Review: 71028 Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures Series 2 (Part 2)
Posted by CapnRex101,
LEGO has certainly produced some interesting minifigures for 71028 Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures Series 2, several of which featured during part one of our review. I imagine the remaining figures will prove similarly splendid throughout section two.
They include the deranged Bellatrix Lestrange, both Weasley twins and Moaning Myrtle, among other important characters...
Minifigures
Unlike many other Harry Potter characters, Ginny Weasley has few particularly distinctive appearances throughout the film series. This minifigure accordingly features her dark green dress from Professor Slughorn's Christmas party which only appears briefly but distinguishes Ginny from other students and complements 75969 Hogwarts Astronomy Tower. Ornate dark blue scrollwork covers the entire garment and looks lovely, even continuing onto the sides of both legs!
However, my favourite aspect of this minifigure is Ginny's unique hair piece which features realistic waves. The texture looks great and I like the metallic gold hair clip. I think the same element might have suited Lily Potter, although using it twice within one series of Collectable Minifigures would be excessive. The head displays two smiles which seems odd, missing an opportunity for a different expression.
Ginny includes some chocolate ice cream scoops in an elegant dessert glass which seems appropriate. The same glass element is available in 75978 Diagon Alley, although this trans-clear example is unique. Much like the Butterbeer glass, attachment points are situated at the top and bottom which may prove useful. This minifigure carries a dark brown wand.
Four members of the Weasley family appear in this series, the next of whom is Fred Weasley. This minifigure is based upon Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and sports a tan bobble hat with authentic decoration. The dark orange hair looks marvellous and I like the double-sided head that displays two joyful facial expressions, as one would expect for the Weasley twins.
George Weasley takes inspiration from the same movie, when both brothers attend the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Their clothing is nearly identical, comprising dark tan coats with striped jumpers underneath, but George's jacket is unfastened to distinguish the twins. I appreciate that variation and the dual-moulded legs are great. The double-sided head looks superb too, especially since it includes an unusual laughing expression.
The Weasley twins never miss an opportunity to have some fun, taking bets on the outcome of the first task before it commences. Fred accordingly carries a suitcase which is decorated with the odds for each Triwizard Champion and contains two betting slips. These orange and lime green printed tiles are actually associated with the Quidditch World Cup instead of the Triwizard Tournament, featuring the colours of Ireland and Bulgaria, but they are welcome inclusions.
George includes the Marauders' Map and his reddish brown wand. This 2x2 tile matches the 2x3 element which appears in 40419 Hogwarts Students Accessory Set, featuring exactly the same graphic. However, the map is folded on this occasion, hence only displaying the cover. It looks absolutely perfect when compared with the source material.
Bellatrix Lestrange has typically been restricted to larger sets so her availability with the second series of Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures is welcome. The black hair piece looks absolutely fantastic, featuring wonderful texture and slotting neatly around Bellatrix's head and shoulders. The double-sided head displays a smile and a frown which both look good, although a cackling expression would have been brilliant.
This minifigure wears her Azkaban uniform, featuring alternating light bluish grey and dark bluish grey stripes with mud along its edge. I am pleased that these stripes continue onto the arms and the seam down the centre of her clothing demonstrates extraordinary accuracy to the movie. Admittedly, the Azkaban prison garb does restrict the versatility of this minifigure but its distinctive design is appealing.
Three accessories are provided, including a pair of dark bluish grey handcuffs and Bellatrix's black wand. However, my favourite is definitely the printed 1x2 tile which displays the Death Eater's prisoner number alongside accurate symbols from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Additional text should appear beneath the prisoner number but certain details must sometimes be omitted to simplify designs.
LEGO has produced comparatively few sets based upon the later Harry Potter movies, when Kingsley Shacklebolt was introduced, so this represents his first minifigure appearance. His blue hat is nicely decorated with metallic gold diamonds which match the onscreen character and the head looks reasonable too, although I would have preferred a serious expression.
Shacklebolt wears a purple jacket and robe, hence incorporating a fabric component here. I think this was probably the most effective solution and I do like this design, although the soft fabric lacks any creasing so hangs rather awkwardly over the torso and legs. The decoration underneath looks splendid though and I am particularly satisfied with the printed cuffs.
In addition to his black wand, Shacklebolt includes a dark brown broomstick. I presume this is provided in reference to his introduction, escorting Harry from 4 Privet Drive to 12 Grimmauld Place at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. While this broomstick is adequate, I would love to see an updated element with improved shaping in the future.
Various ghosts inhabit Hogwarts, notably including the miserable Moaning Myrtle who was killed by the Basilisk during 1943. This minifigure accordingly features an interesting blue tint across each component, beginning with her hair piece which has been created specifically for Myrtle and looks excellent. This element is made from rubber and features lovely texture.
The blue colour scheme continues across Myrtle's sand blue uniform which seems suitably tattered. Furthermore, this minifigure features medium legs so corresponds with the broader Harry Potter range as Myrtle perished at the age of fourteen, matching Harry's age during the Goblet of Fire. Her head displays tearful and angry facial expressions, either of which appear ideal for the character.
Tom Riddle's diary accompanies Myrtle which seems appropriate since her death enabled Riddle to transform the diary into his first Horcrux. A similar accessory appeared with Dobby from the first series of Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures but this version remains intact and contains a unique printed tile, depicting the moment when Harry unknowingly initiates contact with the memory of a youthful Lord Voldemort. A trans-clear display stand is also provided to elevate Myrtle off the ground.
4867 Hogwarts introduced the first Professor Pomona Sprout minifigure but the vivacious Head of Herbology appears substantially more detailed on this occasion, incorporating an exclusive hair and hat component which looks marvellous in relation to the movies. I am particularly impressed with the dark tan earmuffs, protecting Sprout from the Mandrakes' potentially lethal cry.
The double-sided head features cheerful and concerned expressions which look splendid, although an exasperated expression might have been appropriate too. Her medium-nougat clothing is based upon Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and features fantastic detail, most notably around her shoulders. The bright red berries and surrounding green leaves are especially attractive.
Professor Sprout includes a dark tan wand and a Mandrake, ready for potting. Strangely, the dedicated piece that was introduced with 71022 Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures Series 1 has now been replaced with a printed 1x1 round brick. This matches the Mandrakes in 75969 Hogwarts Astronomy Tower and slots more neatly into the pot, although the change surprises me.
The aforementioned Mandrake came with Neville Longbottom in the 2018 series of Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures but this depiction of the character is not dressed for Herbology, instead wearing his Gryffindor robes. They appear very similar to those worn by Hermione Granger from the earlier series but there was no need to produce a dramatically different design for Neville in my opinion.
Neville's head, on the other hand, is brand new and closely resembles the onscreen student. His prominent teeth are perfect and both expressions seem rather nervous, befitting Neville's personality. This dark brown hair piece has been cleverly chosen too and the same element is employed in 75969 Hogwarts Astronomy Tower, demonstrating pleasing consistency across the Harry Potter range.
While the minifigure is satisfactory, Neville's exclusive accessory is probably my favourite from this whole series! The Monster Book of Monsters includes information about various magical creatures but is renowned for its own vicious nature and the LEGO version looks wonderful. While the back cover is shared with other books, the front cover is unique and features great texture around its edge.
Additionally, the book contains a 1x2 slope which features The Monster Book of Monsters' mouth and bookmark tongue. Printing on this narrow surface is remarkably unusual but the result looks magnificent here and you could easily replace this slope with a standard 1x2 tile, once the ferocious textbook has been placated.
Overall
71028 Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures Series 2 undoubtedly contains several impressive minifigures, although 71022 Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures Series 1 remains superior in my opinion. The earlier series introduced the new medium legs which was exciting but I think the selection of characters was better as well, deviating substantially from existing sets when that original series was released.
However, there are some outstanding minifigures in this collection and their accessories are frequently exceptional. Fawkes, the Sword of Gryffindor and the Monster Book of Monsters seem particularly remarkable and are certainly worth adding to your Harry Potter collection. Otherwise, only Dumbledore, Griphook, Bellatrix Lestrange, Moaning Myrtle and Professor Sprout really stand out to me.
These minifigures were provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
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22 comments on this article
Hm, Moaning Myrtle definitely looks better in you photos than she does in the official images; I might see about getting her after all. I still like the version of Ginny here, especially the unique hairpiece, and Kingsley - although the fact that his fabric piece doesn't fold properly is definitely kind of a let-down.
Apparently I'm not as knowledgeable of a fan as I thought I was; I thought those Fred and George minifigures were based off the scene in Prisoner of Azkaban, where they give Harry the map, I didn't even remember that part in Goblet of Fire (despite it being my second-favourite movie of the series!). I still think the hats kind of limit the ability to adapt the minifigures to any other scene, and prefer the versions of them from the new Diagon Alley over these.
Bellatrix and Sprout look good, but aren't characters who I'm sufficiently eager to pick up, myself; and I think in the end I like series 1 Neville better than this version, even though the book is a very neat piece.
Still a fair series but, yeah, I see what you mean about it not being as solid as the previous one.
The garbs may look identical, but if you place the Hermione from the previous season next to this Neville you can see that they changed up the print on the folds slightly, which is really surprising!
Love Kingsley and Dumbledore.
Some gems in this series for sure! Hope to get a full set some day!
After seeing the minifigs in the series, I decide to try my hand at investing since I am not a CMF collector but I do appreciate the collectible value. I bought a set, keep them sealed. and see what's the value in the next 5 years or so. They won't take up much space anyway.
What an (still) excellent CMF series. I gotta get Kingsley Shacklebolt, Griphook, Moaning Mrytle, and Dumbledore. And the accessories in series 2 are top-notch!
Given how much freedom the CMF team get with new elements, Ginny's martini glass was almost certainly designed for this minifig, with the main HP team taking advantage and including it in Diagon Alley only because it was already available.
Kingsley's head may have been given a more pleasant expression due to something people have complained about. Black females are almost non-existent, but black males appear semi-regularly. However, they're limited to licensed themes, and mostly action themes at that. Whether hero or villain, they usually have a determined, fierce, or shocked expression. Rarely do they have a smile. People who desire to include more racial variety into their displays have raised this issue, as it make sense when two super-powered characters are squaring off, but in a more general Town setting, it makes all the black men look angry. So, more black minifigs with pleasant expressions will be welcome. Unfortunately, due to the hat, they didn't have the opportunity to use a double-sided head that would suit both desires at the same time. Also, wow, without the robe, that looks like a _terrible_ track suit.
Moaning Myrtle is the minifig that excited me the most, just because I like to have my Ghostbusters square off against famous ghosts, like Beetlejuice, the Men of the Mountain from LotR, etc.
Pomona's hat is unfortunate in that it only exists with the earmuffs. Her only other minifig is very generic, and now it may be a very long time before they produce a minifig of her with matching hat/hair that skips the earmuffs.
@BionicleJedi:
They didn't have hats on when they handed over the map. I vaguely remember the odds scene, but the map is probably their first truly famous scene and what many people remember most about them. The inclusion of a map tile (even though they'd already given it up by the time they wore those outfits) draws memories back to that moment even though the gambling rig clearly belongs to a different scene. As for the hats, you could easily sub in other hairstyles to get rid of them.
@Inkomi:
Minifigs and accessories are all the CMF team do, so they like to change things up a lot, and it's extremely rare that they'll repeat a print from a previous CMF, or pull one in from an outside theme.
Is Ginny's hair piece made from hard plastic or rubber?
Part 2: now we're talking! There are some minifigs here, that I like a lot: the twins, Bellatrix and who doesn't want a Minifigures of George Harris? Also, completely changed my mind about Myrtle after your photos!
@Anak said:
"Is Ginny's hair piece made from hard plastic or rubber?"
Hard plastic.
^hard plastic
The Ginny figure is one of the best figures ever in my opinion
The decorated side of the suitcase lid should be facing inward, as it's only visible when the case is opened in the film.
Ginny's hair would also be perfect for a Year 5 minifigure of Professor Trelawney, down to the hair parting and barrette.
@Anak said:
"Is Ginny's hair piece made from hard plastic or rubber?"
Ginny's hair is hard plastic.
Moaning Myrtle is very good. Works well for all type of ghouly things you want to do with your lego
Thanks for the reviews. I don’t agree that Series 1 is superior. I think the number of new molds and character depictions in this series are far better. Almost every character is strong. I think Harry himself might be the weakest entry.
Also comparing apples and oranges a bit- doesn’t series 1 have 22 figs versus the 16 in this series?
In any event, these are definitely worth picking up!
@PurpleDave said:
"...famous ghosts, like Beetlejuice, the Men of the Mountain from LotR, etc.
Pomona's hat is unfortunate in that it only exists with the earmuffs. Her only other minifig is very generic, and now it may be a very long time before they produce a minifig of her with matching hat/hair that skips the earmuffs."
Completely agree. I was hoping for a generic hat/hair piece without the earmuffs. It may be true to the character - I wouldn’t know and don’t care as I’m not into HP - but is of limited use for anything other than this character.
At the risk of being a pedant, it’s ‘Men of the [White] Mountains’ (plural) as it isn’t a single peak but a range.
@Anak said:
"Is Ginny's hair piece made from hard plastic or rubber?"
Hard plastic dude... as I have one of her!!
@Anak:
I don't own the minifig myself, but I've read somewhere that Ginny's hair is made of hard plastic. But that could just be a rumor.
@Zander:
There are basically two LotR canons now. One is the books, and the other is the New Line movies. For the latter, Jackson elected to pare down a lot of the extraneous lore to the core story. Elrond's sons got tossed, and so did much of what surrounds Dunharrow. In the movie, the path is referred to as the Dimholt, and "the door under the mountain". Those who were cursed to remain there are called "those who dwell in the mountain" by Elrond, and "the dead" or "those who are dead" by Legolas. The one LEGO set where they appear lists them as King of the Dead and Soldiers of the Dead. I've heard them called the Army of the Dead and Men of the Mountain in real life. In the movie, there is one scene where Legolas is explaining them, and says "...the Men of the Mountain(s) swore an oath..." Because "mountain(s)" is immediately followed by a word that starts with "s", it's difficult to tell if he says "mountain" or "mountains". The captions do stick with "Men of the Mountains", but immediately after, Legolas says "...they fled, vanishing into the darkness of the mountain." So, convention seems to have gone with the singular, because anything that's not ambiguous opts for "mountain" over "mountains", which fits with the style of editing that Jackson used when creating these films. And most of the mountain ranges in Middle-Earth never get mentioned at all. Specifically, I can recall mention of the Misty Mountains and Iron Hills, Erebor (the Lonely Mountain), Caradhras (specifically "the pass of"), the mountain that these guys haunt, and Mount Doom.
@PurpleDave,
There is only one canon where Tolkien is concerned and that is the writings of the man himself. At a stretch, you might include Christopher Tolkien's contribution based on his father's notes. In his own lifetime, JRRT disapproved of re-interpretations of his work even though he reluctantly agreed to some.
While I enjoyed the films, they are most definitely not canon. I suspect that if Sir Peter Jackson were not legally constrained in what he can say, he would agree that only the books by JRRT - and maybe CT - are canon.
@Zander:
There's book-canon. And there's movie-canon. Movie-canon applies to everything within the scope of the movies, and informs the LEGO sets that were licensed from and based on the movies. Movie-canon absolutely exists, because without it, the movies would be full of contradictions, plot holes, and so on.
Movie-canon is the public face of the property now, since more people who are currently living have probably watched the movies than read the books. I've done both, but I hated the books and only own a rather beat-up copy of The Two Towers that I got free through the RIF program, while I own three different editions of the film trilogy and watch them regularly. I'd never argue that movie-canon supersedes book-canon, and I own all but the most recent of David Day's books on the complicated backstory (which I'm currently reading through), but where Jackson may have gone too far in trimming the fat, I wholeheartedly believe that Tolkien badly needed an editor. I mean, the guy seriously thought LotR, in its original form, could (and should) be released as a single text. If it had, it would be the first book where the mass market paperback where the front cover was smaller than the spine.
@legoavenger14 said:
" @Anak said:
"Is Ginny's hair piece made from hard plastic or rubber?"
Hard plastic dude... as I have one of her!!"
Thx folks. The review did not mentioned it.
Neville's head is a perfect double for Mick Jones
@Matt_Z_ said:
"Also comparing apples and oranges a bit- doesn’t series 1 have 22 figs versus the 16 in this series?"
I imagine he's only comparing the 16 HP figures from that series.