LEGO® NINJAGO® Spinjitzu review: Rise of the Tri-Baller

Spinjitzu has been practiced from the very start of the LEGO® NINJAGO® theme. Over the years, many different iterations have been released in sets, and the June 2023 wave adds a new version: Dragon Power Spinjitzu. Three ninja each get their own set: 71777 Kai’s Dragon Power Spinjitzu Flip with 72 parts, 71778 Nya's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Drift with 57 parts and 71779 Lloyd's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Spin with 56 parts. 

These small sets include a nice new mould. But before we take a look at that, I’ll have a quick look at the sets themselves and the other elements found in them. 

LEGO® Monkie Kid™ review: 80049 Dragon of the East Palace

Coming on 1 June, 80049 Dragon of the East Palace is the largest LEGO® Monkie Kid™ set of 2023, although exceeded in element quantity by The Heavenly Realms – see Caz's review here. Based once again upon the book Journey to the West, this set depicts what occurred when the Monkey King got his magical staff from the Dragon King of the East.

LEGO® Review: 71795 NINJAGO® Temple of the Dragon Energy Cores

After publishing our overview of all new elements in the Summer 2023 wave of LEGO® NINJAGO® sets, the most commented on elements were the new balls. At the time of writing, the new series hadn't officially started yet, so it was unclear what the spheres represent. 

The best clue comes from the name of one particular set: 71795 Temple of the Dragon Energy Cores, so let's kick off our series of reviews of the Ninjago Dragons Rising wave with this set. 

LEGO® Star Wars Diorama review: 75352 Emperor's Throne Room & 75353 Endor Speeder Chase

The Star Wars movie Return of the Jedi, also known as “How The Care Bears Kicked the Emperor’s Behind”, celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2023. Wait, that makes the movie the same age as me, and the movie is considered to be classic...

Sorry, I had to recover from that. Back to the bricks: to commemorate the occasion, LEGO Star Wars has released several sets, and UniekeBricks has kindly sent us 2 of them to have a closer look.

LEGO® Technic review: 42156 Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar

LEGO® are releasing their first Peugeot vehicle, so get ready for some petrol-fueled fun.  There's a good chance sparks will fly as well, as the car we’re looking at features the first ever electric engine in a Technic set.

LEGO® Technic reviews: 42153, 42154 & 42155

Released in March, the latest LEGO® Technic wave touts American motorsports heritage and a whole lotta black that covers a bike fit for a vigilante. Read on for a detailed look at the builds and features of two blistering fast US-made cars and one sleek movie motorcycle.

LEGO® Disney™ review: 43212 Celebration Train

As part of the Disney™ 100th anniversary celebrations, LEGO® has released two main sets plus an upcoming series of collectible LEGO Minifigures.  We have already reviewed 43217 'Up' House and now it's time to take a look at 43212 LEGO Disney Celebration Train.

LEGO® Technic review & MOC: 42152 Firefighter Aircraft

The largest and loftiest of the LEGO® Technic sets launched in March 2023 has taken to the skies, but New Elementary is calling it into to the hangar for inspection. Before we clear this airplane for takeoff, why not refit it into something a little more whimsical? Keep reading to see the features of 42152 Firefighter Aircraft; one of which inspired me to repurpose its parts into a giant dragonfly.

LEGO® ICONS™ set review: 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell

In a previous article, I took a careful look at the numerous new element designs, decorations, and recolours that appear in the forthcoming 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell set from the LEGO® ICONS™ theme. Today, I'll be expanding upon that by taking a look at the building process and finished model, with additional insight from Senior Graphic Designer, Ashwin Visser, who New Elementary spoke to at Recognized LEGO Fan Media Days in September 2022.

LEGO® NINJAGO® review: 71783 Kai's Mech Rider EVO

I like bikes, I like mechs and I like models that can be configured in different ways, so this LEGO® NINJAGO® set has a few of my boxes ticked. I don't think I've seen a mech on a motorbike in a LEGO set before and I like the quirkiness of that fun idea. 

 

Hop on for a pillion ride; we'll take this beast for a spin and see if it takes the corners well.

LEGO® Disney™ review: 43217 'Up' House

The Disney·Pixar animated movie Up was released back in 2009 and won a couple of Oscars that year as well as a Best Picture nomination. Nearly 14 years have passed since its release,  but recently LEGO® Disney 43217 'Up' House was revealed as part the Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary this year.

LEGO® Friends 41711 Emma's Art School

After all of our recent LEGO® Friends 2023 set reviews, today we are going "old skool" and looking back at one from 2022. 41711 Emma's Art School was one of five sets released last year which told the story of where the original five Friends characters would be furthering their education; the others being 41713 Olivia's Space Academy, 41714 Andrea's Theatre School, 41716 Stephanie's Sailing Adventure and 41717 Mia's Wildlife Rescue.

 

LEGO® NINJAGO® review and MOD: 71785 Jay's Titan Mech

Gundam! Jay’s Titan Mech looks great. This Beautiful Blue Bot is the second largest of January’s LEGO® NINJAGO® releases. Let's take a look at what this set has to offer, and see whether my idea for a modified version is successful. 

LEGO® Friends review: 41728 & 41733: Thought for Food

I’ve reviewed so many sets from the January 2023 wave of LEGO® Friends, I’m in need of some food and a drink... which these two sets will provide.

41728 Heartlake Downtown Diner has some great sandwiches for me, and 41733 Mobile Bubble Tea Shop serves a refreshing beverage which, according to my children, is made of a combination of milk, tea, flavored syrup and tapioca pearls for a chewy texture. I’ll have a coffee, black.

LEGO® Technic parts review and MOC: 42140 App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle

The LEGO® Technic line of simple "ripsaw"-like remote-controlled vehicles began in 2017 with 42065 RC Tracked Racer, which was an excellent source of Power Functions elements. The latest entry in this line is 2022's 42140 App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle, which I am dissecting for its inventory of juicy parts, before trying to come up with a very different use for it.

LEGO® Monkie Kid™ review & MOC: 80037 Dragon of the East

Released as the smallest set in the mid-2022 wave of LEGO® Monkie Kid™ Series 3, 80037 Dragon of the East is a fun playset featuring two baddies pitted against our hero Monkie Kid and Mr Tang. Let's take a look at the interesting elements found in the set, before I use some of them in a creation of my own!

LEGO® Friends review: 41730 Autumn's House

The buildings I have reviewed so far in the January 2023 wave of LEGO® Friends sets are all located in Heartlake City. Time to take a trip to the countryside and pay a visit to Autumn, who lives with her family on a ranch just a bike ride’s distance from the city.

The original 5 friends all got their own set showing their house, and it seems the new friends group is continuing that tradition. Join me as I build set 41730 Autumn’s House, where we run into a familiar face.

LEGO® Speed Champions review: 76918 McLaren Solus GT & F1 LM

We've saved the biggest (and I think the best) set of the March LEGO® Speed Champions sets for last, as we finally take a look at 76918 McLaren Solus GT & F1 LM.

LEGO® Speed Champions review: 76914 Ferrari 812 Competizione

LEGO® Speed Champions 76914 Ferarri 812 Competizione didn't grab my attention initially. Its proportions didn't seem that dissimilar to last year's Toyota Supra and, next to the other two hypercars in the March lineup – the Pagani and Porsche – the design of the Competizione seemed quite conventional by comparison.

Nevertheless, despite their long partnership with the LEGO Speed Champions line, Ferrari always brings something new to the table. Take last year's 1970 Ferrari 512 M for example: a totally unique addition to the LEGO Speed Champions garage and maybe the best building experience of that lineup. Despite my initial reservations, the Ferrari 812 Competizione still proved to be an impressive set.

LEGO® Ideas review: 21339 BTS Dynamite

Today we’re taking a look at LEGO® Ideas 21339 BTS Dynamite, a set that uniquely has been based on a music video. More specifically, the music video for Dynamite by BTS. For the uninitiated, BTS is a mega popular Korean K-Pop band with a massive worldwide following.

21339 Dynamite gathered the required 10,000 supporters to enter the LEGO Ideas review process before being approved in February 2022 to become an actual LEGO set.