LEGO Disney Villain Icons Brings Some Old School Nostalgic Feels

Disney display or Disney dismay?

LEGO have once again come together to make a Disney set that classic Disney fans would whet their whistle over. But before we run bounding to the stores to get the set, is it worth it?

Four new figures with (mostly) one raised eyebrow. A gimmick to hide them away in the model and a high expectation from Disney lovers alike? How will it hold up? Read on!

LEGO® Disney™ Villain Icons (43227)
RRP AUD $209.99 – CA $169.99 – EUR €139.99 – UK £124.99 – USA $129.99
1540 pieces
Available from LEGO.com and LEGO Stores from 1st June 2023.

Snow White

The Minifigure we get for Snow White is none other than the Evil Queen’s disguise as the crooked hag. This is the character that offers the iconic poisoned apple, and justly so comes with an apple accessory. Out of all the accessories that this set comes with, I think this would have to be the most impressive. The shaping, colours and details all are immaculate strengths of this part of the set.

Alice in Wonderland & Captain Hook

Alice in Wonderland is represented by a playing card of the Queen of Hearts, who is currently available from the Disney CMF line. Oddly enough, I think she looks better here in her card form than the CMF face printing, but that’s just me. I also like that her card has the Q details on separate tiles, so you could technically make your own card.

The stopwatch represents Peter Pan/Captain Hook, no doubt a reference to the Tick-Tock Croc. The front details of the watch represent the scene where Peter takes the children to Neverland, and the reverse is a DOTS version of Hook’s hook. I feel like the DOTS pattern is a bit of a cop-out, as we get something very similar in an upcoming set.

Beauty and the Beast

With this being the only book included in the set, I’m glad that Beauty and the Beast gets some extra details put in. The spine printing is fantastic, and the hidden compartment with the rose is also a nice touch. There is a small drawer at the base to be able to hide Gaston away, but as I said before, it’s a bit gimmicky.

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid is represented with a very nostalgic VHS tape, taking me right back to my childhood. The details put in to make sure the shapes are just right have been executed perfectly. I even love the flap at the top. Speaking of, we get a small strip of the plot of The Little Mermaid in these small decals, and it is a nice nostalgic touch to the set.

With the size of the VHS tape that we get for The Little Mermaid, I’m genuinely surprised we didn’t get an Ursula figure in this set. This is the only large build of this set that doesn’t have a corresponding villain. Maybe this is because of the other Little Mermaid set coming out this year? Hmmm.

Sleeping Beauty

Don’t be deceived! This is not a book! This is a VHS tape box!

I really do love the printed tile that comes on the front of the VHS box for Sleeping Beauty. But it does make me wish that it would have been more movie-accurate. Don’t get me wrong, I love this take on the box art and colour palette, but it feels like a missed opportunity for Disney “ICONS”.

Maleficent is also able to tuck and hide away in a green box lair inside the VHS. No Movie inside? How Evil!

Aladdin

Lastly is the villain Jafar, making his first appearance in LEGO form as the Genie from the end of the original film (we don’t count the sequel, it never existed!). Jafar’s VHS box follows the exact same format as Maleficent, however, it has the Sleeping Beauty book permanently affixed to the side of it.

One of the first things I noticed was how striking the colour palette was, and it does a fantastic job of setting the tone for the villain.

The thing that unfortunately lets this part of the set down is how overly functional it is. This is the base for all the Icons, and as such, the VHS tape attaches to the book using some glaringly obvious ball joints. When attached, you don’t notice them, but when detached… you see them.

Verdict

The Disney Villain Icons set is a must-have for any Disney collector that wants something to sit nicely on the shelf and breathe nostalgia.

But the set is not without some faults. I love the Minifigures for the set, but having them hide away in the model is incredibly gimmicky. I would have preferred something like the Hogwarts Icons, which had a stand for the figures. This way of doing it makes it either so you don’t have the figures on display, or no stand for them when you do.

Taking out this aspect of it would have saved parts, and by extension, money, but hey, I can’t fault them for being innovative, right?

The set is very much an art piece for the shelf – nothing more to it than that. Take that how you will.