Combine arguably one of the best Indiana Jones™ movies with vintage vehicles and outfits from the show and you have a LEGO set that is worth picking up. Set #77012 is a small, very reasonably priced set that includes 387 pieces and is rated for 8+. It comes with three bags, an instruction book, and sticker sheet. Priced at $34.99 at its release date it is an affordable set to enjoy.
Smaller sets always run the risk of compromising style and details due to their low piece count. The LEGO designers for this set did an amazing job with the design, and it has the quality of a larger set even with the reduced number of pieces.
The set creates two iconic vehicles, the borrowed car and a fighter plane.
I have a feeling the plane may lose a wing or two during play time in many homes. The design allows for this freedom as the wings are popped on and off with ball joints and very easily removed. The wings also hold mounted guns, and grey and green design stickers. The body of the plane was straightforward to create with the cockpit and front engine sections carrying the best design features. The pilot fits snugly into a brown seat section and has a flight stick and two gauges to help him fly.
The aircraft canopy is built with the use of two clear pieces and snaps securely to two 1×1 modified bricks with studs.
This canopy gave me a few moments of frustration as it requires a large clear sticker to be draped over the top. I struggle with placing stickers in general and I made the mistake of placing one side of the sticker at the very base of the arched piece. In order for it to look even on both sides it should be placed slightly higher than the bottom edge. Then came my next mistake. I tried to take the sticker off and reposition it. Unfortunately, clear stickers do not like this procedure and a slight haze was created as well as what looks like air pockets, even though there are none, throughout the entire piece. Word of wisdom, do not reposition clear stickers
Eight exhaust valves are spaced evenly on each side lay beneath additional sticker accents. The propeller spins freely and is created with a variety of technic™ pieces and black paddles. The front and rear landing gear create for smooth movement of the plane as it rolls across the ground. The rear wheel is a very basic combination of two pieces. The front wheels are much more involved with the use of pins and Technic Cams. Two bright flames of fire streak across the sides just beneath the wings. Either this plane has serious afterburners built in, or is in a spot of bother.
I would have loved to have seen Indiana and his father glide through the sky in their own fighter plane, but I have no quarrel with their second mode of transportation. The white convertible is a great little car. Curves and angles help create the style of an older vehicle.
The front of the car has a grill plate and large headlamps which I especially love because the lights are created with a simple stud and could be replaced with yellow ones if you wanted to give the illusion that the lights were turned on. The windshield is a single bar piece, but it works nicely. The sides have a black running boards and a door sticker placed on a flat tile depicts the access point for the minifigs, but the tile is stationary so our characters must take a leap to get into the car. The rear of the car slopes downwards and a large round smooth tile creates a perfect black tire cover. The interior of the car has spots for two figures to sit, a steering wheel and a rounded dashboard on the passenger side. My favorite parts are a chest with a flat top which nestles securely behind the passengers and a small slot in front of the chest that holds a brown briefcase. The chest is a perfect location to store the umbrella and pistol that our heroes like to carry around.
In addition to the vehicles a small road sign positioned on a small plot of land points directions and warnings to oncoming traffic. I love how two parts of the story were depicted in this sign, the tunnel that planes should not fly through and Berlin which is where they must journey to retrieve the diary which Professor Jones Sr.™ now holds securely in his hand.
Three minifigures are included with this set. Indiana Jones, his father, and a pilot. They all wear predominately brown and tan clothing which creates a nice visual.
Indiana Jones print job creates a light tan shirt accented by a dark brown tie, a creased brown leather jacket with pockets and dark tan pants with a belt and gun holster. His face is two sided with a smirk on one side and scowl on the other. A slight scruff evidence of days out on adventures covers his face and he wears his classic fedora that includes brown hair that is visible on the back and over the ears. A brown whip lies in his hands and our character is ready for whatever archaeology may throw at him.
Professor Jones Sr.’s print job is a bit simpler. His entire outfit is dark tan except for a small portion of his white shirt showing at the neckline and green bowtie which give a splash of color. The front torso holds the largest print area and it is very well designed to showcase a jacket, waistcoat and belt. He has just one face print which has a white beard with a grey mustache, grey eyebrows, round wire rimmed spectacles, and some wise wrinkles that give away his age. A grey bucket hat sits atop his head. It looks slightly more like a helmet than a tweed hat, but it still gives the character the classic look we would associate with him. His brown diary rests safely back in his hands and I have to admit that this single piece brought me great excitement when I opened the set. I am very happy that they chose to include the diary in this set.
The plane pilot wears a light tan uniform that has some subtle print markings on the front and back of his torso. He wears brown hand pieces as gloves and a helmet with grey goggles atop his head. A serious scowl rests on his face.
This set was obviously designed for a younger age, but any adult fan of the movies could appreciate the classic scene it represents. It is priced well and a fun easy build which will look great displayed next to the others in this series.
