Ignited by creativity, driven by imagination, the coolest black LEGO space shuttle takes off!
We here at the Toy People editorial department recently received a fantastic set: LEGO Icons "10391 Over the Moon with Pharrell Williams"! Although this set was released last month (September 20), with the LEGO animated biopic of its star, Pharrell Williams, "Piece by Piece," set to premiere in the US on October 11, we still wanted to share this review with all you fellow toy fans. Join us to see why this 966-piece set is so amazing!
This collaboration between LEGO and Pharrell Williams can be broadly divided into three parts: the black space shuttle, representing your infinite potential; the colorful jet stream, a manifestation of boundless imagination; and the "My Phriends" abacus-style display stand, symbolizing the rich diversity of the world, capable of showcasing 49 minifigure heads at once!
▼ The front and back of the box are both quite beautiful. The side with the black background features the set number 10391, piece count 996, and the product name. It highlights the black space shuttle rocketing straight into the sky with its colorful jet stream, adorned with shimmering black stars. It's worth noting that the shuttle, the colorful stream, and the stars are all presented with a spot gloss finish. The set number and piece count are also marked in a more subdued color, making the all-black shuttle in the center stand out distinctly.
▼ The back uses a white base and displays all the contents of the set.
▼ The side features a portrait of Pharrell Williams himself alongside his LEGO version, and Pharrell Williams in a spacesuit. It also prints what can be considered the central philosophy of this set: "Curiosity is the life force in all of us".
▼ The top also has a white base. In addition to the product name, it shows the two minifigures of this set: Pharrell and Helen Williams. Next to them is a 1:1 scale illustration of a printed shuttle tile.
▼ After admiring the spectacular packaging, let's take a look inside! The 966 pieces are divided into 8 numbered bags and one separately packaged gold cockpit canopy.
▼ The style of the instruction manual cover can be said to combine the designs of the front and back of the box, featuring the shuttle soaring upwards against a bright white background.
▼ The instruction manual includes an introduction to the multi-talented Pharrell, the development process of the collaboration between LEGO and Pharrell, and an introduction to this set.
▼ Now, let's get right to building!
▼ As is tradition, let's first look at the secrets that can only be discovered during the build and are hidden upon completion. First up are the internal parts that make up the black space shuttle. Echoing the theme of being "driven by curiosity" and Pharrell's childhood wonder about the world, the inner structure is composed of a wide variety of vibrant colors!
▼ The construction of the nose cone.
▼ The printed tile for the Atlantis Apartments, where Pharrell lived as a child. Looking at it alone, you might think the text is too close to the edge! But once it's assembled in the right place, it fits just perfectly!
▼ Although this space shuttle doesn't have a flashy, exaggerated design and is presented in a subtle black, the building process truly reveals the dedication of the LEGO design team and Pharrell to detail and stylistic integrity. For instance, the use of 1/4 cylinder pieces for the edging is a really clever touch.
▼ The perfect space created by four 1/4 round frame pieces to house the printed tile!
▼ All the internal parts are printed; in other words, this set has no stickers at all.
▼ The internal structure of the colorful jet stream is built using hollow square bricks. I considered a few possibilities, and I believe the most likely reason is to reduce weight.
▼ The interior of the smoke base uses Technic parts, but! The use of Technic parts is only to achieve a 75° angle, not, as I initially thought, to connect and secure the colorful jet stream and the smoke core with Technic elements.
▼ The colorful jet stream and the smoke base are connected using standard LEGO brick interlocking methods, but in both horizontal and vertical directions. And because the overall weight is quite light, it remains stable even after the space shuttle is mounted.
▼ Now, let's take a look at all the contents together!
▼ First up is the minifigure head abacus display stand! It can fully showcase all 49 head pieces, the two Williams couple minifigures, and their two space helmets.
▼ It looks really cute in photos! And it includes a variety of skin tones, genders, facial feature differences... it's super interesting.
▼ The exclusive "My Phriends" printed tile for this set. Over 30 of the heads were designed specifically for this set.
▼ The printing on the two minifigures' silver spacesuits is incredibly detailed. Besides the space shuttle logo, you can also see a heart on the right! Not only can you freely swap the head pieces, but there are also super cool, high-quality helmets to wear.
▼ Let's take a look at this space shuttle from various angles! As for why the star of this set is a space shuttle, it all goes back to Pharrell's childhood. Jets often flew over the Atlantis Apartments where Pharrell lived. When he looked up at the sky, the most familiar sight was these jets. And due to the context of that era, he felt that to travel to faraway places, one would have to take a space shuttle. This space shuttle can also be seen as a physical manifestation of Pharrell's imagination.
▼ The golden cockpit windshield is really eye-catching. It's worth mentioning that this is also the largest part to date to be treated with a drum-lacquered finish.
▼ Here's how it looks with a minifigure in the cockpit.
▼ The final part: the colorful jet stream! Not only are the colors vibrant here, but the pink, blue, and green are presented in softer tones, which, combined with the bright yellow, create a fantastic visual effect. It even reminds me of delicious macarons.
▼ The space shuttle is secured using the thickness of plate pieces and clips.
▼ The shaping of the smoke is super interesting and definitely worth experiencing by building it yourself!
LEGO 10391 "Over the Moon with Pharrell Williams" Review Summary:
This sub-1000 piece "10391 Over the Moon with Pharrell Williams" set packs in multiple selling points: it includes the most minifigure head pieces ever, features the largest drum-lacquered part to date, and is a co-development between the LEGO design team and the multi-talented creator Pharrell Williams. The design style of the packaging also breaks from the norm. However, the version I received was the push-tab, destructive type of box, which couldn't be kept in perfect condition even with careful cutting from a blade, which is a small shame.
Furthermore, regarding the set's contents, I personally believe that this 10391 set, despite its low piece count, is a masterpiece with extremely high model integrity and excellent display value. As mentioned earlier, both the vibrant, eye-catching jet stream and the black-and-gold space shuttle are crafted with meticulous attention to detail. And the process of finding a minifigure head among the many that looks most like yourself is surely a unique joy of this set.
▼ Interested toy fans can also check out the movie trailer for "Piece by Piece"!
LEGO 10391 "Over the Moon with Pharrell Williams"
Suggested Retail Price: NT$3,799, Total Pieces: 966, Available Now