‘Twilight’ Lego set hands-on: Is the over-$200 replica worth it?

I’ve one thing to confess upfront earlier than we get into this. And do not come for me within the feedback, please.

I’ve solely seen the primary Twilight movie, so I can not actually say that I am a real fan. For what it is price, I actually loved that film. Particularly that scene the place Bella struggles to use a ketchup bottle.

“Effectively, then, why’d you spend $220 on the Twilight Cullen Home Lego set, Dylan?” you are most likely saying to your self. It is easy: My spouse is a Twilight superfan, and I believed it might be numerous enjoyable for the each of us to undertake the huge, 2,000-plus-piece duplicate of the Cullen’s fashionable forest mansion that Lego released in mid-February. Now, that is fairly the chunk of change for a field of plastic bricks, however as we constructed the three-story behemoth, we rapidly realized that we had been getting far more out of the expertise than simply our cash’s price.

After nearly a month of ready since we positioned our preorder, our long-awaited cargo arrived at our door. I shook the field simply to make certain, and from the sound of it, there have been undoubtedly Lego items in there. We reduce open the package deal and marveled on the set in all its glory, albeit feeling considerably nervous. Had been we able to tackle a venture like this? How lengthy wouldn’t it take? Would Jacob’s minifigure include a pair of ripped denim shorts? We had been going to search out out. We waited till the next weekend so we might have as a lot time as we would have liked, after which started our pre-build preparations.

The field that the set got here in was, not surprisingly, fairly giant. For scale, here is a photograph of my canine sitting subsequent to it:

As you’ll be able to see, the field itself is nearly precisely one Stevie tall, which is fairly rattling large. Upon opening the field, we had been greeted with an entire lot of Lego items (additionally not shocking). Fortunately, the over-2,000-piece set was neatly portioned out into 18 separate baggage, all numbered to coincide with the included booklet’s step-by-step directions. That was an enormous reduction to the 2 of us — we might by no means tackled a Lego set of this dimension earlier than, so we did not know what to anticipate when it got here to the precise means of placing the whole lot collectively. However, it appeared like our palms had been going to be held all the best way to the end line. Splitting every part up into manageable and comprehensible chunks saved us from feeling overwhelmed by the ocean of coloured plastic that was strewn throughout our kitchen desk.

The workspace.
Credit score: Dylan Haas / Mashable

A number of hours later…
Credit score: Dylan Haas / Mashable

We rigorously opened the primary bag that Lego kindly meal-prepped for us, which included a brick removing instrument in case we made any errors and a sheet of stickers that may be used on particular items all through the method. We emptied out the items from the primary group and began making our means by the directions, which kicked issues off with Charlie Swan’s truck. It was a breeze to place collectively, because of the easy-to-follow directions, and regarded nice when it was completed. It even has working wheels!

Then, it was time to maneuver on to the home, which acquired a bit extra difficult. The directions had been nonetheless simply as easy, however our technique of dumping all of the bricks from every bag onto the desk wasn’t working anymore. Too lots of them regarded alike, and it could take us minutes simply to search out the one half we would have liked. The small moments of panic that may set in every time it appeared like we had been lacking a chunk weren’t enjoyable, both. We by no means had been, and every bag had some extras in it simply in case one thing did vanish into the void.

One thing tells me that lots of people can be pleased with the inclusion of Bella’s dad.
Credit score: Dylan Haas / Mashable

So, we modified our plan of assault. Going ahead, each time we opened a brand new bag, we might rigorously sift and type by every plastic piece, grouping them with their equivalent cohorts. This manner, we might know precisely the place the whole lot was and what number of of every piece we had always. As soon as we acquired the hold of our new recreation plan, we began zooming by the remainder of the set. (Effectively, comparatively zooming. It nonetheless took us about eight hours to finish from begin to end.)

We had been a well-oiled machine, rapidly glancing forwards and backwards between the instruction booklet and the miniature Cullen family, including to it every time. We labored on completely different sections concurrently and with finesse as if we might been doing it our complete lives. We had been formally in The Circulate State™. Is that this what Lego hobbyists felt like on a regular basis?

Brick by brick, flooring by flooring.
Credit score: Dylan Haas / Mashable

We constructed the compound actually from the bottom up, ranging from the muse all the best way to the third flooring. As we constructed, we had been continuously impressed by the sheer element that went into the objects on every flooring of the home — stuff you would not see until you opened the entire thing up and inspected it intently, just like the Cullen’s wall of commencement caps or their grand piano. These objects require you to be a bit extra surgical whereas constructing because of their small items, however the result’s tremendous rewarding.

Part of the constructing expertise that I personally cherished was the stress of not at all times realizing what you had been constructing straight away. The directions are cautious to not spoil the top product earlier than you get there your self, so numerous instances, you are observing a wierd grouping of bricks, questioning whether it is, in truth, something in any respect. It is a fantastic train in relinquishing management and trusting the method, which might get particularly difficult when it looks like no matter you are constructing simply is not coming collectively. It at all times got here collectively, although. I really feel like there is a life lesson someplace in that.

“You higher maintain on tight, spider monkey.”
Credit score: Dylan Haas / Mashable

One other one in every of my favourite particulars is the Cullen’s grand piano.
Credit score: Dylan Haas / Mashable

We saved progressing by the set, finally hitting autopilot. Now, we had been well-versed sufficient to multitask — 50 p.c constructing, and the opposite 50 p.c simply yapping. My spouse would speak me by all of the Twilight film references I did not perceive, and perk up with pleasure every time I used to be capable of name one out myself. It was a pleasure to attach along with her over what Lego detractors would confer with as a youngsters’s toy. It felt nostalgic, like we had been in an easier time. For these subsequent few hours, I wasn’t pondering cynically, which feels wild to say in 2025. I wasn’t occupied with planes falling out of the sky or concerning the dire condition of our political landscape. I used to be solely occupied with how every of those tiny plastic items would snap collectively, how I used to be having fun with high quality time with my favourite particular person, and the way, not less than at this second in time, the whole lot felt prefer it was OK.

Look, I’m not saying that you must bury your head and ignore what’s occurring on the earth — truly, I counsel closely in opposition to that. But when the state of all of it is attending to be overwhelming, perhaps I’m saying that you must choose up a Lego set and simply see what occurs. You is perhaps shocked by how therapeutic it may be.

Earlier than we knew it, we had been placing the ending touches on the set, which concerned making a wolf model of Jacob and the verdant surrounding space of the Cullen abode. We additionally put collectively all the character Minifigures, together with Carlisle, Alice, Rosalie, Charlie, human-form Jacob, and, after all, Bella and Edward. The latter two even got here with an additional piece that allows you to connect Bella to Edward’s again so you’ll be able to completely reenact the long-lasting tree-climbing scene.

The ultimate product.
Credit score: Dylan Haas / Mashable

Lastly, our job was completed. We rigorously lifted the duplicate and positioned it on our bookshelf the place we might recognize its magnificence. We stepped again to benefit from the view, happy with the work we might put into it and feeling unexpectedly reinvigorated. I am not making an attempt to sound dramatic — it isn’t like this Lego set basically modified us as individuals. However, it was a second of respite throughout a time stuffed with uncertainty, and that was sufficient.

If you have not already gleaned that I believe Lego’s Twilight collaboration is completely well worth the cash, contemplate this my affirmation. I am most actually a Lego and a Twilight man now. So, I assume it is time for me to observe the remainder of these films.

And in case you had been nonetheless questioning: No, Jacob’s minifigure didn’t include a pair of ripped denim shorts.