The 1980s were an amazing decade; it had awesome music, questionable fashion and some of the most iconic movies. The 80s were also the inspiration for the 2024 LEGO Ideas “If we could turn back time” challenge. This tasked fan builders to create a LEGO build inspired by iconic 80s entertainment franchises. The vote was split across two groups of builds, and one of the two winning designs was based on a true 80s classic. Released in 1984, Gremlins was an odd concept, a comedy horror set at Christmas and inspired by folklore creatures who were said to cause malfunctions to planes by British Air Force pilots. The Gremlins from the film are less interested in air travel but are just mischievous. But they don’t start that way, a Mogwai is much cuter as long as three simple rules are followed – don’t get them wet, keep them away from bright lights and do not feed them after midnight. Thankfully, there is no danger of this LEGO version.
Product Details
Set Name: Gremlins – Grizmo | Set Number: 21361 | Pieces: 1125 | Theme: Ideas
Number of Bags: Bags x 10 | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Characters: N/A
RRP: £89.99/99.99€/$109.99/149.99AUD/129.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & LEGO retailers from October 1st
Back in 2024, LEGO Ideas sought set ideas from fans inspired by classic 80s movies or TV shows. From the many entries, 10 were selected, and fans could vote for their favourites. One winner was chosen from the two groups of five entries, and in August last year, the winners were revealed. From the second round of winners, fan designer terauma’s Gremlins-inspired creation was chosen to become a future set. Terauma’s design was focused on the film’s unlikely hero, a Mogwai called Gizmo.
The body section of Gizmo is quite simple. It merely acts as a point to connect the rest of the character’s details. Although the core isn’t complex, the exterior does feature a lot of bulk to replicate Gizmo’s plump and ‘furry’ body. Recreating fur isn’t easy with LEGO elements, but the layering of elements and the mixing of colours go a long way to making Gizmo appear cuddly.
Partway through the build, you are given the option to continue the build in two ways. One which shows Gizmo standing and the other seated. Regardless of which route you choose, you’ll be left with elements from bags 4 and 5. Although a lot of them are shared between each style, there is no easy route to swapping the stances, so you’ll need to rebuild the legs, almost completely. Despite that, it’s not too difficult to strip the build back to the point where the build can be built seated or standing. Once the legs are built, the build continues, with a significant focus on Gizmo’s head.
A lot is going on inside the head part of the build, mostly to provide a means to mount the Mogwai’s printed eyes and mouth. These are neatly nestled inside the head and surrounded by various brown and white elements, with pink wheel arch elements making the perfect eyelids. A special mention, but go to the simple use of a pair of ¼ tiles to create Gizmo’s little nose.
Gizmo has some articulation, but it’s minimal. The head is mounted on a turntable plate but only moves a little to the left and right. The ears can be moved slightly, but doing so too much causes Gizmo to look odd. The arms can also be raised a little. Although the movement is limited, mostly due to Gizmo’s appearance, I’d rather have that over better articulation.
Although with Gizmo, the set includes a pair of classic red and blue lens 3D glasses. They are a nice addition, but cannot be worn or held by Gizmo easily, making them feel a little like a spare part. You can place them in top of his heads but that’s feels a little redundant. You’ll also notice a small transparent blue splat on Gizmo’s back, which is a nod to one of the important rules, carers of a Mogwai must follow.
Of course, this isn’t the first time the Gremlins characters have appeared in a LEGO set. During the seventh wave of LEGO Dimensions sets, Gizmo and Gremlin leader Stripe appeared as minifigures in a Team Pack. They unlocked Gremlins content in the toys-to-life title. Gremlins also briefly appeared in The LEGO Batman Movie. A larger-scale take on the film’s character is a much more fun way of celebrating the film. Gizmo is an almost 1:1 scale recreation of the beloved character and another cool displayable LEGO model. Although it would require a much larger build, I’d like to see a Gremlin as a buildable character. The LEGO Ideas Gremlins: Gizmo set launches on October 1st and can be pre-ordered now.
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The LEGO Group provided this set to BricksFanz for this review. However, the thoughts expressed in this review are those of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing a set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
