The other Hulkbuster of the moment is the one of the set 76104 The Hulkbuster Smash-up (375 pieces - 34.99 €) accompanied by four minifigs and a barrel which allow, as indicated by the official description of the set of "... recreate the thrilling scenes inspired by the Marvel superhero movie Avengers: Infinity War ..."We take LEGO at their word, the film from which this set is" inspired "has not yet been released in theaters.

Even if the comparison is irrelevant, difficult to assemble this mini-Hulkbuster right after the version of the set 76105 The Hulkbuster: Ultron Edition without sketching a smile. the 76104 set is a playset for young LEGO fans and the main objective here is obviously to offer a minimum of playability at an attractive price.

The balance of power is rather balanced in this box, with on one side Bruce Banner who in principle "... exterminate Proxima Midnight and the Outrider ..."using the Hulkbuster and Falcon who give him a hand with his"removable Redwing drone"and on the other Proxima Midnight assisted by an Outrider who knock the Hulkbuster out with large shots of balls fired from the barrel inside which the Infinity Gem is hidden.

Two against two, it's playable right out of the box, that's a good point. The set is self-sufficient.

Too bad for collectors, Bruce Banner is not new: the minifigure is identical to the one seen in the set 76084 The Ultimate Battle for Asgard released in 2017 to accompany the film Thor: Ragnarok.
Sam "Falcon" Wilson is an exclusive revenge to this set, with a nice pad printing on the chest. I'm not a fan of parts-based wings, I find them disproportionate and too fragile to be convincing, not to mention the four stickers to stick on the parts ...
The young fan will be able to detach the huge drone fixed in the back of Falcon, it is always that price for the playability. You will have to dig into your inventory to equip Falcon with its two usual submachine guns, LEGO does not provide any here. Petty.

The Falcon version of the set 76050 Crossbones Hazard Heist marketed in 2016 around the film Captain America: Civil War remains my favorite even if the pad printing of the torso of this new version of the character is more accomplished.

Proxima Midnight and the generic Outrider provided are of little interest to me. These minifigs certainly have the merit of existing but they might as well come out of another range that features wicked aliens.
As for Banner and Falcon, you have to be content with plain and neutral legs for these two characters which spoils the overall appearance of the minifigs a bit. I might change my mind after seeing the film, although we can already regret that the left arm of Proxima Midnight does not have a shoulder pad and a pad printing detailing the different layers of the golden armor.

The spear of the character would have deserved to be worked a little more. On the different visuals available, it has three branches on one side.

The cannon provided seems to me to be well in the spirit of the very organically rendered weapons and ships made in Wakanda, but it's more of an alibi for the gameplay than anything else. The turret is not rotating, it is necessary to press the two parts of the barrel to eject the ball. It's ... minimalist. He still offers enough to knock down the Hulkbuster, we do not ask him more.
As it stands, one wonders what the Infinity Gem is doing in the barrel body, the film will (or not) provide the answer. LEGO having distributed the different gems over all the sets in the range, it was probably necessary to find a place for it.

You can lose three of them before you start to worry, LEGO provides replacement copies.

The Hulkbuster does the job: it's consistent, strong, easy to handle, and Bruce Banner easily fits into the armor. Too bad for the growth in the back which allows the right arm of the figurine to move vaguely.
It is unsightly and the size / function offered is not good. By removing a part, we can block the arm in a fixed position, but the protuberance is still there. It is also paradoxical, here LEGO offers the possibility of reducing (a little) the playability of the product ...

From the visuals, you will understand that the torso of the figurine must remain in the axis of the legs, there is no rotation mechanism at the waist.
If the front of the Hulkbuster is rather detailed for a figure of this scale, the back is a little more sketchy. This is undoubtedly the price to pay to stay in the nails in terms of parts and public price.

Those who missed the set 76031 The Hulkbuster Smash marketed in 2015 and since become overpriced on the secondary market may stop having regrets.
This new version of the armor is significantly more detailed and more consistent than the 2015 model. It looks less like the Buildable Figures made from Bionicle / Hero Factory parts that LEGO sold us in 2012.

In the end, it is probably not the set of the year, but the Hulkbuster has been Avengers: Age of Ultron became the king of derivatives.
You must have one in your collection and this will do the trick for anyone who has chosen to skip the large format version of the set. 76015 The Hulkbuster: Ultron Edition.

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before April 22 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.

Many of us have long hoped that LEGO will someday release a more detailed version of the Hulkbuster than the one seen in the sets. 76031 The Hulkbuster Smash (2015) et 76104 The Hulkbuster Smash-Up (2018)
Our wishes were granted a few weeks ago with the sale of the set 76105 The Hulkbuster Ultron Edition (1363 pieces - 139.99 €), even if the latter is not the ultimate figure so much hoped for by some fans.

We can always discuss the somewhat high public price of this box or the approximate finish of the figurine, the fact remains that I consider this Hulkbuster as a very nice exhibition product, sufficiently detailed and well highlighted. by the presentation platform provided.

Let’s immediately settle the question of the “exclusive” minifig delivered in this box: It is mainly an armor, the MK43 version, supplied with a transparent polycarbonate head. This is only a more detailed graphic reinterpretation of the armor seen in the set. 76031 The Hulkbuster Smash (2015)

Another detail to highlight, the presence of many stickers in this box, 20 in total, a large part of which are printed on a transparent support. It's a stopgap, knowing that when LEGO generally prints its stickers on a color background matching the support intended to receive them and it is common to see differences in color.

This problem does not arise here, but the transparent background of these stickers does not offer a rendering worthy of a collector's product at 140 €. The big sticker that gives a side Ultimate Collector Series to the product is a bit ridiculous for its part, it just tells us that the armor is super special, super resistant and super strong ... Some technical specifications, even invented would have been welcome.

Once assembled, the figure is quite solid and can be handled without risking scattering coins everywhere. The level of detail is very correct, even if the general appearance is a bit spoiled by the presence of the two blue pins at the shoulders. LEGO seems to insist with these blue pieces visible on models where they have no place (see the test of the LEGO Technic set 42078 Mach Anthem) and I think it's an assumed choice. There is no other valid reason to continue incorporating these visually unsightly pieces, except to purposely remind that this is a LEGO product.

LEGO obviously privileged here the situation of the armor in relation to its mobility. You can orient the arms however you like, but the legs remain hopelessly stiff. LEGO provides an additional standard arm which can replace the Jackhammer loosely articulated via a somewhat unsightly elastic. An integrated spring system would have been more judicious, this white elastic cheap.

No joints in the knees, as is too often the case with guys and other LEGO robots, you just have to spread your legs, turn the torso and orient the feet of the minifigure to make him take different poses. For lack of anything better, you can pay tribute to Jean-Claude Van Damme:

It's paradoxical, but I remind you that the poster offered by LEGO for the purchase of this set when it goes on sale presents the Hulkbuster with one knee on the ground, pose impossible to reproduce with the plastic version of the armor ...

I obviously regret the lack of knee joints, but not for reasons related to playability, this product being above all a figurine to exhibit. I just wish I could stage this Hulkbuster with one knee on the ground.

The above pose also reveals one of the weaknesses of the product: The articulation points are a bit too rickety and lacking in dressing, which contrasts with the massive appearance of the armor. It is even more obvious at the ankles of the figurine. It's up to you to find the right exposure angle to hide these visual defects.

The MK43 armor can be installed (seated) in the cockpit of the Hulkbuster, just to put it somewhere and be sure not to lose it. The light brick integrated in the torso can only be briefly switched on by pressing on the back of the armor.
Impossible to leave it on, which makes the functionality a little anecdotal, especially since LEGO has taken the trouble to integrate some phosphorescent pieces in this set. As usual with LEGO, you know it's there, it'll do.

The back of the figurine is successful with many details, the designer has not botched this aspect of the set. Well oriented, the figure is as convincing from the back as from the front.

To stage this Hulkbuster, LEGO provides a support which has the merit of being very well designed. the platform offers enough space to display the armor without taking up half of the living room dresser. The various accessories (table, robotic arms) which are connected to this support can also be moved according to your wishes.

The figure is very stable and well balanced, even when tilted forward or back. It does not slip thanks to the tire integrated in each foot, it is well seen. The model of Veronica, the microphone hot rod and the big fire extinguisher add to the staging a bit.

Don't get too fussy on the set scale, there isn't much that makes sense. It is enough to put the extinguisher in the hand of the minifigure to realize it. You can actually vaguely consider everything to be Hulkbuster scale rather than Tony Stark and that the MK43 armor is actually microfig scale ...

So that everyone understands why this large format Hulkbuster is in my opinion an aesthetic success despite its few flaws, it suffices to compare it with the armor delivered in the set 76104 The Hulkbuster Smash-Up released this year. The latter also offers very limited mobility.

We can always blame the figurine set 76105 for not being completely faithful to the armor seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the result is in any case light years away from the compact version whose general appearance is far from convincing.

This large format Hulkbuster is a pure exhibition product for collectors, it is not intended to end up in the little one's toy box and it does the job. I say yes, even at € 139.99.

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before April 8 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.

It's my favorite at the moment and I took all my time to assemble it: The set LEGO Technic 42078 Mack Anthem (2595 pieces - 159.99 €) is in my opinion the best set of all ranges of the beginning of the year 2018. Forward for some impressions (and reviews) around this Mack Anthem in LEGO sauce.

Like probably many of you, I have always been fascinated by these big trucks making their way on a strip of tar split by a yellow line in the middle of an American desert. Over the Top, Maximum Overdrive, Duel or even Transformers are all films that have contributed over the years to maintaining my admiration for these imposing and powerful machines.

I'm not usually a huge fan of Technic sets, and I don't hide it. But when LEGO adds a few panels and other more classic pieces to dress a model, I immediately feel a little more in my element. This is obviously the case here, with this superb reproduction of the new Mack Anthem.

You will not be mad at me for not going into ecstasies at length about the few features of the set, they are anecdotal to me and only underline the lack of motorization of a product that would have really deserved to be able to be controlled via a remote control.

The steering wheel turns via the somewhat unsightly thumbwheel placed at the back of the cabin and steers the front axle, the motor fan turns when pushing the truck and the container unloading system, as efficient as it may require some patience ... More than its functionalities, it is for its look that I appreciate this Mack Anthem. Some fans try (on Racingbrick ou Eurobricks) to motorize the tractor and the trailer, but I have not found a modification with sufficiently explicit instructions yet.

Unlike the set 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS To which I criticized a very approximate integration of the panels forming the body of the vehicle, the designer here endeavored to fill as much space as possible so as to leave only a few gaps.

Lifting the hood reveals a reproduction of the engine with cylinders that move when moving the tractor. Anecdotal but you'll know it's there, just like the sleeping space inside the cabin. There is a large number of stickers (35) to stick in this box, but it is once again at this price that this Mack Anthem really takes shape.

For a licensed product that can almost be considered a luxury promotional gimmick, LEGO could have gone to the trouble of pad printing the most important pieces, especially those on which the brand appears. The emblematic Bulldog of the brand is plugged into the front cover, it's a nice detail very faithful.

No complaints about the general look of the tractor. Those who find that the diameter of the tires seems undersized to them can refer to the photos of the real Mack Anthem, the proportions seem to me rather correct. There are few empty spaces left, the bodywork is consistent. I just regret the presence of these blue Techinc pins which spoil the rendering.

Fans of the Technic range will find themselves on familiar ground with the crudely dressed flatbed trailer delivered in this set. The two jack arms are actuated via the two knobs located at the rear. And it is laborious.

Each arm uses two jacks to fully deploy and each wheel gradually unloads the container provided. We shoot, we shoot and we shoot again. Amusing five minutes, the time to see that the mechanism is efficient and surprisingly precise, but much too slow.

To prevent the platform from tilting under the weight of the container when the latter swings in the vacuum during the unloading phase, two stabilizers are provided. They deploy simply and quickly via levers and lock in the open position to prevent them from accidentally retracting. Simple and efficient.

Something needs to be unloaded and LEGO delivers a white container here to assemble. The whole is very well designed, the performance is convincing. The doors open by lifting the two independent mechanisms, it's realistic. You can make the container heavier by filling it, the two stabilizers do their job.

Not being used to the Technic range, I had to show a little extra concentration to assemble the tractor frame and the two trailer arms. I logically took a little longer than usual to finalize the assembly of this set and I get the feeling of having really benefited from the assembly phase, which is not always the case. with other boxes whose content excluding minifigs is sometimes a little sloppy.

This set is therefore a real success in my eyes, it offers a slightly higher construction challenge than the usual stacking of bricks seen in the sets. System without going into the visual rickets of some products in the Technic range, and the end result is really very convincing.

In short, the pleasure of building is there, the satisfaction of then seeing some features at work. The end result finally sounds like a nice reward. I didn't take the time to assemble the secondary model, a Mack LR garbage truck, but if your heart tells you, instructions available for download will allow you to extend this immersion in the world of the American manufacturer a little more.

The public price of this box, 159.99 €, will perhaps discourage some of you from trying the adventure. Know that we already find it for 105 € at amazon Germany, which makes this nice product more affordable.

I leave it to the specialists of the Technic range to give us their opinion in the comments on the various features integrated in this set.

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before April 8 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.

TRON is first a film released in 1982, with Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner followed 28 years later by a somewhat nanardesque but visually very successful sequel / tribute: TRON L'Héritage (TRON: Legacy).

The LEGO Ideas 21314 TRON Legacy set (34.99 € on the LEGO Shop) showcases motorcycles Light cycles and the characters present in the 2010 film. Let's be honest, the motorcycles of the original film are now visually obsolete and it was indeed better to take inspiration from the machines of TRON: Legacy.

If you follow this blog, you know that I sometimes criticize LEGO for straying too far from the LEGO Ideas project that served as a starting point for the development of the final set. In this specific case, LEGO has once again allowed itself to "reinterpret" the idea of the initial project, but that's ultimately a good thing.
By digging a little on the LEGO Ideas platform, however, we find many projects based on the TRON license some of which feature several Light cycles with a presentation similar to that of set 21314. I suspect LEGO of having wanted to please everyone by offering a synthesis of the different ideas proposed.

That being said, when we talk about motorcycles Light cycles of TRON, we immediately think of the cult scene from the original 1982 film and for the younger ones to the equivalent scene in the 2010 film. Obviously, to really pay homage to the film, it takes two Light Cycles:

LEGO has understood this well and the set LEGO Ideas 21314 indeed allows us to obtain two of these virtual motorcycles. You won't get the ultimate building experience with this set, the two bikes are identical (it makes sense) and only differentiate by their dominant color.

Bonus: They roll, even if the axle is just a bar threaded into a Technic pin. No stickers in this set, everything is pad printed which guarantees an optimal exposure potential without having to replace or remove the stickers after a few years. The light trails attached to the back of the two Light cycles can be removed if you prefer to sacrifice the sense of movement.

No light brick or light source in this set. For the LightCycle from Rinzler, LEGO uses fluorescent parts (trans neon orange), which allows a nice effect under black light. The LightCycle by Sam Flynn is not that lucky, too bad for a product derived from a film whose aesthetic is largely based on the lighting effects ...

The lower part of the two Light cycles is aligned with the wheels. The rendering is a little massive, far from the organic curves of the motorcycles seen in the film but it is also at this place that the two finally come to be fixed on the base.

It is possible to improve the thing a little by removing a few parts to restore a less clumsy look to the LightCycle without affecting the rigidity of the whole. You will be able to play with your Light cycles without hearing the unpleasant noise of the bar rubbing against the motorcycle:

The handlebars are badly placed on the LEGO version, it is much too high whereas in the film the pilot is really one with his machine. The standard size of the minifig also does not allow the legs to be transferred to the rear wheel for a truly aerodynamic position. in short, we know that it is TRON because this type of motorcycle only exists in the film, but when we look more closely, we quickly realize that the reproduction is ultimately very approximate.

When it comes to minifigs, LEGO is content with three of the characters from the 2010 film: Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), Quorra (Olivia Wilde) and Rinzler (Anis Cheurfa). Too bad for the homage to the 1982 film, Jeff Bridges (CLU), Bruce Boxleitner (TRON) and Cindy Morgan (YORI) would have deserved to be delivered in this set, just to please absolute fans of this universe.

Nothing to say about the three minifigs delivered in the set 21314, they are magnificent. the pad printing is perfect and the patterns of the coveralls are faithful to the outfits seen on the screen. Even the Flesh pad printed on Quorra's black shoulders and torso is convincing. Purists will appreciate the presence of the tattoo ISO on the character's left shoulder. San Flynn reuses Mr. Freeze's visor and Rinzler takes advantage of the Vulture seen in the set 76083 Beware the Vulture, here in black and with pad printing very faithful to the film version.

The Identity Discs are superb and are attached via a transparent bracket with tenons for Flynn and Quorra and via a bracket with Technic pin for Rinzler which carries two. the solution is relatively discreet, it works.

Despite its few approximations and other shortcuts in execution, this set is an honest tribute to the film. TRON Legacy. As it reproduces vehicles and characters from a film released 8 years ago, everyone's memory will immediately associate the contents of the box with the original license without necessarily remembering or worrying about the details. Bad positioning of the rider on the bike, rough hairstyle of Quorra, simplistic representation of Sam Flynn's helmet, we'll make do with it.

At 34.99 € the box with 230 pieces, 3 minifigs and a few pages in the instruction booklet to the glory of the film and the designers, this set is to be reserved for absolute fans of the TRON franchise who will have here thanks to the concept LEGO Ideas a one and only chance to own a product derived from this universe in their collection. As far as I'm concerned, I say yes.

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before April 3 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.

Today we take a quick look at a set that does not really deserve all this attention: The LEGO Star Wars reference 75201 First Order AT-ST with its 370 pieces, its four characters and its crazy public price of 64.99 €.

Before getting to the heart of the matter, I would say all the same that I am a "complete" collector of the LEGO Star Wars range. I buy whatever comes out, be it good, less good or particularly bad, but I'm not a die-hard fan of everything LEGO can produce on the subject. Collecting doesn't always mean approving.

That being said, the set 75201 First Order AT-ST is a symbol in my eyes. This little box perfectly embodies the difference between what a LEGO toy can and should be and what a derivative product is made to order on behalf of the license holder concerned.

We are therefore no longer talking here of a construction toy allowing free rein to the creativity of those who acquire them. It is indeed a pure product derived from a work, this box reproducing in this specific case two scenes from a film and nothing else.

The official product description speaks for itself: "... With this set, the child can stage a perilous LEGO® Star Wars mission by escaping with the First Order AS-ST ... Recreate your own scenes from the blockbuster Star Wars: The Last Jedi ..."It's also a bit pretentious, I saw in the film only two very short scenes that I can really reproduce with the contents of this box: the one where BB-8 takes control of an AT-ST whose cabin is torn off when the machine moves and the one where Finn and Rose flee using the machine, still piloted by BB-8.

LEGO therefore applied to reproduce these two scenes of fifteen seconds in total seen in the film. The Last Jedi and does it pretty well. The only problem is that this set only reproduces these two scenes even if it does it quite well. The name of the set is also misleading. It is not an AT-ST. These are two short scenes from a movie that feature a piece of AT-ST. "AT-ST Escape"Or"Shed Battle"would have been more appropriate names.

LEGO could have proposed a removable cabin for the machine, just to be able to reuse this AT-ST in other adventures out of the imagination of the youngest. Fans of the LEGO Star War range being particularly fond of these AT-STs, this set could even have become a bestseller with interesting content and successful features ... After all, this is the concept championed by the brand and incidentally by the description of the product.

The public price of the set also allowed some largesse in terms of parts. But no. Anyone who usually shows boundless indulgence for LEGO will have already drawn the usual response to this type of criticism: "... It's LEGO, build the rest yourself with your pieces ...". Too easy.

Worse yet, the content of this set actually offers only limited playability and borders on the pure product of exhibition despite the two missile launchers placed under the frontal cannon. The AT-ST is not really capable of different poses due to a low number of joints in the legs. The rotation of the cabin, or what is left of it, via the dial placed at the back will not amuse many people. The young fan can always have fun killing Phasma with Finn ...

I could have forgiven the sloppy and rough side of the thing if the craft was at least complete and presentable in some diorama. Besides, let's leave aside "... the hangar lift to build ..."uninteresting with its basic mechanism and its measurements which do not even allow to reach the platform of the AT-ST.

Finally, let's talk about the public price of this box: 64.99 €. How did LEGO come to estimate that at this price, this set would find its audience? By counting on the success of the film and the hypothetically "iconic" character of these two scenes? By betting on the three minifigs of Finn, Rose (in First Order ) and Phasma already seen in the set 75103 First Order Transporter (2015) but delivered here with a helmet whose pad printing has been slightly refined and that collectors will therefore want to obtain whatever the rest of the contents of the box?

We will never really know by what chain of decisions this set ended up on the shelves of toy stores. On the other hand, we know that LEGO generally works on the basis of concept arts that are not always very explicit or faithful to the final result of the work concerned. We also know that Disney has a say in the products derived from its licenses. We can therefore always find some ready-made excuses to explain all the mediocrity of this box and to distribute fairly (and arbitrarily) the responsibilities between LEGO and Disney.

We will especially remember with nostalgia the set 75153 AT-ST Walker (2016) based on the action from the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story with its 449 parts, its complete AT-ST, its three minifigs including Baze Malbus and its public price of 54.99 € ...

In the end, I now watch the set 75098 Assault on Hoth (Ultimate Collector Series) released in 2016 with surprising benevolence, seeing it go down one place in the ranking of the worst LEGO Star Wars sets, brilliantly dethroned by this First Order AT-ST ...

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before March 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.