Review: 40485 FC Barcelona Celebration
Posted by CapnRex101,
Barcelona FC supporters have enjoyed plentiful reasons for celebration, despite recent financial problems. 40485 FC Barcelona Celebration may therefore prove splendid, accompanying 10284 FC Barcelona Camp Nou and containing several fanatical minifigures!
These distinctive Barcelona football shirts seem destined to become popular, while the fountain display base recreates the Font de Canaletes. This unassuming structure, positioned on La Rambla, remains an iconic destination for those celebrating Barcelona's famous victories and the LEGO equivalent features marvellous detail.
Minifigures
Five minifigures are provided, each wearing Barcelona's famous blue and garnet football shirts. Those distinctive shades are represented by dark blue and dark red which work nicely together, continuing across either side of each torso. The red and yellow stripes around the collar appear perfect too. Modern shirts feature entirely yellow collars, but that would become lost against the minifigures' skin tone.
Of course, sponsors are omitted, but these colours alone are sufficient to distinguish Barcelona and the badge shape seems authentic. While their shirts are identical, these minifigures feature legs in different colours, ranging from white to dark blue. Furthermore, an appealing selection of headgear accompanies the minifigures, including hair pieces and caps.
Five different heads are also supplied, although these are relatively common. This alternative crying face appears particularly appropriate currently, perhaps in response to the departure of Lionel Messi. Another head displays happy and sleeping faces, while the remaining three each feature standard smiles.
One minifigure includes a wheelchair which is appreciated, especially because the wheelchair elements rarely appear in smaller sets. Several flags and an FC Barcelona scarf are provided too, each integrating stickers. Printing would have been preferable, naturally, but the stickered designs are superb, including the striped Catalan flag and the year of FC Barcelona's founding.
The Completed Model
Sporting fans commonly gather at particular locations associated with their team and the Font de Canaletes performs that role for FC Barcelona. The drinking fountain is relatively modest in size, although its association with the football team and prominent position on La Rambla have ensured its renown. This rendition is certainly recognisable, capturing important features of the original fountain.
Beyond the actual fountain, the surrounding tan and dark tan plates and tiles are recognisable too. La Rambla, the famed street through the centre of Barcelona, features a distinct patterned pavement which comprises wavy stripes, alternating between lighter and darker colours. Those colours are depicted here, but the wavy stripes are replaced with a chequered design.
Dark blue and dark red tiles are positioned around the pavement, further relating this model to FC Barcelona. Additionally, I think these splashes of colour are important because the fountain and its base could otherwise appear bland, lacking any brighter shades. Fortunately, the muted colours are faithfully recreated on the drinking fountain.
Golden 1x1 round plates with hollow studs represent the taps, resembling their original bronze colour. They stand out against the neighbouring black and dark bluish grey elements, although their orientation varies from the catch bowls underneath. That seems decidedly odd, especially because these taps can easily be rotated to match the printed bowls, as exhibited below.
While certain decorative features are missing, these lanterns appear suitably ornate and I like the dark bluish grey highlights. Unfortunately, the lamppost underneath seems relatively broad when compared with the source material. Minifigures cannot therefore grip the lamppost, which restricts display options as Barcelona fans are known to climb the fountain during celebrations!
Overall
40485 FC Barcelona Celebration is certainly unusual, but complements 10284 FC Barcelona Camp Nou nicely and features an excellent selection of minifigures. In fact, including five such minifigures seems remarkably generous, particularly because the display base only comfortably accommodates four, with their colourful banners.
The fountain is comparatively simple, although significant details from the original location are present and this model could be integrated with traditional LEGO cities. However, the potential for true interaction between minifigures and this drinking fountain would have been appreciated, thereby achieving absolute realism during FC Barcelona celebrations!
40485 FC Barcelona Celebration is available now with purchases of 10284 FC Barcelona Camp Nou at LEGO.com.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
76 likes
29 comments on this article
I like how Lego doesn’t create new Castle sets (and when they do through Bricklink, they give it all up to scalpers), but has the resources and determination to create all these stadium sets. I guess there’s a lot of soccer fans looking to build stadiums…
@morvit said:
"I like how Lego doesn’t create new Castle sets (and when they do through Bricklink, they give it all up to scalpers), but has the resources and determination to create all these stadium sets. I guess there’s a lot of soccer fans looking to build stadiums…"
Yeah, just imagine if they made large sets based on REAL castle locations. A Lego Set of Corvin Castle in Romania would make me go bankrupt.
I’d like to see comparison photos between the real thing and the LEGO version in instances where the source material isn’t very widely known, like this fountain. It’s a lot harder to appreciate the design when something looks completely unfamiliar and sometimes very odd because of it.
@morvit said:
"I like how Lego doesn’t create new Castle sets (and when they do through Bricklink, they give it all up to scalpers), but has the resources and determination to create all these stadium sets. I guess there’s a lot of soccer fans looking to build stadiums…"
I know, right?!?! It's almost as if Lego thinks there are more soccer fans worldwide than castle fans!!! Madness!!!
Really crazy that Lego is making sets from the most popular sport in the world instead of bringing back a long dead theme back! :o
@Agnew said:
" @morvit said:
"I like how Lego doesn’t create new Castle sets (and when they do through Bricklink, they give it all up to scalpers), but has the resources and determination to create all these stadium sets. I guess there’s a lot of soccer fans looking to build stadiums…"
I know, right?!?! It's almost as if Lego thinks there are more soccer fans worldwide than castle fans!!! Madness!!!"
I can cross “whining about no castle, space, or pirates” off my Brickset Bingo card for this article.
Seriously people. Lego has made soccer sets before this one. It’s not exactly unprecedented. You guys also got the Blacksmith and Creator Castle which is better than fans of Bionicle or Adventurers have gotten the past few years. It’s getting old.
That’s a weird looking castle
@morvit said:
"I like how Lego doesn’t create new Castle sets (and when they do through Bricklink, they give it all up to scalpers), but has the resources and determination to create all these stadium sets. I guess there’s a lot of soccer fans looking to build stadiums…"
Hmm, its almost as if the successful sales of a product mean that more of that product's ilk is made - funny that, real brainscratcher.
That aside, cheers for the review Rex! Shame its not a "free with purchases over £X" one as I've got no interest in the stadium, but I guess I'll live... or go through Bricklink, depends :P
Is it weird that I like this more than the stadium? I'm not a football/soccer fan, but this GWP just looks like such a fun scene for display. Not to mention that it does more with its minifig selection than most standard retail sets.
Maybe it's just because the stadium doesn't come close to the beautiful buildings in Barcelona and I have no attachment to it. Or it's that this is minifig scale. And on the whole I appreciate sets more if they look like they're actually affordable...
I don't follow football/soccer but this a likeable little set that would sell well massively well to Barcelona Lego fans and Barcelona fans in general (taken together, there must be millions) if Lego would do the decent thing and release as a standalone set rather than forcefully linking it to the purchase of a massive, expensive and rather boring (IMHO) stadium set that doesn't come with any minifig Barca fans of its own! I can also easily imagine this set being used for little "Las Ramblas" vignettes.
@morvit said:
"I like how Lego doesn’t create new Castle sets (and when they do through Bricklink, they give it all up to scalpers), but has the resources and determination to create all these stadium sets. I guess there’s a lot of soccer fans looking to build stadiums…"
31120 doesn't exist ?
Or get 21325 instead for a more detailed display set.
I've also seen some amazing alternate Castle builds from both sets.
Would I like more Castle sets, figure packs , horses, of course, but 2021 has been a great Castle year in comparison to a long time.
@morvit said:
"I like how Lego doesn’t create new Castle sets (and when they do through Bricklink, they give it all up to scalpers), but has the resources and determination to create all these stadium sets. I guess there’s a lot of soccer fans looking to build stadiums…"
Well, I think LEGO is always looking for new customers. And to attract those new customers they need to raise interest first. So I think it's quite a good strategy from that point of view. Maybe Brickset could set up a survey to find out how much of an interest there really is in reviving some of the old themes. Perhaps it's only a 100 people complaining on every forum there should be more castle sets. I mean, if there is good money in making castle sets you would think it would be done. Kids these days apparently love other themes more than castles, pirates and space.
Should have included a, "Massively Missing Messi" sign.
There are most likely way more hooligans than fans in wheelchairs. Will TLG include them also?
Soccer, at least in some countries, are pretty well tied up in a bunch of negative things. Violence, white supremacy, racism, wasting tons of public resources, and anti LGBT+/- ..
How does that square with TLG's new image?
Decent floor for a castle though
I would buy this set over the stadium. Just around 80 euros on BrickLink right now.
Maybe an affordable torso will become available there.
They couldn't have made a more divisive set for the Spanish market to be honest, well unless they did a bullfighting diorama or something. But to include a Catalan flag will be like a red rag to a bull, excuse the pun, for many in the country.
@nineteenseventyfour said:
"There are most likely way more hooligans than fans in wheelchairs. Will TLG include them also?
Soccer, at least in some countries, are pretty well tied up in a bunch of negative things. Violence, white supremacy, racism, wasting tons of public resources, and anti LGBT+/- ..
How does that square with TLG's new image?
Decent floor for a castle though"
At this point, what isn't tied with white supremacy, racism, wasting resources, and homophobia?
Plus when I think "soccer" my first thought isn't "no black people or gays allowed". My first thought is about the sport. Or how some countries call it football and I have no idea where the word soccer even came from.
I really want this but the stadium is too pricey and too many stickers to justify the purchase…
This seems really cool! I doubt it would ever happen, but I would love a set similar to this and the stadium based on Ted Lasso.
@nineteenseventyfour said:
"There are most likely way more hooligans than fans in wheelchairs. Will TLG include them also?
Soccer, at least in some countries, are pretty well tied up in a bunch of negative things. Violence, white supremacy, racism, wasting tons of public resources, and anti LGBT+/- ..
How does that square with TLG's new image?
Decent floor for a castle though"
Nevertheless, soccer has a much better record in terms of this issues than the guys who lived in castles...
@melvlee said:
"I don't follow football/soccer but this a likeable little set that would sell well massively well to Barcelona Lego fans and Barcelona fans in general (taken together, there must be millions) if Lego would do the decent thing and release as a standalone set rather than forcefully linking it to the purchase of a massive, expensive and rather boring (IMHO) stadium set that doesn't come with any minifig Barca fans of its own! I can also easily imagine this set being used for little "Las Ramblas" vignettes. "
Think about it like this: I have no interest in repetitive builds that aren't minifig scale, but bought it anyway because I want this set. I'll either resell the stadium, or at 6ct/p use it as a giant parts pack.
Either way, Lego makes more money than if they sold me a 30 euro set, that i'd buy discounted through a retailer.
@DavidBrick said:
" @nineteenseventyfour said:
"There are most likely way more hooligans than fans in wheelchairs. Will TLG include them also?
Soccer, at least in some countries, are pretty well tied up in a bunch of negative things. Violence, white supremacy, racism, wasting tons of public resources, and anti LGBT+/- ..
"
You just explained every sport in every country.
"
Yeah, those rabid curling followers in Liechtenstein are really something!
Lol, what planet do you live on mate?
@nineteenseventyfour said:
"There are most likely way more hooligans than fans in wheelchairs. Will TLG include them also?
Soccer, at least in some countries, are pretty well tied up in a bunch of negative things. Violence, white supremacy, racism, wasting tons of public resources, and anti LGBT+/- ..
How does that square with TLG's new image?
Decent floor for a castle though"
Football / Soccer is just an immensely popular sport in most European countries, and inevitably there will be a couple of people behaving badly, who through their acts manage to get a fair amount of media attention.
However, most of the fans are regular people enjoying the sport.
Ok, as an El Madritista, I am now waiting for Estadio Santiago Bernabeu...That would have been fair! I do not want Camp Nou :P...Unless LEGO is waiting for Bernabeu to be finished (big extension and rebuild project underway) and then will present the set. I would be delighted!
I could see this as a Barcelona LEGO store exclusive. They should make little sets like these for all of the LEGO stores in Spain based on their local football team. Although Madrid may have to decide between Atletico and Real Madrid.
@Jotahesse1 said:
"I could see this as a Barcelona LEGO store exclusive. They should make little sets like these for all of the LEGO stores in Spain based on their local football team. Although Madrid may have to decide between Atletico and Real Madrid."
So you'd like there to be 20 regional exclusive sets sold solely in Spain?
I can envision no one on Brickset having a problem with that.
Carry on.
Anyone not receive this with their order? Or is it being delivered separately from the stadium? I've never had an order split like this...
@Snazzy101 said:
" @Jotahesse1 said:
"I could see this as a Barcelona LEGO store exclusive. They should make little sets like these for all of the LEGO stores in Spain based on their local football team. Although Madrid may have to decide between Atletico and Real Madrid."
So you'd like there to be 20 regional exclusive sets sold solely in Spain?
I can envision no one on Brickset having a problem with that.
Carry on. "
The rare ones would be the LEGO stores located in cities of relegated teams. Like my hometown of Zaragoza, which used to play for La LIga but is now in Segunda Division.
@morvit said:
"I like how Lego doesn’t create new Castle sets (and when they do through Bricklink, they give it all up to scalpers), but has the resources and determination to create all these stadium sets. I guess there’s a lot of soccer fans looking to build stadiums…"
Cry more, castle ain't coming back