As Disney continues the quest to transform its entire animated back catalogue into live-action films, the latest Disney classic to get the remake treatment is The Little Mermaid. The story of Ariel’s adoration of the human world and dreams of a life on land is inspired by the Danish fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen. Originally, the classic tale inspired the 1989 Disney animated feature which revitalised Walt Disney Animation and preceded animated blockbusters such as The Lion King, Aladdin and Beauty & the Beast. But it’s the recent live-action version of The Little Mermaid, which has inspired this latest large-scale LEGO® Disney set. How does it’s compared to other Disney sets such as the Disney Castle, Disney Train or the other recent Disney Villain Icons set? Here’s a closer look at The Little Mermaid Royal Clamshell set.
Product Details
Set Name: The Little Mermaid Royal Clamshell | Set Number: 43225 | Pieces: 1808 | Theme: Disney
RRP: £139.99/$159.99/159.99€ | Number of Bags: Bags x 15 | Instructions: 1 x Paper booklets + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Characters: Ariel, Karina, Indira, King Triton & Ursula, plus Sebastian & Flounder
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & Limited Retail
Your journey under the sea begins with the instruction booklet and little background about both Little Mermaid films and the LEGO design team behind the set. The set has been designed by Marcos Bessa who has a track record of crafting unusual LEGO builds and this The Little Mermaid set certainly encapsulates that. By using the LEGO Builder App, you can build the set with 3D instructions or the Build Together function, for those who like to build with others.
https://flic.kr/p/2oHdkvY/p>
The build begins with a small section which doesn’t come into play until the very end of the build. This is a sort of cove of rocks which surround a throne. Once you get to the end of the build, this section connects to the larger build and creates a platform for King Triton to survey his watery kingdom.
The clamshell design is a great canvas to craft a small part of the film’s underwater realm. The build begins with a fairly elaborate core which forms the basis of the bottom half of the shell. Although it looks quite complex it’s not that difficult to build. The instructions do a great job of showing exactly where pieces are connected, by switching the usual perspective in place for an almost 1:1 image of the set. In fact, I found myself placing pieces without referring to the instructions at some points has the build experience flows nicely.
The bottom part of the shell features most of the set’s detail. With one half dedicated to Ariel’s secret stash of land treasures, hidden amongst the wreckage of a sunken ship and the opposite section on the base features Ursala’s stock of potions. The set doesn’t feature a single sticker or even any printed prices beyond the minifigures. All the detail is achieved with buildable elements and this base section is a great example of that.
The top half of the clamshell has a similar build to the base section but just on a simpler scale. You’ll notice the back of the set is quite ugly. But it’s not meant to be seen and if the set is displayed on a shelf it’s soon covered up. Much of the back part of the shell is focused on the large fan-like structure. This slots into the base section and this will then reveal the area in which the small section you build at the start can be connected. The set is finished off with various fish elements, which are connected on transparent rods. There are also two longer clear rods which hold the two mermaid princesses.
The set includes several characters from the new film. Although the live-action film is inspired by the animated one, the characters have been updated to reflect a more diverse cast. Ariel is now a person of colour and King Triton is played by Spanish actor Javier Bardem. So the minifigures featured in the set, reflect the actors from the new film. Each of the characters reuses previously used mermaid tails. So Ariel and her two sisters use the same mermaid tail introduced in the VIDIYO sets and King Triton uses the older upright tailpiece. King Triton has only been previously represented in mini-doll form, but similar to that version, a blank head is used with this hair, face and crown being a single piece which sits over the head. His body has an Aqua-Man vibe to it. The additional two mermaids have a more modern appearance compared to their animated versions, but to be honest they look more like popstars than mermaids. Ursula is very similar to the version which appeared in the first series of LEGO Disney Minifigures, but uses a different hairpiece.
Overall
It’s an interesting set to build, the shape of the shell requires the use of some unusual build techniques rather than relying on special elements or stickers. Obviously, Disney fans will know there are two versions of The Little Mermaid, the much-loved animated version and the recent live-action remake. Apart from a couple of the characters featured in the set, the Royal Clamshell could easily represent both films. I can fully understand why it leans more towards the live-action film, but it’s a shame it doesn’t also feature the animated versions of Ariel, King Triton, Sebastian and Flounder. Regardless of this, it does make an eye-catching display piece. The various little details help to capture the magic of an underwater kingdom and it’s certainly one of the better sets based on the new film. The various colours used and layering of elements, really give the set a lot of visual flare, all without the need for stickers or printed elements.
Shop Now: UKIrelandUSCanadaGermanyDenmarkAustraliaNew Zealand
