Set Review ➟ LEGO® 71499 Dreamzzz Mateo’s Spray Paint Truck
I was ready to dismiss this set based on the box art. At first I could not figure out what the second build was, or if there even was a second build. Then I came to realize that the little flyer craft that is attached to the Chameleon’s back in the first build is modified and detached for the second build. Ho hum. Then I built the set and…
Let us start this review by taking a look at the minifigures. The set contains six: Cooper, Mr. Oz, Mateo, One, D-Shock, and Albert. All appear heavily armed with the exception of Albert. Albert, Oz, and One are unique to this set.
Left to right: Cooper, Mr. Oz, Mateo, One, D-Shock, Albert
Full figures without weapons.
Figure fronts without headgear.
Figure backs without headgear.
There are also a couple cyber brain “spiders” which apparently qualify as minifigures in this set. Why the similar bug thing in the 71492 Fire Chameleon set does not qualify as a minifigure I suspect has more to do with available space for an image on the box than anything else.
“Minifigures” left versus “not minifigure” right.
Aside from minifigure elements, printed pieces in the set are limited to a few tiles that appear in the truck cab. Stickers are plenty although not excessive (with three bonus green blobs) and are printed on a chrome carrier. Shiny. Reflections. Hooray. And a pain to photograph.
Looking at the truck, the rear wheels are mounted slightly higher than the front wheels, giving the truck a stance that is slightly downward towards the front. The rear wheels pivot as a group with a significant possible angle achievable.
The plow blades can pivot around their attaching pins, but otherwise the plow sections are fixed.
The roof of the cab is removable and the cab can accommodate a single minifigure. Mateo will have to lose his rubbery cape and One will have to lose her skirt to and tall headwear to fit.
Update: Mateo with cape does fit, but his cape has to be slid over the back of the seat into the accommodating hole in the cab.
The mirrors can flip up and down
The truck makes use of the relatively new part 3779 vertical towball socket plate as an attachment point for the trailer.
The trailer has a swing-down stand so the trailer can be parked by itself.
As with the truck, the trailer wheels have some degree of pivot.
The trailer has a compartment on its top side. The internal shape and dimension of the compartment is somewhat irregular and while it will sort of hold a minifigure I doubt it has sufficient space or accessibility to make sense for holding the spare pieces for the alternate builds. It might be useful for storing minifigure weapons, though.
In the fun features section, the spray paint truck as a whole has several. Pivoting double-stud-shooter seats allow for outboard carnage. I found the minifigures were not terribly secure in the feet-to-split-panel attachment scheme. A plate would have provided more secure attachment but would have had a different aesthetic.
Along either side of the truck and trailer are double-bar attachment points shown in azure in the pictures below. Tank and side-mounted stud shooter assemblies can be mixed and matched into the various points.
Bars on the truck allow for dynamic minifigure placement.
The flyer detaches easily from the spray can.
Differences between the A and B builds in the set primarily take place on the spray can section and marginally with the side stud shooters. Broadly speaking, these are the changes:
- Build A has gearing inside the can; you turn the red knobs on the side to spin the six-stud shooter on the top. The axles in the A spray can guts are swapped out to be used for the quick release on the B spray can mount. The red shooter knobs on A become the fart jet housing attached to the rear sides on B. The six-shooter on B operates directly by manually twisting the shooter housing.
Build A six shooter operates by turning the red knobs on the side of the can.
Build B six shooter operates directly. The side knobs are purely decorative.
- Portions of the side-mounted stud shooter seat assemblies on A get incorporated into the flyer assembly atop the spray can while others go into the fart jet housing in B.
- The fart clouds are removed from the flyer in A and are attached to the side mounted housings in B.
Both builds have the spray can attached to the trailer and a technic rotation joint allows for 90 degrees of movement.
Pivoting the spray can assembly to a full 90 degrees on build A is not an issue as the fart clouds are attached to the red flyer ship on top. Build B has the fart clouds attached to the tail of the can and if the fart clouds are not perfectly oriented they will hit the tires when the assembly is pivoted to 90 degrees and the cloud sections may come off.
Build A has the spray can attached to the trailer with pins while Build B employs a sliding release mechanism that allows for speedy removal of the can.
Build A spray can mount assembly.
Build B spray can mount assembly with can attached.
Build B spray can mount assembly with can removed.
The spray can removed from the trailer becomes a standalone flying vehicle.
Build B also allows for some repositioning of the azure bar-and-clip attached elements.
The flyers have an opening cockpit with a 2x2 plate with single centered stud. While Albert attaches to the stud the other figures do not fit.
Build A flyer.
Build B flyer.
The Randolph T. Fielding Absolutely Administrivia Section
No surprises in the fluorescence department.
I noticed a mold change in part 3937 I had not noticed it before. The tops of the projecting fingers have been truncated. After researching sets on hand I found my copy of the 10391 Pharrel Williams from 2024 set has the flat tops, as does 80055 Monkie Kid Power Truck, 76266 Endgame Final Battle (2023), 80039 Heavenly Realms (2022), 76178 Daily Bugle (2021), 80012 Monkey King Warrior Mech (2020), and 31097 Townhouse Pet Shop and Cafe (2019). Finally I find 41605 Thanos (2018) has the rounded tops. So the change goes back about eight years.
Older 3937 on left, 3739 found in this set on right.
The not transparent transparent bright green tires (which do not fluoresce, by the way) are a new color for tires, appearing here and in set 71491 Mateo and the Z-Blob Action Race Car. From LEGO’s photography I thought the wheels were going to be lime. There is no way to photograph these tires get shadows and contour definition like LEGO shows in their images.
LEGO’s rendering of transparent bright green tires.
Actual appearance of transparent bright green tires.
Summary
From the perspective of a kid who wants to play, the rotating stud shooter on the end of the large spray can is probably fine. From the perspective of a cranky old man who thinks he knows better, opportunities to push the concept of the spray paint can as a spray paint can were missed. The fart cloud could have been attached to the business end of the can presenting a true spray can aesthetic. Furthering the point, LEGO has pretty much the perfect piece for the job at the ready in part 3386.
Great Scott! LEGO could have made a more spray-can-looking spray can without excessive effort.
Aside from the front spike coming off the nose of the truck five-hundred-thousand-million times while positioning the set for photos, the build is fairly interesting and sturdy. While the transformation between the A and B builds is not particularly significant, the model has lots of potential for play with the many figures along with various truck configuration and modification options. Coming in to the review I was sort of expecting another dud of a set like 71460 Mr. Oz’s Spacebus; I was delighted that those expectations did not bear out. Recommended.
Disclaimer
Thanks to LEGO for kindly providing the set for review.
Postscript
And, yes, goddammit, this part did come off five-hundred-thousand-million times while shooting the set. I am not exaggerating, not one bit.
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