Review: 75687 Elphaba's Retreat
Posted by SetToBuild,
Nestled in the forests of Oz is a quaint sanctuary fit for a witch. The setting of the “As Long As You're Mine” song, which describes a blossoming, complex romance, is a mysterious fantastical forest—so it’s no surprise that this set summons up impressions of LEGO Elves.
I’ve enlisted the help of my wife and resident Elves fan, Catherine (CrankyBricks), to explore the LEGO Wicked sets. Over to her after the break…
Summary
75687 Elphaba's Retreat, 228 pieces.
£19.99 / $27.99 / €24.99 | 8.8p / 12.3c / 11.0c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Elves-like whimsy is abundant in this scene
- Detailed scene
- Desirable figures
- Worse value in USD
- No cardigan
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minidolls
Elphaba’s face and hair are common now, but the outfit is unique to this set. However, it’s so similar to the others that only very dedicated fans will appreciate the difference. Either way, I still give it credit for including her all-black iconic look in this low-cost set. She holds the Grimmerie spellbook, which is a frustratingly common piece to have used a sticker throughout the theme.
Fiyero’s second minidoll appearance features the green and gold uniform he wears as Captain of the Gale Force, also known as the Emerald City Guard. This figure would also be helpful to complete the scene in 75688 Glinda's Wedding Day.
Inside this set, there are two rabbits, one innocent-looking and one winking rakishly. A carrot is included for them to share, or maybe to feed Fiyero’s non-existent horse. A lion cub would have been a nice touch to allow another scene with Elphaba and Fiyero in the forest to be acted out.
Completed Model
Chances are that it's just because we went to the panto recently, but this whimsical display really resembles theatrical scenery, much more than other Wicked sets have. The sparse but effective branches leave space to see the actors clearly, and the way the cloud/dust with bar (newly in opal trans-yellow) hangs evokes this concept even further.
Stickered cosy pillows, a tea set, a brick-built chair, and a bottle of Green Elixir are a few of the cute set pieces that decorate the scene. Disappointing exposed moulding marks aside, the fire pit uses quarter-round tiles to give just enough clearance for a small flame.
The table top is attached to a chest, allowing the Grimmerie to be hidden away inside. I really enjoyed seeing how this took shape, with the newer flat-topped chest and curved slopes allowing this cubby hole to be very well concealed.
A single piece of anti-witch propaganda can be seen hanging on the back of the scene, but a more detailed, chaotic evidence board would have been appreciated since it’s an important part of Elphaba and Fiyero’s interaction here. The area with the tea set and additional seating around the fire is very welcome—this set could so easily have been cut across the back of the tree trunks and omitted this detail.
The poppy Fiyero gives to Elphaba is pressed inside this book, which was given to Elphaba by Glinda. Poppies also link back to more symbolism from the first movie.
It is heartening to see more of the 1x1 tile with loop being used outside of the DOTS realm. This is one of only two occurrences of the part in light bluish grey. Surely they will prove to be another great greeble.
Conclusion
At the time of the film’s release, if you had a much higher budget and wanted to immerse yourself fully in this retreat, you could have travelled to Thousand Oaks, California and booked the experience yourself. For the rest of us, this set will have to do!
It’s hard to argue with the value of this £20 set, especially given that all other opportunities to get Fiyero are at least £90, and this is a unique and good-looking figure. I was disappointed that the opportunity was missed to include a new knitted cloth piece for Elphaba’s oversized cardigan in the iconic ‘As Long As You’re Mine’ scene, but I do grant that the minidoll underneath it would need to be wearing lingerie, so can’t really hold that decision against the designer! I wonder if the pair of bunnies was a more subtle reference to what goes on in that scene…
There is plenty of space to play without it feeling empty, and plenty of connection points to reconfigure the ‘set’ yourself or even add extra foliage. I’m glad to see that the lowest-priced set in the theme to date offers us the iconic Elphaba in her classic outfit, and I’d definitely recommend it for budget-conscious fans.
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21 comments on this article
I bought this set for my niece as a Christmas present before the film came out and was howling after seeing the film I bought a set depicting the implied love scene. My sister assured me though "don't worry about it, that scene was as spicy as a bell pepper!" Haha.
@xboxtravis7992 said:
"I bought this set for my niece as a Christmas present before the film came out and was howling after seeing the film I bought a set depicting the implied love scene. My sister assured me though "don't worry about it, that scene was as spicy as a bell pepper!" Haha. "
Bell peppers contain lots of antioxidants and are very good for circulation.
"No cardigan" as a con was exactly what I came here for. Enjoyed the implication of the two bunnies as well!
I haven't seen the movie yet but have seen the show a couple of times. Since the first time I saw an image of this set, I can't help but see the hint of the dragon in the background, the outstretched brown wings and the top earth green leaf as its head. Likely it has nothing to do with the movie or the design of the set, but I find it makes the set more appealing to me.
Read that title as "Elephant Retreat" and thought it was a new Friend set with elephants...
Disappointed when I got in the article. Nothing against your review. Just let down by my misread.
Elves by another name is just as cool. Ok, I tried my best with that joke.
"Worse value in USD"...?
€ 24.99 currently amounts to exactly $ 29, so the USD value is actually better than the Euro value. That's a full dollar more than its suggest retail price. The Brits get the best deal, though.
perect addition for all elves fans :D
The cardigan stays on.
This set looked cute but wasn't really on my radar before watching the movie. However, after witnessing the greatness of the "As Long As You're Mine" sequence, this set has become a must-buy ;)
@Bri3k_b01 said:
"The cardigan stays on."
Why?
Couldn't she be wearing something other than lingerie underneath?
I thought this was a kids movie. Not that I am likely to ever watch it, just wondering why LEGO would choose such a scene as the basis of their set if it's apparently that raunchy.
Man, She-Hulk's seen better days.
Wait, what?
Wow, I’m new to Lego and it sounds like the old Lego Elves sets would be right up my alley. I would love to see Lego dust off this theme and aim it more at adults. I like the Friends, but really like the fantasy aspect of the Lego Elves without it being tied to some licensed product.
I really like the organic angles of this set. As I have a whole house full of Wicked fans, I expect I'll pick this up soon.
First LEGO set for simulating “woohoo”?
@AustinPowers said:
" @Bri3k_b01 said:
"The cardigan stays on."
Why?
Couldn't she be wearing something other than lingerie underneath?
I thought this was a kids movie. Not that I am likely to ever watch it, just wondering why LEGO would choose such a scene as the basis of their set if it's apparently that raunchy. "
Please don't put this image in my head.
I saw "A single piece of anti-witch propaganda..." and immediately thought of 71022-21.
@AustinPowers said:
" @Bri3k_b01 said:
"The cardigan stays on."
Why?
Couldn't she be wearing something other than lingerie underneath?
I thought this was a kids movie. Not that I am likely to ever watch it, just wondering why LEGO would choose such a scene as the basis of their set if it's apparently that raunchy. "
Even from what little information I'd gleaned about it, I never thought that it was a kids' movie. I'm curious why you thought that. Was it just because it got Lego sets?
@AustinPowers said:
"Not that I am likely to ever watch it, just wondering why LEGO would choose such a scene as the basis of their set if it's apparently that raunchy. "
I agree that it was an interesting choice for a set, but the actual scene in question was about as "raunchy" as cleaning the kitchen bench. In a scene that was primarily about two of the characters having sex, there was nothing *remotely* sexual about it. I found the whole thing quite strange. The context was obviously adult, but they sanitised so much that it was just odd.
It's not like they were Canadian hockey players, or anything.
@TheOtherMike said:
"I saw "A single piece of anti-witch propaganda..." and immediately thought of 71022-21 .
@AustinPowers said:
" @Bri3k_b01 said:
"The cardigan stays on."
Why?
Couldn't she be wearing something other than lingerie underneath?
I thought this was a kids movie. Not that I am likely to ever watch it, just wondering why LEGO would choose such a scene as the basis of their set if it's apparently that raunchy. "
Even from what little information I'd gleaned about it, I never thought that it was a kids' movie. I'm curious why you thought that. Was it just because it got Lego sets?"
For a start, yes. Secondly, the Wizard of Oz was a kids' book, wasn't it? And isn't this Wicked thing somehow based on it? The only people I know who are into Wicked are kids or teens, so are assumed that it was aimed at that demographic.
@AustinPowers said: "Secondly, the Wizard of Oz was a kids' book, wasn't it? And isn't this Wicked thing somehow based on it? The only people I know who are into Wicked are kids or teens, so are assumed that it was aimed at that demographic. "
I actually worked in a book shop (for about five minutes) late in 2024 after the first "Wicked" movie came out, so I know how to answer this question.
The movie "Wicked" is based on a theater production, which is based on Maguire's "Wicked" series of books, which are based on the original Wizard of Oz movie, which was based on Baum's original series.
The movie and theatre productions are, as far as I know, oriented towards all-ages. Kids can enjoy them, no problem.
Maguire's "Wicked" books are certainly *not*, containing a lot of very dark, adult content.
@Zordboy said:
" @AustinPowers said: "Secondly, the Wizard of Oz was a kids' book, wasn't it? And isn't this Wicked thing somehow based on it? The only people I know who are into Wicked are kids or teens, so are assumed that it was aimed at that demographic. "
I actually worked in a book shop (for about five minutes) late in 2024 after the first "Wicked" movie came out, so I know how to answer this question.
The movie "Wicked" is based on a theater production, which is based on Maguire's "Wicked" series of books, which are based on the original Wizard of Oz movie, which was based on Baum's original series.
The movie and theatre productions are, as far as I know, oriented towards all-ages. Kids can enjoy them, no problem.
Maguire's "Wicked" books are certainly *not*, containing a lot of very dark, adult content. "
I thought the sets were based on the movie (didn't even know there was also a theatre production), and that movie is rated 6 years and up. That, combined with my assumption that it was somehow based on the Wizard of Oz, a kids' book, made me draw the conclusion that it was basically a kids' movie.