Blocks is reviewing LEGO 40640 Nutcracker to see if it’s as sweet as a Sugar Plum Fairy for your LEGO Christmas display…
Cast under a magical spell to come to life, only to be whisked away to fight the evil Rat King, the nutcracker has become a classic Christmas tale. When it originally debuted in 1892 it was met with harsh criticism, yet now it’s hard to imagine the winter months without the classic waltzes from this iconic ballet. As the latest LEGO rendition of a nutcracker, how does 40640 compare?
40640 Nutcracker set details
| Price | £10.99 / $12.99 / €12.99 |
| Minifigures | 0 |
| Pieces | 208 |
Building this nutcracker is like making a cake. Most of the torso is built upwards in alternating layers of bricks and plates, with the classic combination of reds and golds really giving the figure a very festive appearance. It’s certainly an improvement over the 2017 version (40254 Nutcracker), with much more attention to detail.
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Various curved tiles make the flowing lines of the coat, while 1×2 angled plates work effectively as little lapels. Using Technic tubes for the arms does look a little disproportionate, though the wheel pieces as ruffles looks amazing. Another really nice detail are the chains looping around the hat. They are fiddly to get at the right angle and tension, but the finished result is worth the effort.
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As a little holiday LEGO set, 40640 Nutcracker is perfect for building with a nice mug of hot chocolate. Just don’t mix hazelnuts with ABS plastic – this nutcracker is for display purposes only!
SCORE: 53/100
VERDICT: A very sweet version of a nutcracker that is much more charming than previous iterations.