Review: 43179 Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse
Posted by CapnRex101,Numerous enjoyable characters populate Disney animations, notably including Mickey and Minnie Mouse. These icons remain exceptionally famous and have appeared in countless stories following their introduction during Steamboat Willie which enjoys continued renown.
43179 Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse is based primarily upon their traditional appearances, although some modern influences are present. The resultant models appear remarkably detailed and convey fantastic personality. However, these designs have certainly not proven universally popular because of their distinctive style.
Box and Contents
The packaging for 18+ sets is reasonably consistent, although its effectiveness depends upon each model in my opinion. This example looks brilliant, due in particular to the red stripe along the bottom and the traditional styling which seems appropriate for these classic characters. An animated design may have proven even more appealing but I think this is quite successful.
Fourteen bags, numbered between one and nine, are found inside while another bag contains the larger parts. Separate instruction manuals are supplied for each figure, allowing two people to construct them simultaneously which is welcome. The manual for Minnie and the accessories is slightly longer than the manual for Mickey, comprising 124 pages and 112 pages respectively.
Information about Mickey and Minnie Mouse is included alongside some brief comments from the set designer, Ollie Gregory. Unfortunately, the depth of these interviews has been reduced considerably for recent products, although Ollie's reference to the difficult weight distribution is interesting because both characters do feature relatively slender limbs.
Printed pieces have appeared extensively throughout the 18+ series and that trend continues here as many printed elements are included. However, four stickers are necessary to decorate the photo album. These are easy to apply so do not detract from my enjoyment of the set, even though printing would certainly have been preferable.
Construction
Both characters stand on decorative filmstrip bases which are assembled around 6x8 Technic frames. The resulting structure feels absolutely rigid and incorporates numerous bright colours. Fortunately, these elements are concealed when construction is complete so the distribution of uncommon elements, such as orange 2x2 plates with studs on the side, is appealing.
Mickey's feet are connected securely to the base and ingeniously incorporate 2x4 windscreen elements, forming the heels. Additionally, a brand new curved tube has been designed for this set and two such pieces comprise the right leg. They are joined using Technic axles and could prove useful in various situations, matching the diameter of standard 2x2 round bricks.
Despite appearing fragile, the clipped connection between the torso and legs feels relatively secure and I appreciate the intricate shaping around these attachment points. Hinged panels and different curved slopes are employed to magnificent effect here, including the 4x4 curved corner bricks that were originally designed for 75253 Droid Commander.
Similar construction techniques continue across the torso and head, where combinations of slopes are situated around brackets and bricks with studs on the side. Once again, elements used inside are extremely colourful but these are properly concealed and I think they improve the building experience, particularly since several of these pieces have appeared in few earlier sets.
Curved panels are attached in multiple directions around the head, creating an organic shape which corresponds with the animated character. Combining these sections is enjoyable as the panels are neatly integrated and connecting the 8x4 half dish that forms the eyes is especially satisfying because the black and white colours line up perfectly.
Assembling the second figure definitely feels familiar in certain respects, although not quite to the extent that I anticipated. Minnie's base, for instance, includes different building techniques because her feet vary when compared with Mickey. The internal colour scheme is also unique, featuring bright light yellow and varied pink shades rather than orange and teal.
Technic axles run through Minnie's legs and into the base, ensuring impressive strength. The connection between the legs and torso feels equally robust as Technic pins and ball joints are employed to good effect here. While their legs differ substantially, Minnie's torso is reminiscent of Mickey's, albeit with continued colour variation.
Minnie's shoes are particularly distinctive though. They are constructed in two phases as the structural heels are attached first, before curved panels sections are placed on top. The latter components provide no support but look great. Furthermore, I was pleasantly surprised by the robust design of Minnie's skirt which is almost completely hollow!
Conversely, the torso and head are absolutely packed with bricks and brackets. These figures are therefore surprisingly heavy and include some wonderful examples of curved slopes being combined to generate smooth shapes. The gloved hands appear similarly organic, making use of further curved slopes and achieving an attractive result.
Minnie's head appears reasonably similar to Mickey's, exhibiting familiar building techniques. Nevertheless, they are sufficiently varied to ensure consistent enjoyment and unique sections are present, including the mouths that are designed around different wheel arches. In addition, the red hat cleverly integrates a 4x4 wheel element that was introduced with 75551 Brick-built Minions and their Lair.
The accessories occupy the final stage of assembly. Despite their comparatively modest size, these incorporate some interesting construction techniques. The camera is particularly fun as new 2x2 curved corner slopes are located at each corner, precisely matching the existing 2x1 curved arch brick. Hopefully this component will become available in more colours soon.
The Completed Model
Mickey Mouse stands 35cm in height and looks excellent. His jaunty pose and bright colour scheme are exceptionally effective, incorporating numerous recognisable features which are inspired by Mickey's early appearances in colour animation between 1936 and 1941. His pale skin tone and white gloves are distinctly representative of that brief period.
Both models are displayed on bases which are designed to resemble filmstrip. The resultant structure looks great, featuring a white band across the centre with darker perforations along either edge. These feature the new trans-opalescent brown colour that was mentioned when this set was announced, although the shade seems considerably closer to blue when placed against black pieces.
Additionally, white would have been the most realistic colour to represent the perforated edges of filmstrip. However, I do like these subtle highlights and look forward to seeing how the colour might be used in future sets. Mickey's signature decorates the base too, corresponding with the signature which appears prominently throughout Disneyland parks.
Recreating the simple curvature of Mickey's shoes must have been challenging but I think this design looks reasonably accurate. The bulbous toes are undoubtedly effective and I love how the right foot is angled, giving the impression of movement. Moreover, the spindly legs closely resemble the original animated character and slot nicely into red barrel pieces that form shorts.
The shaping of these shorts appears somewhat exaggerated when compared with the source material. However, the designer has definitely captured Mickey's rotund proportions and I love the white buttons which are placed on the front. Viewing the reference animations reveals that identical buttons should also appear on the reverse but those have been omitted.
While his shorts exhibit certain inaccuracies, Mickey's gloves look nice. I like the pronounced cuffs and the black streaks which decorate each glove, along with the articulated thumbs. The fingers are fixed in position but their shape looks great and the arms also appear authentic, capturing the rubbery aesthetic that is famously associated with classic Disney animation!
Mickey Mouse appeared with his cigar box guitar in several early animations and that classic instrument is accordingly included. The model appears suitably basic, featuring a single string with a circular sound hole underneath. A bracket on the neck enables Mickey to hold the guitar, although he cannot be displayed as though playing the instrument which is disappointing.
Viewing the figure from behind reveals Mickey's narrow tail. This features some articulation and its proportions are appropriate when compared with the source material. Additionally, I think the shape of the body looks good as different slopes replicate its tapering design. The varied textures on those slopes are slightly odd, although that could not have been avoided.
The head is mounted at an angle and continues to exhibit impressive accuracy. The shape of the mouth looks excellent, featuring a red tongue inside, while the nose is ingeniously formed using a black helmet from Classic Space. Hopefully the accompanying torso will be produced shortly to complement this component. The curvature of the snout also looks lovely, including another 2x4 windscreen element.
While the majority of the head is constructed from relatively small slopes, Mickey's enormous eyes are printed on a large 8x4 half dish piece. Their simple design has been replicated nicely and I appreciate the dual-moulded band around the eyes, thereby avoiding issues with printing light colours onto darker shades which have affected previous sets.
However, the ears are probably my least favourite aspect of this whole set because they look too large in relation to the head. Mickey's ears do vary in size, particularly during early Disney animations, but this design is inaccurate. Even so, improving them might be difficult because I think 6x6 round ears, comprising two 3x6 half circle plates, would be too small.
Minnie Mouse corresponds perfectly with Mickey, measuring 36cm in height. The shaping and colour scheme appear accordingly impressive, although I think Minnie's pose lacks dynamism when compared with her animated partner. Moreover, the figure is not centred on her base so displaying Minnie beside Mickey is sometimes awkward, depending on their arm positions.
The filmstrip base appears outwardly similar to Mickey's display stand, featuring more trans-opalescent brown elements along the edges and Minnie's cursive signature. The shoes have been integrated quite tidily with the base, although the white brick beneath Minnie's left foot is unsightly. Presumably this was required to stabilise the figure but it could be modified easily, if you wish.
Minnie's distinctive yellow shoes look wonderful, faithfully capturing their onscreen shape and featuring suitable colours. Modern depictions of this character feature red bows on both shoes but they were not present during the 1930s, hence their absence here. Minnie's white bloomers are visible beneath her skirt though, featuring 2x2 parabolic rings that create realistic texture.
Several 4x3 curved wedge slopes and 8x5x2 windscreens constitute Minnie's famous skirt, featuring white polka dots. The ruffled texture looks marvellous and the spots are accurately distributed around the skirt. Unfortunately, printing white spots on red plastic generates a pink shade which is disappointing, although this does not significantly detract from the model in my view.
There are some subtle differences between Minnie's body and Mickey's, due primarily to their varied clothing. Their arms and gloves are identical though, featuring articulated thumbs along with rotating wrists. The arms offer no articulation but they are attached using Technic axles so you can change their orientation to produce unique poses.
Minnie carries some flowers which are simply arranged in white wrapping. Their cartoonish design is exceptionally effective, making good use of the flower element that was created for Unikitty. Moreover, I like the black carrot top component which is situated below the wrapping, especially since that piece has only appeared in three previous sets.
Both figures incorporate wheel arches, connected upside down, that form their mouths. That similarity seems appropriate given the shared onscreen design features between Mickey and Minnie Mouse, although different wheel arches have been selected for each figure. The facial expressions differ accordingly and Minnie features printed eyelashes too, contrasting with her male counterpart.
Curved slopes form an attractive shape across the reverse of the head, featuring few visible studs. In fact, both figures consist almost entirely of smooth surfaces which is interesting as I think exposed studs are sometimes beneficial. However, the smooth exterior seems relatively effective in this occasion, due primarily to the organic animation of these characters onscreen.
Once again, I think Minnie's ears seem too large when compared with the onscreen character, although her red hat disguises that issue to some degree. This decorative detail is attached at an angle and features another flower, matching those in her bouquet. Minnie's most prominent design from the 1930s generally featured a red flower but I think the white and yellow design is a successful alternative.
Several accessories accompany the figures, including an elegant camera which presumably originates from the same period as Mickey and Minnie. The model measures 23cm in height when positioned on the tripod and looks magnificent. I love the reddish brown colour scheme and the tripod appears very realistic, featuring suitably slender supports.
The new 2x2 curved corner slopes are extremely effective, faithfully replicating the shape of certain cameras that were available during the 1930s. The enormous flash looks brilliant too, although this camera lacks the bellows that are typically associated with equipment from this period. I think that would have been a welcome addition to this model.
Unfortunately, the camera seems surprisingly bland when viewed from behind. I like the black viewfinder but the light bluish grey 2x4 tile underneath appears out of place. Introducing some textured detail would have improved this section of the model, perhaps through the addition of an opening panel to access the photographic film in preparation for development!
Photos are placed in an attractive photo album that features Mickey and Minnie on the cover. The golden 1x1 heart tiles which form the corner protectors look superb and I like the reddish brown fastener too, although that does not actually fasten the cover. Furthermore, I think dark blue elements would have improved the spine as the white hinges seem out of place.
The hinges appear similarly awkward when the album is open. However, the pearl gold pins which secure those hinges are beautifully integrated and the photographs look excellent. One features Mickey serenading Minnie and the other shows the characters together at Disneyland, standing outside Sleeping Beauty's Castle. These accessories were unnecessary in my opinion but they are quite adorable!
Overall
43179 Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse represents an appealing celebration of Walt Disney animation, faithfully recreating two classic characters. These models look splendid on display together and include outstanding detail, including some interesting construction techniques to achieve the utmost accuracy. The bright colours are particularly important as well.
However, the price of £169.99 or $179.99 does feel expensive, despite the substantial size of these two figures. I think omitting the superfluous accessories and therefore reducing the cost would have dramatically broadened interest in this set, potentially reaching many more Disney fans who might appreciate these spectacular display models.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
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66 comments on this article
On the article about the release of this set, Lego mentioned a new color: 363 – TR. Brown with Opalesence. What's the difference between this new color and the old 111 - TR. Brown? I don't see any difference, based from the photos.
Great review! This is a really solid set that looks great, but I do agree that the price is a bit much for what you get. The fact that they are standing on filmstrips is just the icing on the cake :)
They seem a bit big!
My eyes...!
...they're MELTING!
@lynels - The trans-brown with opalescence pieces are on the display bases, although the colour appears nearer to blue because of the black parts underneath. The camera lens, for example, is the standard trans-brown colour.
@CapnRex101 Oh, true. Missed this part of the article. Indeed, it is much more closer to blue than brown.
Regarding the camera; that particular format wouldn’t have a rear access panel/cover, like on a traditional 35 film body.
It’s a large format camera and would have exposed the image on a 4x5 film sheet or larger, which would then be slid into the side of the camera in a blacked-out frame, or inserted into an aperture roughly the size of the grey brick on the said model :-)
While they're good representative models, the characters just don't appeal to me. I might have been intereseted in a 'Fantasia' Mickey, but I see these as kind of outdated.
Even after this very great detailed review, I still find it one of Lego's ugliest "Expert" line sets from recent years. They look freaky and disturbing. The price is just the icing on the cake.
I like most of the build and proportions but I can't get past the nose and upper lip/teeth. They just don't look right to me.
It's clearly had a lot of thought put into it, but it also seems kind of expensive for what you get.
These still look creepy AF to me. They're too tall and thin. Like a Tim Burton version of what Mickey and Minnie would look, but in colour. The "floating ears" also doesn't help.
And for 180€ WITH STICKERS this is a no-deal for me.
I have the feeling the ridiculous price tag is basically paying for the copyright to the Mickey and Minnie signatures.
I feel their ears should be slightly inset, but otherwise it's pretty good
This set is not for me, but I can't complain about anything that brings new/rare elements to the market!
Great review, CapnRex101!
It's worth noting that the characters seem to be an amalgamation of Mickey and Minnie's "classic" appearances with the more recent Mickey shorts. In this Disney fan's opinion, the result looks absolutely fantastic! A Day 1 purchase for sure.
This set is wrong on so many levels, the major one being that one of the most iconic and friendly cartoon figures ever shouldn't be freaking people out. The price just adds insult to injury.
£170 - a fair price to pay to give yourself, and your kids, nightmares for the next ten years? Creeeeeepy.....
Thanks for the detailed review! Any chance you could post a photo of what the noses look like from above? I'm curious how the helmet visor (or lack thereof, rather) impacts the overall look - you JUST can't see it in any of the photos.
I’m not a huge Mickey Mouse/Minnie Mouse fan (I prefer the Warner siblings), but these look great!!!
Still not a fan of Mickey and the set as such for that matter. Would love to check out the new parts/ parts variants, though, but otherwise it just looks pretty wonky and would be very low on any buying list.
I can really admire the work and creativity that went into this set, as well as the number of new elements. I think it's PROBABLY about as good looking as you could make these characters out of Lego.
But I echo the sentiment of others that they look too "off" to be very appealing. The oversized ears in particular really detract from the set for me. The faces and giant hands are definitely more "creepy," but the ear size is one thing that you CAN'T get wrong with these characters. They will always look wrong if the ears are too big or too small.
Just doesn't seem like a concept well suited for Lego. I applaud them for trying, but feel they probably could have done something else.
@Watsonite, I don’t know why people are so freaked out about it. But that’s AFOL’s for you.
They still look horrifying, with their buck teeth, strap-on false noses and their cold, dead eyes, as their claws reach out to grab your soul - aargh!!!
Honestly this is a beautifully designed set - the film strip base with signatures, the new pieces for Mickey/Minnie's limbs, Minnie's skirt...
But their faces. Their faces look like movie Sonic before they fixed him.
Should have made a smaller scale than this and make it under $100. It's just too expensive and limited appeal.
I don't really see the ears as too big? Ok, maybe they are, but they don't seem to bother me.
The MOUTHS, though... THOSE look horrifying.
Otherwise looks really good, but it's a huge blemish on the models.
@CapnRex101
Do you think you could show us the piece with the new color on it's own? It just looks trans-blue as it is right now.
Good review, but the set..... No, just no.
I still think it would have been nice if the models were available separately and a bit cheaper that way would make these more appealing. If you buy one and love it, then you could go ahead and get the second one. If you get one and like it just okay, then you could just go for the character you like the most.
I think the faces look grotesque. No way I would buy this set.
This set should have been called "The Creepy Mice from Hell".
Honestly, this set would freak me out like Chucky if it stood in my house. Stuff that nightmares are made of. One of the easiest passes ever.
i'm still on the fence about this one, but now leaning more towards "buy." the facial weirdness isn't as noticeable from a distance. the price is a bit much, though. on sale perhaps, or with points, yeah certainly.
The ears look like Oreos
And at $AUD280, No.
All these negative comments are great! Means I’ll actually have a chance to purchase it and it won’t sell out in 5 seconds like every other new release set lately.
Interesting with the dual moulded half dish pieces. I guess they didn't really have an option as white print on black would have looked too bad, but still. Great review!
Like Mecha-Godzilla, it's Mecha-Mickey and Mecha-Minnie here to terrorize the Lego Town! Run for your lives!
(and even though we are Disney Fans, with annual passes to the Theme Park, it is unlikely we will purchase this set. It's kinda hideous.)
@chrisaw said:
"All these negative comments are great! Means I’ll actually have a chance to purchase it and it won’t sell out in 5 seconds like every other new release set lately."
Don't count on it.
Even though the majority here might not like the set there are enough people around the world who are Disney-holics with more money than taste...
;-)
Why are people calling them creepy? Or nightmarish? They look absolutely fine. I don't get that criticism or impression at all. I actually expected them to look WORSE before the reveal, like all studdy similar to the BB-8 and Yoda sets.
I think they look phenomenal. I'd buy them if i had the space for them, but they are a tad pricey despite the almost-good PPP ratio.
There was a comment made during the reveal that the builds of the insides of the bodies reflected / were nods to previous outfits they wore? I don't see that at all.. don't know what that person was thinking lol
Other than that, I think they're cool, lots of neat recolors and well designed. Props to the team behind it.
I'd love to see someone make some awesome alternate build out of this set, would be interesting to see what people come up with.
It's the disjointed cheeks and mouth that are so freaky to me. Someone pointed out it looks like they have cellophane wrapped around their faces and now I can't unsee it. I'm eager to get ahold of this set just to see if I can somehow modify it to smooth out those lines a bit (and for that awesome camera). We all know LEGO is a tricky medium to work with, and sometimes the blockiness just doesn't work well. So many of the sculptural models fail to hit the mark.
While the set is not for me, I don't get the complaints about the price. £169.99 for 1739 parts (and not many 1x1 studs etc.) at 9.8p per part *and* including "Disney tax" seems pretty good value to me.
The complaints about the looks are, of course, entirely subjective but, if I was a big Disney fan, I'd definitely be thinking about buying this set. I think it looks very well executed overall.
(I'm more of a Tom & Jerry fan, personally! ;-) )
I have also noticed the significant reduction of introduction/interviews/information about the LEGO sets before the assembly instructions on the booklet. Just take Architecture for easy comparison, in the NA version, only one language was shown on every page so you could get long paragraphs describing the city and the buildings. Now to reduce the cost, they put the three languages on the same page, reducing the text at least by two-thirds.
I just hope that one day they would stop this black box marketing lunacy. The black box certainly is not a one-can-fit-all style. It really loses the appeal of LEGO. I used to expect the box arts for Ideas set, as it captures the essence and soul of the LEGO models very accurately. Now that I realise there will be no more hard work done on the box arts once the sets are categorized as "18+". Disappointing.
As long as the box still has the eye-catching red LEGO logo, anyone in the world still knows that this is "a toy". And for an AFOL or any newcomer, building LEGO is something he/she should be proud of and enjoy, instead. Or else why would people buy LEGO in the first place? Don't know where the logic of the marketing team is.
It would've been nice if the 2 were sold seperately, so you don't have to get both of them
I logged in to comment that the advertisements on this page have become unbearable, especially when reading an article like this - and when they're disgusting, like the one about bad breath... Only to find they disappear to those of us with an account. Good for us, but not for others...
I think they look excellent, a perfect blend of accuracy and still being obviously built from Lego. And I love the 18+ packaging, understated and sophisticated.
A day 1 purchase along with the Crocodile Locomotive if there's any worthwhile gwp.
It's Disney and it's Lego, just take my money already. :-) Can't wait to pre-order it next week!
not gonna lie these faceless pictures look haunting. like an animatronic without cover.
Best part is the camera.
Totally unneccesary imho, we just had 10897 and 10898 a year ago.
It does not look like the old cartoons and it does not look like the modern versions but somewhere in between. They have great brick built bodies but the heads just don't look very good. That half dish for eyes kills the design. I prefer the custom Mickey by Buildbetterbricks which is smaller and looks way better.
Is it me or do they look a little creepy? I think Annie captured the essence of Marvin the Martian more cleanly - https://www.flickr.com/photos/30773345 @N08/3714763108/in/photostream
Topless Minnie! Yay!
Well.. I guess I'll pass on that set. Too creepy looking to display them in my eyes.
Excellent review! Although I have no real desire for a Mickey / Minnie display, I very much appreciate the character building styles and am intrigued by the selection of useful pieces. Little pricey just for a parts pack, but I appreciate the detailed look into it here!
Not sure what it is, but these models look “off” or at the very least just creepy.
I wonder who is this set is for? It does not look good enough for display, but obviously not for play.
Ok, I know it is trendy to lament, but these kind of sets make me really feel that Lego somehow lost its character. Zillions of similar Star Wars sets and boring ultimate collectors of the same airships. There were some original themes, like Elves, they killed it after two years. Lego City? Yet another police/fire station every year. Friends is reasonably detailed and fresh still, and obvious that the designers try to put some thought into the sets. Ideas have some really good sets (Barracuda Island, Treehouse), but the ideas come from the community...
Sorry for the complaining post but I'm an old AFOL needing something really unique or at least not licensed crap for extreme prices.
I had to do a quick search for creepy and sure enough, I wasn't the only one that thinks there's something creepy about them.
They're cleverly designed and constructed, but definitely creepy somehow.
It might just depend on the viewing angle, but I'm guessing it's due to the limitations of LEGOs which made the dimensions of the different parts be 'off'. The ears are bit too big, the face a bit too flat and Minnie's legs are a bit strange.
And her hat is a bit small which makes the ears look even weirder.
Those are just some of my thoughts though.
@elangab said:
"Even after this very great detailed review, I still find it one of Lego's ugliest "Expert" line sets from recent years. They look freaky and disturbing. The price is just the icing on the cake."
I couldn't have said it better.
A+ for the review, though. Thank you, sir.
I am fully aware that I could not MOC anything as good at this scale, but my viewpoint echoes many of the comments here - they really struggle to convince because of the limitations of the bricks available , not the skill of the designer.
If you are a total mouse head I can see them having a place in your collection because “art toys” are a thing, but even from that stance the Brickheads were far more successful because it embraces those limits rather than fighting them. Don’t get me wrong I’m no great fan of brick heads, but I love those versions of Mickey and Minnie.
@elangab said:
"I still find it one of Lego's ugliest "Expert" line sets from recent years. They look freaky and disturbing. The price is just the icing on the cake."
This is what a review for this set should be! :)))
Ah yes, Mickey smoked a pack to make a guitar :)
@Mechalex said:
"I'm just echoing the comments of lots of other posters but these are easily the ugliest objects I've ever seen under the Lego banner. They look like a manifestation of childhood trauma filtered through decades of suppressed emotion and made monstrously manifest to slash you to death with the sharp corners of their savagely angular noses. I will never stop crying."
Um, wow. Are you OK, buddy?
^^ What an overreaction, good god.
@CapnRex101 Just FYI - those 4x4 curved corner bricks were actually made for Prince of Persia back in 2010, not droid commander :-) note them used in the dome on the Battle of Alamut:
https://brickset.com/sets/7573-1/Battle-of-Alamut
Good review, but they are creepy: those faces and the hands. I find them too weird.
@Aidypie said:
" @CapnRex101 Just FYI - those 4x4 curved corner bricks were actually made for Prince of Persia back in 2010, not droid commander :-) note them used in the dome on the Battle of Alamut:
https://brickset.com/sets/7573-1/Battle-of-Alamut"
Those are 3x3.
My girlfriend would love these but the price is INSANE. £69.99 would have tempted me. An extra £100! Just crazy.
Also, I don't understand Minnie's shoes. My eyes/brain cannot comprehend them. Maybe just me though.
I find this set very creepy.