The idea for the #21316 LEGO Ideas The Flintstones set was originally designed and submitted to LEGO Ideas by LEGO fan Andrew Clark back in 2017. The project got 10,000 supporters in little over a year, and was selected to become the next official LEGO Ideas set towards the end of last year (you can read more about the designer and the original project via the links at the end of this post). Now that the official LEGO set is finally released, let’s take a closer look! 🙂
➡ LEGO THE FLINTSTONES – BOX & INSTRUCTIONS: The first thing you will notice about this set is that the box is much larger then most sets in the LEGO Ideas collection. It still opens with a flip-up lid like other LEGO Ideas sets, but it’s deeper and longer than usual (box dimensions are about 13.75 x 7.5 x 4.5 inches). The instruction booklet is 180 pages, and includes some information about the fan designer Andrew Clark, LEGO Designer Ricardo Silva and LEGO Graphic Designer Crystal Fontan, as well as some fun facts about The Flintstones TV show.
➡ LEGO THE FLINTSTONES – THE FAMILY CAR: The building instructions start out by building The Flintstones’ family car, along with the giant dinosaur rib. The car has a very sturdy LEGO Technic frame, rolling wheels, and a foldable roof (so the minifigs can be placed inside easily). This vehicle is definitely strong enough for play, it looks good, and is instantly recognizable. In addition, you can attach the rib to the side and tilt the car – a fun reference to the TV show. On the negative side, the car feels oversized, you can’t pack items on top of the roof like in the original LEGO Ideas submission (where the roof was brick-built), and the minifigs simply sit in the car instead of propelling it with their feet. In summary, I feel the design of the car is fine. I actually prefer the cloth roof, although it bothers me how large the vehicle is compared to the minifigs, and the fact that the minifigs can’t put their legs through the frame (to be fair, this feature was missing from the original submission too).
➡ LEGO THE FLINTSTONES – HOME EXTERIOR: The Flintstones house is the main feature of this set. It is quite an involved build, with lots of tiles and plates, and some sideways building techniques. It’s a good building experience. As you can see on the pictures, the back is open, the roof removable, and the floor can be opened up for some extra space inside. Compared to the original submission and the house in the TV show, I don’t like the flatness of the front wall and the smoothness of the roof. The wall could be fixed to some extent by incorporating some sideways facing tiles and plates attached with 1×1 and 1×2 bricks with studs on their sides. And the roof could use some extra studs as well to mimic the roughness of stone. The chimney is great, but again, it feels a bit too smooth, and a few exposed studs could improve the look in my opinion.
➡ LEGO THE FLINTSTONES – HOME INTERIOR: Just like in the original submission, the interior is packed with furniture, appliances, and accessories. There is a white sofa, a TV featuring missing Dino in the news, kitchen sink, side table with phone, fireplace, painting on the wall, a (cloud shaped!) coffee table with fruit bowl and fruits, floor lamp, and more. The television and the prehistoric phone are particularly fun. Unfortunately, the bird-operated record player was not included, and the bone curtain rods were replaced with plain rods. On the plus side, all the decorations you see are printed, including the tiger-striped orange curtains (could be useful for custom builds).
➡ LEGO THE FLINTSTONES – HOME LANDSCAPING: Both in the original LEGO Ideas submission and in the official LEGO set, there is a little bit of landscaping around the house. This adds a bit of contrast to the harsh features of the stone, and some color to the otherwise mostly gray set. I especially like the coconut palm tree with some hanging coconuts and the flowerpots with lavender colored flowers at the front.
➡ LEGO THE FLINTSTONES – OTHER ACCESSORIES: There are some additional accessories included with the set. The mailbox (with Flintstone print), and a crate with a bowling ball and 3 bowling pins. Unfortunately, the “Welcome to Bedrock” sign, and the brick-built driveway was taken out from the original design. These added some extra visual interest and more landscaping to the set. I guess the LEGO designer was not able to fit them in due to part-count and price limitations.
➡ LEGO THE FLINTSTONES – MINIFIGURES: The set includes four characters from The Flintstones cartoon: Fred Flintstone, Wilma Flintstone, Barney Rubble and Betty Rubble. To the dismay of many LEGO fans, Pebbles Flintstone, Bamm Bamm Rubble, and Dino were taken out from the original submission. The minifigures that are included also have issues. Barney was made the same height as the other characters, which is a baffling decision, given that Barney’s shortness is important in the story. Also, the faces of the minifigures are almost unrecognizable as The Flintstones. The face printings in the original submission were so much better in the opinion of many LEGO fans. On the positive side, the design of the clothes, and the hairstyle choices and colors are well done.
➡ LEGO THE FLINTSTONES – PARTS SELECTIONS: Besides the printed pieces and the teal brick-separator, there aren’t any unique parts in this set. There is a decent selection of small tiles (some of the most noteworthy ones are nineteen 1×1 round tiles, twenty-four 1×1 half round tiles, eight 1×1 quarter round tiles, and seventeen 2×2 round tiles – all in light-gray). I wouldn’t consider this set a good parts pack unless you can find it well below the retail price.
In summary, I would say that this set has both plusses and minutes. Some of the features that I didn’t like (the house having too plain and straight walls, the car being too big, missing accessories, etc.) could be rectified with some customization, however the face printing of the minifigures, the missing children, and missing Dino isn’t something an average LEGO fan could easily fix. With licensed sets like this one, it is very important that all the major characters are presents and well done. Otherwise, the set may not be worth the price. On the plus side, the set is solidly built, looks good in general, and the building experience is enjoyable. If the issues mentioned above don’t bother you, it could make a great play set or display piece. The price is 8 cents per piece, which is good. In the player below, I have included JANGBRiCKS’ full review, speed-build video, and preview, so you can hear another opinion and decide for yourself.
Here is the official description of the set for your reference: Enjoy modern Stone Age suburban life in Bedrock with the #21316 LEGO Ideas The Flintstones collectible set! A wonderfully nostalgic building toy, it features The Flintstones house and their iconic family car. The detailed house has a removable roof for easy play, an opening front door, sofa, TV, coffee table, bowling ball and bowling pin elements, plus a green garden baseplate with a buildable palm tree. Build your own Flintstones vehicle that seats four minifigures and features a fabric car roof, and an attachable dinosaur rib for creative play. The first animated TV series ever to be aired in a prime-time slot, The Flintstones cartoon was first broadcast in America in 1960 and has become an enduring family favorite around the world. Recreate hilarious scenes with the included cartoon character minifigures of Fred Flintstone, wife Wilma Flintstone and their friends Barney and Betty Rubble, or simply build and display this instant classic LEGO Ideas model. The Flintstones Bedrock home measures over 4” (12cm) high, 6” (16cm) wide and 4” (12cm) deep. The Flintstones car measures over 2” (6cm) high, 4” (11cm) long and 2” (7cm) wide. 748 pieces. Price: $59.99 – BUY HERE
What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Ideas The Flintstones set? And how do you think it compares to the original LEGO Ideas submission? Are you planning to purchase the set? Or do you already have it? Did you build it yet? Feel free to share your thoughts and own reviews in the comment section below! 😉
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