Review: LEGO Ninjago 71747 The Keepers' Village

Today we are quickly interested in the LEGO Ninjago set 71747 The Keepers' Village, a box of 632 pieces which will be sold at the public price of 49.99 € from March 1st. This set is one of the four references announced which will stage the events taking place in the special episode "The unknown island" which will be broadcast on France 4 on Saturday February 27, 2021 at 21:00 p.m.

No vehicle rolling, flying or floating in this box, we focus on creating a context and an atmosphere and we assemble the lair of the Guardians, a colorful tribe domiciled on "the unknown island" under the orders of Chief Mammatus. At just 30cm long by 19cm wide, this isn't the ultimate playset but the designer has tried to fill the space with several features that should keep the youngest busy.

We will retain the cell dug in the rock from which a young ninja who would be taken prisoner can escape by slipping through the mouth of the dragon which conceals an access hatch or the trap which allows to catch a reckless hero by lifting manually the trunk to which the chain is hung. Note that the left part of the playset unfolds to facilitate access to the cell placed in the dragon's mouth.

At the top of the rocky outcrop sits a totem of about fifteen centimeters made up of three distinct blocks at the top of which is the amulet of the storm. The construction is plugged into a tilting axle which allows it to be set in motion before extracting it.

It is then easily divided into several subsets with movable arms and armed with sharp tricks that can fight the ninjas. Each of the totem's levels is dressed with a sticker and these stickers to put on a rounded surface all display a different expression. The youngest would also be well inspired to get help to put these stickers so as not to spoil the final rendering. If you are only interested in the Storm Amulet, you should know that it is present in all four boxes and that the cheapest solution to obtain this item is the set. 71745 Lloyd's Jungle Chopper Bike (183 - € 19.99).

As often, the size of the box suggests a construction a little more imposing than that obtained after a few tens of minutes of assembly, but the whole which brings together a piece of sea, a beach, a little vegetation and a rocky peak with its lava flows still seems very convincing from an aesthetic point of view. Then it's up to the fans to invent what goes around.

If I had to quibble a bit, I think the back of the playset would have deserved a little more care. Playing in pairs or more around such a compact construction will imply that one of the participants ends up at the back of the stage which lacks a bit of finishing, I would have preferred a product completed on 360 °.

The endowment in minifigs is sufficient to have fun with the contents of this box without needing to add the contents of other sets. The Guardian Tribe might seem understaffed with just two characters that also come in other sets, but the three belligerent elements of the totem pole will provide some boost.

Three ninjas in version to Iceland are delivered in this set: Cole, Jay and Kai. Only Cole is only available in this box, Jay and Kai are also delivered in the set 71748 Sea Battle Catamaran (780 - 74.99 €). I say it again, the pad prints are really very well done and Cole's minifigure is really superb with its tactical gear. I'm not repeating the verse about members of the Guardian tribe, the minifigs and their tribal accessories are beautiful.

This playset at the almost reasonable price seems to me in the end to be a good surprise, it allows to contextualize the confrontation between the young ninjas and the tribe of Guardians and it constitutes a good starting point to which we can eventually add the other boxes on the same subject which will be available in March whose reference 71746 Jungle Dragon (506 - € 39.99).

The designer succeeds in offering a very compact construction, the finish of which is not sloppy and which offers some interesting features. Many other LEGO sets don't and the effort is worth highlighting.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 10, 2021 next at 23pm. "The" I try, I participate "are automatically deleted, make an effort.

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.