lego ideas 21336 the office 1

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Ideas set 21336 The Office, a box of 1164 pieces which will be available at the public price of €119.99 from October 1, 2022. The announcement of this new box inspired by the idea posted on the LEGO Ideas platform by Jaijai Lewis, had logically divided the fans of LEGO, with on the one hand the unconditional fans of the series who will offer themselves this derivative product to take advantage of the numerous references and minifigs provided and on the other those who will remain indifferent to an open space not very inspired and has a large handful of figurines with banal outfits.

This product is therefore aimed at an audience who will have watched and enjoyed the nine seasons of the American version of the series, and I think that LEGO does not disappoint overall with a major playset and an almost perfect cast despite some architectural shortcuts and some miniatures that would have deserved the extra effort.

Out of context, the subject treated does not a priori have what it takes to offer a high-end assembly "experience", unless you like to build rather crude office furniture on an assembly line and mount a few sections of wall. The premises of the Dunder Mifflin company are nevertheless rather well reproduced here, even if the fans know that a large part of the open space is missing, including the accounting offices, that the conference room has been reduced by half and that the kitchen goes down the drain.

It's hard to blame LEGO, the playset is already very large with a surface of 30 cm long and 25 cm wide and the compromise seems acceptable to me. Unlike other sets inspired by sitcoms, LEGO has chosen not to convert these offices into a film set via the possible addition of a few projectors and that's good. I'm buying Dunder Mifflin corporate offices, not a television studio.

We will especially remember the few good ideas that will eventually allow those who are looking for how to furnish workspaces in their Modulars with for example a very convincing photocopier, rows of books that are easy to reproduce and cluttered desks but of a very simple design and therefore easy to duplicate to possibly complete the playset by adding the missing part of the open space. The slightly corny side of the locals is there, it's in the spirit of the series.

The office floor is exposed studs and some might have preferred a smooth surface. The relative lack of finish is almost justified here by the need to be able to stage the fifteen characters in the different spaces available. I'm not a big fan of this gray stud-based texture, but I can understand the desire to allow fans the freedom to organize their staging without being limited by the number of studs available. I will spare you the list of the various details hidden in or behind some of the office furniture, there is no point in spoiling the best references to the series integrated into the product.

lego ideas 21336 the office 8

lego ideas 21336 the office 9

It's almost unfortunate to have to admit it, the interest of the set lies mainly in the sixty stickers to stick during assembly. Many references are suggested there and it is during the installation of these stickers that we think back to the different scenes evoked or to the emblematic details that all those who have watched the nine seasons have necessarily retained. As usual, I have scanned the sticker sheets delivered in this box, simply hover over the images if you don't want to spoil the pleasure of discovering the many references that are there.

I note in passing that LEGO does not even go to the effort of stamping the telephone keypads or the blinds on the windows of the office, these elements could however be easily used in the future in other boxes. Some of the stickers serve as alternatives to others, such as those that replace the TV in the conference room. the parts necessary for their installation in replacement of other stickers are provided.

In the end, it's during the construction of the playset that you really have to take pleasure in remembering the best moments of the series, the object will then be quickly put away or probably forgotten in a corner. In any case, this is the fate of many products which only have a very limited exposure potential.

LEGO has thought of everything by offering a separate module for Michael Scott's office. Those who are short on space or who only want to display a compact nod to the series will be able to do so without bothering with the rest of the construction.

Regarding the technical details of the product, I note that LEGO still cannot perfectly coordinate the color in Sand green depending on the elements. It is not the only color affected by these variations depending on the parts concerned and I wonder again and again how a manufacturer who has been in this business for 90 years is not able to solve the problem. There must be a lack of will, I see no other explanation.

I'm also a little disappointed by the choice to use a trash can to embody the pot of Chili that Kevin Malone spills on the office carpet. The format is good but the evocation of the scene deserved in my opinion a new dedicated accessory.

lego ideas 21336 the office 10

The endowment of minifigs in this box to the glory of a series with a substantial main cast leaves me a little unsatisfied for two reasons: some outstanding characters are missing and some of these figurines struggle a little to embody the actors concerned. It must be admitted that the various actors involved do not all have a sufficiently particular physique to justify a riot of graphic details but the figurines of Michael Scott, Pam Beesly and Ryan Howard seem to me a little too neutral.

I don't see how it was possible to do better than what is proposed, but the graphic designer was able to perfectly capture the facial expressions of Creed Bratton or Meredith Palmer and there was no doubt something to do the same for Michael Scott with for example his signature grin. We will also remember that there are no small savings for LEGO: Ryan wears the same shirt as Jim and Creed wears the same outfit as Michael...

The rest of the cast is fortunately very successful, thanks in particular to a few perfectly reproduced facial expressions, well-chosen hairstyles and outfits that easily refer to one or more episodes. Special mention for the figurine of Dwight Schrute which seems to me quite simply perfect, even if an alternative expression with the face cut out on the dummy for initiation to first aid techniques would have been really welcome...

United legs for everyone except Pam, nothing shocking about these office outfits, it's fitting with the universe concerned. More annoying, the pad-printed white areas on the dark-tinted parts become bland, a far cry from the promise made on the heavily retouched official visuals.

The absence of Andy Bernard and Erin Hannon also leaves me a little on my hunger, these two characters marked the series and two additional minifigs would not have affected the margin of the manufacturer. Andy's absence is all the more incomprehensible since LEGO has integrated the hole that the character makes in the partition separating Michael's office and the conference room... LEGO will probably never release an extension to this product. and therefore there is no chance of ever enjoying these two characters. The manufacturer may also be missing the opportunity here to offer a reference to the original version of the series with a minifig of Ricky Gervais as David Brent, knowing that the character makes a brief appearance in the American version.

lego ideas 21336 the office 13

As with all the other sets inspired by popular series, this box will therefore only appeal to an audience of fans ready to pay 120 € to afford a decorative playset that is a little bulky and it is not intended to be unanimous. .

Fans of the Friends series were entitled to their derivative products (21319 Central Perk & 10292 F⋅R⋅I⋅E⋅N⋅D⋅S Apartments), those of The Big Bang Theory series (21302 The Big Bang Theory) or Seinfeld (21328 Seinfeld) also, to each his favorite series and derivative products. This tribute to a series that I really appreciate convinced me, I had a lot of fun assembling the floor occupied by the Dunder Mifflin company and even if I don't really know what I will do from the construction to the arrival, I will spend the €120 requested from October 1st. Personally, I wouldn't be against another set inspired by the Park & ​​Recreations series...

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at September 25, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

zelk - Comment posted the 18/09/2022 at 21:12
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