Review: 40492 La Catrina
Posted by Huw,
If I was asked to list annual events that LEGO would make sets to commemorate, the Mexican Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, would not be on it. I was therefore pleasantly surprised when 40492 La Catrina arrived for review. [1]
The event occurs on 1st and 2nd of November and was the subject of the recent Pixar film Coco. It is perhaps that which prompted LEGO to produce a BrickHeadz of the event's icon, a tall female skeleton who wears a fancy hat.
With flamboyant headgear and a colourful dress, she's the ideal subject for a blocky character...
In fact, she has all the attributes needed for an interesting figure, including colourful printed facial markings and a nose, which few humanoid BrickHeadz have.
Most depictions of character show her hat to be decorated with flowers and feathers, but I guess there were no suitable parts available to use for the latter. Nevertheless, it looks fine as it is.
BrickHeadz can be a bit plain and boring when viewed from the back, but that's not the case here. Her flower-decorated hair has an interesting shape and the vibrant colours of her dress feature on the rear of it as well as the front.
The figure, number 149 in the series, is a colourful and attractive model of an unusual and unexpected subject, one that's sure to stand out in your BrickHeadz collection.
Equally impressive is that LEGO has looked further than the usual seasonal events celebrated in the US, Europe and China to produce something different.
40492 La Catrina will be available at LEGO.com from 1st August priced, I suspect, at $9.99, £9.99, €9.99.
[1] LEGO rarely tells us what they are offering us to review other than a set number, so often we have no idea what it is until it arrives.
Thanks to LEGO for sending the set for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
127 likes
26 comments on this article
I usually don’t like BrickHeadz but this one is excellent! She’s so bright in colour and would look fantastic on display. There’s a really nice balance between brick built details and printed ones too. Now if only we could get a minifigure version of Catrina or really anyone celebrating Día de los Muertos so I wouldn’t have to buy this set. :P
My favorite part of this is how the face is slightly contoured to be like a real skull. Those missing 1x1 tiles in the bottom corners make all the difference
This is really nice. It's good to see them celebrating other holidays from around the world! The bright colours really suit the Brickheadz stye.
This is possibly only the second or third Brickhead(z) out of hundreds(?) which those dead, empty eyes are suited to; ordinarily the eyes on these things rob beloved characters of any soul they might have once possessed.
Why did they ever think those eyes were a good idea...?
This does make an excellent Brickhead, cute, bright and colourful.
This is fab! It's great to see Lego embracing a bit of cultural/global diversity. Definitely one of the best Brickheadz produced and a very welcome change. We've seen Chinese New Year sets but I'd love to see more seasonal/world celebrations represented instead of just the usual Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Halloween.
I like it, but I was hoping for something more like Manny Calavera.
Not really into brickheads, but I really like this direction and hope we’ll get a ‘chinese new year’s’-style mexican set at some point!
Anyone else feel like tortillas?
Couldn’t they have used the quill piece or Roadrunner’s tail for the feathers?
@TheRightP_art said:
"Couldn’t they have used the quill piece or Roadrunner’s tail for the feathers?"
Yeah, there are multiple parts that LEGO produces with the intention of using them as feathers. Perhaps the parts needed to attach them messed with the look of the model?
@BrickApostle said:
"This is fab! It's great to see Lego embracing a bit of cultural/global diversity. Definitely one of the best Brickheadz produced and a very welcome change. We've seen Chinese New Year sets but I'd love to see more seasonal/world celebrations represented instead of just the usual Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Halloween."
I'd like to see a Lego Gävlebocken - it's a goat so bound to be a best seller :)
I wonder if this means there will be a Disney set based on the Coco movie. I really like how well she turned out in the Brickheadz form. She's been added to my "need to get" list, versus my "wanted" list.
Can't wait for the Jar Jar one coming up soon.
I love LEGO looking into my country's culture for inspiration, they've captured lots of details, executing them really simply and effectively, a MUST for me and definitely an outstanding Brickheadz design here!!
And now waiting for el Catrín, beautiful!
She looks fab! And while it’s slightly disappointing her hat isn’t as festooned as it’s normally depicted it does look like that’d be an easy fix. Just put whatever you want to see on it yourself
Oh, it's Grim Fandango license!
This is the only Brickheadz that has ever caught my attention. It is very well done.
I like this a lot... Looks like 4 BrickHeadz for the August stash.
I already said it on the post announcing that the set existed but this is just SO cute. The hair, hat and skirt are great but my favorite tiny detail is the sunken cheeks, which go a long way toward giving this a truly skeletal look!
I hope it isn't the last set based on Día de los Muertos—this really shows how well the colorful/slightly creepy aesthetic can be adapted to Lego! And like others here, I hope Lego continues to expand into other varied cultural holidays!
@Huw, it is not quite right to refer to this as "the event's icon." The Day of the Dead has a variety of symbols and traditions. More accurate would be "one of the event's most popular symbols."
More here: https://dayofthedead.holiday/traditions/who-is-la-catrina.
Love it love it love it love it LOVE IT!!!!
@bananaworld said:
"
Why did they ever think those eyes were a good idea...?
"
At least they are better than the complety pupil-less eyes of Funko-Pops, and are easy enough to swap. Some Brickheadz look better (or at least more amusing) with "normal" eyes.
@dbbunny said:
"
I'd like to see a Lego Gävlebocken - it's a goat so bound to be a best seller :)"
Oh my yes! A "yule goat" built similar to the reindeer in 4002018 would be an amazing holiday time GWP.
@MLF said:
" @bananaworld said:
"
Why did they ever think those eyes were a good idea...?
"
At least they are better than the complety pupil-less eyes of Funko-Pops, and are easy enough to swap. Some Brickheadz look better (or at least more amusing) with "normal" eyes.
@dbbunny said:
"
I'd like to see a Lego Gävlebocken - it's a goat so bound to be a best seller :)"
Oh my yes! A "yule goat" built similar to the reindeer in 4002018 would be an amazing holiday time GWP."
My Statue of Liberty has 14182 ‘no. 13’ eyes…
Hopefully we will also get a Catrin or Catrines Hombres to go with Catrina, so that she is not lonely in the afterlife.