Review : 70614 Lightning Jet

Today we are interested in another set from the The LEGO Ninjago Movie range, the reference 70614 Lightning Jet with its 876 pieces, six minifigs and its retail price set at 64.99 €.

I had put this box aside, the visuals of the box did not inspire me any good. I was wrong because this set really has it all. This Supersonic Lightning Jet, as LEGO calls it in France, in my opinion deserves your full attention.

The LEGO version is as usual a simplified interpretation of the film model that we briefly see in two of the trailers already available. Nothing really catastrophic on that side, the set ship remains sufficiently consistent and coherent even if we go here from more than twenty side antennas on each of the wings to a dozen on the set 70614 craft.

When I discovered the product, I told myself that it would all be difficult to hold in place during long gaming sessions. It is not. Despite the skeletal appearance of the vessel, it remains easily "swooshable"as LEGO fans like to say.

Nothing falls and LEGO has provided a grip by the handle located under the machine which will serve incidentally as landing gear or presentation support.

11 stickers to stick in this set. Here it is not their number that is the problem, it is the difference in color between the blue of the stickers and the color of the parts to which they must be applied. It's ugly. It is time to generalize the use of stickers on a transparent background, especially for fairly large surfaces.

The side elements that integrate the reactors can be oriented as you wish. The angle is limited but it's always taken to change the look of this robotic insect a little.

The underside of the construction has obviously not received the same care as the top. It's a bit empty but we'll do with it. In particular, an element of the electro-disc visible on the promotional poster is missing (see above). Too bad for a ship meant to be handled from all angles.

On the functionality side, everything happens under the ship. Pressing the black trigger located in front of the gray handle will cause the generator located on the back of the ship to rotate. The large missile located under the nose of the jet is ejectable via a button located on the system which retains the ammunition.

I often criticize LEGO for not balancing the forces enough for maximum playability. Here, the manufacturer has chosen to provide an enemy machine to be able to take action right out of the box. Well done for that. The mechanical crab equipped with a pincer and a rotating missile launcher is basic but it is welcome.

In terms of minifigs, it's also very balanced. On the good side, Jay will take the controls of the jet to fly to the aid of the couple of civilians in distress, Ed and Edna.

Small technical downside for the minifigs of the two civilians: We find once again the usual differences when the same color is applied to surfaces of different colors. It's unsightly.

As a bonus, we also see the other visible defect on many minifigs with a lack of ink at the place where the rounded legs meet the flat surface of the latter. Too bad for a brand that has made the minifigure the flagship of its products.

Among the evil invaders, the assortment is interesting. Three different characters are provided including the Mechanical Crab Pilot with his matching helmet.

In short, this set undoubtedly deserves better than playing the outsiders in this range which combines both successful products and a few failures. it is already available for less than 50 € at amazon and at this price, it's a nice gift for a young fan of the Ninjago universe.

Note: We do as usual, you have until September 10, 2017 at 23:59 p.m. to manifest yourself in the comments.

Update : The winner was drawn and 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.