Review: 71028 Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures Series 2 (Part 1)
Posted by CapnRex101,
Numerous appealing minifigures have become available throughout the excellent Harry Potter theme, although many more characters remain absent. Fortunately, the Collectable Minifigures represent an impressive opportunity to release several such characters.
The new range, 71028 Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures Series 2, features several exclusive characters. These include Griphook, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Moaning Myrtle. Unique depictions of existing characters are also provided and these minifigures encompass the entire film series which increases their appeal for me!
Minifigures
Almost fifty different Harry Potter minifigures have been produced since 2001, although the potential exists for even more. This example takes inspiration from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, wearing a dark bluish grey hooded jacket over a red shirt. I think this design appears relatively bland but it does correspond with the movie and features realistic creasing across both sides of the torso.
The dark blue legs are nicely decorated as well, featuring black shoes and strips down either side. Harry's double-sided head is unique, featuring a smile and a concerned expression that would be ideal for his discovery of the cursed Katie Bell while returning from Hogsmeade. The later movies and their events have rarely been depicted in LEGO sets so I am pleased they are now receiving some attention.
My favourite aspect of this minifigure is certainly its unique accessory, depicting the Advanced Potion Making textbook which proves extremely important. Sand blue was probably the most appropriate colour choice and I like the decoration on the cover, although the title is missing. Moreover, an exclusive printed tile is fixed inside, accurately displaying scribbled notes and the Sectumsempra curse. Harry's wand is also provided.
Albus Dumbledore appeared in the first series of Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures, taking inspiration from the latter films. This minifigure instead depicts Hogwarts' famous headmaster during the first two movies and improves upon the versions which have appeared in previous sets, now featuring an exclusive hat and hair component. I love the textured hair and this part looks perfect when compared with the films. The golden stars are particularly striking.
This component has been designed to complement an existing beard and they look brilliant together, lining up neatly. Dumbledore wears a dark red robe with intricate decoration across each side. The ornate metallic gold design at the centre looks marvellous and extensive detail continues onto the reverse, although this appears fairly subtle.
While the minifigure is undoubtedly impressive, I think Fawkes has attracted even greater attention! Professor Dumbledore's loyal phoenix has appeared twice before but this unique element looks far more accurate than its predecessors. His shaping reflects the movie and I appreciate the subtle highlights on Fawkes' crest. A dark tan wand is also provided, as usual.
Matching the earlier Harry Potter minifigure, Hermione Granger is based upon Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and takes specific inspiration from the friends' visit to The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Her striped jumper is faithful to that occasion and I like the dual-moulded legs which feature boots. The head looks good too, incorporating subtle freckles that have appeared on most Hermione minifigures.
Ron Weasley also features prominent stripes across his jacket and takes inspiration from his visit to The Three Broomsticks. The decoration on his arms is wonderful and the metallic silver zip looks great too. Ron's double-sided head displays smiling and bewildered expressions while his dark orange hair piece seems faithful to the onscreen character.
Hermione and Ron are both equipped with their appropriate wands and Butterbeer glasses. These dual-moulded accessories are relatively simple but I think they look absolutely superb. Trans-orange is an ideal colour for the Butterbeer and the glasses are cleverly designed, with useful connection points at the top and bottom along with the handle.
Despite belonging to Ravenclaw house, Luna Lovegood possesses an affinity with Gryffindor and wears an impressive lion headdress during Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This piece looks absolutely spectacular, featuring metallic gold and reddish brown highlights that appear accurate to the movie. The moulded texture is similarly attractive and I like the flame yellowish orange colour as well.
Luna's double-sided head features a nice smile but her alternative expression looks slightly awkward in my opinion. However, her clothing corresponds precisely with the source material, featuring decorative patterns on the dark blue torso and dual-moulded legs which combine pink and dark red plastics. These colours seem rather mismatched but are ideal for Luna!
The minifigure also incorporates a blonde hair piece which matches her original design from 2010, although I prefer the modern element. A reddish brown wand completes the figure and therefore matches previous versions of the character, even though her onscreen wand seems closer to dark tan in colour.
Goblins are known for their unfriendly disposition within the Wizarding World and Griphook exemplifies that personality trait. This minifigure features short legs to reflect the character's onscreen stature and I love the printed arms which closely resemble the movie. However, the colour difference between the stripes on Griphook's arms and his torso is strange and could have been rectified very easily.
Nevertheless, the head looks excellent, featuring a sneering expression which is suitable for Griphook and the surrounding wrinkles appear equally authentic. His prominent ears are splendid too, in combination with the dark bluish grey hair component. Dual-moulding ensures neat colour differentiation and the texture looks fantastic, particularly when viewed from behind.
Griphook acquires the powerful Sword of Gryffindor while breaking into Gringotts Wizarding Bank during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and this accessory looks magnificent. The moulded detail remains accurate to the film and I love the trans-red highlights which represent rubies set around the hilt. The dark bluish grey key is a welcome addition too.
Despite her extraordinary influence throughout the Harry Potter series, Lily Potter perishes before its beginning and rarely appears during the films. This minifigure takes inspiration from Harry's brief interaction with Lily's spirit during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sporting a dark blue dress and an attractive jacket with lovely decoration. This hair piece deviates slightly from the onscreen character but her kindly facial expressions are perfect.
James Potter features a dark red scarf and a long black jacket, reflecting his appearance in a photograph beside Lily. I am quite surprised that different sources were chosen for these two complementary minifigures, although both characters are recognisable and I am particularly satisfied with James' double-sided head which definitely captures his personality. His round glasses are distinctive as well, matching Harry's famous eyewear.
Lily carries an infant Harry, making effective use of the baby component that was originally designed for the Tribal Woman from the fifteenth series of Collectable Minifigures. The sand blue colour looks splendid and I like the golden 'H' on Harry's blankets, clearly identifying the young wizard! Unfortunately, the flesh colour on his head appears totally washed out which is frustrating because this issue has existed for several years.
The autumnal photograph that provided the basis for this James Potter minifigure is included, displaying Lily and James together. This accessory is rather simple but seems fitting and both characters include their respective wands. There is considerable variation between the design for these minifigures and their counterparts on a sticker in 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall which is surprising but does not affect my appreciation for these figures.
Overall
Licensed series of Collectable Minifigures provide an excellent opportunity to include some characters who would be unlikely to appear in standard sets. 71028 Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures Series 2 certainly takes advantage of that possibility with Lily and James Potter as well as these versions of Luna, Hermione and Ron. However, I think the accessories are even more appealing in certain regards, especially where Fawkes and the Sword of Gryffindor are concerned.
The second part of our review is available here.
These minifigures were provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
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41 comments on this article
Love the new CMFs, but the $5 dollar tag seems excessive for this year and moving forward. Will wait for discount in 2 years to get them at $1.00
Decent series but to me this is a downgrade of the first series from 2018.
I hope we see those butterbeer glasses used in other sets going forward!
Grip hook and Dumbledore are definitely the standouts for me here. I do think that the Harry, Ron, and Hermione figures re slightly disappointing, as they could’ve easily been included in standard sets this year, leaving space for new, more interesting designs in this series.
This Hermione is probably the first to really look like Emma Watson.
i bought a complete set this year. Glad that series 2 doesn't have Fantastic Beast. I hope we get a buildable Fawkes one day!
Does anyone has the part ID for Fawkes and the Butter beer mugs?
As usual for CMF, some excellent accessories, despite a few duds for character variants. Wish we would have got a Tom Riddle instead of another Luna (notwithstanding the Griffindor headdress) or Neville (notwithstanding the Monster Book).
I love the beer glass this time. https://youtu.be/aVGT4ssxgAk
Okay about Hermione’s eyebrows...
They've done a great job of Dubbledore\Gandalf!
@quixotequest said:
"As usual for CMF, some excellent accessories, despite a few duds for character variants. Wish we would have got a Tom Riddle instead of another Luna (notwithstanding the Griffindor headdress) or Neville (notwithstanding the Monster Book)."
Tom Riddle is available pretty easily with the visual guide minifigure book that was just released.
How does Harry have black hair if James has brown hair and Lily red hair? It looks like he has black hair on the portrait.
I like series 2 I have james Potter, and Ginny weasley so far...
Some great minifigs and parts love the new Phoenix mould and the butter beers!!
Well, I see you're saving all the ones that I'm particularly interested in or curious about for the second part of the review!
Agreed that the Harry, Ron, Hermione in this series look exceptionally plain; but I'm also not sure what could have been done for them that would have been more appealing. Most of their muggle clothes are equally unremarkable, and we've seen minifigs of them in uniform so many times that that isn't really an option for standout figures either - and I doubt we'd ever get a Harry Potter CMF wave that didn't include the three of them, as the main characters.
I think, of this half of the wave, the sword of Gryffindor is my favourite part. That, and Luna's hat... who else reckons the next animal costume character in a regular CMF wave is going to be a lion suit guy who reuses that piece in different colours / printing?
Looking forward to the second part! I'm already planning to get Ginny, no matter what the review says about her (it still surprises me that they picked her outfit from a 'blink and you miss it' appearance of hers; but I guess that's so that she matches the other outfits from Slughorn's party in the Astronomy Tower set?); but I'm interested especially to see your verdict on Myrtle, Kingsley, and the twins ^^
The interesting thing about the Harry minifig is that, while it's obvious that Hermione and Ron are from the same scene due to their matching accessories, Harry is dressed in the outfit he wears in that same scene, so you've got a matching trio.
@Mr__Thrawn:
They're the main characters of the series. You're going to get them in every CMF wave, just like they included Batman, Robin, Alfred, Batgirl, and Joker in both TLBM waves (Harley Quinn was in both as well, but that's just because she's so popular, not because she's a main character in the film). Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman got new versions in the DCS wave even though they've each appeared in several variants before, Mickey and Minnie are the two characters who appear in both waves of Disney, Emmet and Wyldstyle appear in both TLM and TLM2, and the five core family members appear in both waves of Simpsons. Main characters are just a mainstay, and not every kid has all of these characters in their collection.
@elisewong18:
I assume you mean along the lines of the new Hedwig set, because they just did a brick-built Fawkes earlier in the Wizarding World run.
@BionicleJedi:
CMF reviews are typically done using the insert order. If you look at the insert, the top row is Harry, Doubledoor, Hermione, and Ron, with Luna, Griphook, Lily, and James on the second row. That's the first half of the review right there.
@PurpleDave - Oh, I didn't realise that! I thought the order was just semi-random; but that makes a lot of sense ^^
@PurpleDave said:
"If you look at the insert, the top row is Harry, Doubledoor..."
Dumbledore, though I quite like the name Doubledoor and it is more original than Dumbledore.
@Rimefang said:
" @quixotequest said:
"As usual for CMF, some excellent accessories, despite a few duds for character variants. Wish we would have got a Tom Riddle instead of another Luna (notwithstanding the Griffindor headdress) or Neville (notwithstanding the Monster Book)."
Tom Riddle is available pretty easily with the visual guide minifigure book that was just released. "
Thanks for the heads up on the book. Didn’t know about it.
@Zander said:
" @PurpleDave said:
"If you look at the insert, the top row is Harry, Doubledoor..."
Dumbledore, though I quite like the name Doubledoor and it is more original than Dumbledore.
"
It's a reference to The LEGO Movie.
Also, I'm somewhat surprised to see such enthusiasm for this Luna. It's a great idea, but it's the execution that counts, and...the lion hat looks really bad to me. It doesn't sit around her shoulders at all and it's way too cylindrical and feels a little too tall. Technically, her hair should have been molded coming out the bottom, too. A rounder soft rubber piece that came over her shoulders and had a wider mane would have been great. Are they planning to reuse the piece or something? This is the only new mold for this theme so far that really feels "not good enough", and feels like an attempt from one of the previous versions of the theme.
Great review as always Cap't! I have been looking for this series for a couple of weeks now and stumbled across a half empty box at Target. After careful calculation I decided to buy the 33 packets that remained & try my luck. To my great delight I ended up with a complete set! I have to admit I was sweating on Luna with only 3 packets left to open! It's wonderful to get so many characters from the latter movies. Now to have a crack at building the 3 broomsticks so the new Harry, Ron & Hermione can have a "home".
@Zander:
8BrickMario got it.
@PurpleDave
Oh, you mean Gandalf!
@PurpleDave
Yes a brickbuilt fawkes in the scale of the new Hedwig will be great! Which makes me think I should get the Hedwig 75979 in case TLG releases a Fawkes to go with it.
@elisewong18:
I just want to see them make a lifesize Crookshanks...as depicted in the behind-the-scenes footage. As a bonus feature, I guess they could include alternate instructions for how to build his on-screen appearance as well.
^ Not Hedwig scale, but there is a very cool (or should that be hot?) brick-built phoenix in this set: https://brickset.com/sets/70221-1/Flinx-s-Ultimate-Phoenix
It’s supposed to be a machine, but it doesn’t take much modding to make it appear organic (at least within the aesthetic of LEGO creations of that scale).
Also its a Great Job but i think Luna uses her Lion helmet in the Order of the Phoenix I have just read the Book
@Zander said:
" @PurpleDave
Oh, you mean Gandalf!"
What has Dumbledore got to do with Gandalf except that both are old men/wizards?
Not even the actors are a connection since Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, while Gandalf was played by Ian McKellen.
What am I missing?
Funnily enough, Dumbledore in his Richard Harris look is my favorite figure in this series, followed by Griphook. Especially for their accessories. Dumbledore's head and beard components would also be perfect for a Santa Claus fig.
@Brick_wizard said:
"Also its a Great Job but i think Luna uses her Lion helmet in the Order of the Phoenix I have just read the Book "
She does, yes; but the Quidditch scenes from Order of the Phoenix weren't in the movie of that book, so the lion hat didn't get to appear onscreen until Half-Blood Prince. The minifigures are usually based on movie appearances over the book descriptions.
@AustinPowers - It's a Lego Movie reference. They get a one-scene appearance together, where Vitruvius gets them confused with one another; I think it's since become a bit of a fandom joke.
I got the James Potter one yesterday at my local Walmart. It's great! Love the torso and it's my first time owning a scarf component.
@AustinPowers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMq6iNQ2Zvg
Start at 0:53 for the relevant scene. This is a joke that really only works in English, so if you watched it dubbed into German (assuming you watched it at all), they may have done something completely different.
@BionicleJedi:
I never read any of the books, but is there a single thing they've released that's based on the book version rather than the movies? The license is with WB, which would specifically apply too their films.
re. Santa with the Red Bird: I also like the John Lennon minifig., but Cynthia's hair isn't right at all.
@PurpleDave and @BionicleJedi : thanks for the heads up about the joke.
The funny thing is, I usually watch every movie in the original language (especially as a lot of the jokes get lost in the translation) . The LEGO Movie is the only exception as I watched that together with our kids, who as yet are not fluent enough in English to follow and understand an entire movie. Must re-watch it again sometime, this time in English.
@AustinPowers:
Yeah, well, such hard work does not come for free. In compensation, I expect you to provide a transcript for how that scene played out in German. If anyone else wants to post transcripts of that scene in other languages, that would be cool as well. Did they cut it right out of the film, did they come up with alternate jokes, or did they just come up with some random dialogue to kill time?
@PurpleDave said:
" @AustinPowers :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMq6iNQ2Zvg
Start at 0:53 for the relevant scene. This is a joke that really only works in English, so if you watched it dubbed into German (assuming you watched it at all), they may have done something completely different.
@BionicleJedi :
I never read any of the books, but is there a single thing they've released that's based on the book version rather than the movies? The license is with WB, which would specifically apply too their films."
In the earlier sets, the movie basis was much looser, with sets including colors and starry patterns that weren't part of the films' aesthetics, and most notably, the sets included Peeves the Poltergeist, a book character who never appeared in the films.
@8BrickMario :
Rik Mayall spent three weeks filming the role of Peeves, only to find out he’d been cut after the film was released. It sounds like he was cut for time, but that he was also a huge distraction on set, cracking jokes that would make the child actors break character all the time. Given they’ve never released any of his footage, I have to wonder if there’s a deeper story there.
Anyways, the character was designed, and scripted, and filmed, and was expected to play a significant role in the film series, so it makes sense that he was included in the first wave of sets. By the time anyone in Billund knew he was out, it was too late to change the set.
@PurpleDave said:
"I never read any of the books, but is there a single thing they've released that's based on the book version rather than the movies? The license is with WB, which would specifically apply too their films."
Hm, good question. My first thought, too, was Peeves; but like you say, he was slated to appear in the film, but was cut. And, of course, since the books don't have pictures (or at least, didn't before the full-size illustrated versions were produced over the last few years) there's no easy reference for any designs to be based on, unlike the movies, making it less likely that anything from them would be directly featured even if the license did allow it.
Still, I feel like there are a couple of places I've noticed in the past where sets included tiny extra details that were mentioned in the books, but not shown in their respective movies; but I genuinely can't think of any off the top of my head, so I might be misremembering.
@BionicleJedi:
If any sets do hearken back to the books in some manner, I would think the microscale Hogwarts would be the most likely, given the scope of the design.
Technically, the new Diagon Alley has a book-only reference. The "Dancing Doxy" box in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes uses the doxy silhouette featured in the original pre-adaptation printing of the Fantastic Beasts textbook, but the design for doxies that appears in the film canon is quite different.
@CopperTablet said:
"How does Harry have black hair if James has brown hair and Lily red hair? It looks like he has black hair on the portrait."
It's magic.
@emartinez said:
"Love the new CMFs, but the $5 dollar tag seems excessive for this year and moving forward. Will wait for discount in 2 years to get them at $1.00"
I agree the price is excessive. But you must be lucky in Panama. I live in Northern Virginia and they are a blink and you will miss them. You won't be able to find a single one past mid-November. The first series didn't last a month. Same with the DC series.