LEGO Vincent van Gogh - The Starry Night 21333 Review

If you're a fan of the LEGO Ideas range, then the chances are you will have already heard about the latest LEGO The Starry Night set, and the chances are you'll already be excited about it!  And since, at the time of writing this, the set is already live, some of you might already have it waiting for you to build this weekend.

Well, to either whet your appetites for what's to come or introduce you to a whole new set you hadn't realized was being released, we've put together this 21333 Starry Night review so you can learn everything there is to know about it!

People also read: How To Quickly Add Lights To The Starry Night Lego 21333

Briksmax Light Kit For Vincent van Gogh - The Starry Night 21333

Set Details

LEGO set number 21333 brings us a 3D LEGO recreation of the infamous painting 'The Starry Night' by Vincent van Gogh over its 2316 pieces, and you actually create a version of the post-impressionist style night sky that van Gogh must have looked upon when he painted the original piece from the French Asylum he admitted himself to in December 1888.

This set is actually available right now - released on June 1st 2022 - so you can have your very own version of The Starry Night in LEGO form. And as with most things, the brick version of this stunning painting takes your breath away just as much as the real thing. The colors, mood, and dramatic brush strokes are all captured in the placement of the bricks, and the set feels as alive as the real thing.

Included in the set is a minifigure of Vincent van Gogh himself, painting the night sky that you've created, and for LEGO to have captured that moment in time is special. This LEGO set is more than a display piece, it's art and it's history combined, as you not only create the painting yourself, but capture a moment in time that gives you a direct window into the past. If that's not special, we don't know what is.

light up LEGO 21333 VINCENT VAN GOGH: THE STARRY NIGHT

Price

As with everything, though, the price matters, and if the price isn't right, then the chances of people seeing it as 'worth it' are seriously diminished. Thankfully, LEGO gets the price right with this one.

Yes, the price right now is $169.99, which is an enormous investment, we agree, but when you consider that you're getting 2316 bricks and a minifigure for this price, you're actually only spending just over 7 cents a brick. We really think that if you're spending 10 cents or more on a brick, then the set is a little overpriced, but The Starry Night set on offer here falls well below that 10 cents barrier.

But more than that, you have to consider that this LEGO Ideas set is intended to be a display piece of LEGO art, something that you can show off proudly to friends and family in any room of the house, so the price here is more than reasonable when you consider what you get for your money.

Any LEGO Ideas review will need to take into consideration the use of the set, and this set is about as useful as they come. If you're a fan of the LEGO Ideas sets more generally, then you'll LOVE this one!

LEGO 21333 VINCENT VAN GOGH: THE STARRY NIGHT wall art

Building Experience

Do you like feeling like you're creating your very own piece of art? If so, then this set is perfect, because that's exactly what it feels like when you're building this set.

The bright colors, the moody atmosphere - everything that makes this painting so famous is on offer here, and it puts you in the driver's seat as you create it for yourself.

Can anybody recreate the feeling of being a painter extraordinaire like van Gogh? Probably not, but LEGO comes close with this one and the building is as satisfying as any more mainstream set. Perhaps even more so because the end result is that much more aesthetically pleasing...

LEGO 21333 VINCENT VAN GOGH: THE STARRY NIGHT review

But if there's one thing we have to warn you about, it's that the build is complex here, and maybe you'd expect it to be given the subject matter, but it certainly took us by surprise.

Of course, LEGO provides their usual, detailed, easy to follow instructions, but for this set especially you'll need to stick to them like glue. We know, as LEGO fanatics, you'll probably cut corners with more typical sets because you can see where it's heading, but on this one you can't get away with it. Cut a corner here, and you'll end up tearing down the build part way through and starting over.

But if you stick to the instructions and remember to have fun, you'll find this build to be a pleasant one.

build LEGO 21333 VINCENT VAN GOGH: THE STARRY NIGHT

Minifigure Deep Dive

We're not sure why, but even the one minifigure here really surprised us - in the best possible way. After all, in most LEGO Ideas reviews you'll not find a minifigure at all, so to find a Vincent van Gogh minifigure here is a genuinely surprising, but amazing thing. And honestly? After seeing his inclusion, we'd argue the set would have felt incomplete without him!

The details on offer here are second to none, with the printing on the minifigure's arms and legs being especially noteworthy, helping to breathe life into the painter behind the painting. He also comes complete with a paintbrush and palette for his hands, and an easel with a mini canvas of The Starry Night printed on to the tile (and the effect is impressive).

LEGO 21333 VINCENT VAN GOGH minifigure

But more than the look and the accessories, it's the way you can display this van Gogh minifigure that makes it even more special. The platform on which you can stand him with his easel and accessories close by makes it look as though he is looking at the night sky you created.

This makes the set more displayable, but it is also adds a touch of the story behind The Starry Night and we commend LEGO for including this detail because it makes the build that much more satisfying.

The Goods

To help roundup, let's look at some of the good and bad points of the set, before we give a final verdict:

  • The use of color in this set really is impressive - never is LEGO better than when they're combining bricks in creative ways, and this set needs it more than most, but LEGO nail it here and it makes the finished look of the set something that's truly fun.
  • The van Gogh exclusive minifigure - it's safe to say that there won't be another van Gogh minifigure any time soon (and, if we're being honest, ever again) so the fact that this one is so detailed feels special. It looks amazing, and it's another piece of The Starry Night's story.
  • The build is fun - despite its complexity, building this set is a lot of fun and the end result is so satisfying that it makes every one of the complicated steps worth it!
  • Display ready - we love this set for its display-ability, and it's so obvious that it's intended as a display piece that you can't complain about the lack of playability either - it's designed for a job, and it does it perfectly.
  • Window into the past - recreating a moment in history like this one is something unique that LEGO can do, and we hope to see more of it in the future from the LEGO Ideas range moving forward.

The Bads

There aren't a lot of things we dislike about this set, but it's not perfect, of course:

  • The complexity of the build can feel overwhelming - at times, the instructions can feel like they're getting on top of you, and breaks might be needed before you finish just to keep calm!
  • Could the minifigure be better integrated? - this is more of a question than a bad point. We like the minifigure as it is, but we definitely understand why some might feel it's a little disconnected from the rest of the set.

The Verdict

You've probably already guessed where this is going, because we've struggled to find any bad points about this set throughout, so our verdict is an inevitable conclusion in many ways. We LOVE this set! We think it's exciting, innovative, beautiful to look at and fun to build, and honestly you can't ask for more than that from a set!

If you're sitting on the fence about the LEGO Vincent van Gogh 21333 'The Starry Night' set, then get off it and it buy it as soon as you're able (or wait for the price to reduce), because trust us, this is a must for any LEGO Ideas fan or LEGO fan more generally!

Starry Nights Need Lights, Right?

As much as there is plenty of life and motion in this set, there can always be more, right? And that's where we here at Lightailing come into the equation!

If you want to breathe even more life into this special set, then lights can make a real difference to the movement, color, and brightness that's already present. So why not head to our Accessories page where you can create your very own LEGO The Starry Night 21333 Light Kit, or else keep checking out our store. Who knows, maybe we'll release a light kit of our own for this set...

LEGO Vincent van Gogh - The Starry Night 21333 light kit

The Starry Night painting is so famous because it stands out from all other paintings - it's truly unique. Making your LEGO 21333 set even more unique makes sense, then, and by using our light kits, you can make your The Starry Night set one of a kind!
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