Review : LEGO Creator Expert 10260 Downtown Diner

Better late than never, after a few twists and turns including a package sent to the wrong address (which the recipient was careful not to mention), I finally received and assembled the set LEGO Creator Expert 10256 Downtown Diner (2480 pieces - 159.99 €) which is simply called a Structure in authorized environments. Even if you have had plenty of time to form your own opinion on this set, I would like to take this opportunity to take a quick look at it, just to give you some very personal impressions (and to make someone happy).

When the first visuals of the set became available, fan reactions were mixed to say the least. Some already regretted the very classic design of the buildings which constitute, at the rate of one per year, this range of Modulars when others praised the designer's creative risk-taking. In the end, looking back, I think everyone agrees that this set is still aesthetically very successful.

That being said, it is therefore a Structure atypical (as on M6) with which it will obviously be impossible to play despite the many accessories piled up in the different spaces that compose it. Rare are those who will have fingers thin enough to place and move a minifigure inside the different spaces and having to remove a floor to play with the one below is nothing very exciting. There are much more suitable (and cheaper) products in the LEGO range.

As I have said in the past for a similar set, this is once again a pure showpiece full of details that only those who own it really know what's inside. and that we do not see.

The Modulars, it's like Ikea furniture, fans all have the same living room or the same city. Only the placement of the different pieces of furniture or buildings can bring a vaguely personal touch to the whole. A few minifigs staged on the sidewalk, a few vehicles in the streets and it's already one more step towards a truly personalized LEGO city.

Don't laugh, I know people who try to reproduce in their homes the living room seen in the nearest Ikea store and others who try to convince me that LEGO has defined a "official roster" some issues Modulars...

The arrival of this Diner the 50s will therefore give all these a little austere towns a big blow and that is good news. It may be difficult for some to integrate this set in the context usually offered by other sets of the same barrel but the effort will undoubtedly be rewarded.

The most successful space in my eyes: the restaurant on the ground floor indicated by a sign that you will see from a distance and which gives its name to the set, with its original facade, its retro atmosphere and the multitude of details and accessories that help make it a true reproduction of what a Diner (Hollywood, I was not born ...) from the 50s could be. Grease, American Graffiti or to Saturday Night Fever, maybe at Back to the future and why not at Walk the Line, it depends.

Ce Diner is not very spacious, it is a bit overwhelmed by the counter flanked by red stools but everything is there, from the tiles to the jukebox, passing the benches with the well-padded backs. The large bay window makes it possible to distinguish what is going on inside, this is quite rare for a Structure. It is well seen.

The floor above is crowded. This gym accommodates a disproportionate ring which spoils the room a bit. We only see that, and given that in any case LEGO only provides us with one boxer, this ring which could have almost been the only "playable" space of the place is useless. The punching bag and weight bench are in turn a little cramped. The water dispenser is original, that's already it. Next.

The second floor is of little interest. It's ordinary, we know that it's a recording studio thanks to the presence of acoustic foam panels and some accessories, but it lacks personality to really convince. If I were slanderous, I would say the designer was already short of inspiration when he reached this level.

As usual with the Modulars, many very ingenious construction techniques are used, especially for the brick facade and the roof cornices. You will inevitably have the opportunity to marvel at some of them or to discover some tips that you may find useful for your personal creations. We don't get bored and that's a good thing.

Another characteristic of Modulars, the rear of the construction is much more sober than the facade. Only the presence of the ingenious staircase leading from the first to the second floor deserves to be mentioned. This is minimum service, but it is often also the case on real buildings, how can I blame LEGO ... I note in passing some subtle differences in color between the Duck Blue parts (Teal) which form the basis of the walls. Pity.

On the minifig side, LEGO provides six in this box. They have the merit of being finally equipped with faces a little more expressive than the basic heads usually provided in this range of sets. Some cried sacrilege when they discovered the first visuals of the set, LEGO sent them back to the ropes by invoking the right to do as they see fit. Still happy...

In the lot, only the boxer finds favor in my eyes because I find that he looks like Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrel).

Finally, LEGO provides a vehicle in this set. The machine vaguely resembles a 1959 Cadillac Convertible, with a passage through the box Chibi while retaining the possibility of putting some minifigs. It's a good compromise and it's in the theme, why not. Too bad for those who complain because LEGO "wastes parts on a car instead of stuffing the rooms in the building a little more"...

As I'm not the type to go into ecstasies over a new flower or a few leaves, just know that this set will allow you to get some new pieces. As a bonus, if you like Bleu Canard (Teal), you will have at your disposal an assortment of pieces in this color which, as we have said many times already, is making a comeback in the LEGO inventory.

In the end, what to think of this new Structure ? I want to end on a positive note by applauding with both hands the creativity implemented here to try to give a little pep to a range which still lacks a little even if the set 10232 Palace Cinema had already paved the way for more originality. It is high time that the LEGO city incorporated more original constructions than the usual age-old buildings.

You collect the Modulars, go for it. You like constructions that are a little more elaborate than stacked bricks, go for it. Do you need 159.99 € for something else? Keep your money. If you want to see it for real before you decide, head to a LEGO exhibit near you, there is always a town based on Modulars somewhere on a table.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is included in the game. To participate in the raffle, simply post a comment on this article before the February 28 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.