Review: LEGO 43243 Disney Simba the Lion King Cub

LEGO Disney Simba The Lion King 43243 New Release Review Brick Banter - 2024 May

The LEGO Disney Lion King is here, and ready to pounce into your hearts.

A double release of new LEGO Disney Lion King sets are fantastic and all, but LEGO really have committed to ensuring everyone gets their taste. Yes, LEGO have released two different sets of the same character, but done it in a way that two different age groups.

LEGO® Disney Simba the Lion King Cub (43243)
RRP AUD $29.99 – CA $24.99 – EUR €19.99 – UK £17.99 – USA $19.99
222 pieces
Available from LEGO.com and LEGO Stores from 1st June 2024.

Simba

One of the first things that I notice about this set is that Simba is actually a baby version. Most people I’ve shown the set to all give the same “aww cute” reaction. I feel its honestly well deserved. But it does bring up questions as to why Simba has bugs as his diet for an infant.

The first thing that really draws your eye is the printed eye pieces – yes, printed. These are fantastic and complement the build strongly. His two ears are on printed 3×3 round tiles, but the rest of the face is brick built. The designers did a really good job of making a cute young Simba face with the scale, and I love the subtle tuft of hair on his head.

The build is centred around a single block built body, making Simba’s spine quite rigid and immoveable. I normally don’t like builds that do this, (looking at you Ninjago Dragons!) but for this scale and size, it works great. Each of Simba’s paws have a limited range of mobility, although they do seem a little thin when viewed from certain angles.

Simba’s tail also gives us lots of movement, but even tips off with a new recoloured feather element in dark reddish brown. All of these articulate motions allow for the build to be built and displayed in many different ways.

The Grubs

The set doesn’t allow for much in the way of side builds, giving us a small leaf with an array of insects for Simba to eat. It’s a short amount of parts, but things like the croissant, cherries and hotdog pieces are always great parts usage. I can’t really ask for anything more than what we have here, but it certainly implies that maybe a Timon and Pumba wouldn’t be a bad accessory.

Verdict

Simply put, I like this little set quite a lot. It’s got a cute charm to it, and for a simple price of $29.99 AUD, you get a lot.

It’s a neat little display model that can stand out on its own. I can see small builds like this sneaking its way on to display shelves or around homes easily.

The build may be overshadowed by the larger buildable Simba releasing at the same time, but I honestly I prefer this one. Its price point and target market seem more feasible, and it doesn’t feel like an overspend getting hold of the set.

If you’re thinking about buying it, I cannot disagree with you.