Review: 40640 LEGO Nutcracker

August 28, 2023 | 1

It’s nearing September which means very soon, you’ll start seeing Christmas ornaments and decorations mushroom all over your local shopping malls and department stores.

LEGO will also begin selling their seasonal Christmas sets from 1 September 2023, with Advent Calendars, and a cute brick-built 40640 LEGO Nutcracker becoming available.

40640 LEGO Nutcracker is part of LEGO’s Iconic theme, which means that it’s only available from LEGO.com and LEGO Stores (you can usually identify Iconic sets from the stud and tile strips on the box).

While it’s too early to truly get into the festive season, it’s not too early for a quick preview of this delightfully charming two-in-one LEGO Nutcracker that is one of the stars of the 2023 LEGO Seasonal lineup.

Special thanks to LEGO for sending this set for this review!

40640 LEGO Nutcracker Set Details

Name: LEGO Nutcracker
Set Number: 40640
Pieces: 208
Price: US$12.99 / AU$19.99 / £10.49 / €12.99 / CAD$16.99
Exclusive to: LEGO.com / LEGO Stores
Theme: Iconic / Seasonal
LEGO Designer: TBD
Release Date: 1 September 2023

LEGO Iconic sets usually provide quick and accessible builds, and this one is no exception to the rule. There are no stickers in this set, which is always welcome, and also means that the LEGO elements need to do the heavy lifting when it comes to decorations.

LEGO has a long and storied history with Nutcrackers with GWPs (40254 Nutcracker), Brickheadz (40425 Nutcracker), and even an LEGO Employee Exclusive (4002017 Nutcracker), and even a Collectible Minifigure (Series 23’s Nutcracker), but 40640 LEGO Nutcracker is the first working buildable version that you can easily purchase, which makes this a win for fans of this traditional German doll.

The Nutcracker was a really nice build, with fantastic sculpting and clever use of elements despite the relatively low-piece count.

The techniques used to shape the face, hair and in particular the nose and eyebrows are top-tier, accurately bringing the Nutcracker’s iconic features to life in a very LEGO way.

I also really like the simple yet effective construction of the Nutcracker’s toy soldier’s hat, which can also be removed if you wish.

The Nutcracker’s most defining feature, its mouth complete with movable jaw to crack open nuts is rendered quite nicely here, and I particularly like the overly happy expression!

Here’s a look at the Nutcracker from the side and back, which gives you a better look at the white lever that’s used to crush nuts.

And yes, the function works exactly as intended. Just don’t use it to crack any actual nuts. Maybe a small peanut might work.

To add an extra bit of customisability, LEGO have also included an alternate design, where you can alter the Nutcracker’s face and head to change up the look.

It’s a small but welcome cosmetic change that injects a bit more value into the build, and gives it some degree of customisation which I do appreciate.

Here’s a closer look at the face.

What I liked:

• An attractive seasonal Christmas build that won’t break the bank
• Makes for a great display model
• Working functions and customisable face

What I didn’t like: 

• Hard to find if you don’t order online or have a LEGO store nearby

FINAL THOUGHTS:

For Christmas-themed seasonal sets, 40640 LEGO Nutcracker is definitely one of the more memorable ones and I’m really glad to see LEGO leaning into more traditional holiday designs, as opposed to animal and snowy-type builds we’ve had in previous years.

The festive traditional Nutcracker is a familiar sight for many and such an enduring symbol of Christmas that it makes a lot of sense for LEGO to revisit at this scale.

As a display piece, this is really quite solid and its dimunitive size and relatively affordable pricetag makes this a fun set to build and display, especially if you enjoy decorating your home in the leadup to Christmas.

The colours and vibrant, and the function makes this more than just a Nutcracker statue and this is just a well-executed seasonal LEGO set that I think will appeal to a wide range of people, and also work as an inexpensive Christmas gift for LEGO-loving people in your life.

Rating and score: 4/5 ★★★★✰

Build [4] – Very enjoyable build with some clever techniques
Real Value [4] – At US$12.99, this is great value and makes for an inexpensive gift or impulse build
Innovation [3] – Not the first LEGO Nutcracker, but the inclusion of the playable function makes this one standout
Coolness [4] – I really like the return to more traditional Christmas builds
Keepability [4] – An excellent and easy set to display and decorate your home with

Thanks SO much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this early look at 40640 LEGO Nutcracker!

40640 LEGO Nutcracker will be exclusively available from LEGO.com or your local LEGO store from 1 September 2023.

I’d love to know what you think of the LEGO Nutcracker and whether you’ll be incorporating this set into your LEGO Christmas decorations this year?

Special thanks to LEGO for sending this set over for an early review!

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