LEGO DREAMZzz 71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon review

Nowhere near the impressive LEGO DREAMZzz set it could have been, 71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon fumbles the landing with its lacking alternate builds.

LEGO DREAMZzz fans wanting to pick up a slightly more involved build from the June 2025 wave could look to 71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon, a 443-piece model that offers up a large-scale (but non-colour changing) version of the brick-built lizard, one that can be enhanced with a mounted blaster turret on top and two additional side builds.

Release: Jun 1, 2025

Retiring: Dec 31, 2026

Price: £44.99 / $54.99 / €49.99

Pieces: 443

Minifigures: 2

LEGO DREAMZzz 71492 Mateos Fire Chameleon 10 1024x683

Buy now at LEGO.com

While most of the LEGO DREAMzz sets tend to be 2-in-1 (and sometimes 3-in-1) models, 71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon accomplishes that number via a slightly different route. For starters, builders will spend the majority of their time constructing the brightly-coloured fire chameleon guardian, an impressive creature assembled from a dazzling array of elements.

Those include teal pieces on the beast’s head, body and feet, plus red, yellow and orange parts providing eye-popping contrast. Sadly, there are a total of 16 stickers to be applied in all, but don’t let that distract you from the stunning finished version of the fire chameleon guardian.

The LEGO DREAMZzz creation has a poseable head, tail, eyes and legs, with some clever parts usage throughout, such as teal vehicle wheel arches placed above the lizard’s eye sockets.

71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon also includes a new pixelated trans-orange flame piece, one that sits perfectly in the fire chameleon guardian’s mouth, but can also be removed if you prefer to keep its massive maw closed.

Once the main build has been completed, it’s time to upgrade the brick-built beast with a back-mounted, rotatable blaster turret. This fun gadget features a total of four stud shooters, room for a single minifigure and striking trans-bright green smoke elements emerging from the rear.

While this would usually be the point where builders would start to take the main model apart to construct one of two different variants, 71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon unfortunately runs out of some of its creative mojo.

The building options on offer here are a small speedy jet and a mini mech figure, both of which feel like they’d be better suited to LEGO DREAMZzz magazine free gifts. They’re fine in principle and will undoubtedly get plenty of play time, but there does feel like there’s something missing from 71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon.

The minifigures can’t quite save the day but do give it a good go. We’ve seen this version of Mateo before, with a double-sided head, plus printed torso and legs, but this time around the dream chaser also gains a big goo blaster.

Zero was introduced earlier this year, thanks to 71497 Cooper’s Tiger Mech & Zero’s Hot Rod Car, with the exact same version of the villainous minifigure packed into this set. There’s also a standard Cyberling figure, plus a small side build that can be used to capture characters and drain their energy.

71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon is rounded out with a minifigure of fellow dream chaser, Logan, plus a tiny Z-Blob figure that can be held by Mateo or placed on top of the mini mech figure to pilot the build. Unfortunately, that doesn’t feel like enough to salvage the LEGO DREAMZzz set, leaving us wanting more creatively from a set that retails for £44.99 / $54.99 / €49.99.

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO using our affiliate links. Thanks!

How long does it take to build LEGO DREAMZzz 71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon?

You’ll spend most of your time assembling the fire chameleon guardian in 71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon, which takes around one hour to complete, followed by 15 minutes for the smaller alternate builds.

How many pieces are in 71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon?

71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon comes with 443 pieces, enough elements to make the fire chameleon guardian, speedy jet and mini mech figure.

How big is 71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon?

At its largest, the fire chameleon guardian stands over 16cm tall, 33cm long and 11cm wide, with the mounted blaster turret adding additional height to the creature.

How much does 71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon cost?

71492 Mateo’s Fire Chameleon was released on June 1 in the UK and Europe, priced at £44.99 / €49.99, and will be available in the US on August 1 for $54.99.
YouTube video

Matt Yeo

From video game journalism to kids’ publishing, I’ve been there, seen it, done it and worn the T-shirt. I was also the editor of the first-ever official LEGO magazine way back when, LEGO Adventures. I have a passion for movies, comic books, tech and video games, with a wallet that’s struggling to keep up with my LEGO set wish list.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x