LEGO Wicked 75682 Elphaba & Glinda Figures review
LEGO Wicked’s Elphaba & Glinda figures aren’t going to be for everyone, but as a slightly creepy alternative to BrickHeadz, this approach isn’t half bad.
It seems that with LEGO Wicked 75682 Elphaba & Glinda Figures and a similar Wednesday set, the LEGO Group is trying out a new style of brick-built figure. These cute yet slightly creepy figures might not be to everyone’s tastes, but in spite of their flaws, they’re fun to construct, and make for an eye-catching display while also being sturdy enough to be treated as playthings.
Release: 1 October, 2024 Price: £49.99 / $54.99 / €54.99 Pieces: 558 Minifigures: 0 LEGO: Order now
Burton-esque
LEGO Wicked 75682 Elphaba & Glinda Figures may be novel, but this set is not the only one of its kind to hit the market on October 1, 2024. Another set, 76780 Wednesday Addams Figure, features the same slender brick-built character design, and is arguably a better fit to launch this style of figure, because when looking at either of these sets, it’s hard not to be reminded of Tim Burton’s signature art style.
It’s clear that there’s more than a little inspiration from mini-dolls in this brick-built design – the waifish, almost skeletally thin nature of Elphaba and Glinda feels like an extension of the aesthetic that can be seen across the figures in the Wicked theme. It just so happens that the topheavy bobble heads, large eyes and stick figure-thin limbs feels like it would be perfectly at home as a character design in a film like The Nightmare Before Christmas or Corpse Bride (in fact, a Corpse Bride brick-built figure in this style would be phenomenal!).
Add to this the spiky detail around the joints, and one can almost imagine these minifigures as covered in the kinds of stitch marks that Tim Burton has become famous for with characters like Catwoman (another character that would actually be a perfect fit for this type of build). How well this slightly creepy design style fits the Wicked brand will be a matter of personal preference, though. There’s enough spookiness to Elphaba that this character feels like a good fit, but with all the ruffles to her dress, it could be argued that Glinda is the more unnerving of the two figures.
Joint Pains
There’s an impressive amount of flexibility and articulation in these figures, and both are surprisingly sturdy. It’s more likely that bits of hair will end up detaching over time if the build is played with, than that a limb will break off and get lost. Those looking to pose the set will have plenty of options. The downside to this design is that the joints are not particularly elegant.
The most egregious of the lot are the figures’ necks, created with a ball and socket joint that is frustratingly made up of two shades of grey (a longstanding complaint with these seemingly colour-locked pieces). Had these elements been produced in flesh tones, they would be perfect, but in grey, they only add to the artificiality that these figures exude.
On the literal other hand, perhaps the most interesting new elements in the box are the figures’ hands and forearms. In spite of their appearance, these are solid, immovable single elements. They come pre-assembled (even in the case of Elphaba, whose hands are a different colour to her forearms), cannot be separated, and cannot be twisted or turned. This isn’t a huge drawback as there are other points of articulation, it’s merely a surprise – the elements look like they should be twistable as with standard minifigure hands, but instead, they’re fused in place, much like mini-dolls. This is particularly perplexing given that the hand element, by itself, is being used as the disembodied hand, Thing, in two of the Wednesday sets.
The sum of its parts
75682 Elphaba & Glinda Figures is an odd set in that it almost looks more detailed and substantial from a distance. Some sets have hidden depths, but upon closer inspection, what appears to be a highly detailed and feature-filled display base ends up feeling a little flat. There are highlights, certainly, such as the delightful foil, complete with an art deco Emerald City, that forms the set’s backdrop. Also of note are a few decorations and accessories for the figures, which can either be arranged on the figures themselves, or connected to the base.
The focal point of the build is a stickered element featuring a QR code. This is heavily promoted on the box and within the manual, and apparently when scanned allows the user to watch a video on the LEGO website (the relevant web page was not live at the time of writing this review, so scanning the QR code simply resulted in a 404 error).
As far as digitally-augmented play goes, it’s hard to imagine the QR code providing any more than five or 10 minutes of entertainment. It’s unlikely that, after the initial watch, most builders will feel compelled to go back and watch the video again, and given the LEGO Group’s poor history of long-term maintenance for this kind of content, it can be expected that in a few years, the QR code will be entirely useless.
What’s more, given that this set is intended for a 10+ audience, some parents will no doubt find this to be more of a bugbear than a winning feature. LEGO is often seen among parents as a blessed opportunity to get kids away from tablets, screens and smart devices, so it’s always a pain when a LEGO set actively encourages children to stare glibly at a video for a few minutes rather than actually playing with the toy their parents have just bought them.
This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.
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Our honest opinion: A decent build with a slightly creepy design that, while not perfect, is an intriguing new way to approach brick-built figures and displays. Here’s hoping we get more of them.
How long does it take to build LEGO Wicked 75682 Elphaba & Glinda Figures?
LEGO Wicked 75682 Elphaba & Glinda Figures takes around 45 minutes to build. The time taken to construct the set will vary depending on the level of experience of the builder.
How many pieces are in LEGO Wicked 75682 Elphaba & Glinda Figures?
LEGO Wicked 75682 Elphaba & Glinda Figures contains 558 elements. There are no minifigures or mini-dolls in this set.
How big is LEGO Wicked 75682 Elphaba & Glinda Figures?
LEGO Wicked 75682 Elphaba & Glinda Figures measures approximately 21cm tall, 17cm wide and 13cm deep, although the dimensions may vary depending on how the set is arranged.
How much does LEGO Wicked 75682 Elphaba & Glinda Figures cost?
LEGO Wicked 75682 Elphaba & Glinda Figures costs £49.99 in the UK, $54.99 in the US and €54.99 in the EU.
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- When I was a kid, my bus ride home from school featured a daily stop at LEGOLAND Windsor. The bus drove all the way up to the front gate, let eager tourists on and off, then drove back out of the park and on its merry way. Maybe if I’d got on a different bus every afternoon I’d have ended up with a proper job, but then, there’s no way of knowing for sure.
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