Review: 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb
Posted by CapnRex101,
Indiana Jones discovers the hallowed Ark of the Covenant in the Well of Souls, almost becoming trapped inside once Nazi soldiers descend upon the chamber. 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb recreates this scene and appears quite detailed in official images.
Moreover, the design seems remarkably similar in style to 7621 Indiana Jones and the Lost Tomb, released in 2008, which certainly provides a sense of nostalgia! Furthermore, the price of £34.99, $39.99 or €39.99 seems very reasonable and the minifigure selection is interesting, particularly given Sallah's debut LEGO appearance.
Summary
77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb, 600 pieces.
£34.99 / $39.99 / €39.99 | 5.8p/6.7c/6.7c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
While lacklustre from behind, this model looks great and provides remarkable value
- Impressive accuracy and detail
- Satisfying functions
- Excellent value
- Back could be improved
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Unique versions of Indiana Jones are available in all three sets, dressed accurately for different scenes. This example is probably the least distinctive, although including Indy's dark tan gloves demonstrates laudable attention to detail. Otherwise, the leather jacket and holster are identical to the minifigure available in 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol.
The reddish brown satchel also appears in the 18+ set, while Indy's double-sided head is shared with 77012 Fighter Plane Chase. I like the determined expression in particular. Furthermore, the updated fedora incorporates dual-moulded hair, covering the second facial expression. The dark brown band looks nice and a spare fedora is supplied in each Indiana Jones set, strangely.
Indiana Jones is also equipped with his whip in each set, of course. This accessory was created for the original range in 2008 and has remained in fairly consistent use since then, but I am glad to see the coiled whip back in Indiana's hand, fifteen years after its introduction.
Despite the protestations of René Belloq, Marion Ravenwood is entombed in the Well of Souls alongside Indy, still wearing the spectacular dress given to her by Belloq. This minifigure makes successful use of dual-moulded legs to recreate the tattered dress, although dual-moulded arms could have improved the design, forming puffy sleeves.
Sallah never appeared in the original Indiana Jones theme, so his LEGO representation seems long overdue! The friendly Egyptian excavator is suitably attired for this scene, sporting a turban and striped waistcoat, with an orange sash around his waist. Unfortunately, Sallah only displays one expression, but his beaming smile alone looks marvellous.
Marion does include a double-sided head, featuring a confident smirk and frightened face, ready to encounter a room full of mummies! Additionally, the chosen hair element looks splendid and is beautifully textured, while the minifigure also comes with a flaming torch for repelling snakes.
The aforementioned Mummy is an unexpected inclusion because a simple skeleton appeared in 7621 Indiana Jones and the Lost Tomb and would potentially have sufficed here. Another new minifigure is certainly welcome though and this mummy appears appropriately scary, wrapped in ancient bandages and including a blank stare.
Mummy minifigures have been featured in numerous LEGO sets, although this example is more gruesome than others, maybe surprisingly so. Nevertheless, the minifigure is highly detailed and I think the muted tan colours work well, even though there is a noticeable mismatch between the tan arms and neighbouring printing.
The Completed Model
77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb resembles the format of 18+ dioramas, featuring comparable proportions and focusing significantly on detail. However, the nature of that detail is distinct from 18+ sets, relying more on stickers than incredibly intricate building techniques, which are usually parts-intensive. The result is similar though, as this model looks excellent.
Compared with 7621 Indiana Jones and the Lost Tomb, the new design has essentially doubled in piece count and price, while the size has risen more modestly. The resulting change in details is clear and the modern design is much more accurate, although I like the defined borders of the original model, with columns giving an impression of being enclosed on three sides.
The onscreen setting is memorably infested with countless snakes, much to Indy's chagrin! Four dark green and four dark blue snakes are therefore attached on the floor, both of which are new colours for this animal. More would obviously have been nice, but these give a fair impression of the location from the film, with more snakes emerging from the walls or the base of a statue.
An ornate gateway stands in front of the Ark of the Covenant. Given the limited selection of parts available in pearl gold, I think flame yellowish orange was a good colour choice. The stickers on each side are lovely and feature R2-D2 and C-3PO, corresponding with the movie! However, the archway supports are much too bulky and this structure blocks the view of the Ark, which should be focal.
The gateway is not easily removable either, which would have been appreciated. The Ark of the Covenant itself does incorporate some pearl gold pieces, but the flame yellowish orange brick is less excusable here. Additionally, the stickers applied on the sides are disappointing and should have been printed, although I like the bucket handles forming the wings of cherubim on top.
A pair of decorative sarcophagi flank the Ark of the Covenant, again decorated with stickers. The minifigure styling of these images is nice and I like the dark blue accents, which are repeated on the walls. Four more stickers form hieroglyphs, including the Mask of Water from BIONICLE and an emblem denoting the robot faction from Exo-Force!
Some stickers were necessary, but the design is not excessively reliant on them for detail. Dark orange and dark tan bricks break up the otherwise monochrome wall, which is also damaged in certain areas. I dislike the structure beneath the Ark though, as this seems rather bland and the exposed Technic holes appear awkward.
Also, the Technic structure supporting the wall is conspicuous. Some reinforcement was needed because the wall is thin, but these Technic beams could surely have been better hidden. One of the Technic pieces must remain visible though, as a lever on the left side tips another snake into the Well of Souls, released from a trough behind the wall.
Since the floor and walls are dominated by earthy colours, the black statues of Anubis stand out strongly. Four such statues support the roof onscreen, so their arms are held aloft. These seem odd without anything on top, but including even narrow sections of the roof would probably have increased the piece count and therefore the price considerably.
The statues are identical and stand on turntables, so can be angled accurately. The combination of black and flame yellowish orange looks fantastic and stickers offer welcome detail, notably on Anubis' collar. The shaping of the chest and head is impressive too, but I wish these statues had included more connection points for minifigures, as only the waist and arms keep studs visible.
After being entombed inside the vault, Indiana Jones recognises that the wall where snakes are entering must be hollow, with another chamber behind. Some detail accordingly continues onto the back, where Indy and Marion escape. Although certain areas look reasonable, most notably in the centre, I think the structure could be better finished overall.
Indy topples a statue to break through the wall and an equivalent function is included, as one of the statues stands on a tipping platform. This causes part of the wall to collapse too. The feature works nicely, although I am surprised there is no cushion between the statue and the wall, given the force involved. Maybe a rubber buffer could have been hidden on the back of the statue.
The dangers do not end after collapsing the wall though, as a burial chamber adjoins the Well of Souls, filled with mummified corpses! The mummy minifigure attaches underneath a sand green 6x6 plate, which can be released by pulling a Technic lever to reveal its terrifying resident. While basic, like the other functions in this set, the mummy's sudden appearance works well.
Overall
I can imagine a version of 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb with much more complex functions and an extensive burial chamber, with far greater detail. However, I like this simpler approach to the scene, avoiding unnecessary expense, but capturing the requisite functions and details from the film. The minifigures are superb too, as Marion Ravenwood and Sallah stand out.
On the other hand, I wonder whether the Well of Souls would have been more appropriate for a diorama, which would include a black border around the edges and could appear even better on display. That would unavoidably have raised the price as well, which would be a shame because I think £34.99, $39.99 or €39.99 represents very good value. Taking that into consideration, this is definitely a worthy purchase.
165 likes
63 comments on this article
Snakes...why'd it have to be snakes?
Realizing it's a different scene, I wish the Ark included a ghost minifig with some trans-blue parts and one of those floaty smoke pieces in the place of legs. The rods to carry the Ark really should be brown and extend out longer as well (and, realizing this would be hard to pull off, they should be more to the middle of the crate than the bottom).
In the Bible, touching the Ark could kill a person, which is pretty much why the rods were used, and why Spielberg took extra care to include that detail in the movie. So yeah, I wish some longer brown rod pieces had been used instead. Bleah, now that I'm looking at this, I hate that the Ark is a lot smaller and nondescript than it could be. It's the centerpiece of the movie.
I agree the overall set could have been built out better, but I'll gladly take the $40 price tag and build it out myself. I'm very thankful to have these great minifigs and scene at a very reasonable price.
£35 for 600 pieces? Now that is a good deal! something we won't see much longer now, but im happy theres still some sticking around.
This is a very good value, especially considering that we just saw the same price for 75358 --both are licensed, so it's hard to believe they are the same price.
The size of the Anubis statues really make it pop. I know a lot of people seem to prefer the previous sets but this looks great in my opinion.
Incredibly excited for these sets. I was too young to collect the original Indiana line, but the original Ark set was one that I did have. Looking forward to picking it up tomorrow!
Where do you see gloves on Indy?
Edit: Nevermind, I see the tan hands now. Nice detail.
I can't say I like the overall design of the set, it just doesn't look that interesting. It does have quite a number of nice features and details though, and the price is surprisingly great.
From reading a couple of review, it seems you get an extra of Indy's new hat in each of the new sets. That'll be nice if it isn't just in the early sets sent to reviewers.
The statues are like ¯\_(?)_/¯
I love how this diorama : it captures everything from the scene yet doesn't add to much detail so that the price can stay low.
I kinda wish the Temple of the Golden Idol had a similar approach with less details and less money. Even though the final product looks absolutely fantastic
Why'd it have to be snakes?
That's a serious value here, The best in recent years. Everything in this set makes it a great value, the figs, the build, the price, the stickers. If i wad a kid this would be a perfect centerpiece to build upon and to create stories after stories. I am very impressed.
I love the snake dispenser so much. That's hilarious!
Overall this is a really nice set. It fits the price, seems pretty well loaded up with fun stuff and interesting details and building elements. I'm glad I already have tons of snakes to just throw in there though because - while with any other set 8 would be excessive - there's supposed to be way too many here. I think they could have gotten away with including 20.
Maybe I'm just hungry but the Anubis statues seem to be sucking on red lozenges.
Looks pretty good!
Marion Ravenwood was one of my earliest crushes (and honestly, Karen Allen aged like she too, drank from the grail!), but I'm just so happy to finally have a minifig of Sallah. Also, that has got to be the ghastliest mummy TLG has produced so far, and will therefore be a welcome addition to my collection of B-horror minifigs.
I don't know what I would add to this. For its price, you get some great minifigs and enough stuff, I'm not complaining. It's great, and I'm getting this.
I do wish it had included more snakes (and more variety, like the mold that debuted a few years ago as Nagini in the Wizarding World theme, and the cobra from the Minifigures Series 13 Snake Charmer), and also that the deco hadn’t been so sticker-reliant, but on the whole, it still seems a great set. I’ll get at least one, but might well try for multiples, and mod and expand them together into a larger Well of Souls.
I suppose if you bought two and used some base plates, you could do a kind of remake of the well of souls scene.
I'm not a big fan of this set. It's bigger than it needed to be and it looks like something I would have made on LDD in 2010. There are some nice details and the accuracy is improved over the older set (though not much else), but it doesn't appeal to me as much as the other two new Indy sets.
So sets have an additional hat-only fedora? They should have a separate hair piece too since, as nice the new hair/fedora combo part is, it doesn't let you recreate the iconic hat scenes.
I like it, and the price is great for what you get. This is a classic approach for a Lego set.
Never forget-
https://brickset.com/sets/71008-4/Snake-Charmer
Funny color choice for Indy's hands?
@LegoAthos said:
"Funny color choice for Indy's hands?"
Gloves
Just out of interest, what precisely happens when you OPEN the Ark of the Covenant?
@benredstar said:
"Just out of interest, what precisely happens when you OPEN the Ark of the Covenant? "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2KZHUgtS3A
Snek battlepack.
People will have this complaint or that complaint but I don’t, it might even be the best set of the wave. The only thing giving me a pause is unlike the Fighter Plane (which I never owned the original of) and the Golden Idol Temple (which I lost the pieces to rebuild) I have the original set happily displayed in my room and I don’t see as many differences between the two as the other sets I have. I’ll probably buy it eventually, though.
Indiana Jones is my favorite Lego theme. I was able to buy the original sets on ebay in 2014-2015 when I discovered them for the first time, once my kids were old enough to enjoy Legos. What these recreated sets have evolved into since the first release in 2008, is terrific. They look very much like 'modern day' sets. Bringing Sallah into the collection was a great addition. Now we just need Major Arnold Toht!! Great price for these sets too. Too bad about the Temple of Doom cancellation but I understand the reason why. Thanks for bringing Indiana Jones back, Lego Group!
Great price, especially for today. That said... I'm not sure it looks that great. The statues just look weird.
But this sure looks so much better when it's not one of those horrid renders.
Older was way better and cheaper.
77013 is definitely more accurate to the movie but 7621 looks more finished. While I am an apologist for visible red axles and blue pins, having large grey mechanical beams on the sides of what's supposed to be an ancient Egyptian tomb breaks the immersion considerably. At minimum they should have been made to be one of the shades of tan the set uses so they don't contrast too heavily.
Also, having a room made for one gimmick on an unfinished backside of a wall seems like general bad design. While collapsing the wall creates a more natural path that the minifigures would follow to enter the room, the area looks very ugly and makes the set less convenient for display. If they had to have the mummy scare room back there, they should have done more with the backside to make it a better playset. Include some platforms to make the characters cross, actually build the path all the way through to their escape to the outdoors. As it is, the mummy room just feels like very awkward product design just for the sake of being slightly more movie-accurate.
From 20 2x2 round tan bricks in 7621 to 1 in the new rendition.
2 less snakes compared to 7621; even that was too few, really needs more snakes!
Super stoked that we get Sallah here, and the new mummy is great!
My favorite part is the golden bucket handles to imitate the long, sweeping wings of the bird figures on top of the ark. Inspired choice.
The old Marion figure looked way better. Why do all the newer female figures look less femenine? Same with Arwen and the elf from 10316.
@Murdoch17 said:
"Snakes...why'd it have to be snakes?"
Stickers...why'd it have to be stickers?
Kind of odd that the technic lever at the back gets a 1x1 beam on the end of its pin, and sticks out, whilst the one on the front has an uncapped pin end and sticks inwards.
The droids sticker is at least placed on a post, this time, but it should be visible from the right side, not the left.
@vizzitor:
Indeed, as it will allow easy upgrades for the original minifigs. I’d already planned to buy at least one extra copy of the plane, so right there I’d have one hat ready to swap.
@Nannig:
The Raiders temple was the obvious flagship set from the very first wave, and for very good reason. There’s so much more to it than any other major set piece prior to the Grail temple, which would be a lot harder to pull off as a playset. I have everything from the original run except the SDCC set, and I could see myself packing up the original version (which I’ve had on display since I built it) and swapping in the new one. It’s like seeing the difference between 7140 and 75301. Some people are going to prefer the “brick aesthetic” of the original, and others will prefer the much greater accuracy of the newer.
@dudebrick:
20? You sound like Spielberg before they actually got ready to shoot this scene. Done properly, you could probably fit as many as 200 on that base, to the point that you could hardly see any floor between them (as was the case in the film).
@WemWem:
They’re not birds. They’re cherubim (angels) with their wings swept forward to form the “Mercy Seat”. According to Hebrew lore, that space defined by their wings is where YHWH is supposed to manifest.
Asps. Very dangerous. You go first.
Really hope wee see more hat-hair pieces in the future. It is an improvement from 71023-14!
My only real complaint with this set is how much more mediocre the ark itself is, particularly when compared to the ark in the original Indy sets. Besides that, this looks like a fantastic set for the value.
Bought it today at Meijer in Ohio for $31.99
Marion's alternate face reminds me of her "screaming" mechanic in the Lego Indiana Jones video game.
Still can't believe CapnRex was able to touch the Ark and live to finish the review.
Impressive as always.
@GBP_Chris said:
"Still can't believe CapnRex was able to touch the Ark and live to finish the review."
I’ve seen the scene in the film when they open the Ark and it didn’t kill me. I must be special.
I really like the flame yellow orange 2x4 on the ark, to me it conveys the highly polished and reflective gold surface as reflected in torchlight. Printed would be better of course, but I have no problem with the color itself
Could've been finished a bit better, as the review pointed out. But the price is very reasonable, and as the previous wave of Indiana Jones sets came out during my dark years (I missed them), I'll definitely be picking this one up.
@MudTail said:
" @LegoAthos said:
"Funny color choice for Indy's hands?"
Gloves"
Doesnt Indy wear dark brown gloves, though? It's been a couple years since I've watched the trilogy (yes, trilogy), but I don't recall light tan gloves. I could be completely wrong, though.
@TheOtherMike said:
"Marion's alternate face reminds me of her "screaming" mechanic in the Lego Indiana Jones video game."
That was Willie Scott who could break glass. Marion only had the high jump ability that all female characters had in the game.
@Zander said:
" @GBP_Chris said:
"Still can't believe CapnRex was able to touch the Ark and live to finish the review."
I’ve seen the scene in the film when they open the Ark and it didn’t kill me. I must be special.
"
I always cover my eyes for that part...
@Jumperstud said:
"The old Marion figure looked way better. Why do all the newer female figures look less femenine? Same with Arwen and the elf from 10316 ."
If anything Marion looks more feminine than the old figure??? Idk I don’t really care how feminine a woman (no less a LEGO one) looks tbh.
@Zoniax said:
" @MudTail said:
" @LegoAthos said:
"Funny color choice for Indy's hands?"
Gloves"
Doesnt Indy wear dark brown gloves, though? It's been a couple years since I've watched the trilogy (yes, trilogy), but I don't recall light tan gloves. I could be completely wrong, though."
They look like they are close to tan during the truck chase scene. The well of souls had very poor lighting so it was hard for me tell what color they were, but I would assume they are the same gloves as the truck chase.
@PhantomBricks:
Marion's primary benefit was that she got you the High Jump ability very early in the game. There are only five playable female characters in the entire game (excluding alternate outfits), including Dancing Girl 1, and level-specific Dancing Girl 2. You have to start into the Temple of Doom story mode before you pick up your second (and third) High Jump character.
Sad that Pearl gold has become the de facto standard these days. I was disappointed when we moved off chrome gold to metallic, but metallic would be preferably to Pearl gold. Ah well.
@PhantomBricks: I stand corrected. It's been years since I played that game on PC or DS, so I knew it was a female who screamed, I just misremembered which one. The face still reminds me of the ability, even if she didn't have it.
@PurpleDave said:
" @PhantomBricks:
Marion's primary benefit was that she got you the High Jump ability very early in the game. There are only five playable female characters in the entire game (excluding alternate outfits), including Dancing Girl 1, and level-specific Dancing Girl 2. You have to start into the Temple of Doom story mode before you pick up your second (and third) High Jump character."
I forgot there were so few female characters(although Marion and Willie have multiple outfits as you mentioned). Once Willie and Elsa are accessible, there isn't a reason continue using Marion since they have two abilities.
You know the set is bad when best part is a stickersheet.
Seriously love those stickers.
I do not like very much the hat with hair for Indy... It looks weird.
@PhantomBricks:
Playing through Story Mode, you'll pick up all four versions of Marion, the first two and fifth versions of Willie, and the first version of Elsa. Third and fourth Willie, second and third Elsa, and Dancing Girl 1 are all characters you have to buy with studs. Dancing Girl 2 is part of a group of "secret characters". First you have to unlock that entire list, then you have to activate the list, and finally, each of the six characters will only show up in the character rotation of one specific mission.
@PurpleDave said:
"According to Hebrew lore, that space defined by their wings is where YHWH is supposed to manifest."
Yup. The lid is the Kaporet, its empty space is the Mercy Seat. In the song by the same name, Nick Cave refers to the 'Mercy Seat' as both a part of the Ark, and as a euphemism for the electric chair to which the singer is headed. You know, just a fun fact in case there's an awkward silence during dinner.
@ozbrickcreator said:
"Really hope wee see more hat-hair pieces in the future. It is an improvement from 71023-14 !"
Dang, I completely forgot about Vest Friend Rex and his hair/hat combo. The Lego Movie gave us other hair/hats (mostly hard-hats-with-hair and hoodies-with-forelocks(-and-sometimes-also-goggles)), but Friends and the CMF-lines gave us a ton more (let's not forget Woody's version!).
The more I see Indy's hair/hat-combo, the more I like it. In fact, the more I look at OG Lego Indy who is effectively a bald man pretending that he's not, the weirder that looks to me.
Yes, I would love to see a diorama of this set. As I mentioned in my review for 77015, Indiana Jones sets would work much better as dioramas and I would definitely get a diorama of this set. I currently have no intention to purchase this but might change my mind given enough time.