REVIEW: LEGO Ideas - Birds (21301)

[Adeel Zubair]

LEGO Ideas - Birds (21301) Review by Adeel Zubair, on Flickr

"They will fly off the shelves!"

First Impression:

When I saw this set for the first time I was very impressed with this set just like any LEGO Ideas set. This is a must have set for any birds enthusiast. These are impressive recreations of three birds seen in different parts of the world. This will be an iconic and popular LEGO set amongst adults. This is one of the LEGO Idea's set that is not based on an IP (Intellectual Property) or a replica, others being the recent Exo-Suit (21109) and Research Institute (21110.) I just want to say a huge thanks to Thomas Poulsom for making this set a reality.

Unique Parts:

This set contains 3 unique printed 'Flat Tile 2x4' pieces in Black each with the specific bird's name in Latin: Erithacus Rubecula, Cyanocitta Cristata and Colibri Thalassinus. There are recolours of certain pieces which are now exclusive to this set at the time of this review: Plate 2X4X18° (Dark Green), Corner Plate 45 Deg. 3X3 (Dark Green), Tip Of The Tail Ø6,47 (Earth Green), Neck - Tail Link, Ø7.84-Ø6,47 (Earth Green), Plate 1x3 (Medium Blue), Plate 1X2 W. 1 Knob (Medium Blue), Plate 2x3 (Medium Blue), Left Plate 2X4 W/Angle (Medium Blue) and Right Plate 2X4 W/Angle (Medium Blue.) There are also a few rare pieces in this set: Plate 6x16 (Dark Green), Right Plate 3X8 W/Angle (Earth Blue), Left Plate 3X8 W/Angle Earth Blue), Roof Tile 4X2/18° W/Cor. (Earth Green), Brick W/Bow 1/3 (Medium Blue), Plate 1X2 W/Shaft Ø3.2 (Reddish Brown) and Plate 1X2 W. Shaft 12M (Transparent) Something I would like to point out that some ‘Medium Blue’ pieces seem to have two different shades in this set. I don't know why but it may be a quality control issue which does happen sometimes. I found it to be extra useful for different texture as the bird is a natural form. However some people may not like this simply because they may look out of place if the pieces are used for your own creations.

Minifigures and Playability:

Ha! This set contains no minifigures. These are detailed models of birds for display only. Therefore I don't see young children purchasing this set for any reason besides someone who likes birds or the swoosh factor of the birds. No, the wings don't move but yes each Bird can be easily removed from their display stand. The models are really great display pieces and are just a wonderful piece to adore the details on display.

Build Experience:

This set contains 5 five numbered bags. 2x Bag 1's for the Robin, 2x Bag 2's for the Blue Jay and 1x Bag 3 for the Hummingbird and flower. It surprisingly contains three instruction booklets (one for each bird.) As always with the LEGO Ideas sets, they are high-quality books containing the building instructions, information on the LEGO Ideas platform and background information about the set and its original creator. It took me an average of 25 minutes per bird to assemble together. This set was designed by the very talented Steen Sig Andersen who has been with The LEGO Group for a very long time and it really shows. He has provided each bird with its own unique SNOT (Studs Not On Top) techniques and very thoughtful engineering which makes the models really strong and durable. Each Bird has its own stand very similar to the architecture stands but this time we have the green grass with a small pedestal for the birds to fit on. In front of the pedestal we have the printed 'Flat Tile 2x4' with the name of the specific bird which keeps them partly hidden and at the edge of the base we have a ‘San Yellow’ finish to possibly represent wood. The set was very enjoyable to put together and I learned a few new techniques along the way which was quite surprising since I'm a pretty experienced builder.

Value for Money:

This retails for £39.99 in the UK and contains 580 pieces. It's hard to judge this set because it contains three different builds. Each bird with stand works out £13.33 each so that's fairly respectable plus with the high quality box and instructions booklets is definitely worth £39.99 compared with other models LEGO has released in the past. It's a set that will sky rocket in the aftermarket, you would rather purchase this whenever you get the chance since it has a limited production run like any other LEGO Ideas set. This set is only available at LEGO Stores and Shop.LEGO.com

Display Attributes:

Since this set is built with three separate models I will discuss each model in depth. The Erithacus Rubecula also known as the Robin has been exquisitely rendered with the whole profile and shape capturing the exact shape of a Robin. Unlike the other models it's not smoothed out to try to hide the studs. Instead they have expressed and proudly shown the studs through 80% of the model. It's really great they have exposed the studs to capture what LEGO really is and how its simple brick can be constructed into a beautiful natural form, which isn't seen often. As I examine the photograph I can see that the Robin is orange, light brown, tan, grey and white. I understand that having several colours on a model of this scale could easily take away from the model, but I was surprised they didn't use orange instead of the red but to be honest I saw the original in person and it didn't look right with the brown. I like how the belly of the Robin is built like a Lowell Sphere. One advantage with this compared with other birds is that the Robin can stand on its two very small feet without extra support, again heads up to Steen for some really great engineering techniques used. This model has to be the highlight of the set. The stand is also well designed, you can turn the Technic axle 360° to suit the owners needs of display and it can also be easily be separated. I don't like that the Technic axle wiggles, I feel they are under a lot of pressure underneath the weight of the model. I have two complaints which I have with most LEGO sets: when having SNOT techniques used in a LEGO set is requires you to assemble an opposite colour to the brick/s it will attached on to. In this case the white and brown is showing though a small gap above the assembly of the red belly of the Robin. It's a natural form so I won't complain too much but I have seen it many times in other sets. Yes LEGO have to use as many simple and primary colours in the internal structure of any model to make it easier for the builder to find the pieces when constructing a set. Additionally the black ‘Plate 1X2 W. Vertical Grip’ that have used to attach the Robin's wings which could've been brown but I guess in this case it can represent shadow and depth. Another example is the Technic axle going through the underside of the Robin could have been transparent, now it seems as if it's part of the Robin. Which doesn’t look right? I like that the scale is pretty close to the real bird and it also make these models feel like your personal pets.

The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta Cristata) is once again rendered well but this build also has minor problems. Main reason is in some angles you can see right through the bird but to be honest when it's on the stand you can barely notice. Comparing this model to the photograph provided in the instruction booklet. You can clearly see that all black pieces should have been ‘Earth Blue' besides the beak. I feel cheated and I would have preferred them to be 'Earth Blue' I don't understand why LEGO had to be lazy and choose black instead. That's one big problem I have with this assembly.

The final bird is the Hummingbird (Colibri Thalassinus) which sits on a ‘Plate 6x16’ for the additional flower assembly. The flower is an interesting but simple. It's nice to see another large natural form in this set beside a couple of birds. Referencing back to the photograph I can see that a Hummingbird also has yellow and blue but would look out of place with the presented scale like the Robin. The brown 'Plate' would have been nice in transparent but I may be mistaken, but it could be its feet? The two sloped 'Earth Green' bricks that were used to hide most of the back of the plates is a great addition however it's only conned by one Technic pin which means doesn't stay still.

Fan Model Vs. Final Product:

All three models are very well recreated and are pretty similar to the original fan creation. The only differences are the internal structure and the way the models are presented. I do prefer the way the final product displays the birds because they look or presentable. Steen has done a wonderful job of staying true to Tom’s original design and has done them justice as a worldwide product.

Final Analysis/ Conclusion:

Overall this set it is a must have set for adults. It has its flaws like any other set: the grey Technic axle used between the Robin and tree branch, black pieces used instead of ‘Earth Blue’ for the Blue Jay and the loose ‘Earth Green’ pieces of the Hummingbird. Anyway the models are impressive recreations and would make a great gift for any adult or birds enthusiast.

Quick Summary:

Parts: 5 - Good quantity of common and semi rare colours from a parts perspective.

Playability: 3 - Each bird can be easily removed from their display stand and be swooshed around if you so desire.

Building Experience: 4.5 - A few interesting SNOT techniques are used, although some parts of the build are a bit repetitive but still enjoyable.

Value for Money: 5 - At first the price may seem high however the models of the birds are very attractive. With a price tag of £39.99 you cannot go wrong.

Overall: 5 - It has one or two problems that come from the deep vaults of LEGO but besides that I can only judge the build on its own merits. The models are impressive recreations and would make a great gift for any adult or birds enthusiast.

Useful Links:

https://ideas.lego.com/projects/16897

https://ideas.lego.c.../1-blog/post/22

http://shop.lego.com/en-GB/Birds-21301

[Herky]

I have to agree with your review, you nailed it, the only thing I chuckled about was playability. I guess some folks would "fly" them but I feel these are more meant to be built and then displayed and appreciated.

The only thing I wasn't thrilled about was the base where the "stick" on the birds go, putting it through the 2 holes vs a more solid connection seemed like they will fall out at times. The only other part was the hummingbird flower, same thing, if you touch it, it falls.

Thanks for posting your review.

[Darth Punk]

Nice review, I'm kinda on the fence on this one though. I do believe TLG got the bluejay correct as they usually have black around the beak and the blue is usually just on top of the head. It is also very likely the picture in the book was not the only reference photo, if used at all, to design the bluejay. I'm also not sure how someone is,lazy for using one color over another, both require the same amount of,work. Other than that enjoyed the review.

[Captain Braunsfeld]

Your review is good and well written.

But I will not buy this set. When I saw this first I was also impressed. So far so good.

However, I cannot fully side with your judgement:"Overall this set it is a must have set for adults."

Sorry, I doubt it. The set is utterly boring. There is no playbility. You just have some birds that you can place on the mantelpiece. And unfortunately, that's it.