06/12/2019 - 17:57 In my opinion... Reviews

10270 lego creator expert modular bookshop 1

Today we are talking about the set again LEGO Creator Expert Modular 10270 Bookshop (2504 pieces - 159.99 €), a set of two constructions that will probably join the streets of the majority of fans of this range from January 1st.

You have had plenty of time and the elements to get a very precise idea of ​​the contents of this box with the official announcement which took place a few hours ago, so I will content myself with giving you as usual some very personal information about this box.

Don't be fooled by the official visuals, this set is "only" 29cm tall. For reference, the construction of the set 10264 Corner Garage measures 32 cm high and the highest point of the set 10255 Assembly Square is 35 cm from the ground. Here no antenna or pointed roof, the whole is relatively compact.

Walls, cornices, roofs, furniture, as usual we assemble here a dollhouse for adults, s with its different more or less playable spaces, which will end up on a shelf alongside the other products of the range and which will delight all those who regularly exhibit urban dioramas all over France.

The set consists of two separate buildings logically placed on their respective 16x32 base plates, a solution that has disappeared from the range since the set 10218 Pet Shop marketed in 2011. You can also arrange the two constructions in any order you like, it works. By reversing the placement from the solution presented by LEGO, the floor lamp ends up under the birch but it is easy to remove or move.

When it comes to tiling, you shouldn't be too demanding with this set: only the floor of the bookstore is tiled, the other parts are in "visible tenons". It is convenient for planting furniture or minifigs in it, but in my opinion it is not up to the level of finish that one can expect from a product of this range. You will tell me that anyway, apart from the window of the bookstore, you can't really see the inside of the different rooms from the outside. And that's true, but I would have liked to have had smooth floors, a floor, etc ...

10270 lego creator expert modular bookshop 8 1

On the other hand, the exterior finish of the two constructions is impeccable. The ornaments on the facade are nicely done and the two buildings display very different styles and colors. We dream of a street complete with facades in the same style. The sides and the back of the two buildings are as usual more basic, we can detect here and there some differences in color between the parts in Medium Dark Flesh which make up the walls of the bookstore, but it's more homogeneous than usual and it seems to me that LEGO has made some progress on this point. On the other hand, I am not a fan of the bricks of different colors which are visible on the outside of the walls, in particular at the level of the chimney of the blue building.

The sign of the bookstore is pad printed and it will be necessary to be satisfied with an English version. For those who are wondering what "Birch", it is the English translation of the word birch, the tree which is just in front of the shop. This tree also takes advantage of the white notches present on the parts which constitute the trunk: no more the trouble of turning them to Conceal them, they perfectly embody here the variations in color of the bark characteristic of this type of tree.

A few yellowed leaves on the branches of the tree and on the ground and the autumn atmosphere of a street in a quiet residential area of ​​London or San Francisco is there. Good luck to integrate this new Structure in a street where buildings with very different architectural styles already rub shoulders. The most judicious seems to add the set 10243 Parisian Restaurant whose facade seems to me rather to match that of this new set. On the other side, the set 10255 Assembly Square will do.

10270 lego creator expert modular bookshop 9

The bookstore is obviously filled with ... books. Or rather small assemblages that reproduce the presence of books on the shelves of the store. It's a shame, we get here only one "real book" LEGO, a copy of Moby brick whose cover is also nicely pad printed. In the end, for a set called Bookshop, there are not many books in this box even if the substitute assemblies are largely illusion on the shelves.

The floors of the two buildings are more or less attic rooms, there is not much except a double bed and a chest of drawers on one side and a single bed with an aquarium on the other. No sink, bathroom or toilet. The blue house benefits from a cellar which lacks a little depth but it is an interesting detail which also makes it possible to raise the construction to justify the very successful staircase placed at the entrance. There you will find a mousetrap, a folding ladder tucked away in a corner, and a hobbit gate in the back.

I tried to turn the first floor of the building which houses the bookstore 180 ° and it also works with a balcony which therefore overlooks the street. It's a detail, but it will allow an interesting variation if you install several copies of the set in your LEGO town.

The other rooms are loosely furnished, and the stairs, including a rather successful spiral version, take up a significant portion of the available space. I would gladly exchange these for some extra furniture and some real chairs. At LEGO, we almost sit on the floor and that's a shame.

10270 lego creator expert modular bookshop 3

10270 lego creator expert modular bookshop 19

The endowment in minifigs is very correct here with a handful of ordinary civilians to stage. The little boy plays with his plane which ends up in the tree, the bookseller comes to help him, his wife is busy in the shop while the parents of the reckless kid are gardening. Forward the stories.

In the end, I think we get here a very nice Structure more generic than the gas station or the typical 50s Diner of the last few years and that's a good thing. The business on the ground floor is discreet and we really have the impression of having residential buildings.

Those who will acquire this box will not be disappointed by the many techniques used here to refine the facades of the two constructions. They will get their money's worth both during the assembly process and afterwards with a superb display set, although one can still regret the lack of finish and furniture on the floors.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at December 18, 2019 next at 23pm.

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.

Mesnik - Comment posted the 09/12/2019 at 10:49

75256 Kylo Ren's Shuttle

Today we are quickly interested in the LEGO Star Wars set 75256 Kylo Ren's Shuttle (1005 pieces - 129.99 €), a novelty launched last October which also has the mission of making us forget the ship really out of the set 75104 Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle marketed in 2015.

There is no suspense, it's mission accomplished with this new interpretation of Kylo Ren's ship that sticks a little more to the model used on the screen. The color is the right one, the integrated functions finally allow to put the LEGO version in "realistic" configurations and the endowment in minifigs is sufficiently motivating to justify the purchase of this new box.

On the assembly side, it's quite pleasant in the early stages before logically becoming a bit repetitive when it comes to tackling the wings of the ship. The cockpit is spacious enough to accommodate three minifigs without having to enter them with forceps and here we find the usual difference in scale inside / outside which allows to have a nice exhibition product that becomes a playset when you access the different interior spaces.

The cockpit seats are attached to an access ramp that can be deployed under the vessel. The functionality is a bit superfluous and this ramp is not really accessible, except to flip the model, which in itself is not very practical ...

75256 Kylo Ren's Shuttle

Two Spring-Shooters are integrated under the hull of the ship and they are placed in such a way as not to disfigure the model and to annoy collectors. We also quickly assemble the mechanism that will allow the wings to deploy by gravity when lifting the ship.

It's well thought out, it works and the effect obtained during takeoff is very interesting. Even the most jaded should be taken in, I know what I'm talking about. To bring the wings to the vertical, just turn the right engine placed at the back of the ship. Here too, the mechanism is discreet and perfectly integrated.

The outer covering of the wings is basic but sufficient. Inside, it's immediately more messy with visible reinforcement pieces and the whole system that allows you to store the tip of the wing under the widest part. The mechanism designed to achieve this effect is also very well thought out, it is just not completely hidden in the thickness of the wings and the result is visually a little messy as it is.

I do not hold it against the designer, the playability of the whole really benefits from this feature and it would have been a shame to do without it for questions of finish. The same goes for the few empty spaces at the level of the Technic elements which serve as a mobile support for the upper part of the wings.

Sooner or later we'll get a UCS version of this ship anyway, and those who aren't ready to put up with the aesthetic compromises of this version should one day have an even bigger, more detailed and up-to-date ship. more successful finish.

75256 Kylo Ren's Shuttle

Kylo Ren uses here the outfit and the head seen in several sets whose reference 75216 Snoke's Throne Room marketed in 2018, but it is equipped with its helmet in a "repaired" version and the accessory benefits from a really successful pad printing on its entire surface. If you buy this box only for Kylo Ren, go your way and wait for the set 75264 Kylo Ren's Shuttle Microfighter planned for early 2020: You will get exactly the same minifigure for € 9.99 instead of € 129.99.

The two Knights of Ren (Knights of Ren) may seem a bit generic but the combination of parts and accessories, including Obi-Wan's new hood that comes here in black, works pretty well for both characters. The two minifigs provided here don't reveal much of who these characters are, but I expect their contribution to the film to be boiled down to a few clashes before I see them go by the wayside for good. . To gather the whole troop, it will be necessary to wait for the beginning of 2020 with two other figurines distributed in the boxes to come.

If the First Order Stormtrooper with his new helmet was already in the set 75225 Elite Praetorian Guard Battle Pack, the other figurines delivered in this box are new, at least until the availability of the set 75266 Sith Troopers Battle Pack for the Sith Trooper whose helmet and outfit benefit from high-end pad printing. Under the helmets of these two characters, nothing very innovative: we find the usual head of angry Clone Trooper.

General Pryde's minifigure, portrayed onscreen by Richard E. Grant, doesn't look too exciting with its generic outfit but it gets the job done with a pretty successful face.

75256 Kylo Ren's Shuttle

In short, here is a nice box that offers something to have a little fun thanks to some interesting techniques used to give mobility to Kylo Ren's ship. In my opinion, the set is convincing both in its quality of a really elaborate playset and an exhibition model that can sit on a shelf. It returns the 2015 version to the rank of very preliminary prototype that it is better to forget and when in addition it is sold for less than 100 € at Amazon, it would be a shame to miss out on a product that offers very balanced content.

[amazon box="B07ND9TJF6"]

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at December 12, 2019 next at 23pm.

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.

balthaz - Comment posted the 05/12/2019 at 23:36

40433 1989 Batmobile Limited Edition

Today we are quickly interested in the other Batmobile that will be available from November 29: that of the LEGO Batman set 40433 1989 Batmobile Limited Edition which will be offered for the purchase of the set 76139 1989 Batmobile (249.99 €).

Valued at 29.99 € by LEGO, this small set of 366 pieces has everything of a product that could have ended up on the shelves of the DC Comics section without having to blush in front of the other boxes already on sale.

You will understand, LEGO wishes here to offer a compact version of the imposing model of the set 76139 and this mini Batmobile also inspired by the one seen in the film by Tim Burton is a high-end promotional product as we would like to see more often at LEGO.

This more or less minifig scale interpretation of the vehicle is in my opinion at least as convincing as that of the 76139 set, with some inevitable compromises motivated by the reduced scale of the model. The cockpit canopy no longer slides forward but tilts to allow access to the cockpit designed to accommodate a minifig and the two machine guns placed on the front cover, here embodied by Stud Shooters, are not retractable.

The only real complaint I can make with this model is the use of gray barrels to embody the side air intakes. As I said before, I often have a bit of trouble with the regular hijacking of these barrels to transform them, for example, into reactors and I find them inappropriate here as well. They are not even the right color and you can only see them. Some will see it as a nod to the many possibilities offered by certain elements of the LEGO inventory, I see it rather as a lazy solution that spoils the general appearance of the model a bit.

40433 1989 Batmobile Limited Edition

40433 1989 Batmobile Limited Edition

For the rest, this mini Batmobile is like its big sister delivered with a rotating support on which a small presentation plate hangs. It is also the only sticker in the box that dresses this small plate.

On the functional side, on the sidelines of the movable canopy, the movement of the vehicle causes the engine nozzle to turn at the rear. It's anecdotal but it's always good to take knowing that the youngest will have the opportunity to discover during the assembly the simple mechanism which allows to obtain this effect.

There is not really much to be said about this mini Batmobile, knowing that it is additionally offered for the purchase of a set which is also so convincing that many fans would have it. bought even without this gift.

This mini version is aesthetically very successful, it is pleasant to build and it will sit on your shelves without any problem alongside those of the sets 76119 Batmobile: Pursuit of The Joker, 76052 Batman Classic TV Series Batcave (2016)  76045 Kryptonite Intercept (2016) et 76035 Jokerland (2015). We can regret the absence of a minifigure in this box, but let's not be too demanding, Batman is already delivered in the set 76139 1989 Batmobile.

In short, if there was one more reason to fall for the 76139 set from its launch on November 29, this set should be enough to motivate you. This will be the case for me, although I would have invested in set 76139 anyway without this nice gift.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at December 8, 2019 next at 23pm.

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.

Anonymous - Comment posted the 02/12/2019 at 13:24

40433 1989 Batmobile Limited Edition

22/11/2019 - 14:55 In my opinion... Reviews

40338 Christmas tree

A few hours before the launch at LEGO of the pre-weekend VIP weekend offersBlack Friday, we take a quick look at the small limited edition set that will be offered from 120 € of purchase on the LEGO Shop and in the LEGO Stores: the benchmark 40338 Christmas tree. This small box of 392 pieces will then be offered, always for the same minimum purchase amount from November 28 to December 2, 2019.

This new festive gift allows you to assemble a Christmas tree with a respectable height: 22 cm high. The model is rather detailed with a stack of layers of green coins slipped over a central trunk and decorated with colorful balls, gray cookies and diamonds in different hues.

40338 Christmas tree

The icing on the cake, the construction is placed on a base which allows the toy carousel placed at the foot of the tree to turn with a wave of the hand. The functionality is anecdotal, but we will not reproach a manufacturer specializing in construction toys for making an effort on the possibilities offered by a small product. I was a little disappointed when I discovered the function, I expected without really knowing why that the entire tree would turn, but it was ultimately only the merry-go-round that moved. It is however logical.

In short, LEGO is offering here a small promotional product which has benefited from a careful design and which will easily find its place on the corner of a piece of furniture during the holiday season. Too bad the minimum purchase amount required (120 €) to be offered this pretty little box is so high ...

Note: Two copies of the set presented here, supplied by LEGO, are included. Deadline fixed at  December 7, 2019 next at 23pm. 

 

 

Update : The winners were drawn and were notified by email, their nicknames are indicated below.

Mathieu Texereau - Comment posted the 01/12/2019 at 18:27
Frederic - Comment posted the 22/11/2019 at 18:44

75248 Resistance A-Wing Starfighter

Today we are very quickly interested in the set 75248 Resistance A-Wing Starfighter (269 pieces - 29.99 €), another chestnut tree from the Star Wars range which has already been the subject of multiple adaptations to the LEGO sauce for 20 years.

With each new version its improvements, and here we benefit from a ship more slender than usual, which is not to displease me. The set is a little less clumsy than the 2017 version of the set 75175 A-Wing Starfighter, that's always what it takes.

Everything is assembled in 15 minutes, there is nothing here to occupy a young fan for a few hours. It will therefore be necessary to count on the ludic potential of the whole to prolong the "experience" while living "[even more] fun space adventures".

Two Spring-Shooters are hidden under the cabin and the firing is triggered via the black buttons accessible at the front of the cabin. The mechanism is very well integrated and does not alter the general appearance of the vessel, a detail that will please collectors keen to line up models rather than toys on their shelves.

On the cockpit side, it's minimum service with the possibility of placing Snap Wexley there, which will have no control console. This new version of the A-Wing also benefits from real retractable landing gear. These elements are rather basic but they allow to really elevate the ship and give it some allure.

75248 Resistance A-Wing Starfighter

On a purely aesthetic level, the blue pins which hold the two dummy guns on the sides of the vessel are in my opinion a little off topic but this is not dramatic for a product which is not intended to serve as a reference model. .

Even if the green tint of the stickers is rather consistent with the parts on which they take place, we regret the large number of stickers to stick on the fuselage of this small vessel intended to be handled by young fans not always very careful. Stickers on a (really) white background suffer from the usual problem of color shift with white-cream pieces.

75248 Resistance A-Wing Starfighter

Two minifigs accompany the spaceship, pilot Temmin "Snap" Wexley (Greg Gunberg, JJ Abrams' friend back in this new episode of the saga) and Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix, played on screen by Billie Lourd who does not is other than Carrie Fischer's daughter.

Snap Wexley is entitled to a new face, to the helmet already seen on the head of the same character in the Microfighters set 75125 Resistance X-Wing Fighter (2016) and the outfit already worn by Poe Dameron in the set 75102 Poe's X-Wing Fighter (2015)

Connix's minifigure features Sally Ride and Tina Goldstein's features and Leia's hair delivered here in Medium Dark Flesh, all plugged into a unique torso with successful pad printing. The outfit looks true to what has already been revealed about the character via the visual of the Topps map which is currently circulating on the internet.

75248 Resistance A-Wing Starfighter

In short, this set does not add much to the LEGO Star Wars range and its acquisition is only justified by the presence of Kaydel Ko Connix who will find its place in the Ribba frames of many collectors anxious to bring together all the characters of the saga, including extras making a stealthy appearance on screen. LEGO knows how to distribute the most requested minifigs in all the boxes of each new wave, we can not blame him for trying to sell as many sets as possible.

Like I said about the set ship 75257 Millennium Falcon, if you do not yet have an A-Wing in your collection, this set will do well, provided you find it at a price much lower than that charged by the manufacturer.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at December 5, 2019 next at 23pm.

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.

Benoit - Comment posted the 24/11/2019 at 18:28