Lego Jaws (21350) review: "An impressive homage to a cinematic masterpiece, though the original sets have a hidden issue"

The Jaws franchise reached an impressive landmark in 2025, marking the 50th anniversary of the original movie's release. Widely hailed as a cinematic masterpiece, there has been a multitude of spin-off merchandise produced over the following decades, from scale models and action figures to themed rubber ducks, so it was really only a matter of time until a Lego set came along. As a fan of the movie for many years, now felt like the right time to finally check this out for myself.

The Lego Jaws set was born from a fan submission uploaded to the Lego Ideas website, which can still be seen here, where Jonny Campbell (AKA Diving Faces) laid out their vision of the iconic Orca ship and Bruce the Shark (yes, that really was the mechanical shark's name!) in brick form. For those who are unfamiliar, fans can upload their build proposals to Lego Ideas for peer review, and if they can get the backing of 10,000 supporters then a Lego Review Board will formally assess the project to see if it can be turned into an actual product. Lego Jaws hit that impressive milestone in a little under 8 months, and the rest is history!

Now that Lego Jaws (21350) is an official product, is it worth adding to your collection? After going through the build process, I was very impressed with this set – notwithstanding a significant issue that I'll explain later – and if you're a big fan of this particular movie or cinema in general then you should consider it one of the best Lego sets available.

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Lego Jaws (21350) features

• Instantly recognizable scene
• Impressive scale
• Reasonably expensive

The Lego Jaws set comes in at one hundred and fifty dollars, which is clearly a premium price point but doesn't sit quite as high as, say, the Lego The Simpsons Krusty Burger that pushes beyond the $200 mark. You do get good value for that investment in this movie tie-in, as Lego Jaws is comprised of around 1,500 pieces and also includes three minifigures of the main cast.

After feeling the impressive weight of the set, the first thing that strikes you when looking at the cover image is the sheer size of the build, as the whole thing doesn't even fit onto the front of the box! With the Orca and Bruce in position on the display base, the entire model is around 24in (59cm) wide in total, and the mast extends some 14in (35cm) above the choppy sea waters. If you're going to have this on view after construction, you'll need plenty of space to do it.

There are other configuration options available if you'd prefer not to use the base, as the Orca can steadily sit on its own and has plenty of places for the minifigure crew to be positioned on the detailed deck or, by lifting off the roof, inside the cabin too. Meanwhile, Bruce the Shark can be mounted separately on its own display stand to see the whole model from nose to tail, which also has accommodation for the three minifigs.

Build

• A substantial build that is easily divided into sections
• Some steps are challenging but the instructions are clear
• Original set has a significant flaw

This set is made up of around 1,500 pieces, which means you'll need to devote a generous amount of time to complete the build. I spent about 12 hours in total over the course of a weekend assembling Lego Jaws, which was easily divided up into shorter sessions due to the parts being split across 13 paper bags. The first seven bags cover the Orca ship, with the next three dedicated to Bruce the Shark and the final three for the extensive base of the model.

The instruction booklet is hefty and runs you through over 225 pages of steps, while also imparting some nuggets of information about the Lego Ideas process, thoughts from the designers, and some background to the movie itself. The build uses a number of interesting techniques to create the required orientation for the bricks, but this does make some of the steps quite challenging so you need to be patient. Pay attention along the way and you'll notice some unusual pieces in action, such as a paint roller handle to attach the mast bell and the classic hot dog sausages repurposed to end the pulpit railings.

While Jaws the movie famously had a multitude of issues with the operation of Bruce the Shark, my building process was similarly derailed when it came to the bow of the Orca. Having already built the main body, the next step is to construct the bow so it can be slotted on to the front of the ship to make it whole. This is where a major design flaw is revealed, as on each of the two angled sides of the bow there is a floating single stud connection between pieces that easily collapses under pressure. This is problematic as that join is quickly buried within this modular section, and the slightest push in the wrong direction as the build continues causes it to detach, leading to frustrating ad hoc disassembly to try and remedy the issue inside.

This situation is also incredibly hard to avoid, as further steps involve attaching additional pieces to the top, bottom, and sides of the bow. By the third or fourth time the internal piece disconnected, I was too far along in the build to contemplate taking it apart yet again. The one saving grace was by that point the internal connection wasn't actually doing a huge amount to keep the bow together, so by ignoring some minor instability and a rattle from inside I was able to move on.

However, when I went online to find the PDF instructions so I could explain this problem to my colleague, I made a very interesting discovery. You see, my version of this set was purchased back in 2024 when it first launched, and if you look at the product reviews on the Lego website from that time you'll see plenty of others encountering the same issue. Evidently Lego took this feedback on board and completely revised the design of that section, adding additional parts for improved stability which increased the piece count from 1,497 to 1,503.

It's great that this has now been resolved, but it does mean you need to check you're getting the 1,503 piece version of the set if you want to avoid that particular sticking point. I'm tempted to order the additional pieces through Lego Pick a Brick at some point so I can rebuild the bow to the updated plan and put my instability issues to rest.

Design

• Interesting building techniques used
• Clever design offers multiple display options
• Lots of detail with some Easter eggs to discover

There has obviously been a lot of thought put into the overall design of Lego Jaws, as it offers several different ways that it can be displayed once built. Initially Bruce the Shark is mounted on a stand that can also accommodate the three minifigs, but by sliding off the detachable tail and slotting the body into the display base, you can recreate the ocean terror rearing out of the water to attack the Orca in the climactic scene of the movie.

The Orca itself packs in a lot of detail, and it's really impressive to look it over in comparison to the original. Everything is there, from the pulpit up front with a stack of yellow barrels waiting to be launched, to the mast with its rigging and chains, then back down to the rotating fishing seat on the rear deck with a dismantled shark cage stacked to the side. To capture an authentic shape of the ship some interesting building techniques are used, connecting pieces sideways and even upside down to achieve the right look, but it all works well.

The three included minifigs of Chief Martin Brody, Matt Hooper, and Sam Quint are very expressive and really capture the essences of their characters, while carrying appropriate accessories such as binoculars, a camera, and a machete. Lift the roof off the cabin to place them inside for a night of drunken storytelling and you'll find some fun Easter eggs hidden within. An Amity Gazette newspaper headline declares "Campbell attacked!" in reference to original Lego Ideas designer Jonny Campbell, next to a shark illustration reminiscent of Quint's blackboard drawing. A nearby map of Amity Island has shark attacks marked with Xs, including the final showdown this set recreates.

On the subject of that newspaper and map, they are two of only six stickers in total you need to place across the whole set, which is a pleasing outcome as any other detailed pieces are printed on directly. This includes a postcard, compass, and clock found around the controls, along with the "Orca" nameplate on the stern of the ship. Rounding off the display pieces, there are a couple of printed "Lego Jaws" titles to attach to their mounts, along with Chief Brody's classic quote on the front of the base – "You're gonna need a bigger boat."

Should you buy Lego Jaws (21350)?

Lego Jaws is an impressive homage to a cinematic masterpiece, though the original sets have a hidden issue so you need to seek out the newer version if possible, or at least be aware of the problems you may have with the bow of the Orca. If you're a fan of the movie or feel a fondness towards sharks then this is a must-have for your collection, as long as you have the space to display it, though if you fear what lurks in the depths of the ocean then it probably isn't for you.

Ratings

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested Lego Jaws (21350)

I built the Lego Jaws (21350) set over a weekend, split into five sessions that took a total of around 12 hours. Due to the number of bags included there were regular intervals during the build, so it was easy to take a break when needed.

For more, check out our guide to how we test products.

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