Review: 71053 Shrek Collectable Minifigures
Posted by Huw,
Collectable Minifigures have encompassed many different licenced properties during the last fifteen years, but DreamWorks characters have remained conspicuously absent until now.
That changes with 71053 Shrek Collectable Minifigures, which follows the release of 72423 Shrek, Donkey & Puss in Boots a couple of months ago, and celebrates the 25th anniversary of the original film with more than twelve characters from the first three films.
Summary
71053 LEGO Minifigures - Shrek Series - Complete, 83 pieces.
A delightful selection of characters from the beloved films, although some are a bit uncanny
- Includes all the major characters
- Some single-piece head/hairpieces
- No human Fiona
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
The first thing that becomes obvious when looking at them is that many have eschewed the usual minifigure head in favour of a specialised mould, some of which also incorporate the character's headgear. This is nothing new, of course. The Simpsons, Muppets and Disney series, for example, also did the same. Nevertheless, there are probably some who would have preferred a more traditional approach, although I am not among them.
Shrek
The large head captures the titular character's unmistakable silhouette fairly successfully, although there's something a bit uncanny about it which I can't quite pinpoint.
He's attired in his familiar cream-coloured tunic, brown waistcoat and tights with a chequer pattern on them.
He's carrying a book of fairy tales and another tile with a dragon print.
Fiona
Fiona's dressed in the dark green medieval gown in which she is often depicted. Its fine printing looks lovely but, like Shrek, her head does not quite hit the mark. Maybe it's simply because it's so much bigger than a regular head and has a nose!
She has no accessories because she's accompanied in the box by Donkey.
Donkey
It's perhaps surprising that such a major character is not packaged separately, but I guess he doesn't qualify as a 'minifigure' as such. So, instead, he comes with Fiona.
The head and body are separate pieces, joined with a standard 3.18mm bar connection, which thus allows it to be rotated. The head is dual-moulded grey and black; the white details are printed.
Puss in Boots
A minifigure representation of Puss in Boots also appears in 72423 Shrek, Donkey & Puss in Boots, but this one is completely different. It has short legs, and different torso and face prints.
He's carrying a sack and I did initially think it would have been more appropriate for him to be armed with a rapier, but the one in the other set is doing so.
Three Blind Mice
The three mice come as accessories with Puss in Boots, Pinocchio and the Big Bad Wolf, so you'll need to acquire all three figures to get a full set.
They are identical, though, leaning on sticks and with tails curled up their backs, which is perhaps a shame.
Thelonious
Rather than write a lot of largely superfluous descriptions of the remaining characters, I'll just let the pictures do the talking...
Gingy
Dragon
Merlin
Pinocchio
Big Bad Wolf
Lord Faarquaad
Fairy Godmother
Prince Charming
Verdict
Shrek is one of the most beloved animated films of all time, and certainly one of my favourites. I think this series largely does the characters justice, although there is something a bit uncanny about Shrek and Fiona that's hard to pinpoint. The highlight for me is Puss in Boots, who looks so cute in minifigure form!
Given the dragon's size in the film, it's a bit odd that it's been included here as a minifigure, although it'll most likely be a popular one given how generic it is. Perhaps a human Fiona would have been a better choice, though.
Nevertheless, this is, in my opinion, one of the best licenced minifigure series, and I'm sure it will be very popular.
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82 comments on this article
Anyone else think Merlin looks like Harry Potter with a beard? :)
So that's why Shrek looks so bad. They gave him a square neck and the head just leans forward like that frog meme.
1 Farquaad and a couple prince Charmings for the Castle fans please…
The problem with Shreks head to me is the boxy nature of the neck and the way the rounded head rolls out. Looking at how they did Fiona’s head, looks a lot more natural.
Prince Charming is incredible and will be part of any castle lover collection.
@ecleme11 said:
"Anyone else think Merlin looks like Harry Potter with a beard? :) "
yep.
I try to get no more than 3 minifigures from a single series, so I’ll be buying Thelonious, Merlin and the Big Bad Wolf. Even though he’s only in the third film, that leg printing on Merlin is too good to pass up on…
This is one of the ones where I think the parts are better than the minifigures. There's a lot of use for the torsos and legs (aside from Fiona's torso with the green skin), and a smattering of the accessories. It's just not a good Shrek wave.
That black mask is interesting. If any of these parts make into the BDP Palette should allow some interesting creative options!
I will be hated for this... but as someone who bought a few when it was series 1, I feel like the over-detailing of CMF figures clashes with a lot of other themes, unless you're going for a cyberpunk everything-goes city layout, these figures only feel cohesive next to each other (again because lego saw "hey you like that thing, so we made a thing of that thing, so buy our thing")
This is a different discussion, but CMF as a concept feels outside the LEGO system, it's just one very detailed figure that you can play with, no larger setting, vehicle, or LEGO bricks to interact with. I feel LEGO is at it's best when there's a setting portrayed and the figures are there to compliment that system. Just super-detailed figures with zero system feels like feeding your kids candy without the nutritious meal.
I recognize the robust nature of the small affordable thing you can buy for you or your kids, and appreciate the niche CMF occupies, it's just the more i buy, the more i realize this is just a one-off that doesn't integrate with what I have.
commence angry comments, I can take it.
Looks okay. I'm not a Shrek fan, so I'm probably the wrong person to ask.
If we ever get any more DreamWorks CMF series, I'd love an HTTYD one; I'd buy every figure from it, lol. I feel like it'd be pretty easy to fill up a 12-figure set for it.
@Huw said:
"The Simpsons, Muppets and Disney series, for example, also did the same."
The difference being of course, that those series did this *well*.
What I like the most about CMFs are their accessories and in this series those are laaaacking. I think Lord Farquad looks the best and I will be getting him, Merlin and Prince. All 3 will work very well for castle mocs. I just wish they would have better accessories...
It’s weird to see Shrek smiling when he’s known for being a grump - perhaps that’s also contributing to the awkwardness of his figure.
Shrek would have benefitted from a stronger chin, a closed smile or, better yet, smirk, and some expression in the eyebrows.
I've just figured out what this Shrek reminds me of - Binky from Arthur! I think it's the mouth.
1) There really is something uncanny about Shrek's face and seeing the back of his head makes him look like the "stonks" meme.
2) They were a bit cheap with the details on Lord Farquaad's hat. It looks a bit plain.
3) I can't help but see Jaime Lannister when I look at the Prince Charming minifig.
It would have been nice if Lego did another printing of series 29. Haven't been able to find it hardly anywhere...
The oddest one here for me is Merlin in terms of cohesiveness. Just not a memorable character or movie in the Shrek canon, and I feel like there’s other more notable characters that could’ve taken this slot.
No shade on the inimitable @Huw , but I do enjoy the "largely superfluous descriptions of the remaining characters." Slightly disappointed that the article is mostly just a photo gallery of the figures. I read reviews to hear the author's detailed thoughts on the subject matter, not merely to see the subject matter photographed.
Maybe it's just me.
@GotMeBrickedUp said:
"The oddest one here for me is Merlin in terms of cohesiveness. Just not a memorable character or movie in the Shrek canon, and I feel like there’s other more notable characters that could’ve taken this slot. "
Totally agree with that. If they needed to drop someone for human Fiona, he is a great candidate. I even would have been happy with Fiona's mother and a small frog accessory over Merlin.
But I am sure others will like his printing
By far the worst looking licensed CMF we've received (this far).
Really disappointed by this series.
Shrek and Fiona are terrible - this looks like the work of a cheap unlicensed clone maker.
Donkey and the cat are also pretty bad.
The dragon in minifigure form doesn't reflect the character - which is a dragon the size of a house, not some kind of draconid-humanoid.
And there are some minor (or completely forgotten) characters, which could have been left out for more important ones.
Ironically, the best figures in this set are the bad guys....
@DragonLord56 said:
"No shade on the inimitable @Huw , but I do enjoy the "largely superfluous descriptions of the remaining characters." Slightly disappointed that the article is mostly just a photo gallery of the figures. I read reviews to hear the author's detailed thoughts on the subject matter, not merely to see the subject matter photographed.
Maybe it's just me."
I agree. I can get photos anywhere, I can just look at the product images, even, but opinions from someone who has been hands on and seen them close up are valuable. It doesn’t have to be a whole essay but a sentence or two per minifig would be excellent. I consider Huw and Huw’s unique perspective as the selling point for this article, basically, not the photos.
@biffuz said:
"The dragon in minifigure form doesn't reflect the character - which is a dragon the size of a house, not some kind of draconid-humanoid.
"
Agreed. The dragon should be big enough to eat everyone in this lineup.
@Huw said:
"Given the dragon's size in the film, it's a bit odd that it's been included here as a minifigure, although it'll most likely be a popular one given how generic it is. Perhaps a human Fiona would have been a better choice, though."
The CMF line has done a really good job of hitting 1:1 gender parity for years now, with the exception of certain licensed IP. Some, like Disney, HP, and TLBM, have such a wealth of characters that it’s no problem to stick to that ratio. Others, like Looney Tunes and Muppets, have been heavily weighted in favor of male characters simply because the options lean heavily in that direction.
Shrek is just such an IP. All of the core group of protagonists are male except Fiona and Dragon. Most of the ancillary characters are as well. And just by the actual minifigs, the best they were able to achieve was a 3:1 ratio. This gets even worse if you add in the accessory characters, pushing it past a 4:1 ratio. I think TLBM might be the only two series where one character has appeared more than once in a single release, but a better option would have been to drop one of the more obscure male characters and just add a human Fiona in alongside her ogre version. That alone would have shifted the ratio to 2:1, which still isn’t great, but would be a lot better than the 5:1 we got with Looney Tunes and Muppets.
Prince Charming or Jamie Lannister?
I'll probably pick up Shrek and Fiona/Donkey, but overall these figures don't really live up to the potential the license has IMO.
Farquad also quite an odd one.
The hat is way too big
Skin colour is off
Face print not accurate enough
Nice collection. Merlin is the best one IMO. Intricate and detailed, nice colors, I like it a lot .
To me Shrek himself is easlly the worst of the bunch. Jang compared him with the Stonks guy meme, and now it's impossible to unsee that. Fiona is a close second, but I guess the hair does camouflage the issues a bit.
The other ones.....pretty good! And I even quite like Dragon. But dare I say Thelonious is my favorite of the bunch? Some weird choices though, like not ging Puss a rapier or relegating Donkey to be a side character. And why no Dronkeys?
So 1/3 of a review. Got it.
I'm not enamored with this series but I suspect we'll pick up a number of these. I'm not even sure I've seen Series 29 yet in person.
@DragonLord56 and @Hiratha, thank you for your kind words. I'm never really sure whether people bother to read what we write or just skim through looking at the pictures and jumping to the conclusion. So, it's heartening to know that our efforts are appreciated.
As far as this review goes, I only received the figures on Monday afternoon and, well, the weather has been too nice to sit indoors writing about LEGO since: instead I've been cycling and out on my newly acquired kayak enjoying the sunshine. I wanted to get a review out on the embargo time, so did what I could.
Please accept my apologies, I'll do better next time :-)
I thought I wanted these figs, but seeing them "up close" here really shows me that I can skip it almost entirely. I might grab Merlin, Lord Farquaad and maybe a bunch of prince charming to use on my Castle sets.
Oh and maybe the Fairy Godmother, to make more ladies.
But not even sure I will bother specially since they are all "skin" toned and won't match the other figs.
I'm not sure if I'll pick up any of these. Thelonius and Charming interest me for parts, but I'm not sure I really want to pay full price for a couple of pieces, especially since Charming didn't get side leg printing. I might pick up Puss in Boots, but I prefer his set version. I was disappointed they didn't include his cape or have a hat that separates(the uses for that hat...), but I think they may have skipped due to his tail. All in all, a mid series. I would immediately picked up Shrek if they used a Dumbledore sized mold. Also Fiona definitely should have come with the book and Shrek with Donkey, but I suppose they would lose some purchasers that way.
@Huw said:
" @DragonLord56 and @Hiratha, thank you for your kind words. I'm never really sure whether people bother to read what we write or just skim through looking at the pictures and jumping to the conclusion. So, it's heartening to know that our efforts are appreciated.
As far as this review goes, I only received the figures on Monday afternoon and, well, the weather has been too nice to sit indoors writing about LEGO since: instead I've been cycling and out on my newly acquired kayak enjoying the sunshine. I wanted to get a review out on the embargo time, so did what I could.
Please accept my apologies, I'll do better next time :-)"
No worries @Huw! Wonderful weather is pretty hard to resist. I know for myself at least, I always read the full text of articles that interest me enough to open, and I love hearing your insights and wit. A proper in-depth discussion will always interest me more than something like a Quick Look--photos are great, but it's the commentary that makes this site an every-day visit for me. Appreciate you and the work you do greatly!
"Includes all the major characters"
Bro, rumpelstiltskin is freaking missing
@R0Sch said:
"So that's why Shrek looks so bad. They gave him a square neck and the head just leans forward like that frog meme.
"
Its because the same head goes on the bigger body in yet to be released Shrek hut set.
And guys dont sleep on the Executoner IMO best fig out there.
Great for any castle mocs :D
The "uncanny" problem with Shrek is in the design and proportions of his facial features (and possibly the head shape). They look overly childish. Could have been a lot better.
@SearchlightRG said:
"Agreed. The dragon should be big enough to eat everyone in this lineup."
So…the size of Nibbler? Too big, then, got it.
@WizardOfOss said:
"Some weird choices though, like not ging Puss a rapier"
PiB from the big set has a rapier. PiB from this set is depicted like he’s holding his hat in front of his chest and doing the Big Eyes thing. While the rapier was present for that scene, it was not particularly important. And they don’t have any way to attach it to his waist.
"or relegating Donkey to be a side character."
I mentioned in one of the previous comment sections that Donkey isn’t a minifig, and this is the Collectible Minifigure line. We already know they’re very strict about what they themselves market as a “minifigure” for reasons pertaining to trademark defense. The F1 wave used a CMF slot, but has no CMF branding. The Unikitty wave didn’t even take a CMF slot. Unikitty from TLM/TLM2 is the only instance I know of where you could open a CMF-branded packet or box and find nothing inside that qualifies as a minifig. Sort of. Again, I’m not sure if “legs” is restricted to standard legs, so it’s possible that any characters from Simpsons/Disney/Looney Tunes/Mippets with short legs and a sculpted head are disqualified as well. But definitely Donkey would not count. Plus, making him and the Three Blind Mice accessories means we get more characters than if they had to take up slots in the release.
"And why no Dronkeys?"
That…is odd. Now, one thing I noticed a while back (Looney Tunes, maybe?), just observationally, is that they seem to make one new mold per CMF. They have twelve CMFs in this wave, and new molds appear to include Shrek head, Fiona head, Donkey head, Donkey body, PiB head, Blind Mice, Dragon head, Farquad head, Thelonius head, Gingy head, Pinocchio head, and BBW head.
I don’t see any new molds on Merlin, Fairy Godmother, or Prince Charming, and I don’t know if some of these listed molds might have been generated by the Icons team, like the PiB head in 72423, or the rumored set that includes a fatter Shrek. The mold count might even explain why this Shrek got put on a diet, if they commissioned the head and didn’t have a spare frame for the belly. But if the PiB head came from Icons, that should have left them a spare frame, if I got it figured out right.
@Huw said:
"I'm never really sure whether people bother to read what we write…"
Yes.
"…or just skim through looking at the pictures…"
Also yes.
"…and jumping to the conclusion."
Very yes.
"So, it's heartening to know that our efforts are appreciated."
But still also yes. From personal experience, not every article is going to draw my attention equally, but one thing I’ve noticed is that no other news site generates as many comments as this one. There’s a reason so many people flock to your comment sections. Partly it’s probably that the comment section does have a lot of activity, but partly it’s also because we’re already coming to this site to read the articles.
@PhantomBricks said:
"I might pick up Puss in Boots, but I prefer his set version. I was disappointed they didn't include his cape or have a hat that separates(the uses for that hat...)"
8804-3?
"I would immediately picked up Shrek if they used a Dumbledore sized mold."
Hagrid?
"Also Fiona definitely should have come with the book and Shrek with Donkey, but I suppose they would lose some purchasers that way."
I get why you say that, but in the first movie, Fiona got along a lot better with Donkey than Shrek did. Plus, the book is his toilet paper.
@Crux said:
" @Huw said:
"The Simpsons, Muppets and Disney series, for example, also did the same."
The difference being of course, that those series did this *well*."
I feel like the difference between Simpsons/Muppets and these is that these opt for more of the facial detail to be printed instead of molded (sort of like the minifigs from the Avatar theme). That means slightly less accuracy, but more potential for things like alternate expressions (something you can't do very well if the character's entire face including their mouth is molded to a particular shape, and something I think could be particularly important for a character like Shrek whose facial expressions are particularly varied and malleable).
I don't really mind here because it makes them a little more consistent with the human characters that use standard minifigure faces.
Wow. It is far too early in the morning to deal with a photo montage of a bunch of decapitated Shrek characters.
@Lyichir said:
" @Crux said:
" @Huw said:
"The Simpsons, Muppets and Disney series, for example, also did the same."
The difference being of course, that those series did this *well*."
I feel like the difference between Simpsons/Muppets and these is that these opt for more of the facial detail to be printed instead of molded (sort of like the minifigs from the Avatar theme). That means slightly less accuracy, but more potential for things like alternate expressions (something you can't do very well if the character's entire face including their mouth is molded to a particular shape, and something I think could be particularly important for a character like Shrek whose facial expressions are particularly varied and malleable).
I don't really mind here because it makes them a little more consistent with the human characters that use standard minifigure faces."
Yeah, they’ve been doing blank faces and printed expressions for quite a while. First theme I really noticed it with was TMNT, but before that I know they did it with SpongeBob and Life on Mars. You know, if you pointedly exclude standard minifig heads, in which case probably either Pirates or Western.
@PurpleDave said:
" @PhantomBricks said:
"I might pick up Puss in Boots, but I prefer his set version. I was disappointed they didn't include his cape or have a hat that separates(the uses for that hat...)"
8804-3?
"I would immediately picked up Shrek if they used a Dumbledore sized mold."
Hagrid?
"Also Fiona definitely should have come with the book and Shrek with Donkey, but I suppose they would lose some purchasers that way."
I get why you say that, but in the first movie, Fiona got along a lot better with Donkey than Shrek did. Plus, the book is his toilet paper."
I don't buy anything online, so while the hat already exists, in practice it would be the first chance for me to get that hat. Also, I'm already considering picking up Puss because he's a character I love, but I always appreciate it having more versatility, and thus more value for my money.
And yes, I definitely meant Hagrid. I think I had Dumbledore on my mind since I had just read the Ministry of Magic announcement.
I completely forgot about his book usage. Was that the first Shrek..? I watched it once with my ex girlfriend's family, but we were always talking. Regardless, I think either way works, and it definitely helps split more of the value between characters.
@PhantomBricks said:
"I don't buy anything online, so while the hat already exists, in practice it would be the first chance for me to get that hat."
Doesn’t help you, but I think I have at least ten sealed Musketeers at home. Bought a bunch just in case…and never needed them.
"Also, I'm already considering picking up Puss because he's a character I love, but I always appreciate it having more versatility, and thus more value for my money."
I’m always in favor of getting multiple variants of individual minifigs, especially when different expressions are involved.
"I completely forgot about his book usage. Was that the first Shrek..? I watched it once with my ex girlfriend's family, but we were always talking. Regardless, I think either way works, and it definitely helps split more of the value between characters."
It’s from the opening scene. Rather than spoil it, I’ll let you watch it instead:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rlK-BySadHk&pp=ygUXc2hyZWsgc3Rvcnlib29rIG9wZW5pbmc%3D&ra=m
@Huw said:
"...there is something a bit uncanny about Shrek and Fiona that's hard to pinpoint"
I think it's the regular sized minifig torsos that make them look weird. Both Shrek and Fiona have a bulky upper body, so their heads look too large as minifigures. It might have been too much of a stretch to create plus-sized minifig parts for this series though.
@Denmark_Dragon said:
"That black mask is interesting. If any of these parts make into the BDP Palette should allow some interesting creative options!
I will be hated for this... but as someone who bought a few when it was series 1, I feel like the over-detailing of CMF figures clashes with a lot of other themes, unless you're going for a cyberpunk everything-goes city layout, these figures only feel cohesive next to each other (again because lego saw "hey you like that thing, so we made a thing of that thing, so buy our thing")
This is a different discussion, but CMF as a concept feels outside the LEGO system, it's just one very detailed figure that you can play with, no larger setting, vehicle, or LEGO bricks to interact with. I feel LEGO is at it's best when there's a setting portrayed and the figures are there to compliment that system. Just super-detailed figures with zero system feels like feeding your kids candy without the nutritious meal.
I recognize the robust nature of the small affordable thing you can buy for you or your kids, and appreciate the niche CMF occupies, it's just the more i buy, the more i realize this is just a one-off that doesn't integrate with what I have.
commence angry comments, I can take it."
I will supply you a comment, but it will not be angry!
I see your point. I remember the first few minifigures seasons; while they were certainly detailed, they didn't feel out of place with other minifigs. They could have come in a full set, they just happened to not.
But I think I will say for myself what the appeal of a CMF series is: As an avid Lego MOCist, sometimes the figures are more important to me than the builds for sets because I frequently prefer to make my own builds anyway. Only a few especially good sets have the honor to remain built and on display for long periods of time in my collection - like the OG Death Star Playhouse, the 20th Anniversary Slave I, the Baratie and Going Merry, the OG Toa Mata, the Tantive IV, Vezon & Fenrakk, etc. Many of my other sets stay built for a few weeks or months before being systematically disassembled and turned into spare parts.
I've been personally disappointed recently to see some minifigures that I very much desire locked behind the paywall of ridiculously expensive display sets. I think the one that bothered me the most was the Deku Tree set. As a big fan of Breath of the Wild, I really wanted BOTW Link and Zelda with the Master Sword, Hylian Shield, and Sheikah Slate. But I didn't want to buy the whole set when I knew I had no place to display it; it seemed a waste to destine such a good set to become spare parts. So I punched the order into Bricklink and swiftly discovered that ordering the parts that I described would be approximately the same cost as simply buying the set upfront. I would love to have BOTW Link and Zelda for display, or to put in my Minecraft MOC as a sort of fun cameo, or to have them embroiled in some crossover fight scene...but I don't need the display set. CMF series allow me to get figures I really want (dragonborn paladin! Tahu cosplayer!) for my builds without paying through the nose for it.
Either way, I want to thank you for sharing your take! I enjoyed reading it. :)
@yodaloop said:
" @Denmark_Dragon said:
"That black mask is interesting. If any of these parts make into the BDP Palette should allow some interesting creative options!
I will be hated for this... but as someone who bought a few when it was series 1, I feel like the over-detailing of CMF figures clashes with a lot of other themes, unless you're going for a cyberpunk everything-goes city layout, these figures only feel cohesive next to each other (again because lego saw "hey you like that thing, so we made a thing of that thing, so buy our thing")
This is a different discussion, but CMF as a concept feels outside the LEGO system, it's just one very detailed figure that you can play with, no larger setting, vehicle, or LEGO bricks to interact with. I feel LEGO is at it's best when there's a setting portrayed and the figures are there to compliment that system. Just super-detailed figures with zero system feels like feeding your kids candy without the nutritious meal.
I recognize the robust nature of the small affordable thing you can buy for you or your kids, and appreciate the niche CMF occupies, it's just the more i buy, the more i realize this is just a one-off that doesn't integrate with what I have.
commence angry comments, I can take it."
I will supply you a comment, but it will not be angry!
I see your point. I remember the first few minifigures seasons; while they were certainly detailed, they didn't feel out of place with other minifigs. They could have come in a full set, they just happened to not.
But I think I will say for myself what the appeal of a CMF series is: As an avid Lego MOCist, sometimes the figures are more important to me than the builds for sets because I frequently prefer to make my own builds anyway. Only a few especially good sets have the honor to remain built and on display for long periods of time in my collection - like the OG Death Star Playhouse, the 20th Anniversary Slave I, the Baratie and Going Merry, the OG Toa Mata, the Tantive IV, Vezon & Fenrakk, etc. Many of my other sets stay built for a few weeks or months before being systematically disassembled and turned into spare parts.
I've been personally disappointed recently to see some minifigures that I very much desire locked behind the paywall of ridiculously expensive display sets. I think the one that bothered me the most was the Deku Tree set. As a big fan of Breath of the Wild, I really wanted BOTW Link and Zelda with the Master Sword, Hylian Shield, and Sheikah Slate. But I didn't want to buy the whole set when I knew I had no place to display it; it seemed a waste to destine such a good set to become spare parts. So I punched the order into Bricklink and swiftly discovered that ordering the parts that I described would be approximately the same cost as simply buying the set upfront. I would love to have BOTW Link and Zelda for display, or to put in my Minecraft MOC as a sort of fun cameo, or to have them embroiled in some crossover fight scene...but I don't need the display set. CMF series allow me to get figures I really want (dragonborn paladin! Tahu cosplayer!) for my builds without paying through the nose for it.
Either way, I want to thank you for sharing your take! I enjoyed reading it. :)"
I'm in a similar boat. They sometimes will inspire MOCs either via direct minfigure, or me putting something together really cool with the parts sourced from them. The space issue can't be understated for me though. I'm getting very picky about what to pickup, but a polybag/cmf is generally easy to afford/throw into the collection.
Shrek was one of those franchises that should have stopped after the first film. I know I went to see the second (and maybe the third film) but don’t remember them at all other than for the introduction of Puss in Boots. Shrek, Fiona, the Gingerbread Man, Pinocchio, Lord Farquad, the Dragon, the Big Bad Wolf, Thelonious, and Puss in Boots mean something to me. The other characters are unfamiliar. Still, the completionist in me will collect them all.
I love the first movie, second was meh, and don't remember anything about the sequals after that. I'll pass I guess.
They simply got the heads on the ogres all wrong. It's not due to size - I could look past that; it's the shaping that's completely bizarre. In addition to the molds themselves, the printing looks terrible on both of them. While most other characters in this series look almost identical to their animated counterparts, Shrek and Fiona are the opposite. Shrek hardly ever smiles and when he does it's usually more of a grimace. Both characters' eyes look nothing like their animated counterparts, and I could blame this on a decision to LEGO-ize the characters' looks if it weren't for the fact that the other non-human characters like Pinocchio, Big Bad Wolf, Dragon, and Donkey have are almost spot-on recreations of the animated versions. They quite simply did a terrible job recreating two of the main characters, which is incredibly disappointing, especially as a fan of the franchsie who has been dreaming of Shrek sets for years. Puss in Boots also looks a little "off" to me, I actually prefer the taller version in the statue set.
I like them, and since no-one else does, they will be easy to get. Win.
I just consider CMFs to be extra-fashionable. People in real life don’t always have the same amount of attention to detail in their appearance so I’m fine with minifigs reflecting that discrepancy.
I hated the Simpsons minifigs so I guess I’m all for expressions being more print and less mould.
I don’t care about Shrek-the-franchise but Puss in Boots is cute. I might consider picking him up if I can get him without the mouse.
I want three figs of this series:
Shrek (so ugly that it’s funny)
Wolf (i like wolves)
Executioner (very cool fig)
What bothers me about these premoulded heads isn't that they're premoulded. I didn't mind it on the Simpsons, Disney, the Muppets, Alien Conquest-aliens, Monster Fighter-monsters, the lot - because in those cases, they've proven to be a good match for the subject. Those premoulded heads don't try to bridge between one subject-matter and LEGO - they just are what they are, they pick one lane and they do it well.
Then there's this freaky line, which tries its hardest to divorce itself from LEGO before the wedding. On the one hand there's Prince Charming, Fairy Godmother, Lord Farquaad and Merlin, who look like... okay minifigures, I guess. Then there's Donkey who just looks like movie-Donkey, the Big Bad Wolf who could've just been made to look like a regular LEGO werewolf (oh hey there, https://brickset.com/minifigs/idea042), Pinocchio who looks like Quagmire, and the ogres who look like they're caught mid-way a transformation between their movie-versions and minifigure-heads, resulting in them looking like Eric Stoltz in "Mask".
The dragon, I don't know, man. Maybe each blind box could have come with a few bricks and pieces to assemble into one larger Dragon? You know - construct-a-thing?
Look, it's fine. I know. Some people are going to love this CMF-run and I love that for you. I'm just kind of hoping to see something more suited for my own needs, further down the line.
Why Shrek looks so weird: the Shrek minifigure has his head on his shoulders, whereas the real Shrek's head is sunken between his shoulders. It might have looked (slightly better) if the upper part of his chest had been colored green. Furthermore, the minifigure is just too skinny and blocky to portray a..., well, an ogre.
I get why human Fiona wasn't included, honestly. The whole message of Shrek 1 and 2 is that wasn't her, she wasn't being herself. It's better to include her in a set of the tower or something than imply that should be her status quo. Merlin seemed like a terrible choice at first, but after rewatching Shrek the Third for the first time since 2013, I can vouch that he deserved a slot. Bro is psychedelic as heck. We still should've gotten Rumpelstiltskin, though.
@Lego_lord said:
"I love the first movie, second was meh, and don't remember anything about the sequals after that. I'll pass I guess."
The first was original, pure genius.
The second was less original, but a logical sequel and still pretty enjoyable.
The third was kinda bad, but still a logical sequel.
The fourth didn't make any sense, and it was bad.
The fifth... I refuse to admit it exists.
My favourite CMF series with special head moulds are still the Simpsons ones, followed by the Muppets.
Even though I love the first Shrek film I don't feel the need to get any of these figs.
@Crux said:
"What bothers me about these premoulded heads isn't that they're premoulded. I didn't mind it on the Simpsons, Disney, the Muppets, Alien Conquest-aliens, Monster Fighter-monsters, the lot - because in those cases, they've proven to be a good match for the subject."
I have issues with some of the AC aliens because they have huge cavities formed into their giant heads to prevent dimpling, a problem that seems to be less of an issue with any dual-molded heads of similar size. Probably molding it in two steps makes it less of an issue?
"The dragon, I don't know, man. Maybe each blind box could have come with a few bricks and pieces to assemble into one larger Dragon? You know - construct-a-thing?"
“Er mer gerd, when are they going to stop releasing Shrek minifigs with a couple pieces of Dragon already? It’s been ten years, and they just announced Shrek Series 30!”
@Trigger_ said:
"I get why human Fiona wasn't included, honestly. The whole message of Shrek 1 and 2 is that wasn't her, she wasn't being herself."
The message of the first film was a bit messy, and my take had it more framed in terms of Shrek’s growth, being that it’s more important what’s on the inside than the outside. Except the implication is clearly that ogres are ugly, but they still managed to make Fiogre cute. And she had to give up her beauty to be with Shrek, except again they made sure she looked cute. So, competing messages, both intentional and otherwise.
"It's better to include her in a set of the tower or something than imply that should be her status quo."
Time will tell how many sets they actually manage to produce, but the tower itself isn’t iconic enough a setting that I can remember what it looks like (and I just watched Shrek 1 in the theater this year). Making the tower would provide an easy excuse to work Dragon in (or vice versa), but most of the trip back to Farquad’s castle offers opportunity to slip a human Fiona into the lineup.
@biffuz said:
" @Lego_lord said:
"I love the first movie, second was meh, and don't remember anything about the sequals after that. I'll pass I guess."
The first was original, pure genius.
The second was less original, but a logical sequel and still pretty enjoyable.
The third was kinda bad, but still a logical sequel.
The fourth didn't make any sense, and it was bad.
The fifth... I refuse to admit it exists."
We could try this on Indiana Jones movies but there were only three.
@yellowcastle said:
" @biffuz said:
" @Lego_lord said:
"I love the first movie, second was meh, and don't remember anything about the sequals after that. I'll pass I guess."
The first was original, pure genius.
The second was less original, but a logical sequel and still pretty enjoyable.
The third was kinda bad, but still a logical sequel.
The fourth didn't make any sense, and it was bad.
The fifth... I refuse to admit it exists."
We could try this on Indiana Jones movies but there were only three."
Breath of Fire I: You are a dragon, God is bad
Breath of Fire II: You are a half-dragon, Jesus is bad
Breath of Fire III: You are many dragons, God is confused
Breath of Fire IV: You are half a dragon, people are bad
Breath of Fire V: You should never go full dragon, this game is bad
@PurpleDave said:
" @Trigger_ said:
"I get why human Fiona wasn't included, honestly. The whole message of Shrek 1 and 2 is that wasn't her, she wasn't being herself."
The message of the first film was a bit messy, and my take had it more framed in terms of Shrek’s growth, being that it’s more important what’s on the inside than the outside. Except the implication is clearly that ogres are ugly, but they still managed to make Fiogre cute. And she had to give up her beauty to be with Shrek, except again they made sure she looked cute. So, competing messages, both intentional and otherwise."
Wasn't it more that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? At least I don't think Shrek minded how she actually looked. Like, at all.
@yellowcastle said:
" @biffuz said:
" @Lego_lord said:
"I love the first movie, second was meh, and don't remember anything about the sequals after that. I'll pass I guess."
The first was original, pure genius.
The second was less original, but a logical sequel and still pretty enjoyable.
The third was kinda bad, but still a logical sequel.
The fourth didn't make any sense, and it was bad.
The fifth... I refuse to admit it exists."
We could try this on Indiana Jones movies but there were only three."
The Last Crusade was bad? It's my favorite movie.
This is how I feel about the Star Wars Original Trilogy, though. "The fourth" would be The Phantom Menace, in this case, and "the fifth" would just be the last one chronologically (the Rise of Skywalker).
Also, how I feel about Stranger Things.
@yellowcastle said:
" @biffuz said:
" @Lego_lord said:
"I love the first movie, second was meh, and don't remember anything about the sequals after that. I'll pass I guess."
The first was original, pure genius.
The second was less original, but a logical sequel and still pretty enjoyable.
The third was kinda bad, but still a logical sequel.
The fourth didn't make any sense, and it was bad.
The fifth... I refuse to admit it exists."
We could try this on Indiana Jones movies but there were only three."
Oh, clearly you haven’t watched the Young Indy episode where he meets Dracula. Or the one where he meets Kafka.
Fiona's printed dress piece is the perfect replacement to the plain boring one that the recent Prof. McGonagall minifigure has. I just hope they're the same shade of green.
"Prince Charming"
That's Jaime fookin Lannister
Donkey easily could have been the best single figure. They made a small unicorn to go with the unicorn/elf princess recently. Donkey on all four legs with his big semi-goofy teeth and ears would have been epic.
The good thing (?) about the Donkey-minifigure, such as it is: its parts are compatible with LEGO's Scooby Doo, Slinky from Toy Story, Friends minidolls and microdolls, and baby-heads/skulls. Including Grogu's head.
I'm just trying to look at the bright side.
Are you a sellout ?
It's not hard to pinpoint Shrek and Fiona are ugly af in a bad way.
My wife tought it was knock off and i can't blame her
They should have done a fat torso/belly.
Some people arz fat Lego, you should know that with US market :)
Missed opportunity for Pinocchio's nose to be a bar connection and come with a few extra candle pieces...
@ecleme11 said:
"Anyone else think Merlin looks like Harry Potter with a beard? :) "
Well, I didn't *before* I saw that comment, but now I can't see him as anything else.
@BabuBrick said:"Looks okay. I'm not a Shrek fan, so I'm probably the wrong person to ask.
If we ever get any more DreamWorks CMF series, I'd love an HTTYD one; I'd buy every figure from it, lol. I feel like it'd be pretty easy to fill up a 12-figure set for it."
Same, and same. I mean, we already have a good piece for Gobber's beard: https://brickset.com/parts/6537949/mini-beard-no-11
PurpleDave said:" @PhantomBricks said:"I don't buy anything online, so while the hat already exists, in practice it would be the first chance for me to get that hat."
Doesn’t help you, but I think I have at least ten sealed Musketeers at home. Bought a bunch just in case…and never needed them."
I didn't buy that many, but I made sure to get three. I think that may have been the first CMF I deliberately bought multiples of.
@Crux said:"The good thing (?) about the Donkey-minifigure, such as it is: its parts are compatible with LEGO's Scooby Doo, Slinky from Toy Story, Friends minidolls and microdolls, and baby-heads/skulls. Including Grogu's head.
I'm just trying to look at the bright side."
just2good had fun with that: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_mL3AxoQa8A
@TheOtherMike said:
" @BabuBrick said:"Looks okay. I'm not a Shrek fan, so I'm probably the wrong person to ask.
If we ever get any more DreamWorks CMF series, I'd love an HTTYD one; I'd buy every figure from it, lol. I feel like it'd be pretty easy to fill up a 12-figure set for it."
Same, and same. I mean, we already have a good piece for Gobber's beard: https://brickset.com/parts/6537949/mini-beard-no-11"
That was the first thing I thought of when I saw that piece! :D
@TheOtherMike said:
"PurpleDave said:" @PhantomBricks said:"I don't buy anything online, so while the hat already exists, in practice it would be the first chance for me to get that hat."
Doesn’t help you, but I think I have at least ten sealed Musketeers at home. Bought a bunch just in case…and never needed them."
I didn't buy that many, but I made sure to get three. I think that may have been the first CMF I deliberately bought multiples of."
You didn’t buy four? Not a Chris O'Donnell fan, I take it?
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"PurpleDave said:" @PhantomBricks said:"I don't buy anything online, so while the hat already exists, in practice it would be the first chance for me to get that hat."
Doesn’t help you, but I think I have at least ten sealed Musketeers at home. Bought a bunch just in case…and never needed them."
I didn't buy that many, but I made sure to get three. I think that may have been the first CMF I deliberately bought multiples of."
You didn’t buy four? Not a Chris O'Donnell fan, I take it?"
I had to do a google to find out what you were talking about, so take a guess.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"PurpleDave said:" @PhantomBricks said:"I don't buy anything online, so while the hat already exists, in practice it would be the first chance for me to get that hat."
Doesn’t help you, but I think I have at least ten sealed Musketeers at home. Bought a bunch just in case…and never needed them."
I didn't buy that many, but I made sure to get three. I think that may have been the first CMF I deliberately bought multiples of."
You didn’t buy four? Not a Chris O'Donnell fan, I take it?"
I had to do a google to find out what you were talking about, so take a guess."
Eh, his star kinda crashed after 1997, to the point that he ended up slumming it with some punk kid I knew in college, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that nobody remembers what passes for his heyday. Funny thing is, one of my college profs claimed to have slapped one of the other Musketeers because she wasn’t happy with his performance in some production they worked on together.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"PurpleDave said:" @PhantomBricks said:"I don't buy anything online, so while the hat already exists, in practice it would be the first chance for me to get that hat."
Doesn’t help you, but I think I have at least ten sealed Musketeers at home. Bought a bunch just in case…and never needed them."
I didn't buy that many, but I made sure to get three. I think that may have been the first CMF I deliberately bought multiples of."
You didn’t buy four? Not a Chris O'Donnell fan, I take it?"
I had to do a google to find out what you were talking about, so take a guess."
O'Donnel: worst Musketeer, best Ninja Turtle. I love Donneltello.
Shrek & Fiona look uncanny/off/odd and I believe it's because they look like successful weight loss participants after a few months on the program and that detracts from at least Shrek if not both. I get why its less expensive to go with a body old closer to most minifigs but is there no larger sized minifig they could have used as a base? I thought I remember seeing a Hagrid minifig that had a round mid-section and that would look better for Shrek IMHO.
Shrek & Fiona both look like they've been attending months worth of weight watchers sessions too and that really takes away from the look of both especially Shrek who should be more like the larger Hargrid minifig like from Hagrids Hut.
@gatorbug6 said:
"By far the worst looking licensed CMF we've received (this far)."
Why is everyone forgetting The F1 CMF rn?
"Shrek is one of the most beloved animated films of all time."
Nope. Transformers: The Movie has it beat hands down ;)