Review: 43217 'Up' House
Posted by CapnRex101,
Pixar films have provided inspiration for various LEGO sets, beginning with Toy Story in 2010 and later encompassing Cars, WALL•E, Brave and The Incredibles. Carl Fredricksen's spectacular home from 'Up' offers superb potential, as an addition to the Pixar selection.
43217 'Up' House looks excellent and accurately recreates the stunning vibrancy of Carl's balloon-borne house. Additionally, the interior is remarkably detailed with references to the film and the characters appear exceptional as well, so every aspect of this set should prove enjoyable!
Summary
43217 'Up' House, 598 pieces.
£49.99 / $59.99 / €54.99 | 8.4p/10.0c/9.2c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Despite the restrictive size, this model looks marvellous, with amazing interior detail
- Impressive for play and display
- Richly detailed interior
- Lovely minifigures
- Affordable price
- Some external inaccuracies
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Converting characters from Pixar movies into minifigures has sometimes proven challenging, as their proportions are often unusual. Carl Fredricksen works perfectly though, especially with his wide head, which is suitable for a minifigure! This character's distinctive glasses, huge eyebrows and perpetually grumpy expression look fantastic, with a friendlier design as the alternative.
Russell, by contrast, features enthusiastic grins on both sides of his head. The new combined hat and hair element looks excellent, while dual-moulded arms and triple-moulded legs are also integrated to great effect. Additionally, the torso is adorned with a variety of Wilderness Explorer badges, although one is noticeably missing, for assisting the elderly.
Carl's torso is similarly detailed, including the memorable Grape Soda badge given to him by his eventual wife, Ellie. This minifigure also comes with a brick-built walking cane. Russell sports an enormous backpack loaded with accessories, although its scale is awkward for a minifigure with short legs and the backpack appears incomplete without a Wilderness Explorer flag on top.
Shortly after arriving near Paradise Falls, Carl and Russell encounter Dug, an unusually friendly member of Charles Muntz's hunting pack. Dug is represented by a new element, which captures his demeanour brilliantly and includes ample detail. The eyes and mouth are both printed, while the dark brown nose and collar are dual-moulded with Dug's tan hair.
Although the piece looks superb and I like the fixed stance chosen for the character, I do wonder whether Dug lacks something of the traditional LEGO charm. No studs are included and there is nothing to identify the figure as LEGO, other than two anti-studs underneath. Personally, I would have appreciated one stud on the figure's back, perhaps angled at 45 degrees.
Reference
Source - disney.fandom.com
The Completed Model
Dug's memorable focus on passing squirrels is represented by the inclusion of a squirrel, taking refuge beside an inflation tank and Carl's mailbox. Unfortunately, its small size leaves no space for a sticker displaying Carl and Ellie's handprints, which surprises me because the mailbox has tremendous symbolic significance in the film. Nevertheless, the mailbox is an important inclusion and I like the balloons too.
Of course, Carl's iconic house is the focus. The bright colours are beautiful and correspond with the onscreen location, while the architecture of the house is more accurate than I was expecting as well, considering the modest scale. The whole model measures 28cm in height, including the clustered balloons, or 21cm without those attached.
The angular section of the façade is particularly impressive, comprising three panels connected using clips. 1x2 slopes close potential gaps between the panels and the combination of tan, pink and lime green colours looks excellent, reflecting the movie. Furthermore, the hose reel situated under the central window is accurate. Maybe a teal string could have been provided to simulate unrolling the hose.
Stickers decorate both sides of the front door, featuring the multiple locks present onscreen, that demonstrate Carl's isolation. The surrounding porch looks good and includes a doorbell, but the space is limited, so Russell cannot actually fit when wearing his backpack. Ideally, the columns would be more slender, therefore creating some additional room behind them.
However, the most dramatic compromises are found on the roof. The wooden stanchions above the porch are extended to cover a blue section of wall, while the dormer window on top appears enormously simplified. Also, the larger roof slopes should project beyond the walls, leaving gaps on each side. In general, I think the proportions of the upper floor could definitely be improved.
Occasional sand blue tiles provide some texture on the roof, although the dark bluish grey studs alone were probably sufficient. The rotating weather vane looks superb, alongside the essential cluster of balloons anchored through the chimney! Inevitably, relatively few balloons are actually included and perhaps a bigger set could have accommodated more. Even so, I think this design works quite well.
The limited number of balloons also presents an opportunity for play, as you can hold the model securely using the dark red chimney. Technic pins secure the chimney at the top and bottom, so this reinforces the structure and becomes an unexpectedly effective handle. The open back may attract criticism, but that also increases the play value by providing easy interior access.
Numerous stickers are applied inside, including another on the door, which represents the inside of those many locks. The wall clock looks splendid and a houseplant also furnishes the entrance hall. Given the shallow design of the building, the necessary details are included. However, I can easily envisage a bigger version of Carl's house, with space for his stairlift and much more.
Thankfully, the internal configuration gives more room for the lounge, which is certainly the most important room in the house. The famous Paradise Falls mural on the wall looks nice, with some authentic accessories displayed on the mantelpiece underneath, including the red bird ornament from the film. I have removed the chimney for these photos, to give a better view.
A couple of photos from the mantelpiece in the film are enlarged and placed on the wall, notably including one of a young Ellie sporting her flying goggles, while another shows Carl and Ellie as newlyweds. The lounge also contains a gramophone and a printed jar, where the couple placed their savings to visit Paradise Falls. These details are wonderful, although the small area means omitting Ellie's armchair.
The upper floor is equally cramped, although this part of the house is less defined onscreen, so missing details are excusable. Instead, the designer has sensibly moved the television from the lounge. A sticker forms the screen and takes inspiration from the Movietown News documentary which Carl watches as a child at the beginning of the film, prompting his love for nature.
A box behind the television contains Ellie's scrapbook, entitled My Adventure Book. The cover is decorated with an accurate sticker and I expected to find another inside, but the standard 'once upon a time' 1x2 tile is used instead. Nevertheless, this book looks marvellous and the colourful bed provides appealing colour upstairs, as these rooms are otherwise rather dark.
Overall
Carl Fredricksen's house seems perfectly suited to LEGO, which three separate Ideas projects reaching 10,000 votes clearly demonstrates. 43217 'Up' House finally realises that potential and looks delightful, considering the limitations imposed by its size. The exterior achieves surprising accuracy and the interior is absolutely packed with details from 'Up', using all available space.
In some respects, that serves to increase my feeling that a bigger recreation of the house could have been genuinely spectacular, so was perhaps a missed opportunity. This design is excellent though and the minifigures are also outstanding. Furthermore, I think the price of £49.99, $59.99 or €54.99 represents fair value, so I would have no hesitation in recommending this set!
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49 comments on this article
Not my sort of thing, but I can see this sellng well. Price seems reasonable too, for a change.
Not much, house, what's up with you?
I love this, but I am very disappointed that they didn't include Ellie's chair! Though to have room for that they would have needed to make the house bigger and increase the price, so I won't complain too much. I'll plan on building my own chair to display with it.
Finally a figure of that "Up dog" l hear so much about
That dog looks wonderful, but the House could have been better.
Strange that the whole protruding roof section on the right side of the house, when viewed from the front, is missing.
I’ll wait for the $250 “UCS” Up house in 2026.
No Kevin, no purchase…
Available separately, a US Jet to shoot down this highly dangerous spy balloon.
It's pretty packed for the price for once, especially for a Disney set. I know the small size disappoints some people, but considering the limitations I think that this one is a decent value for once. A large part of that perception comes due to it being a model of a house, which are traditionally some of the larger models. Could have been cheaper of course, but I actually doubt a 300 euro sized set would have been as easy to lift 'up'
I'm going to enjoy placing this right next to my 10228.
That said, this model does beg for some expansion. Not all that much, but - come on. Just enough room to widen the bed by two studs and add Ellie's chair. Have a heart.
Curious about the Dug minifig, how do you tell the difference between printed and dual-moulded?
A young Ellie and Carl wouldve been an awesome inclusion.
@Nikolaevna said:
"Curious about the Dug minifig, how do you tell the difference between printed and dual-moulded?"
You can see 2 colors insides when you look at the bottom.
I still think something is wrong with Doug fig. But i cant pinpoint what.
@Nikolaevna said:
"Curious about the Dug minifig, how do you tell the difference between printed and dual-moulded?"
I'm not sure if you mean for this piece or any dual-molded Lego piece in particular. It may be harder with photos, but in-person it's pretty easy to tell if you ate looking at paint VS colored plastic. There’s a difference in color opacity, the edge of the print, even a slight texture difference.
I'm not usually a minifig guy, but they nailed'em. And Doug is adorable. It would be nice if it were bigger, but it's also nice that it's more affordable, and they did pack a lof of details in there.
Didn't expect there to be a Lego set that would get me teary, but here we are... That adventure book sticker, oof.
Up was one of my favorite movies as a kid can’t wait to get this set!
If I was going to attach a stud anywhere to Dug, it would be to the back of the collar. It wouldn't make sense on his back, but putting it on the collar provides a way to attach a leash while being unobtrusive for those who choose not to.
@Nikolaevna:
Dual-molded parts have a distinct groove where the two sections of plastic meet. Additionally, you can often see one color molded inside of another color, where hollow space permits. Print, on the other hand, allows a lot more intricate design. Facial features would be a massive pain to try to mold in color because you need to form a way for the two colors to interlock. Do it with eyes or mouths, and now you need to be able to accommodate three layers that each interlock, while keeping the added bits fairly tiny. Furthermore, if you do that, it prevents one easy benefit of printed facial features, which is that you can simply change the print to give the character different expressions (as was done with Scoob, the Ninja Turtles, and even the basic minifig head). And another easy tell is when the color extends somewhere print never would, like the inside surfaces of arms or legs, or the tops of toes.
@lordofdragonss:
Dug is too fat. He's sitting up, but his belly is pressed to the ground in front of his forepaws. He looks like he just ate a dozen squirrels.
And _sometimes_ you can see the second color inside. For dual-molded arms or legs, the structure of the connecting bit is fully encapsulated.
I need to see this in person. It feels a bit too cramped, and I get claustrophobic vibes from it. For the price it's amazing, I'll give them that! Not sure how does it compare to 43202, but the latter feels like it has more space and air in it.
I feel like the house is missing its back half. And not enough balloons.
Great review. Looks fantastic and the price is a genuine surprise, I expected this to be 70GBP minimum. Not my usual kind of set, but I love the movie so seriously tempted.
Finally a smaller set like this, of course something bigger would have probably been more accurate, but with the amount of sets that Lego puts out these days, extra large or not, for people who collect a lot of them, it's nice to have desirable sets in this price range. I can see many people buying 2 or three though and making a bigger house.
I would have liked to have seen a new sculpted head on Carl. Other than that the set looks awesome.
Carl’s very wide mouth reminds me of the minifigs they had during the Alpha Team and Island Stuntz era of Lego’s history.
It looks much better here.
Adventure is out there!
@ozbrickcreator said:
"Adventure is out there!"
I want the "spirit of adventure' zeppelin so bad!
@PurpleDave said:
"Dug is too fat."
HEY. NO. NO, NO, NO. We do not body-shame dogs in or around this house. Dug just needed a little bit of extra plastic to give him proper amount of clutch. How DARE you.
I do think he would've looked better in tan, but on the other hand, I feel I'd be kind of undermining my own point if I were to say "Don't body-shame the dog, although he is the wrong colour".
It'd be a mixed message at best.
Nice looking set, but I'm going to pass since I have basically nothing positive to say about the source material.
I totally dislike that movie. That fat kid is so extremely annoying that for once in a Disney movie I was actually glad when it was over. Needless to say I never watched it again.
The only redeeming feature for me was the touching scene about the old man's love for his late wife. But other than that, no thanks.
It is a real shame there's no Kevin involved. Nontheless this looks like a really cool set. If purchased directly from Lego it costs 65 € here in Finland, which I think is a bit too much. Dug <3
Wondering out loud given the timing of this if UP 2 is in the works. SO many great possibilities on titles. Up Again, Up 2, 3, 4 (the militaristic crossover with the Iron Giant) or even Up the Second Time.
Wish it is more accurate and bigger with a full interior and thickness and a back. Not just kinda a front facade.
@PurpleDave said:
"If I was going to attach a stud anywhere to Dug, it would be to the back of the collar. It wouldn't make sense on his back, but putting it on the collar provides a way to attach a leash while being unobtrusive for those who choose not to.
@Nikolaevna:
Dual-molded parts have a distinct groove where the two sections of plastic meet. Additionally, you can often see one color molded inside of another color, where hollow space permits. Print, on the other hand, allows a lot more intricate design. Facial features would be a massive pain to try to mold in color because you need to form a way for the two colors to interlock. Do it with eyes or mouths, and now you need to be able to accommodate three layers that each interlock, while keeping the added bits fairly tiny. Furthermore, if you do that, it prevents one easy benefit of printed facial features, which is that you can simply change the print to give the character different expressions (as was done with Scoob, the Ninja Turtles, and even the basic minifig head). And another easy tell is when the color extends somewhere print never would, like the inside surfaces of arms or legs, or the tops of toes.
@lordofdragonss:
Dug is too fat. He's sitting up, but his belly is pressed to the ground in front of his forepaws. He looks like he just ate a dozen squirrels.
And _sometimes_ you can see the second color inside. For dual-molded arms or legs, the structure of the connecting bit is fully encapsulated."
Dug is supposed to be quite fat, though.
At quick look, this is very cute. Wished for more balloons but it still would look nice on the shelf.
I think there's a way to attach more?
@Modeltrainman:
He is, sure. But even when he's sitting in the film, there's always space between his front paws. Here, the belly sticks out in front of them.
@leetshoe said:
"Finally a figure of that "Up dog" l hear so much about"
What’s “Up Dog”?
@MeisterDad: What about "Down?" Or "Sideways?"
@TheOtherMike said:
" @MeisterDad: What about "Down?" Or "Sideways?""
Sure, a Sideways set featuring a minifig of a grumpy Paul Giamatti brandishing a broken bottle of Merlot would be awesome, but I'm not sure it would it would adhere to Lego's rules and guidelines.
@DavoDestroyer said:
"What’s “Up Dog”?"
Not much, what's up with you.
@TheOtherMike:
Is anyone going to understand a Dutch remake of a Dutch film when it only played under that name at Cannes before being renamed “The Shaft” for its DVD release?
@AliveAndBricking:
No, clearly he meant the DC superhero…who wasn’t very popular and whose self-titled series barely lasted a year.
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike :
Is anyone going to understand a Dutch remake of a Dutch film when it only played under that name at Cannes before being renamed “The Shaft” for its DVD release?"
Don't encourage us. Dutch movies usually go straight to Betamax. Which is still better than what Dick Maas deserves.
Dick Maas is the Dutch equivalent of Uwe Boll. Dick Maas-movies don't even deserve to go to audio.
@Ridgeheart said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"Dug is too fat."
HEY. NO. NO, NO, NO. We do not body-shame dogs in or around this house. Dug just needed a little bit of extra plastic to give him proper amount of clutch. How DARE you.
I do think he would've looked better in tan, but on the other hand, I feel I'd be kind of undermining my own point if I were to say "Don't body-shame the dog, although he is the wrong colour".
It'd be a mixed message at best."
But he is in tan. What colour would you rather he was? Bright Yellow?
Nice review. IMO, however, Carl Fredricksen absolutely required either a Muppets-like head mold OR a bulbous nose on a Minifigure head, like we’ve seen on Pinocchio.
I absolutely agree that the house could have looked spectacular at a higher price point, but I love that this set stays affordable to casual fans of LEGO, while still providing ample detail and references.
This is one of the few Disney sets that I am genuinely excited for and will try to get at 20% off.
I'm looking forward to seeing the MOC versions made using two or there copies of this set.
I like this simple design, sure I thought it would be a full house (similar to Emmet's dream house from The Lego Movie 2 range) but I like the detail and simple size form of the house and the characters. I feel if it is successful and does well they can do a more pricier but more bigger and detailed version of the full house with the extra features like both chairs in the sitting room, the photos and mural, slightly bigger front garden with the detailed sticker on the mailbox and then include the 3 characters in this one as well as a build for Kevin the snipe and even one for Ellie as well (like with some sets that have a smaller and compact but affordable version and then a much bigger designed and detailed one that would cost more so there is 2 types of variety). I may give this a pick up in a few weeks (and see if I have room in my bedroom to display it
@tim1724 said:
"I'm looking forward to seeing the MOC versions made using two or there copies of this set."
I'm out! Home Alone has been expensive enough, and I'm still not done. I will buy one copy of this to build, though.
@legoDad42 said:
"At quick look, this is very cute. Wished for more balloons but it still would look nice on the shelf.
I think there's a way to attach more?"
With Lego. ;)
I love it! Perfect size and pricepoint - enough details and affordable. If you like a bigger set, there are more than enough alternatives these days OR you are easily able to buy more than one of these and mod it to a bigger version.
@leetshoe said:
"Finally a figure of that "Up dog" l hear so much about"
What’s Up Dog??!!