It’s the film which began the tradition of the Summer Blockbuster, it’s also the film which made a generation of filmgoers afraid to go into the sea. JAWS has become an iconic movie, which was released in 1975. It was one of the first motion pictures to be directed by Steven Spielberg and becomes the latest of the legendary director’s films to inspire a LEGO® set. We could have seen a LEGO set based on Jaws long before now, as in 2020 JAWS was one of four IPs which could have become the 150th BrickHeadz set. Before that several projects were created by fans for LEGO Ideas and in 2023, Jonny Campbell’s take on the classic film was chosen to become a set. Ahead of its release on August 3rd, here’s a closer look at the 58th LEGO Ideas set.
Product Details
Set Name: Jaws | Set Number: 21350 | Pieces: 1497 | Theme: Ideas
Number of Bags: Bags x 13 (paper) + loose elements | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: Sheet x 1 | Insiders QR: Yes
RRP: £129.99/$149.99/149.99€/249.99AUD/199.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores & LEGO Online from August 3rd (Insiders) August 6th (General)
The original fan-created design was added to LEGO Ideas in 2022 and was chosen to become a set last year. Jonny Campbell’s design featured the Orca fishing boat, along with ‘Bruce’ the shark and the three characters who go in search of it, namely Quint, Chief Brody and Matthew Hooper. As you can see from the project’s image below, the final set does differ slightly. It still features the boat, shark and characters but adds an expanded display base and a clever display option.
The instructions detail the film and the fan creator of the Ideas project which inspired the final design plus the LEGO Design Team members who created it. I still miss the cool covers of the instructions booklets, the uniform, plain designs are very bland but at least the additional content mentioned above adds a little excitement.
The set is split into three separate sections and begins with the iconic Orca fishing boat. Although the first half of the film is focused on Amity Island, we soon board the Orca as Brody, Quint and Hooper go in search of the menacing Great White Shark. In LEGO form, the boat features a lot of detail. It’s a compact space but there’s an interior section which can be accessed by popping off the roof section and the deck area is dotted with sea-faring paraphernalia. I like the yellow barrels mounted to the front of the boat and the shark jaw trophy found mounted on the boat’s cabin. These are only small details but require unique build techniques to implement them.
The boat’s mast is almost as tall as the boat’s long and features a pair of string ropes, which are woven through the various rigging. It’s a little less complex than seen in the film but adds a nice layer of detail. There’s also a fairly new triangular clip flag found on the mast, this first appeared in a Friends set. There are a few interesting uses of elements in the set, such as a top hat for a bell on the mast and a pair of shepherd hooks to create a ladder. Handlebars are used to replicate a jaw bone and sausage elements act has handles for the walkway on the front of the boat.
It wouldn’t be much of a JAWS set without the shark. Famously the shark doesn’t fully appear on screen until over 90 minutes into the film. That moment in which we first glimpse the shark can be recreated in the set thanks to a clever feature which wasn’t part of the original fan design. The shark is built in two sections, beginning with the tail end of the shark. This is mounted on a display stand and features an exposed clip. The front half of the shark is then built separately. These can then be clipped together to create a whole shark. Building in two sections may seem like a simple way to incorporate the stand but it’s actually so you can remove the front half of the shark and connect it onto the display plate. Once connected it appears to be emerging from the water.
I’m not always a fan of brick-built creatures, especially as the animal figures are so good. But it works nicely here. Not only in terms of the scale of the shark but also the ability to display it separately or as part of the display base. There’s been previous brick-built sharks but this one feels more refined. I like the use of a stepped bonnet element for the shark’s gills and how the eyes are mounted into the body of the shark.
Once the film leaves the shores of Amity Island, it focuses on just three characters – Chief Brody, Amity’s Chief of Police. Quint, the grizzled ex-US Navy crewman turned shark hunter and Matt Hooper, the out-of-town oceanographer brought in to help advise on the island’s ocean-dwelling menace. All three characters have a unique appearance although their outfits aren’t anything unusual. Still, they are instantly recognisable in their minifigure forms. Quint’s grizzled smirk is nicely captured on the face print, along with his mutton-chop sideburns. The only thing the minifigure is lacking is hair. Robert Shaw’s character is wearing a cap but his wild locks are poking beneath it. Despite this, you can tell it’s Quint.
Chief Brody is mostly shown wearing his police officer uniform but once on the Orca, he’s a little more casual. This is used for his minifigure. He has two different face options with one lacking his glasses. I’d have preferred both options to be wearing glasses, as without them he looks a little odd. The best of the bunch is Matt Hooper. The character is shown kitted out in double denim. I would say the minifigure’s take on the outfit seems a little light but is limited by the current LEGO colour palette, the blue used does the job. I also love the new hat/hairpiece. This was first used in a Friends set earlier this year but looks great on a standard minifigure and adds a simple but effective layer of detail.
Along with the additional ability to display the shark in two different ways, the set also adds an expanded display base, allowing the boat to be displayed on it, unlike the fan-created design. This is created from three road plates recoloured in dark blue. These are boarded by a black lip that runs around the display base’s outside. Obviously, the blue colouring of the base represents the sea and it’s layered with other dark blue and white elements to replicate the ocean’s swell around the boat and the emerging shark. This also offers the ability to mount the front section of the shark to give the impression it’s partly submerged in the sea and a perch for the Orca to sit.
The base gives the set a similar appearance to others inspired by iconic movie scenes such as the T. rex Breakout and the Indiana Jones Temple of the Golden Idol sets. This offers a welcomed level of consistency and an unofficial line of Spielberg sets. I previously mentioned how I’d like this format to be used for other iconic movie moments and the JAWS set reinforces that desire. You’ll be pleased to know the logo and quote plates are printed in this set. Stickers are used elsewhere in the build but thankfully not for these.
JAWS is a cult classic and I’m glad we’ve finally been given a chance to celebrate it in LEGO form. The original fan design did a great job of recreating the Orca fishing boat and the shark, but the LEGO Design Team has refined it to offer a unique celebration of Steven Spielberg’s iconic film. The build experience is fun even if there are a few tricky sections and fiddly build techniques. But these slight issues are vastly outweighed by the set’s good points. The changes to the display base really elevate the displayable nature of the set. As mentioned, I like that it has a similar appearance to past sets inspired by famous movie moments. The LEGO Ideas JAWS set will be available from August 3rd for LEGO Insiders and will be available for all from August 6th.
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These were provided to BricksFanz by the LEGO Group for purposes of review. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or Universal. Providing a set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
16th July 2024
What a fabulous review of a stunning set! This is a day one purchase for me!
We’re gonna need a bigger KALAX!