Review: LEGO ICONS 10335 The Endurance

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO ICONS set 10335 The Endurance, a box of 3011 pieces which will be available on the official online store as well as in LEGO Stores from November 29, 2024 at the public price of €269,99.

Almost everything has already been said about this product which features a three-masted ship that served Sir Ernest Shackleton during his trans-Antarctic expedition organized in 1914, the ship eventually sinking in November 1915. If LEGO chooses to offer us this product today, it is not for its disastrous fate that places it in the brand new collection of more or less known wrecks like that of the LEGO set 10294 Titanic, but that's because the ship's wreck was found in March 2022 and the story of the Endurance and its crew then returned to the forefront of the media scene. If we add the time taken to develop the product since the initial idea was selected within the brand's marketing department, we get a plausible explanation for the marketing of this product this year.

There is no point in suddenly pretending to know everything about this ship and the associated expedition, I, like many of us, discovered the ship, its crew, its mission, the incident and the epic survival adventure that results from it on the occasion of the announcement of the set. The latter does not become essential in my collection for what it embodies on a historical level even if fans will undoubtedly see it as a nice tribute.

On the other hand, it is a very pretty exhibition model, 80 cm long by 47 cm high and 24 cm wide, neutral enough to sit on a chest of drawers: the whole thing looks like a model in the usual sense of the term, except that here plastic replaces wood or balsa and the sewing thread running between the masts and the pieces of fabric that represent the sails are kept. LEGO has deliberately played the card of a relative but convincing trompe-l'oeil to ensure this construction has all its lifestyle potential and thus seduce all those who are fond of these models with a very high level of detail.

LEGO could have chosen to stage this ship on an ice base, in order to put it in its historical context before it sank, but the manufacturer preferred to go into the realm of classic model making, no doubt to ensure that this set would not only appeal to LEGO fans.

For the rest, the 28 bags, the 418 pages and the 681 steps of the one and only big instruction booklet provided will allow you to spend long hours there and have the impression of getting your money's worth. We will remember that LEGO provides a temporary support that allows you to work on the shortest section of the hull until the moment of assembly between the two parts, it's practical. No stickers in this box, the few patterned elements are therefore pad printed.

We could discuss the slightly crenellated aspect of the hull due to the technical bias that allows it to be given its definitive curves, it will also be up to everyone to appreciate this aesthetic choice even if the differences in level easily blend into the black tint of this area where only the propeller is noticeable. It was black on the real boat, here it becomes gold to better stand out from the rest of the hull. The few visible studs on the sides of the hull do not bother me, they know how to be discreet while indicating that we are dealing with a LEGO product.

In terms of built-in features, LEGO doesn't forget to use all its usual know-how to offer two removable sections allowing access to the two vaguely furnished cabins as well as the compartment of the large steam engine. The latter can be removed to be observed more closely or displayed next to the model if you feel like it, it's anecdotal but we're not going to blame LEGO for trying to offer a little more than a simple dustpan.

It is worth noting that the model does not suffer from the possibility of removing sections of the deck to access the internal spaces, the two removable sections being perfectly designed to blend in perfectly with their location without unsightly hinges or too revealing lever. The small pad-printed plaque fixed to the base gives a few facts about the ship, it is nicely executed and really helps to give the whole thing character.

The ship's bar operates the rudder, this is once again a detail that we will quickly forget but the assembly of the associated mechanism remains interesting. I am deliberately not spoiling the most original phases of the construction, we must leave to all those who will spend €270 on this box the privilege of discovering the most technical assembly steps.

Even though I ultimately find a lot of character in this three-master placed on its base, I remain a little doubtful about the use of a simple wire to connect the masts together. I understand that this is often the case for "classic" models and that LEGO is only reproducing here in a simplified way a technique widely used in the hobby concerned, but I find these pieces of string very low-end. Everyone has their own interpretation of this specific point.

Without getting too involved, we can predict a bright commercial future for this product, which should end up under the Christmas tree to please many adult fans of model making and possibly LEGO. The set offers, in my opinion, a very nice assembly experience, sufficiently full-bodied to satisfy the most demanding enthusiasts and the final result being aesthetically very high-flying with a "model" effect bordering on trompe-l'oeil.

I repeat, if you intend to treat yourself to this box sold for €270, keep the pleasure of discovering what it has to offer without spoiling the construction phases too much, you also pay for that in addition to simply "owning" the object and displaying it proudly at home. The whole thing will eventually deserve a suitable display case so as not to have to do the dust too often, which will inevitably accumulate on the soft fabric sails.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 30th November 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.

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