LEGO Ideas 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo review

Everyone’s favourite Mogwai comes to life in LEGO Ideas 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo, and with few flaws to speak of, this set has exactly what it needs to succeed.

1984’s Gremlins movie is back in the LEGO portfolio following a brief appearance in LEGO Dimensions thanks to fan designer terauma and the ‘80s challenge. Gizmo has evolved from a minifigure into a 1,125-piece buildable figure, utilising the current array of curved pieces to accurately recreate the adorable creature. Just remember to keep him away from sunlight, water and food after midnight...

21361 Gremlins: Gizmo

Release: Oct 1, 2025

Retiring: Dec 31, 2027

Price: £89.99 / $109.99 / €99.99

Pieces: 1,125

Minifigures: 0

LEGO Ideas’ history of buildable figures is as varied as it is long, but 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo should feel familiar, and not just to fans of the 1984 movie. The set's structure is similar to that of the up-scaled minifigures – including how sturdy it is. You won’t need to worry about breaking this LEGO Ideas set.

At worst, an ear might fall off, but its hefty weight means that it's more likely to damage your floor than become damaged itself. 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo's connections to the successful up-scaled minifigures go one step further, though.

Rather than the multi-jointed arms proposed by fan designer terauma, the LEGO Ideas design team have opted for a simpler mechanism, angling them slightly and allowing them to spin on a single axle, with some further movement in the hands. This is the same tactic used for the up-scaled (and standard) minifigures, and such a simple idea is also the most effective.

While this makes Gizmo harder to pose in complex positions, it does make him easier and more pleasing to play with and show off, while also further limiting any fragility in the build. Whether this is better than the proposed arms will come down to personal preference, but you can still move Gizmo enough to make the most of the build. 

21361 Gremlins: Gizmo certainly improves on the original project in its shaping. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect-looking take on the character, as the LEGO Ideas designers have done an excellent job in capturing the Mogwai's expression and face shape using LEGO pieces, and Gizmo is as cute as ever. From the Architecture roof tiles to represent long fur to the printed shields for eyes, this is a memorable building experience.

It's obviously going to be a hit with fans of Gremlins, as you'd expect, whether for its moving ears and lack of stickers or the water splashed on its back. (Someone wasn’t listening to the rules, but fortunately – or perhaps unfortunately depending on your point of view – the LEGO set isn’t at risk of replicating.) 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo absolutely looks the part – but from a build perspective, there's one thing that lets it down.

The box advertises that the figure can be rebuilt partially to be standing up or sitting down, but in reality, switching between those two builds is impossible without taking apart almost all of 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo. Going from sitting to standing would be fine, but moving from standing to sitting is unfortunately impractical. You're best deciding which version of Gizmo you prefer and going solely for that build, as the construction experience itself is exceedingly enjoyable.

The lack of articulation in the legs at all is a shame, but given Gizmo presents better standing up anyway, it's easy to overlook in the grand scheme of things.

21361 Gremlins: Gizmo can’t help but feel slightly overpriced at £89.99 / $109.99 / €99.99, even with the Gremlins license attached to it. It’s not an entirely unreasonable asking price, but one that would be a lot easier to understand with more functional accessories.

Terauma pitched a Rambo-style battle mode for LEGO Gizmo, featuring various accessories taken straight from Gremlins 2. Instead, 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo comes only with a pair of 3D glasses. The build for these is great, but there’s no secure way to attach them to the Mogwai. Instead, you have to make do with balancing them atop his head or against his hand. It's an unfortunate oversight, and a bigger pair of glasses with arms to go over Gizmo's ears would have been perfect.

Despite these few flaws, 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo is still a perfectly adequate LEGO Gremlins build, sufficiently impressing its target audience and looking adorable while doing it.

Our honest opinion: LEGO Ideas 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo is going to be a hit with Gremlins enthusiasts and fans of all things cute, offering up an intriguing build that is only slightly overpriced.

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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How long does it take to build 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo?

You'll need just under two hours to build 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo, whether you choose to have him sitting or standing

How many pieces are in 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo?

LEGO Ideas 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo has 1,125 pieces, making up the Gremlins figure itself, a pair of 3D glasses and the necessary pieces for the sitting and standing modes.

How big is 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo?

When standing up, LEGO Ideas 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo is 20cm tall, 27cm wide and 8cm deep. He's easy to display in your room or around your home.

How much does 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo cost?

LEGO Ideas 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo launches on October 1, 2025, for £89.99 / $109.99 / €99.99. Pre-orders are open now, but keep it away from bright light, water and food after midnight – no matter how much it begs.