The Verdict

The airport and the aeroplane

LEGO 60502-1 · 99.99 €

Released 10 months ago

The LEGO City 60502 Airport with Airplane prioritizes a terminal rich in features and play opportunities, accompanied by nine minifigures and a more controversial plane. Brickset highlights the airport’s size and facilities, while Bouwsteentjes.info appreciates the varied construction, particularly the scanner and some of the building’s assembly techniques. Brickreport.io emphasizes the terminal’s three sections, which can be built separately, as well as access to the mechanisms through the open back. The main compromise concerns the plane. Bouwsteentjes.info finds it disappointing, and Brickreport.io believes it does not do the building justice: its silhouette and proportions depart from those of a realistic airliner. The minifigures are another weak point for Bouwsteentjes.info, whereas Brickreport.io appreciates their number and the variety of roles represented. At €99.99, Bouwsteentjes.info considers the set affordable for the enjoyment it offers; Brickreport.io highlights the number of characters and facilities at that price. The supplied reviews do not, however, provide enough evidence to assess long-term durability.

The 1966 Ford GT40 MKII race car

LEGO 42223-1 · 74.99 €

Released 10 months ago

LEGO Technic 42223 1966 Ford GT40 MKII brings a historic car to a range previously focused largely on modern vehicles. Its 793 pieces produce a car approximately 30 cm long, with a finish that particularly impresses Brick Fanatics. The gold wheels and the lever that opens the front compartment are notable details, although the compartment is difficult to open directly by hand. Reviewers are less unanimous about the set as a whole: Brickset sees a competent but rather familiar model, whereas Brick Fanatics finds the experience more distinctive. New Elementary regrets, among other things, an inventory dominated by black and a play experience no more enjoyable than that of comparable, cheaper cars. Brickset also notes a £10 or $10 price increase over similar models from the previous year. That outlet considers the rear inaccurate, while Brick Fanatics says the many stickers, some of them very small, make finishing the model more difficult. The excerpts do not provide enough evidence to assess durability or the clarity of the instructions properly.

The tulip bouquet

LEGO 11501-1 · 59.99 €

Released 10 months ago

The LEGO Botanicals Tulip Bouquet 11501 focuses on one flower, but avoids uniformity with 14 blooms across five designs and six colors. Reviewers appreciate the range of shapes, flowering stages and leaves, as well as the finished bouquet’s decorative effect. New pieces and recolored elements help make the tulips more convincing than earlier LEGO versions. Two instruction booklets make the build easy to share, and the LEGO Builder app offers another way for several people to work together. Reviewers differ on repetition, however: Jay's Brick Blog notes identical assemblies and a few fiddly steps, while The Rambling Brick and nanibricks find that the variations keep the build interesting. nanibricks also notices black pieces visible inside the purple tulips from certain angles. The bouquet requires a separate vase. At $59.99, its price is comparable to that of the first LEGO bouquet despite a lower piece count; Jay's Brick Blog qualifies that comparison by noting an apparently higher proportion of large pieces. The reviews provide too little evidence to assess long-term durability or rate the clarity of the instructions.

Paris, City of Love

LEGO 21064-1 · 79.99 €

Released 10 months ago

With Paris – City of Love, LEGO Architecture moves away from models of individual monuments in favour of a framed relief inspired by the French capital. Reviewers praise its forced perspective: light-coloured buildings in the foreground, darker shades behind them and a night sky create a sense of depth. The Eiffel Tower anchors the composition, while ingenious assemblies and a flexible tube suggest its curves. The build is praised for its techniques and small details, although its complexity may leave traditional Architecture fans wanting more. The model can stand on a surface or be hung on a wall. At €79.99 for 958 pieces, brickarchitect.com considers it promising value, while noting that piece count alone cannot determine value. The instructions include information about Paris and the design, but the excerpts do not allow a clear assessment of how easy they are to follow. Finally, while its graphic aesthetic is appealing, this hybrid format, closer to LEGO Art than to a faithful architectural reproduction, will not suit every expectation.

Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D™

LEGO 10356-1 · 379.99 €

Released 11 months ago

LEGO Icons 10356 recreates the Enterprise from Star Trek: The Next Generation as an ambitious display model accompanied by nine minifigures. Reviewers generally praise the ship’s recognizable silhouette and ingenious structure, particularly the detachable saucer and the sideways construction of the secondary hull. The build nevertheless alternates inventive stages with repetitive panels: some regard the latter as manageable, while others find them distinctly tedious. Strength is a highlight, especially in the secondary hull and stand, although the saucer panels require care during assembly and the finished model must be held in the right places. The appearance is more divisive: Brickset appreciates the curves and overall look, whereas hothbricks considers the lines and facets too conspicuous. Stickers and a spelling error on the plaque also draw criticism. At €379.99, the price is contentious: Brickset finds it high for the model’s size, while The Brothers Brick considers it fairly reasonable. The instruction books include information about the franchise and its characters, but the excerpts do not provide enough evidence to assess their clarity.

The Tropical Aquarium

LEGO 10366-1 · 449.99 €

Released 11 months ago

The LEGO Icons 10366 Tropical Aquarium stands out for its colourful, detailed underwater display. Brickset appreciates its distinctive appearance, inventive use of parts and entertaining mechanisms, while zusammengebaut considers it a beautiful diorama. Building it, however, involves a lengthy opening: the base and backdrop must be assembled before much of the sea life and vegetation. Jay's Brick Blog and Brickset find this stage laborious, and Bouwsteentjes.info points to substantial repetition. Zusammengebaut nevertheless finds the overall build varied and interesting thanks to its colours and shapes. The model rests on a sturdy base, but Bouwsteentjes.info reports fragile coral and anemones, as well as a small fish element that does not hold securely. The black frame is also contentious: Brickset says it obscures part of the scene when viewed from an angle. The booklet contains welcome explanations of the designers’ choices, but zusammengebaut regrets that the instructions are not divided into several booklets for group building. Finally, the high price weighs heavily on the verdict: reviewers admire the display, but its value for money remains difficult to defend.