LEGO Minecraft’s smallest movie model doesn’t look like it belongs in the theme, with unique and unusual minifigures – and a novel play feature to boot.
21272 Woodland Mansion Fighting Ring is the least expensive and smallest of the two A Minecraft Movie models, but it comes across as the far better pick of the two thanks to some great minifigures and a fun play feature – but with one major downside thanks to nine years without a certain set in the theme.
Release: March 1, 2025 Price: £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 Pieces: 491 Minifigures: 4 LEGO:
Mystifying Minecraft minifigures
LEGO Minecraft’s minifigures – as creative as they are – have become expectedly formulaic with a uniform cubic style that matches that of the game perfectly. No one could have predicted that A Minecraft Movie would veer away from that style with a live-action approach to the block-based game.
Given the source material, the LEGO Minecraft designers have done a good job at depicting this unique version of a zombie, and though it’s described as a baby zombie, it’s hard not to appreciate that its upscaled design allows you to make it a regular zombie with ease.
It’s the other minifigures that are even more unusual. For the first time in LEGO Minecraft’s history, standard minifigure heads have been used for something other than potion bottles. Steve and the rest of the live-action cast have been depicted as normal minifigures rather than the standard Minecraft minifigures.
On the one hand, this gives us a great interpretation of Jack Black, and Garrett has some stylish fashion with a surprisingly appealing level of detail. On the other hand, seeing standard minifigures in LEGO Minecraft feels out of place, as they do in the movie. This isn’t the LEGO Group’s fault, though, and the designers have done an excellent job in depicting these characters as we see them in the trailer. They’re sure to be useful outside of LEGO Minecraft too – not something you can say for the theme’s usual minifigures. The movie’s full release might change minds, but for now, these LEGO Minecraft minifigures are odd yet strangely appealing.
Into the woods
As the first-ever depiction of the sprawling Woodland Mansions in Minecraft, this set is disappointing. Even without the context that the movie will be able to provide come April, we know that the characters visit a Woodland Mansion at some point thanks to this set, and unless they teleport inside, they must see the exterior of the mansion.
Unfortunately, the 491-piece build only has a small portion of the exterior with a fighting ring similar to the one included in the mansion in the game. This is the Minecraft movie’s take on the mansion, and you can’t expect it to be the same as the in-game location. That’s not the issue: it’s that this first Woodland Mansion build is barely a single room of the sprawling structure after we’ve waited nine years for it to debut.
For what it covers, this LEGO A Minecraft Movie build works fine with a trio of models that offer genuinely fun opportunities for play, and it does appear to be extremely accurate to the film based on the second trailer. Ultimately, however, it is disappointing as the first Woodland Mansion set – especially for veteran LEGO Minecraft fans.
Ready, set, fight
As much as this initial Woodland Mansion model disappoints as the first-ever depiction of the long-desired location, the main included play feature is surprisingly fun. The premise is to knock the other character off the podium by moving and twisting them around the fighting ring, and a scoring system is included.
It’s unlike anything that LEGO Minecraft has had before, usually consisting of exploding terrain and falling elements. This is a breath of fresh air for LEGO Minecraft, as much as the set feels out of place in the theme with its minifigures. Despite everything going for and against it, 21272 Woodland Mansion Fighting Ring is one of the most enjoyable LEGO Minecraft sets to play with.
Honest opinion: 21272 Woodland Mansion Fighting Ring is the least Minecraft-adjacent model in the theme so far, but it manages to overcome most challenges. It’s just a shame that this is the only representation of the Woodland Mansion so far.
This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.
You can support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO using our affiliate links – thanks.
Comments
Be the first to comment!