What if we took a quick look at the set 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall (878 pieces - 109.99 € - VIP X2 points in August)? Why fast? Because this type of set does not call for any particular criticism as it is aimed at a specific audience.

You are Harry Potter fans and you don't want to spend € 419.99 on the large micro scale model of the set 71043 Hogwarts Castle ? This more modest box is made for you, especially if you prefer minifigs to micro-things. Do you have no particular affinity with the Harry Potter universe? You have just saved 109.99 €. End of the story.

The LEGO Harry Potter sets marketed between the early 2000s and 2011 having become inaccessible on the secondary market, many fans who were not necessarily interested in LEGO products at the time are now delighted with this reboot of the range. . It is understandable and whatever the content of the new boxes offered by LEGO, they will probably be unanimous among fans finally rewarded for their patience.

For the rest, this box proposes to assemble a very caricatured representation of Hogwarts focusing on the Great Hall and on a tower grouping together a few more or less identifiable spaces.

Everything here is summed up in its simplest form and sometimes even pours into the purest symbolism. The designers wanted to pile up an incalculable number of references and some are sometimes summarized in their simplest form. Even the Sorting Hat is there with a nicely crafted piece (in front of the mirror in the photo below). The Philosopher's Stone is in the chest placed on the first floor of the tower. The fans are in heaven, the others remain unmoved. It's logic.

It will be necessary to apply the inevitable stickers provided on both sides of the removable elements of the riséd mirror, on the reversible banners of the different houses, on the clock placed above the main door and on the walls of the tower. Don't be surprised if the final result you get after applying the different stickers on the walls of the tower differs from the visual on the packaging of the set. The instructions suggest a different placement.

The fact remains that thanks to this set, the youngest will have in their hands an affordable box whose construction challenge is far from being met. This compact version of Hogwarts also makes a perfectly acceptable playset although it is a bit fragile in places. This is particularly the case of the arrows of the roof which have an annoying tendency to unhook. It's annoying, but since it's LEGO, it can be put together in the blink of an eye.

Minifig collectors will also make the effort to be able to add new versions of their favorite characters to their collection. And LEGO was not stingy with this box.

As with the other pretend-like movie set-style dollhouses usually marketed by LEGO, it takes little fingers to access some of the "playable" spaces. But this box being intended for children (from 8 to 14 years old, it is written on the packaging ...), it is not a problem ...

On a purely architectural level, we recognize Hogwarts at first glance, it's successful. Those who have never been interested in the Harry Potter universe may see it as a medieval church, but fans will not be fooled. It's compact, a bit simplified, but the result is quite correct. Personally, I prefer the gray used here for the roofs to the green of the previous sets. Everyone will have their opinion on the matter.

It's up to you to then create the rocky peak on which Hogwarts is placed to give it a little height. Some MOCeurs have already tried their hand at exercise with success (see the wonderful work of Vortex on the subject).

Too bad that LEGO does not provide enough to completely close the building instead of delivering a half building. An additional roof section would have been welcome.

Exit the flotilla of boats sailing towards Hogwarts, we have to be content here with a single copy, the great room becomes a cramped space with reversible banners with benches on which the students cannot really sit, there are even two chairs placed on the floor in front of the teachers' table ...

The many towers of the building are here modestly represented and the main tower is not even perfectly round which clashes a little with the roof of the thing which displays a rather convincing shape.

Harry will have a little trouble making out his parents in the mirror behind which Fawkes (Fawkes) is hiding by being glued so close and the gigantic moving stairs seen in the cinema boil down to a modest retractable set.

Not to mention the Basilisk whose representation here is far from acceptable unless you consider that the thing is inspired by a new form of modern art.

On the minifig side, LEGO has been pretty generous in this box and there is almost something for everyone. Five students are provided: Harry Potter (with Hedwig), Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley (with Crustard), Susan Bones and Draco Malfoy.

Small sweater with V-neck and tie in the colors of each student's respective house for everyone. Sober, but consistent. Small non-articulated legs for the whole troop, they are still children ... For the teenage versions of the characters, we will have to wait for future sets.

Special mention for the hair of Hermione Granger, it is faithful to the haircut of the actress Emma Watson.

No Students Without Teachers: Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore and Quirinus Quirrell get the job done. Double face for Quirell, you know why ...

Nick Quasi Sans-Tête and Rubeus Hagrid complete the cast offered by this box. We can discuss the appearance of Hagrid, some finding him a look of Playmobil. On the contrary, I find it rather successful, it is a good compromise between fully molded minifig and bigfig.

The creature we could have done without here is the Basilisk (or Basilisk in original version). This giant reptile locked in the Chamber of Secrets has frightened a whole generation of fans. Its interpretation in LEGO version is far from paying homage to this menacing creature.

We know that LEGO bypassed the Chamber of Secrets after testing a first version of the set which included this space with a panel of children who remained more or less indifferent to the presence of the place. These same children, however, had shown some interest in the snake itself, so it was retained.

Beyond its potential as a playset, this product also offers an interesting alternative in terms of exhibition. From a distance, you will recognize the characteristic facades of Hogwarts.

Things will get more complicated with the addition of the few walls provided by the set 75953 Hogwarts Whomping Willow (753 pieces - 74.99 €) which flesh out the construction a little but increase significantly and in a non-linear way the surface occupied by the whole.

The 75953 Hogwarts Whomping Willow set, which we will talk about soon, will allow you to obtain some additional minifigs and the total bill therefore climbs to 184.98 €. It's up to everyone to see if the game is worth the candle.

In the end, it's hard not to simply say yes to this box which will find its audience among the many fans of the Harry Potter universe happy to be able to afford a quality derivative product. There is something for everyone, kids wanting to have fun in the halls of Hogwarts and parent collector, all at a price that seems almost reasonable to me.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before September 5 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 Architecture line is probably the one that takes itself the most seriously at LEGO. Sober and classy packaging, instruction booklet with black cardboard cover, high retail prices, no kidding. It's LEGO, but we don't play with it and we are therefore entitled to expect the content of the sets to live up to the reputation of the range. There is always something to smile about at the ingenious use of one piece or another, but here it is serious with "... sets that find their place in all interiors ..."

Latest set in this range, the reference 21043 Las Vegas whose previous version never marketed (ref. LEGO 21038) was the subject of a redesign following the massacre of about sixty people by a gunman posted on the floors of the Mandalay Bay hotel in October 2017. It is therefore the Bellagio hotel which replaces the Mandalay Bay on the skyline of the final set 21047 Las Vegas (501 pieces - 44.99 €).

I could do a lot on the different techniques used here to assemble different hotels, but I let the buyers of this box enjoy this little pleasure. After all, they also pay for it.

Las Vegas for many visitors comes down to a few trips back and forth on the strip between crowded sidewalks and endless halls of hotels filled with slot machines and stretches in their eyes from the city entrance sign to Freemont. Street, the border beyond which most guides recommend not to venture (even if historic Vegas has strong arguments to make) under penalty of being slaughtered or kidnapped by horrible bloodthirsty bums.

LEGO therefore limits its interpretation of Las Vegas to the Strip, which will be enough for most fans, even for those who tried to see if Chumlee was in the area and who for the most part came back disappointed with their paid excursion to the boutique seen in the show P.

The originally planned skyline wisely respected the order of the various buildings represented on the Strip, regardless of which side of the avenue they are placed. Starting from the mythical sign placed at the entrance to the city, the Mandalay Bay is effectively placed before the Luxor, which is itself placed before the Encore at Wynn hotel, which in turn precedes the Stratosphere complex with at the end of Freemont Street race.

I know that the majority of the other sets in the range are content to accumulate the different constructions of a particular place without respecting their respective locations, but the effort had nevertheless been made here on the starting set ...

The designer in charge of modifying the set has therefore simply withdrawn the Mandalay Bay to replace it with the Bellagio which should however logically have been placed after the Luxor.

A little lazy, this modification ultimately only amplifies the echo of the event that justifies it, even if LEGO has never officially communicated on the subject. To liven up the Sunday meal, everyone can explain that the substitution of Mandalay Bay for Bellagio was made because of a news item that occurred almost a year before the date of effective marketing of this small set ...

In the end, LEGO could also have left the set as it is and waited a year to put it on sale.

I finally think for myself that Las Vegas really deserved better than this modest skyline. Might as well do things right and provide us with enough to reconstruct a complete Strip with at least twenty iconic hotels in the city ... LEGO does recommend that you bring together several identical sets to get what is starting to look like a mini-wall of China, the same principle applied here would no doubt have found its audience.

Certainly Las Vegas does not conceal an incredible architectural heritage in the noble sense of the term, but the Strip is nonetheless a collection of creations sufficiently original and varied for LEGO to step out of its usual comfort zone. Don't worry, I'm digressing but I'm well aware that choices had to be made anyway to stay in the theme and in the format of the sub-range Skylines.

If you've been on vacation to L'Excalibur, the Venetian, the Circus Circus or the Casears Palace, you won't wipe away a nostalgic tear while contemplating this set carefully placed on the living room dresser. The only point common to all visitors will probably be the Freemont Experience, an obligatory point of passage for a drink under the neon lights and tourists who screech suspended from the zip line that crosses the luminous dome. And possibly the magical spectacle offered by the fountains of Bellagio, vaguely represented here.

Finally, I think that this quickly assembled little set may not deserve all this attention and that it will probably end up on sale in souvenir shops at McCarran Airport ("... I'm coming back from Vegas, hey I brought you something. It was that or a CSI t-shirt ..."), I will end by telling you that I find that the Luxor is still a bit cramped and that it will cost you around forty euros at the end of the month to add this set to your collection.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before August 25 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 third set of this new wave of LEGO Technic 2018 boxes, the reference 42080 Forest Machine (1003 pieces - 144.99 €), features a forest machine. Why not, there is something for everyone.

On the look side, it's almost that. The vehicle looks like different models of gear that you have probably seen on RMC Découverte or Discovery Channel if you are a fan of these documentaries featuring the adventures of different families of operators. The only problem with the LEGO version is that the mechanism which is placed at the end of the arm is still very close to the cockpit and the axis of the mechanical arm cannot be dissociated from that of the cabin.

In real life, it seems to me that the arm in question extends several meters and that the cutting operations are done at a good distance from the operator. But hey, I've never been to check on the spot, I usually just watch the adventures of lumberjacks who almost get run over by a tree trunk or who spend an entire episode repairing a broken machine ...

The rear part of the vehicle accommodates the battery box Power Functions which supplies the pneumatic compressor starting system with the supplied L motor. The vibrations and the noise which result from the operation of the unit gives a small realistic side to the machine, as if its engine was really running at the back. Intentional or not, this detail helps give this forestry machine an almost realistic feel.

Too bad that LEGO only provides the now "old version" of the elements Power Functions in this box, officially replaced recently by those of the ecosystem Powered Up. The manufacturer has just clarified that it has no plans to ensure backward compatibility between the two systems. Fans or a third-party manufacturer will probably take care of this in the near future with DIY or mass production of adapters and converters.

On the assembly side, if you've never assembled a set that uses the different pneumatic elements in LEGO style, this might be the opportunity to give it a go. The set is assembled quickly and the pneumatic circuit connections identified by different colors can be used to explain the principle to a young fan. It's didactic and you can take advantage of the result quickly without losing the attention of the youngest people who are a little tired of threading pins all over the page.

Do not be fooled that this vehicle is equipped with accessories Power Functions to deduce that you will be able to make him carry out many actions. The only functions provided are the movement of the arm and the opening / closing of the cutting block jaws. The saw is not managed by the mechanism, it is fixed on a floating axis which moves it according to gravity, that's all. The jaw rollers also do not rotate and the cutting block must be manually tilted to allow it to try to grab a tree trunk.

More annoying on this set: if the two cylinders of the pneumatic system manage to raise (slowly) and lower (quickly, thanks to gravity) the arm of the machine, it is more complicated with regard to the cutting mechanism . I have put a little video for you below which sums up the situation quite well: if the mechanism is horizontal or oriented downwards, it actually opens and closes without too many problems.

It is not so obvious when it is facing upwards. The pneumatic element placed in the heart of the block then has difficulty in closing the two jaws. I checked and rechecked my assembly, checked that no pipe was pinched or badly plugged in, nothing helped. A simple pressure of the hand is enough, however, to allow the two jaws to close. I've seen at least one review where the tester seemed to be facing the same issue, without mentioning it.

For the rest, the suspension of this machine which evolves in principle on relatively uneven ground is really very very flexible, probably a little too much. LEGO will undoubtedly have wanted to emphasize this detail. Why not because in any case you will not play for hours on end picking up tree trunks on the living room table.

In the end, I am a little disappointed with this set. The presence of the Logo Power Functions on the packaging had given me hope for a little more interaction with, for example, an automated cabin rotation. It is always with a certain naivety that I approach sets that highlight the logo Power Functions basically on the box, we do not remake.

Aesthetically, it is quite successful with a realistic assortment of colors and access to the Battery Box well thought out to allow for the inevitable battery changes. I would have rather seen the arm in black, but the tastes and the colors not discussing, everyone will have an opinion on the subject ...

Instructions for the alternative model, a log loader, are not included in the box. They must be downloaded at this address in PDF format :

Once again, I felt that the energy and attention expended to arrive at the end result was not necessarily rewarded by the possibilities offered by this forestry machine. Fans of the LEGO Technic universe will undoubtedly find what they are looking for with the many pneumatic elements delivered in this set. For others, it is difficult to recommend that they spend € 144.99 on this forestry machine with a little soft suspension and limited functionality. At less than 100 €, we can discuss.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before August 20 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.

Among the four new LEGO Technic sets available since August 1, the cheapest box, the set LEGO Technic 42079 Heavy Duty Forklift (592 pieces - 54.99 €), stages as its name suggests a forklift truck of nearly 600 pieces.

On the functionality side, nothing very exciting, after all this is a forklift. The rear wheels can be oriented by manipulating the muffler placed at the rear, the engine pistons move when the truck moves via a differential connected to the front wheels, the mast tilts via the levers placed at the foot of the cab of the driver and forks go up by milling (very) patiently via the wheel disguised as a rotating light placed on the roof of the cabin.

Assembled in less than an hour, this machine is basically a forklift truck designed to lift heavy loads with its large wheels and imposing frame. Aesthetically, nothing to say, it's successful with a nice fairing and a combination of colors that works quite well. Unfortunately, the limited degree of axis of rotation of the rear wheels prevents it from turning around in limited space and the forks lifting system only takes them up to the level of the cab roof.

This forklift is covered with stickers of all kinds, but here LEGO forgot to put two which would have been very useful both for the look and the functionalities: A sticker to indicate the direction of rotation of the flashing light which is used to make raise and lower the mast of the machine and another at the level of the side levers which allow the fork to tilt forward. I never thought I could complain one day that a box was missing stickers. It is done.

To have fun with the machine, LEGO provides a pallet and a container of toxic products. It's lean, a few extra crates or cans would have been welcome, just to fill the large pallet provided a little and confirm the side "Heavy Duty"of this forklift.

The small 2-cylinder engine visible at the back will allow anyone new to the Technic universe to understand how LEGO interprets this type of engine with its moving pistons via a relatively basic assembly. There are similar modules on many more complex sets and this simplified version is an interesting first approach.

The real good news: LEGO provides the secondary model instructions in hard copy in the box. That's always it taken:

If you have a driver friend, you can offer him this box, he can proudly have this forklift on his desk. If you want to introduce a young LEGO fan to the LEGO Technic range or test their interest in it, this set offers a relatively affordable first approach, provided you wait for the price of this box to drop significantly in the coming weeks. . Otherwise, you can skip this box which has nothing very exciting to offer. Next.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before August 15 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.

Do you have to be an unconditional fan of the LEGO Technic range to be interested from time to time in the new products marketed under this label? No, and that's good.

LEGO having offered me (like many others) to test the four new products which are marketed from August 1st, I will therefore offer you some "Review "on these boxes.

We start with the product that excites me the most among these new sets, the reference 42081 Volvo Concept Wheel Loader ZEUX (1167 pieces - 129.99 €).

And it is a public works machine. You will tell yourself that I contradict myself a bit, I who often repeat that backhoe loaders and other loaders leave me unmoved. But beyond the hundreds of pins to fit in this set and the endless turns of the crank needed to operate the few moving parts of the machine, there is something more interesting.

If you don't like the LEGO Technic line, don't go just yet. I am not going to give you a Prévert-style inventory here of each gear or cylinder provided in this box or of the number of crank turns necessary to reassemble the machine's bucket. Others will do it better than me ...

What interests me here are not the on-board features that consist of raising or lowering the arm and the shovel, moving the rear block or turning the wheels of this futuristic machine. The real interest of the set lies in what precisely does not work and is only theoretical. Indeed, the Volvo ZEUX does not exist. This is a concept developed in 2016 by LEGO in partnership with Volvo to try to imagine what the machines of the future could be.

We are talking about a concept of a fully autonomous loader, equipped with a camera, nicknamed The Eye, capable of allowing it to detect a human presence around the site, a drone which supervises its operation and movements and a block of four electric motors housed in the mobile counterweight placed at the rear. The wheels are also equipped with sensors that tell the machine when and how to move this counterweight so that the machine is rock-solid.

You know, I'm not a big fan of the sets in the LEGO Technic range, I find the ratio of construction effort to the features offered often disappointing. The long hours spent patiently assembling the set while remaining attentive to the sometimes a little confusing instructions are in my eyes only rarely rewarded by the amazement hoped to see the different functions at work. Here, we mill, again and again, by turning the various gears that serve as a wheel.

But this Volvo ZEUX finds favor in my eyes because in my opinion it embodies what LEGO should be heading towards: offering a part of the dream to fans by offering creations that provoke an effort of the imagination apart from the few on-board functions, sometimes anecdotal. Let set 42081 Volvo Concept Wheel Loader ZEUX fulfills this role perfectly.

If you like sets from the Technic range, you know what to expect when it comes to assembly. The challenge is there, with a large booklet of more than 250 pages, a few well-bodied stages during which vigilance is required and a beautiful sheet of thirty stickers to stick to dress this conceptual device.

As a bonus, the set allows you to assemble a second vehicle also out of the imagination of Volvo engineers and LEGO designers: the PEGAX articulated hauler. Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not provide a hard copy instruction booklet to assemble this very successful alternative model, you need to download them. on the dedicated space in PDF format. Oops, they are not yet online as of this writing. Too bad, we'll have to wait. Update August 2, 2018: Instructions are now online.

In terms of what I would have liked to get in this box, you can imagine that I would have really appreciated being able to control this set from my smartphone or from a small remote control ... I am obviously not talking about taking off the mini -drone provided, but at least to move this loader back and forth and allow it to fill its bucket remotely. Thus, the concept would have come to life before my astonished eyes.

It may be for later when a smart MOCeur and generous enough to share its know-how has successfully integrated the Bluetooth hub and the two engines of the new ecosystem. Powered Up at the heart of the machine.

In the meantime, I say yes for the construction challenge and for the good idea of ​​the conceptual and futuristic machine which will perhaps evolve on the sites of tomorrow. This set also deserves to be offered to young fans of LEGO and technology, they will find both something to put their fan skills to the test and something to dream a little.

Note: The set shown here is put into play as usual. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before August 10 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.