As the second review period of 2021 has just closed, the LEGO Ideas team confirms that 34 projects successfully gathered 10,000 votes each and are now qualified for the review stage. As usual, there’s plenty of buildings (both urban and rural) in the pool, as well as space-themed creations and scenes based on TV shows and movies. It’s hard to predict the review result just yet, but we are thrilled to see how some of the more unusual projects will perform.
Meanwhile, the results of the 2021 first review are coming soon. We can’t wait to learn which of the 57 projects will be turned into official LEGO Ideas sets next.
Very excited to see these ideas. Would be interested to know if you agree with my thoughts.
The Imperial Fort could be a good companion for Pirates of Barracuda Bay (21332). It’s better than Medieval Harbour, which straddles a line between the fort and the other medieval submissions, and not looking as good as either, but at what cost? The Medieval Tavern. Medieval Fortress and John’s Medieval Watermill and are both good looking models, but I’d say are too similar to the recent Medieval Blacksmith (21325). The Tavern Under the Snow also falls under this category, as does the Traditional German Cottage. Again, lovely model, but can we have something that isn’t half-timbered for a change?
The licenced themes such as Spaceballs and Knight Rider have no real appeal – I’m just not familiar with those shows. Saying that, I do like the neatness of the A-Team: Van and Crew but feel the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine is a little similar to the recently released Volkswagen T2 Camper Van (10279). Not sure about a BTS “Dynamite” I feel is a little niche and – while the song is catchy – the set might date badly.
Onto the modulars – Lego do these so well, so do we really need a Lego Ideas Costume Store, Brick Walk or The Apartment? Whilst not exclusively a modular, the Movie Set shares some similarities (admittedly with some additional playability) as does Carl’s House and The Nanny. Basement & Sewerage looks fun, but might only appeal if you have modulars already.
The rest of the buildings are a mixed bunch: Gamestop Classic Shop looks very plain – we already have an incredible Lego shop in the Kwik-E-Mart (71016) – and while A-Frame cabin is interesting, in my view it’s pipped by the design and landscaping of the Log Cabin. I like the scale of Nyhavn, sitting between Lego’s architecture and skyline series, but equally it is smaller than a modular and less iconic that some of the architecture sets. Rounding out the buildings, Lifeguard’s Shack is refreshing – I’d welcome a smaller and more affordable set.
Women of Computing is a little similar to Women of NASA (21312) and Research Institute (21110) while Outer Solar System Explorers is perhaps a little to similar to the recent ISS (21321) and Space Shuttle Discovery (10283). We’ve already had a very good OTR range of sets so Minas Tirith may be too expensive and a little too, well, grey and House of Time sits in the uncanny valley between a working product and a creative Lego set; unique, but would I actually have it on my wall? Spot – as a robot – is fascinating. As a Lego model, however, I think it loses some of it’s personality. Likewise the Floating island – tensegrity feels a little overdone and I’m not enthused by the build.
So this leaves us with the Working Mini Golf Course – unique, creative and playable – the Airport Firetruck Rosenbauer Panther – a really interesting and detailed looking vehicle that I don’t think has been done before with both display and play functions – the Aircraft Engine Workshop (my second favourite) – combining a great display piece, ever-popular aviation with real-world engineering and a complex- yet compact-looking build – and my personal favourite, Jaws. It’s compact (which makes it more affordable) and allows you to display (or recreate) scenes from one of the greatest films ever made. We’ve had so many realistic road vehicles, yet very few water-craft. Here, we get one of the most iconic ever committed to the big screen – just please make the shark less Deep Sea Creatures (31088) and up to the same level of realism as the boat. Do that, and you’d really have a set to get your teeth into.
That GameStop store looks like a joke. Yeesh.
Spaceballs, A-Team, and Knight Rider are all wider than standard LEGO cars (Yeah, I know one is a spaceship…), and for that reason I am all in. Yes please!
The golf course is absolutely wonderful, and I also love that pirates-themed Imperial fort.
What this means is that 10000 BTS fans have created a profile each just to vote for that project, and they will never interact on Lego Ideas ever again. K-Pop fans are the most rabid in the world, so if Lego made this you can be sure that it would sell in that market spectacularly well. Fun times…
I really hope the Steampunk Airship gets chosen.
Gamestop is a fad. Factor out the other licensed ones that usually don’t get picked…and there’s STILL a lot to choose from! Is 34 a record? It seems like a record. Honestly, there isn’t a bad model in the group.
My only complaint is that I might have to get a City set, and then all the rest of them…
FINALLY! Another Pirate-themed submission has made it into review!
These Imperial Fortresses have been very popular on LEGO Ideas (this is the third to reach 10K recently) and they get thousands of likes when we share them on Instagram