LEGO® Ideas review: 21324 123 Sesame Street - the model & stickers

Just revealed, LEGO® Ideas 21324 123 Sesame Street is reviewed by Tim Johnson across 2 articles, starting today with a look at the model and its sticker sheet. It measures 24cm (9”) high, 35cm (13.5”) wide and 21cm (8.2”) deep. A-haaa, I love to count the dimensions. This 1367-piece set is now available for £109.99/ €119.99/ US$119.99/ CA$149.99. If you're buying it, consider using our affiliate links to LEGO Shop at Home in the USA or UK. New Elementary earn from qualifying purchases. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Warning: I haven’t been this excited about an IP since LEGO Doctor Who, and so unusually for New Elementary there will be scrutiny of the source material, the minifigures and even the stickers! We’ll start with the completed set however, so settle back, pop on an appropriate disco soundtrack and let me show you what you get, what you get in Sesame Street. 

LEGO® Star Wars review: 75318 The Child

Today we welcome another new contributor, Zachary Hill from the USA whose work some of you have already read on our Patreon. Today he reviews LEGO® Star Wars 75318 The Child which is priced at US$79.99/ CA$99.99/ £69.99/ €77.97. Consider using our affiliate links: USA LEGO Shop at Home, USA Amazon, UK LEGO Shop at Home, UK Amazon. New Elementary earn from qualifying purchases. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

The Mandalorian’s irresistibly adorable alien baby is prime material for the relentless Star Wars merchandising machine, with The Child appearing on everything including headphones, lip balm and even coolers. Here at New Elementary, we prefer the galaxy’s cutest 50-year-old in LEGO® form. More than just googly-eyed goodness awaits fans in 75318 The Child, with a handful of newly recoloured pieces and a pile of rare bits included to build “Baby Yoda”.

Minifigs & recolours: LEGO® 75551 Brick-Built Minions and Their Lair & 75549 Unstoppable Bike Chase

Last time, Tim Johnson began working through all the new LEGO® parts from Minions: The Rise of Gru 75551 Brick-Built Minions and Their Lair (£44.99/ $49.99/ 48.73€) as well as 75549 Unstoppable Bike Chase (£17.99 / $19.99 / 19.49€) and today he completes this analysis by examining the Minion minifigures and the recolours. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

LEGO® Minifigures in 75549 and 75551

75549 comes with Stuart, Gru and Bob. Gru has 2 expressions and printing on the rear of his torso. The Minions come in their traditional overalls.

New moulds & MOCs: LEGO® 75551 Brick-Built Minions and Their Lair & 75549 Unstoppable Bike Chase

Today some important new-for-2020 moulds are examined as Tim Johnson reviews LEGO® Minions 75551 Brick-Built Minions and Their Lair (£44.99/ $49.99/ 48.73€) as well as 75549 Unstoppable Bike Chase (£17.99 / $19.99 / 19.49€) with some additional creative investigation courtesy of Kevin Levell. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

When the movie Minions: The Rise of Gru was postponed until 2021, several of the planned LEGO® tie-in sets met with the same fate. Two sets did however get released in April, which is good as there is much of interest to be found... in one of them. 

Unless you’re a bike fan or interested in the Minion minifigures, 75549 Unstoppable Bike Chase (shown on the right) doesn’t offer much to adult builders but 75551 Brick-Built Minions and Their Lair has thrilling new moulds – and is a hilarious build. Even if you hate these little yellow pipsqueaks, don’t you want to build silly giant mech versions of them?

Let’s discover what LEGO Minions are made of, starting with the new-for-2020 LEGO parts that comprise the giant Minions found in 75551.

LEGO® Star Wars review: 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina – the build

Following his review of its parts, Thomas Jenkins (on Instagram) continues his coverage of LEGO® Star Wars 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina today with a detailed look at the build process. The set has now been released priced US$349.99/ CA$449.99/ £319.99. If you're buying this set, consider using our LEGO Shop at Home affiliate links: USA or UK. New Elementary earn from qualifying purchases. The product in this article was provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

The introduction of some long-awaited fan favourite characters into the LEGO® Star Wars minifigure canon got fans very excited upon the announcement of 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina, but what else awaits builders in the set?

Watch your step, this place can be a little rough...

LEGO® IKEA® review: 40357 BYGGLEK & storage boxes

We have a new contributor writing today; Omid (@nwbricks) who is a LEGO® City- and train-loving AFOL from the UK. His first assignment is an unusual one: the new storage boxes from IKEA®. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

History teaches us that very occasionally, when the stars align just right, some things are destined to be together. Romeo and Juliet. Mac and cheese. The Chuckle Brothers. These pairings are so utterly ingrained in mankind's collective psyche that to mention one without the other feels weird and incomplete; they are two halves of a greater whole, a plurality made singular.

But all that nonsense pales in comparison to 2020's new heavyweight power couple. Stand aside Kim and Kanye. Supreme x Louis Vuitton? Don't make me laugh. 

IKEA x LEGO is here. Say hello to BYGGLEK.

LEGO® set review: 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System

Yesterday in part one, Ben Davies looked at the new pieces in 71374 LEGO® Nintendo Entertainment System and today in part 2, he reveals the interesting techniques he found in its build. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this. If you're buying this set, consider using our LEGO Shop at Home affiliate links: USA or UK. New Elementary earn from qualifying purchases.

The box for the LEGO® Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is appropriately massive, measuring 58 x 47.7 x 12.1 cm (22.8 x 18.8 x  4.8 in). Like other large sets, the first several bags of parts, as well as the bagged instructions and stickers, come in a white cardboard sub-box.

LEGO® parts review: 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System

Following his extensive analysis of the LEGO® Super Mario sets, today Ben Davies returns to give the same thorough treatment to the 2646-piece 71374 LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this. If you're buying this set which is priced £209.99/ US$229.99/ 224.19€DE, consider using our LEGO Shop at Home affiliate links: USA or UK. New Elementary earn from qualifying purchases.

Before diving into the building process of 71374 LEGO® Nintendo Entertainment System in our next post, let's first take a look at its parts – starting with the new moulds that have been introduced for the set.

LEGO® DOTS review: 41916 Extra Dots Series 2

Today Andrew Barnick continues his LEGO® DOTS analysis with a look at what you get in 41916 Extra Dots Series 2. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this. If you're buying this set, consider using our affiliate links: LEGO Shop at Home & Amazon USA. New Elementary earn from qualifying purchases.

Like the first series of ‘extra DOTS’ packs, each Series 2 pack includes 115 parts (109 inventoried parts, plus six extras). Also like those earlier packs, 11 randomised ‘surprise charms’ are included.

LEGO® Star Wars review & MOCs: 75253 Droid Commander

Victor Pruvost (leewanlego on Flickr) returns today with a fresh look at an unusual set from last year: LEGO® Star Wars BOOST 75253 Droid Commander. Plenty has been written about it already so Victor takes a deep dive into its parts before using some to create original models of his own. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Today we’ll take a break from our 2020 set reviews by focusing on a set released a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… Okay, not so long ago, actually, because we’ll be taking a look at 75253 Droid Commander, a 2019 Star Wars set containing 1177 parts, many of which are definitely worth taking a look at!

LEGO® Monkie Kid review & MOC: 80007 Iron Bull Tank

We turn to Inthert once again for our next LEGO® Monkie Kid review: 80007 Iron Bull Tank, and he has also reimagined the set by using it as a base to create his own version! The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Just one of the many enemies the Monkie Kid & co. will encounter, the Iron Bull Tank consists of 470 parts, includes 4 minifigures (although one is rather large to be deemed ‘mini’ – no offence Sandy!) and is priced at £39.99 / $49.99 / 43.86€.

LEGO® Technic review: 42111 Dom's Dodge Charger

Today we welcome back Alexandre Campos (the Ambassador for PLUG, a Portuguese LEGO User Group) for his insightful and, as ever, comical review of LEGO® Technic 42111 Dom's Dodge Charger. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Much has already been said about 42111 Dom's Dodge Charger, especially about its fidelity to the source material (or lack thereof) and the source material choice itself, so I won't delve into that again. Instead I'll focus not so much on the final result, but more on how it was reached.

LEGO® Winter Village set review: 10275 Elf Club House

Unwittingly, we seem to have turned new contributor Lee (cityson on Flickr) into our Christmas correspondent; following his tussle with Winter Snowball Fight, this week he takes on LEGO® Winter Village 10275 Elf Club House. Before discussing its parts tomorrow, let's take a look at the build. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

The Winter Village subtheme of LEGO® Creator Expert has always been a curious existence to me. With their 12+ age suggestion, I tended to think of them as being a transitional phase for builders to get a taste of some more advanced techniques without being overwhelmed, and appropriately so given the family nature of the festival itself. However, this year’s offering, 10275 Elf Club House, has been given the new 18+ branding. Does the model live up to such a jump in rating? Let's find out!

LEGO® Monkie Kid review & alt-build: 80008 Monkie Kid's Cloud Jet

Continuing our LEGO® Monkie Kid reviews, today we have Tim Goddard (on Instagram) examining 80008 Monkie Kid's Cloud Jet, as well as creating a couple of cute little alternate builds! The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

This is the second of two Monkie Kid sets that I have been sent to review and compared to the other, 80009 Pigsy’s Food Truck, this one is more to my liking. The Cloud Jet looks great, with interesting angles and vivid colours, and I found it to be much more interesting build-wise.

LEGO® Star Wars parts review: 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina

Thomas Jenkins (on Instagram) has written for us previously, revealing his Iron Builder techniques, and today joins us as a regular contributor! He's facing 3187 pieces in LEGO® Star Wars 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina and so we're dividing his review; starting with the elements today. The set is available priced US$349.99/ CA$449.99/ £319.99. If you're buying this set, consider using our LEGO Shop at Home affiliate links: USA or UK. New Elementary earn from qualifying purchases. The product in this article was provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the release of LEGO® 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina largely thanks to some long-awaited fan-favourite characters making their first appearance in ABS form.

But what other new LEGO parts can builders look forward to when they step inside this “wretched hive of scum and villainy”? There aren’t a lot but there are a few treasures to be found among the sea of tan bricks!

LEGO® Iconic review & alt builds: 40424 Winter Snowball Fight

Today we greet another new contributor:  Lee (city son on Flickr) who hails from Hong Kong. We sent Lee a copy of LEGO® Iconic 40424 Winter Snowball Fight to review, plus he also designed several creations of his own using only the parts in this small set. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

The LEGO Group has put out quite a lot of seasonal vignettes over the years, and they rarely disappoint me. With a low price point, a lovely model and a great selection of parts, 40424 Winter Snowball Fight easily won me over once again. Let’s take a look at what you can get out of this US$12.99/ CA$16.99 set

(CW:HP) LEGO® Harry Potter set review: 75978 Diagon Alley

Jonas Kramm reviews the massive LEGO® Harry Potter 75978 Diagon Alley today. The product in this article was provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this. Editorial note: Although views expressed by Harry Potter's creator do not align with that of New Elementary, we continue to cover HP sets. Read about our stance here.

We already posted about the reveal and the new parts of LEGO® Harry Potter 75978 Diagon Alley, so today it’s time to take a look at the actual build and its most interesting building techniques. With 5544 pieces the set is the second biggest Harry Potter set to this day; only 71043 Hogwarts Castle has more. As expected, such a huge build comes with many things to explore, so without further ado, let’s get started!

LEGO® Monkie Kid review: 80010 Demon Bull King

Our coverage of LEGO® Monkie Kid continues today with Inthert taking on 80010 Demon Bull King; examining its exclusive and rare parts as well as what interest lies in the build. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

The suitably terrifying Demon Bull King comes with 3 minifigures, 1051 parts and is priced at £74.99 / US$89.99 / 77.97€.

LEGO® Super Mario 2020: The Prints and... Stickers?

Today, Ben Davies continues his thorough examination of the new pieces in the LEGO® Super Mario sets including the barcodes. Buying Super Mario LEGO? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | UK Amazon | USA LEGO Shop - for other countries, Change Region | USA Amazon. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Following our coverage of the LEGO® Super Mario’s new moulds and recolours, today we’re turning our attention to the many new printed and stickered pieces that have been introduced for the theme.

LEGO® Star Wars review: 75273 Poe Dameron's X-wing Fighter

We're harking back to one of the January LEGO® Star Wars sets today: 75273 Poe Dameron's X-wing Fighter which has been reviewed by Ryan Welles. The product in this article was provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Three thoughts spring into my mind when beholding yet another LEGO® Star Wars X-wing fighter: those resistance people sure like them X-wings; Poe Dameron is a lucky so-and-so for flying almost each and every one of the these; and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. That last thought is what counts most here because ever since the release of X-wing set 9493 in 2012, the design has stayed virtually the same, with its iconic white, grey and red colours. New slope, wedge and arch pieces have given the vessel a slightly more polished look and the mechanism to open the wings has altered somewhat, but the basic idea has remained unchanged for eight years.