Review: LEGO Toy Story Brickheadz (40553, 40552)

January 26, 2022 | 13

We’re rounding out Brickheadz-palooza with a double review of the upcoming Toy Story Brickheadz – 40552 Buzz Lightyear, and 40553 Woody and Bo Peep!

Following on from Looney Tunes and Stranger Things Brickheadz, February will also see us get all-new Toy Story Brickheadz which is perfect timing considering we’re going to be getting a brand new Buzz Lightyear movie in June, and it’s also refreshing to see LEGO expand the Brickheadz family to now include Toy Story.

The Buzz Lightyear, and Woody & Bo Peep Brickheadz will be available from LEGO.com and your local LEGO store on 1 February 2022, so let’s jump straight into this double review!

Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review

40552 Buzz Lightyear Set Details

Name: Buzz Lightyear
Set Number: 40552
Pieces: 114
Price: AU$15.99 | US$9.99 | £9.99 – Buy from LEGO.com [US] [AUS] [UK]
Exclusive to: LEGO.com, LEGO Brand Retail Stores
Theme: Brickheadz / Toy Story
Release Date: 1 February 2022

40553 Woody & Bo Peep Set Details

Name: Woody & Bo Peep
Set Number: 40553
Pieces: 296
Price: AU$29.99 | US$19.99 | £17.99 – Buy from LEGO.com [US] [AUS] [UK]
Exclusive to: LEGO.com, LEGO Brand Retail Stores
Theme: Brickheadz / Toy Story
Release Date: 1 February 2022

First up, we take a look at Buzz Lightyear – Star Command’s finest astronaut and space explorer who makes his debut in Brickheadz form!

The first thing that strikes you is the excellent use of colours with Buzz’s iconic purple, lime green, and white making it feel right instantly.

Buzz Lightyear’s impressive wingspan are on full display, outstretched so he can fall in style.

This is a new Brickheadz thing, but apart from the usual pink brains, Buzz also has these blue canisters on the inside of his body. There’s this strange new trend where the designers are hiding fun little objects inside some of the bodies, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.

Update: And these are meant to be batteries! Thanks to everyone who pointed them out!

Here’s a look at Buzz Lightyear’s buttons, and the Star Command logo, printed on a 1×4 tile on the front.

Those aren’t the only printed elements as the red and white strips on Buzz’s wings are also printed on wedges, which is another nice touch. I also like the round tile on the sides of Buzz’s head, as well as the slight variations on Buzz’s arms – his left has a red laser as you might expect!

And here’s a look at the back, which gives you a better view of his jetpack. Unfortunately, the wings don’t deploy like in the movies (how cool would that be), but they can swivel slightly via the clips, giving it some small amount of articulation.

And here’s a comparison with the Buzz Lightyear Minifigure from LEGO Disney Minifigures Series 1!

Up next we have the 40553 Woody and Bo Peep, which come in a two-pack! Like Buzz Lightyear, the poppy and bright colours instantly grab you, and both Woody and Bo Peep are among some of the best Brickheadz ever produced, and I had a blast building them.

Bo Peep in particular had an outstanding build experience – every time I thought we were done, there were plenty of amazing details like her bow, cape, and hair that just kept on going.

Let’s take a look at Sheriff Woody, which starts of the build, Andy’s favourite toy who is also a little jealous and insecure. Woody’s colours are spot on, and there are cool little flourishes hidden throughout.

But before that, let’s peer inside – he has these bits of popcorn or cloud on the inside of his body. Very, very strange and they sorta rattle around if you shake him.

Update: Looks like these are meant to be cotton stuffing, as Woody’s a doll. Thanks everyone for pointing it out!

Woody has a very attractive printed tile for his torso, with his cow-patterned vest, and shiny Sheriff star buttoned on his breast. The tile is wonderfully designed, and brings the Brickheadz to life in the most accurate way.

Another really neat design technique is the use of a drum-lacquered gold tile, sandwiched in between his pants and upper torso, for his shiny belt buckle.

On the other side, his tiny stubby little hands clutches a lasso, which is just the cutest thing ever. I also like the use of tiles on the front of his face for his hair that peeps out from under his cowboy hat.

Here, you can also see his holster which is fastened to his blue pants.

Here, you can see that pearl gold clips are used to great effect for the spurs of his cowboy boots, and there’s even a red scarf that’s placed between his head and torso.

And last but not least, there’s also a ring on his back, which in the movies, you can pull to make Woody repeat some voice lines.

His Cowbow Hat is the focal point of the Brickheadz, and is satisfyingly wide. It’s placed on an angle, which makes it more interesting visually.

Here’s how the hat is fastened to his head… Brickheadz have always had pink 2×2 brains on the inside… and it makes me slightly uncomfortable that parts of Woody’s brain are exposed under his Cowboy Hat. That can’t feel good.

And here’s a look at how the Woody Brickheadz compares against the Woody Minifigure!

Last but not least we have Bo Peep, which has just become one of my favourite Brickheadz ever. The design techniques employed here are just outstanding, and there’s so much to love.

This version of Bo Peep is from Toy Story 4, where she’s no longer the dainty shepherd, but has ninja-like skills, as she’s forced to fend for herself after being abandoned.

She has a printed tile on the front of her torso, as well as a magenta butt flower, as well as a pink belt going across her waist.

I always like it when Brickheadz have little accessories, and Bo Peep comes with her trademark blue shepherd’s rod, which she wields with deadly accuracy.

The detailing and build techniques used for Bo Peep’s hair are sublime, from her bulbous fringe, to the layers on the back – it’s one of the most impressive Brickheadz hairstyles yet, and as if that wasn’t enough, she also comes with a large pink bow, that stretches across her head.

I also really like her purple cape, which ties the entire Brickheadz together, making for a super satisfying build, and an even better display model.

Here’s how she compares against a Bo Peep minifigure from the Toy Story 4 theme.

I really like Toy Story (who doesn’t), and am incredibly pleased that we finally have Toy Story Brickheadz, and these are some of the most exciting and incredibly well-designed Brickheadz we’ve seen yet.

What I liked:

• Bo Peep is outstanding in every way
• Great printed elements across all 3 Brickheadz
• Buzz Lightyear’s wings are neat
• Bo Peep is one of my favourite Brickheadz of all time

What I didn’t like: 

• I wonder if this had been better as a 3-pack
• Nothing much at all!

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Toy Story makes perfect sense for the Brickheadz line – the bright colours, and humanoid colours translate very well into the Brickheadz form factor, and Woody, Buzz and Bo Peep are childhood staples and icons of the animated movie scene, with a massive fanbase that will no doubt be excited to see these.

I had a really fun time building all 3 of these Brickheadz, in a week where I’ve been reviewing Brickheadz non-stop, and LEGO have truly saved the best for last. There are some superb techniques on show for each Brickheadz, and each have nailed the unique look of their on-screen counterparts.

The colours are bright, vibrant, and because of Buzz’s wings, Woody’s hat, and Bo Peep’s everything, these are sure to stand out amongst your Brickheadz collection, or Toy Story merchandise or paraphernalia.

These are some of the finest Brickheadz yet, and I highly recommend picking them up when they launch on 1 February 2022.

Rating and score: 4/5 ★★★★✰

Build [5] – Really fresh, modern and clever techniques used for all 3 Brickheadz
Real Value [4] – Printed elements are present, and these Brickheadz feel quite substantial
Innovation [4] – Great techniques, and I also love the way they’re brought to life.
Coolness [4] – Who doesn’t love Toy Story? These will be great to display on their own, or alongside other Brickheadz
Keepability [4] – These are classic Pixar characters, and will retain their value quite well.

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this review of the Toy Story Brickheadz!

40552 Buzz Lightyear, and 40553 Woody & Bo Peep will be available from LEGO.com and your local LEGO store on 1 February 2022.

In case you missed any previous February 2022 Brickheadz releases, check out some of my recent Brickheadz reviews!

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Special thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review.