LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb review

LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb revisits a memorable moment from Raiders of the Lost Ark in typical LEGO style, but not at a typical price. 

Much the same as with 77012 Fighter Plane Chase, 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb looks interesting, is based on an iconic moment from the Indiana Jones films, is packed with parts and minifigures and priced so surprisingly low for 2023 that there looks to be little reason to not pick it up. What’s not to like?

— LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb set details —

Theme: LEGO Indiana Jones Set name: 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb Release: April 1, 2023

Price: £34.99 / $39.99 / €39.99 Pieces: 600 Minifigures: 4

LEGO: April 1, 2023

— Where to buy LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb —

77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb releases on April 1, 2023 and will be available from LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores, and inevitably from select retailers too.

— LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb build —

Unlike the main play feature to this model, we’re not setting up LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb for a fall by asking ‘what’s not to like?’ – representing such a clean and clear depiction of a memorable sequence from Raiders of the Lost Ark, LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb is a fun and accurate LEGO playset that offers so very much for its price.

Based on a moment when Indy and Sallah discover the true location of the Well of Souls and the Ark that is situated within it; Marion is revealed not to have been killed as previously thought; and Belloq and the Nazis seize the Ark and trap Indy and Marion within the tomb, everything bar the antagonists can be found within 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb.

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More important than just including things, though, is designing them well and true to the source material, and that’s very much where 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb is strong and completely outshines predecessor 7621 Indiana Jones and the Lost Tomb – which is based on the same sequence from Raiders and debuted some 15 years ago. A lot has changed in a decade-and-a-half of LEGO design and, thanks in part to double the piece count and double the budget here, 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb exemplifies all that.

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Most apparent in putting together 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb is the size that the set comes in at, measuring – from a minifigure perspective – much closer to how the tomb appeared on screen. The tension, adventure and physicality to the whole sequence in Raiders of the Lost Ark hinges on the intimidating nature of the location and how it represents a true and large puzzle to try to escape from. Alongside that, there’s a floor full of snakes.

Even if the LEGO set still comes in at about half the equivalent size of the actual height of the Well of Souls as it appeared on-screen, building as big as 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb has helped achieve all that it needs to. There is plenty of space for the three character minifigures to walk around, for Indy and Sallah to uncover the Ark, for Marion to hang on to one of the giant statues after being pushed into the tomb, for Indy to climb one of the statues and crash through a wall for their escape and for Marion to then walk into the hidden mummy – you get the idea. It all looks great on display and offers up credible space and opportunities for play both reflective of what happens in the film and whatever you want to imagine within an Egyptian-themed tomb.

It may not be as interesting to build as the car and plane in 77012 Fighter Plane Chase, but 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb delivers just as much a LEGO Indiana Jones set in play, authentic little details and capturing that spirit of adventure from the film.

It’s of course not perfect, and a higher-priced version of this set could have perhaps included any number of additional extras to further flesh out the scene depicted. For instance, within the pit of snakes are notably several cobras; when Sallah and Indy discover the Ark, the reveal of it is quite memorable for lifting it up out of a dark container – this could have been reflected in a play feature; there is no hatch at the top for a rope for Sallah and the Ark to get out. But this is all nit-picking and – as mentioned – would only be possible at a higher price. What we get represents remarkable value and fantastic LEGO design. Another LEGO Indiana Jones set not to miss.

— LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb characters —

Included in LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb are four minifigures, including a long-awaited debut for Sallah, who (alongside returning for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) plays a big part in helping Indy discover the location of the Well of Souls and the Ark within it. Design for the character played by John Rhys-Davies (who has also had an updated Gimli minifigure released this year too) is spot on and very much welcome for the LEGO Indiana Jones minifigure collection, given this is a returning theme.

Marion Ravenwood’s minifigure design is rather similar to that from 2008’s 7621 Indiana Jones and the Lost Tomb, but benefits greatly from losing the blue eyes and gaining dual-moulded legs.

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The mummy minifigure is a nice nod to a later part of the sequence captured within 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb and is sufficiently creepy and decomposed, waiting for poor Marion to walk straight into. For the sequence it represents, mind, a few extra skulls around the back side of the set would have added something.

Indiana Jones’ minifigure is nigh-on the same as he appears in the 18+ set 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol, but for wearing dark tan gloves. If there was an opportunity, though, to introduce a dirt-stained version of the design, then this would have been the set to do it in, reflective in particular of how dishevelled he looks after climbing out of the tomb. That aside, the design is a clear upgrade on the minifigure’s appearance from 2008, even if the proportionality in size between the new dual-moulded hat-hair piece and face print will take a bit of getting used to before really appreciating its quality.

Beyond extra skulls or mummy heads to terrify Marion, and a dirtier-looking Indy, the only additions that could have completed 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb would have been René Belloq and an unnamed soldier, to reflect how they throw Marion into the tomb and trap them in there. But such inclusions would escalate the price of the set very quickly, and 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb otherwise sits as a bargain and debuts another long-awaited named character from the franchise, so we’re happy to take this set’s minifigure line-up as a win.

— LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb price —

Coming in at £34.99 / $39.99 / €39.99 and offering up 600 pieces and four minifigures, LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb delivers almost incomparable value for money in 2023. Just as with 77012 Fighter Plane Chase, this is a set packed with a sizeable amount of LEGO that has been expertly designed into an authentic and play-friendly rendition of a memorable moment from the first Indiana Jones film. Combining quality and quantity, 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb is an easy set to recommend at this price.

— LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb pictures —

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— LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb pros and cons —

LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb is more than just an upgrade on a set that released 15 years ago, fully embracing a larger piece-count and modernised LEGO design techniques to offer a much more enjoyable and movie-accurate LEGO set that makes this return of LEGO Indiana Jones very much worth it, and at a bargain price.

LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb pros	LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb cons
Captures so much of what you see on screen	No Belloq, no cobras, just the one mummy, we’re really nit-picking here…
A minifigure for Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir, finally!	A ‘reveal’ play feature for the Ark could have been fun
Building big makes this so much better
Bargain price

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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— Alternatives to LEGO Indiana Jones 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb —

Alongside 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb come 77012 Fighter Plane Chase and 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol, with the former offering up just as much of a low-cost, high-quality LEGO Indiana Jones experience and the latter serving up some of the best 18+ LEGO building we have enjoyed since LEGO for Adults became a thing. The best alternative to LEGO Indiana Jones at the moment is…more LEGO Indiana Jones.