MKJoshA Posted November 25, 2023 INTRODUCTION Maybe you spent part of your Thanksgiving holiday watching Avatar: The Way of Water. Or maybe you went to see it in IMAX. Or maybe you just like water based Lego sets. Whatever audience you fall into, is this Avatar set right for you? SET INFORMATION Number: 75575 Title: Ilu Discovery Theme: Avatar Released: 2023 Part Count: 179 Box Dimensions: 26.2 x 14.1 x 4.8 cm Weight: 219g Set Price (RRP): £19.99/$24.99/€24.99 Price per Part: 11.2p/14.0c/14.0c Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The front shows the creature, the Ilu, which the set is named after, gliding through the water. The back shows what the set is like when on display in-real-life. CONTENTS OF THE BOX Inside are 3 bags, a punch sheet for the fins of the Ilu, and the instructions. THE BUILD This isn't a complicated build, but the end result is striking. The first bag contains the pieces to create the small sections of coral. The instructions include photos from the movie that depict some of the coral the set designers used as reference points. Though I can say the photos don't do the movie scenes justice. The Ilu itself is brick-built but uses plastic punch-sheet elements for the wing-like fins. These are held on by Technic pins and are very effective. The white Technic pieces could be obtrusive, but the set designer has done a really good job of integrating them in a way that doesn't make them standout in a bad way. Pretty much any way you choose to display the Ilu in the provided coral looks great! The fins have limited articulation, but it doesn't detract from the pose-ability. The underside is nicely finished. It's not the way you'd want to display the Ilu, but I appreciate all the work the designer went to to make sure the beast looks finished from all angles. Without an Avatar figure on it's back the Ilu looks quite regal swimming through the water. And on it's display stand it continues to shine. The mouth uses the same jaw piece from Fantastic Beats and Jurassic World. It opens and closes nicely. The figures, representing Na'vi children, don't use the long, Woody legs that their adult counterparts do. Though they use the same tail piece, first introduced in the Looney Toons CMF. Their hair pieces have been specifically molded to fit around the ears. And can be switched between any of the Na'vi heads and still fit. Using one of these hair pieces on a regular minifigure can be done with varying degrees of success. The hair piece for Tuk (male and shorter) looks like dreadlocks from the front. But from the side, the space for the ears really stands out awkwardly. The hairpiece for Tsireya (female and longer) looks good from the front. And from the back the space for the ears is hardly noticeable. The tails match the color of their Na'vi and match up nicely with the torsos. OVERALL First, I'm sorry I didn't turn this into a mech. I like how it looks on my desk too much to break it down right now! Overall this is a nice set. Though I do have a few complaints. As has been shown in countless MOCs it's possible to create good looking coral from just about any Lego element. The set designers did a good job with this coral, but the end result feels a little small. The connection Technic piece being black also isn't good. I understand creating this piece in trans-clear was outside the realm of possibility for a set this size. But using a shade of blue to simulate water would have been a better choice. This set is a great display piece, has fun colors, fun pieces, and good minifigures. But it's overpriced. This would be a fantastic $15 set. However, on the shelves it's a $25 set. There aren't any giant molds, so I'm guessing the price is due to the licensing fee. If you can find it on sale I would recommend buying it. SCORE How do I rate this set? DESIGN 9 The colors really pop. The build is solid. And potential pitfalls like exposed Technic elements have been mitigated. BUILDING EXPERIENCE 8 Nothing feels repetitive and each part is a good little build. FEATURES 8 The Ilu is very pose-able which I feel is the main feature of this set. The coral could be a little more robust. But overall it's a good set in terms of features. PLAYABILITY 10 It can swoosh! The Ilu is very solid. And since the wings are plastic there's little fear of damaging them during flight... I mean swim. PARTS 8 It's a good selection of parts for this kind of set. The coral provides fun colors for pieces which would work well in other MOCs. VALUE FOR MONEY 2 I'd pay $20 for this if I was a fan of Avatar. $18 if I was a fan of the parts. $15 if I was a member of the general public looking to round out my Amazon order with enough items for free shipping. It's not worth $25. FINAL SCORE: 7 It's a great display piece, has fun colors, fun pieces, and good minifigures. But it's overpriced. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JintaiZ Posted November 30, 2023 Thanks for the review! I like the concept of this set but I agree that $25 is too much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darth Shadowthrone Posted November 30, 2023 Great review! I’ve been considering this set for a while because I really like the Skimwing set and this seems like a good accompaniment. You’ve fully convinced me now! I agree with you on the price - as soon as the Ilu is discounted to £15-17 I’ll snap it up. The Skimwing was on sale for £19 recently so hopefully the Ilu has a similar sized discount soon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
