Review: LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb

We continue today with a quick overview of the content of the LEGO Indiana Jones set 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb, a box of 600 pieces which will be available from April 1, 2023 at the retail price of €39.99. The scene in question here is inspired by the film Raiders of the Lost Ark released in 1981.

If you've seen the film recently, you'll find that everything here is summarized, symbolized and simplified in order to make it a reasonably priced children's toy. The underground Well of Souls is only made up of a few pieces of wall on one side, the two statues of Anubis are less impressive than those seen on screen and there are inevitably fewer snakes than in the cinema. LEGO does not really make an effort on the finish of the product and the gray Technic beams that keep the set upright remain visible from almost all angles.

This is a playset for young audiences and therefore the product has some features that allow you to vaguely replay the scene seen on the screen. Indiana Jones knocks down one of the two statues on the wall behind it and the wall collapses, a snake comes through a hole in the wall of the tomb via a rocking system and a mummy fixed to the ceiling of the rear cavity comes to frighten Marion Ravenwood. It's playable, difficult to say otherwise even if everything is more or less summarized in its simplest form.

The construction process is commensurate with the simplicity of this Well of Souls, with simple stacks of bricks for the wall, and there is little more than the assembly phase of the two statues of Anubis to add a little pepper to experience. The latter are identical and I find them rather convincing. It lacks one or two additional mummies in the back, the only figurine provided ensuring a satisfying nod to the scene of the film but it remains too symbolic for my taste.

The ark could have been stored in a container allowing it to be hidden while playing to take it out using the Indiana Jones and Sallah figurines, it sits here simply in the middle of the playset. Thinking about it, it is definitely the absence of the underground side of the tomb that breaks the dynamics of the product a little by depriving it of many additional playful possibilities. We will have to deal with it.

The sheet of stickers to stick on the different elements of the set is substantial with about twenty stickers, some of which do not hesitate to offer a few nods to the easter eggs from the movie or certain LEGO ranges. It's visually very well executed, we only rarely salute the work of the Billund graphic designers who nevertheless largely contribute to the successful aesthetics of many products.

Four minifigs are delivered in this box: Indiana Jones, Marion Ravenwood, Sallah and a very successful generic mummy. Again, don't be fooled by the slightly overambitious unofficial visuals about the quality of the pad printing: Indiana Jones' neck is very pale and no longer matches the color of the head and legs by Marion Ravenwood are much less well executed than announced with legs certainly injected in two shades to obtain the desired effect but on which the manufacturer has come to put a layer of too visible flesh color at the junction of the tear in the skirt.

These are technical defects that will probably be of little importance to most purchasers of the product, but they should still be noted. I'll say it again if you haven't read my review of the set 77012 Fighter Plane Chase : the Indiana Jones hat with integrated hair is also supplied here in two copies, you will have the right to lose one without having to pretend to notice the absence of the accessory as soon as you unpack it with customer service.

We can almost consider as "reasonable" the price of this box which today refers to the previous version of the same scene marketed in 2008 under the reference 7621 Indiana Jones and the Lost Tomb to the rank of a dated and somewhat crude prototype. This derivative product is however only a modest playset at 40 € more covered with stickers, difficult to expect more from LEGO in this price bracket. We still get four minifigs and some playful possibilities, that's always taken.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 24, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

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