Really this is the ultimate play set with multiple moving parts and train tracks. However, none of it functions as well as it should. Now let’s review the whole set.

Parts

Wow! If you are buying a set to get cool parts then look no further. The train tracks alone would make the set great. But then add the space frame columns and it’s even better. Of course you also have 2 trap doors, the half cylinders for the mine carts, a ton of skulls, spiders, webs, bats, snakes, a lot of fire, a large variety of swords and weapons, rocks and lava, and a large box with gems and tools. On top of that you get a ton of L shaped bricks and lots of browns. I’ve never seen a more impressive selection of parts in a single set.

Minifigures

If the parts weren’t enough, the minifigures are fantastic, all of them are highly detailed, much more detailed than Star Wars minifigures from this era. As a result you know exactly who they are and get some great unique headwear. See the pictures for yourself.

The Build

The build is nothing too exciting, pretty much just standard stacking. It does take a while simply due to the size of the set, and while there aren’t too many small bricks, there is a lot of detail so you really need to be paying attention the whole time. It isn’t too repetitive (the bases of the temple are almost mirrored) but it is very similar structures being built through out. The play features are also very simple. Basically don’t expect a challenge, the hardest part is preventing the track supports from falling apart, especially under the second structure.

The Model

the size of this model is impressive, obviously due to length of the tracks, but the temple itself is also quite large and tall. As a result you need a lot of space, but most of it is empty, so I don’t think it would look too good on display. It is also fairly weak underneath the tracks, all the supports break off easily so moving it is a problem, and I imagine it could be very frustrating for younger kids. Fortunately, by the time that kids are old enough to watch the movies, I would think they would be old enough to recognize that they need to play more gentle with this set. It does however look pretty true to the movie, and to fill in the empty space would make the set too large, unaffordable, and hurt the playability which is the most important part, so...

Playability

This set is all about play. There are as many features to this set as there are must have parts. Unfortunately, none of them work too well which is a major flaw of the design.

First you got the train tracks with two mine carts. The carts swivel which can be a fun way of dumping out characters, but the wheels on them are terrible. Way too much friction, even on the downhill portions of the track you need to push the carts.

The carts are also a little too tight for three minifigures which is pretty problematic given that there are 3 good guys and 3 bad guys.

The first track feature is a small rock you hit that swings out wooden planks in front of the next cart, well the wooden planks don’t spin far enough to cover the tracks on their own.

Next you get to the second structure that dumps coal into the carts. A real person would want to duck as they go under this structure, your minifigures will most likely forget to do so and may need some Tylenol afterwards.

Finally you get to the barricades at the end of the tracks that tip over when you hit them. This is the one feature that works well for me, but the spider doesn’t go flying like it shows in the back of the instructions.

Then you got the trap doors. Both are held up by a technic build that you pull out, but neither are heavy enough on their own to open all the way. There is one in the temple that dumps minifigures into the carts. The other is in the second structure and dumps the coal (which goes flying, careful you don’t lose it). The temple isn’t physically connected to the tracks so you need to place it appropriately. The second structure is connected to the tracks, but not very well, you’ll be repairing this several times as you assemble the tracks.

At the top of the temple is a skull holding the stones, and the eyes and mouth where stones are held can slide out this is an entirely manual function so of course it works.

Finally, there is a falling sword beneath the temple and under the tracks. Quite honestly it is oddly placed and looks more like a booby trap from Raiders or Last Crusade. This is strictly manually operated, and at least gravity can do its job properly on this one.

While all these features are amazing, because of how poorly most of them work, I can only give this set a 4 in playability. Had they worked properly it would deserve an 11.

Overall

There are a lot of pros to this set. The parts and minifigures alone make it great. The endless amount of play that all the features give you is wonderful. However, the cons are that those awesome features just don’t work. The build is also relatively boring for a set of this size. And the model is too fragile, large, and empty. I do recommend this set, but you should be aware of its shortcomings. This is the only set you’ll ever need to represent this movie so that is a huge plus.

I won this set in a comp and when I got I was really happy and thought it was really good then when I opened it it was really good then I built it and it was really big.

I enjoyed playing with it and I was pleased it was really fun to play with and I am glad I got it.

Ive Got This For Christmas As A Gift From My Uncle And I Was Suprised On The Size.

Pros

• 6 Figers
• Plenty Of Thaps
• Carts
• Temple IS Not Connected To The Track
• Glow In Dark Parts

Cons

• Coal Dropping Feature Makes You Lose Alot Of Coal
• Tack Is Brocken To Easely

Overall Still Awsome

Find It Buy It, ;)

Really love this set! I am not finished yet but it allready looks great!
It is much bigger than I thought and the colors are very nice too.
Also the minifigs look good (like the indiana and short round fig the most) and fun to play with. The two carts run well on the track and I like the new track system.

a must-have for any Indiana Jones Lego collectors!

This is definitely a must-have set! It's amazing! There are loads of features to play with, and I certainly think it is worth the reasonably high price.

The minifigures are great, there are six of them, they are: Indiana Jones, this is an interesting minifigure as it has the same torso as in Ambush In Cairo but with one arm flesh coloured, as if he has lost a sleeve. Short Round, another good figure, although this was also in The Shanghai Chase set. Willie Scott in ceremonial robes which is new. A temple guard with a partially visible chest and a beard, this is good because it would be boring if you got two of the same thuggee guard minifigures. You then get another temple guard with red markings on his face and a fully covered chest. Last and absolutely certainly not least, in fact, last and best is more accurate. But seriously, this minifigure is amazing, there is so much detail with a new face, made for this character, a double sided torso and a fantastic hat!

The temple is simply immense, it has a trapdoor which leads down into the waiting carts below, a feature where the Sankara stones pop out of the skull statue and some good details like a bat and a skull. Below that you have a small section of track and some buffers with two small rooms flanking it.

The track is extremely fun to play with, it includes two carts, one for Indiana Jones and his buddies, and one for the Temple Guards to chase them in. First there is a shallow curve to the left, then a big curve to the right, following that the track dips and goes under a small building which drops rocks on anyone unfortunate enough to be below it. after that there is another curve to the left, finally there is another dip in the track. There you hit collapsing buffers with a lamp and a spider.

Overall, this set is certainly a fantastic buy. There is so much to do that you simply can't miss it!

5/5