As the LEGO® Despicable Me 4 sets are officially on sale now, this review should be perfectly safe to publish without Universal’s snipers taking me out. LEGO bricks and Minions have crossed paths before, unfortunately, the original sets based on Illumation’s animated Minion universe arrived around the same time as COVID-19. This meant the sets were released over a year before the film they were based on was released. Despite that, Universal and the LEGO Group have once again joined forces for new sets inspired by the fourth Despicable Me 4 film. The smallest of those new sets is the Minion’s Banana Car which includes four Minion figures, plenty of accessories and a fruit-shaped vehicle. Here’s a closer look at set 77580: Minions and Banana Car.
Product Details
Set Name: Minions and Banana Car | Set Number: 75580 | Pieces: 136 | Theme: Despicable Me 4
Number of Bags: Bags x 3 | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Characters: Mel, AVL Tim, Mega Minion Dave & Pit Crew Ron | Insiders QR: Yes
RRP: £19.99/$24.99/24.99€/29.99AUD/32.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores & LEGO Online from May 1st (globally) Available Now in UK & Europe
The main part of the set is a banana-shaped car and it’s a rather simple build. A 2-stud wide plate makes up much of the car, with a couple of yellow cone-shaped elements connected to either end to give it the appearance of a banana. These are connected on hinge plates so they recreate the curve of a banana. There’s a gap near the front of the car, where an engine can be placed when it’s not being used as a weight for Mega Minion Dave. Despite the simplistic nature of the Banana Car, it’s a funky little build.
The other buildable elements of the set include the aforementioned engine, a barbell, a small table, a paint easel and a stand filled with AVL-issued gadgets. These are all tied to each of the Minions, which all have accessories related to these minibuilds.
The Minions have been a key component of the Despicable Me films. In LEGO form they use unique elements first introduced on the Minions: The Rise of Gru sets. These include a body piece and a head which has either one or two studs to connect the eyes. In total the set includes four different heads and bodies. The most unique of these is the now infamous ‘Mega’ Minion. These have been kept under wraps by Universal but the character in the set is listed as Mega Minion Dave, suggesting some of the original Minions get transformed into unique versions somehow. In LEGO form they use two brand-new elements to create the complete character.
Mel is the only Minion featured in the usual blue overalls, with Ron wearing a red Pit Crew outfit and an awkwardly connected hat. Finally, Tim is wearing a suit with an Anti-Villian League badge, which connects to the gadgets that can be added to the character. Mega Minion Dave appears to enjoy working out and has a barbell.
One of the impressive things about the set is the amount of characters it features, especially as they are all different. The Banana Car is a fun little build even though it’s quite simple and I like how all the mini-builds tie to each of the Minions. I would say the price point seems a little high for what the set offers, but the different Minion characters at least make it a little more attractive.
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