excited despite some pretty figurines available in some of these boxes. This is undoubtedly the end of a cycle, both in the cinema and on the shelves of toy stores and I hope that Disney and LEGO will quickly be able to relaunch themselves to offer us more successful films and more associated derivative products. creative and attractive.

What more can I say about this past year except that I had the impression of being the target of some pretty, well-designed companies and of not being asked too often, which allowed me to stay within a relatively reasonable budget . A small regret concerning the DC Comics range which has still not emerged from the slump in which it has been stuck for several years already and this is not the set 76252 Batcave Shadow Box (€399.99) which helped to resuscitate her. I was not seduced by the aesthetics of the product even if some perhaps see it as a good idea and this set which makes intensive use of black parts highlights an important detail at LEGO which annoys me to no end. point: scratches. This is also the case for the set tower 76269 Avengers Tower (€499.99) and at this price level, I expect a little more from the world's number 1 manufacturer in the toy sector in terms of finishing.

I say it again like every year: there will be as many opinions as there are fans and the LEGO offer was in any case so varied again this year that everyone will have found at least one product considered to tick all the boxes. My selection of successful or failed products is therefore far from exhaustive, I base myself mainly on the impressions that these different sets leave me several months after their marketing. Other sets will have simply left me indifferent, it doesn't matter, they will inevitably have found their audience among other fans who will have been sensitive to the proposition.

Don't hesitate to mention your favorite sets of 2023 in the comments, this article is ultimately just a pretext for everyone to express their opinion and read those of others. Also indicate the products that left you hungry, there was plenty to do this year and that's ultimately the good news: the offering offered by LEGO for its adult customers is still as varied as ever, there's something for everyone enough to have fun even on a limited budget.