Review: 71349 Beetlejuice
Posted by CapnRex101,
LEGO Dimensions has yielded an enormous range of different packs and licenses over the last two years, some of which would not usually be associated with LEGO's primary audience of children. 71349 Beetlejuice could be considered one such set. The movie upon which it is based was released in 1988 and undoubtedly retains a strong following, although it may not be familiar to many younger Dimensions collectors.
However, the character of Betelgeuse is instantly recognisable and seems sure to prove popular within the latest wave. I have certainly been eager to add him to my minifigure collection and, with Hallowe'en upon us, today seems like the perfect occasion to take a look at the infamous 'ghost with the most' in LEGO form!
Minifigure
Betelgeuse wears several different outfits during the course of the film but by far the best known is his black and white striped suit. I am very pleased that the graphic designer chose to depict that here and I think it looks excellent, not least because the stripes line up perfectly across the torso, hips and legs. He also sports a black tie with a row of holes down the centre which matches the movie perfectly and the striping continues on the arms.
The head is even more detailed, featuring deeply sunken eyes along with some subtle facial hair and a little necrotic flesh. It looks brilliant in relation to the source material and I like the alternative expressions too, one of which is smiling while the other represents Betelgeuse's occasional fits of frustration. LEGO's colour palette does not offer a perfect match for the ghost's hair but spring yellowish green is the closest match and the style is excellent. A couple of black streaks would have been welcome but it works without them in my opinion.
Each LEGO Dimensions minifigure comes with a unique toy tag. This one is very simply decorated with the Beetlejuice logo and a series of black and white stripes to match the character's suit. Nevertheless, I think it looks pretty good and there can be no doubt who it belongs to!
The Completed Model
A brick-built Sandworm completes the set. These vicious creatures inhabit Saturn and hunt for food from beneath the sand, as its enormous teeth would suggest. Depicting organic shapes using LEGO is notoriously difficult, particularly when the scale is so limited, but I think the Sandworm looks splendid. Its twin mouths are included and both are fully articulated using hinges, although the teeth prevent the smaller mouth from closing properly.
The distinctive colour scheme has also been rendered very well, with green elements lining each mouth and a series of black stripes along the body. Hinges allow you to curve the body naturally and a tan 2x3 plate on the base depicts a patch of sand from which the worm is emerging. It would have been nice to see some more teeth on the upper jaw but there is little room for such detail at this scale and I am satisfied with the Sandworm in its current form.
Overall
Unlikely licenses have defined LEGO Dimensions from my point of view and in that respect 71349 Beetlejuice feels like an ideal conclusion to the theme. I think the Sandworm looks very good when the limitations of its scale are taken into consideration but Betelgeuse himself is the highlight of the set, as one would expect given the exceptionally high standard of minifigure design in recent years.
If you are a Beetlejuice fan then I would definitely recommend this Fun Pack, particularly since it will probably be discounted quite substantially over the next few months. In fact, it is already reduced on Amazon in the UK. It seems a shame that LEGO Dimensions will yield no further unusual licenses like this one but I have very much enjoyed the range, if only because of its broad coverage of characters from films, television series and video games which would never have appeared in standard sets.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your thoughts on the set in the comments below.
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15 comments on this article
It's a terrific set and I think will hold value simply due to the character. And, with it being the final set released, it may have a shorter production run than others released in Year Two. Thanks for a fine review!
The sandworm alternative models are decent, although I cannot place them in the film.
I've got mixed feelings about this set, first I'm so happy to finally have an official and near perfect rendition of a classic character that w/o Dimensions would have never been possible. The Sandworm looks great at this scale as well. However, the game play for the Beetlejuice Level, which although we haven't spent a lot of time playing, became repetitive quickly. Also as a negative my 8 y/o daughter now really wants to watch the movie. I've tried to explain that it's not appropriate and might be too scary, which makes her want to see it even more. So, thanks for that conundrum LEGO. But still, mostly a genuine thank you for Beetlejuice, he is ugly and beautiful!
I watched the movie well before I turned 8. However I recently rewatched Batman Returns and it's really not a kid's movie at all. Normally children can handle more than we think they can.
I bought Beetlejuice when Target screwed up a sale on Sunday and hopefully will get 6 fun packs for $32. I just hope they ship.
Happy Halloween!
Am I the only one who thinks he would have looked better with a black torso and pants with white stripes?
I'll definitely buy this and put batman's mask on the tuxedo. It looks alot like one from his dress-up party!
A spooky pack for Halloween, I bet you did that on purpose!
I hope that Lego will continue 80s themes in some other form. I'm still waiting for more Gremlins, for Willow, for Never Ending Story. And of course for Blade Runner and Terminator :)
Great review. Happy Halloween, Chris, as well as to all of our readers! :-)
I must confess this was a must have figure for me.... but I resisted until it was 33% off on amazon. Its always a dilemma for me. Would I pay £10 for this figure, or £8 plus £2 for some bits. Yes. The fact you then get 2 hours ish of game play is good. But that's why Dimensions sold so many its only £10.... and you do get a unique figure. When you add them up though its the most expensive game every made........ I normally get about 35-40 hrs out of the normal Lego games which at £35-40 often with a figure is ok. I think im on about 125hrs on Dimensions but no where near £125, more than double.......... I do however have 10's of unique figures and cute models...............
You spelled Bettlejuice wrong a couple of times but great review nonetheless, I am not a fan of this movie but it's an interesting one nonetheless.
I should probably mention that I discovered an extra level slot among the Year 1 Vorton content, which may be an epilogue to the game.
Though it is locked on my game, I think the Story Packs may be the keys.
@BoettnerBuilds Yes.
@Takua-2003 That's been there for as long as I can remember. I think it's just a cutscene.