LEGO Indiana Jones sets keep the balance between play and display

The recently-revealed LEGO Indiana Jones sets have plenty of references to enjoy as display models – but also plenty of features for play.

As we outlined in our visual tour of the anniversary wave, there are many details to enjoy across all three sets, 77012 Fighter Plane Chase, 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb, and 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol. For example, each Indy minifigure offers a new detail or quirk, so buying all three sets doesn’t mean you double up on the same minifigure multiple times.

What’s more, 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol is laid out like an extended diorama style, offering plenty of space for authentic details, from the leafy fronds on the far left to the shining light brick illuminating the far right. Every nook and cranny of the build is filled with carved (brick-built) faces, spiders, and skeletons to inject life into every centimetre of the model.

However, the set also makes the most of its higher piece count to also offer the most play possibilities. Recreating scenes from the original film, the Indy minifigure must outrun a brick-built boulder, swing across a gaping black chasm, and retrieve his whip from a claustrophobia-inducing hole.

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Similarly in 77012 Fighter Plane Chase, the classic vehicles may be compact but are packed with authentic details that make them impressively close to their cinematic counterparts. What’s more, the wings detach from the plane to replicate its dramatic fall from the sky.

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Finally, looking at 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb, it’s clear that effort went into an impressive design. The towering Egyptian statues are impressive enough on their own, but the set is also dynamic from every angle, depicting the golden entrance to the tomb on one side and the hidden mummy in the interior.

The two sides to the set are linked by clever play features, however, once again highlighting the theme’s focus on play as well as display. One of the statues actually falls forward to reveal a hidden area of the tomb in 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb, paving the way for Indy to leap his way through.

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Overall, the latest wave of LEGO Indiana Jones sets seems to do its best to keep both young and mature audiences in mind. It caters to LEGO fans who want to play with their sets, as well as those collectors who prefer to admire their builds from afar.

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