This is an absolutely incredible set that represents one of the few locations that plays a prominent role in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. While this particular set may be made as a Hobbit set, it also includes a handful of features that relate to Lord of the Rings.

Minifigures

With this set you get an amazing collection of minifigures, 6 to be exact. First is Gandalf who is the least exciting since you most likely already own several of him, but nonetheless is a good minifigure. Bilbo is unique to this set because he is wearing the clothes he wore at home, but since you already own many different Bilbos, I do wish however that his head featured a young an older side as that would have made the set perfect for both stories.

Now the highlight here is you get 4 dwarves. All 4 look fantastic with Bombur being my favorite with his incredible hair/beard/belly piece. Their torsos are all highly detailed, but show details of the hair that will actually cover them so you really aren't losing the details except for on the back for the ones wearing capes. The other three are Balin, Dwalin, and Bofur. Bofur is the only one without a brick made beard, but he has his incredible hat which more than makes up for that. Balin looks fantastic and it's great to have him given his importance and closeness to Bilbo. Dwalin in my opinion is the least interesting simply because he is bald, but he still looks great.

Parts

This set includes an amazing selection of parts. What will immediately catch you attention is all the household items such as food, pots and pans, plates, a broom, and a shovel. You get a good collection of diverse weapons. And while they may use stickers, you get 3 Middle Earth maps. After that you have tons of specialized bricks including rounded ones, large plates, foliage, a treasure chest, and I can go on and on. If for some reason you get bored with Bag End, you have plenty to build with. Of course the absolute best part is the printed door, which may not be useful elsewhere but looks amazing and is printed!

The Build

This set has a rather interesting build utilizing a handful of different techniques and teaching me some new tricks along the way. Perhaps the most interesting part is the very simple, but very creative large window which looks completely different from the inside and the outside. It utilizes lamp holders, lazy susans (without the top part), arches, and features a built in light. Not to mention it slides into the structure and is locked in using the simplest techniques.

After that you have a handful of SNOT, particularly for creating exterior window frames. A very simple but well designed fence. You also build up a hill and a tree which is a lot of fun to do.

Of course a lot of the build is simple adding in the details such as the garden, the bench, the dinner table, but all of this is fun. Building the whole set took a little less than 2 hours.

Overall

Like I said, this set covers both movies. Certainly the inclusion of 4 dwarves and the dinette set implies it is a Hobbit set. But the inclusion of the maps, Sting, and the book that Bilbo (and eventually Frodo) writes are out of place in the Hobbit and directly reference Lord of the Rings. You also have flowers outside the large window for a gardener to spy from (although sadly the window can't be opened to pull Sam through). The oven could double as a fireplace to throw the ring into, although the ring is surprisingly missing from this set, but no biggie as you must own 30 rings by now. You also have an envelope sitting on a shelve with a seal, so I suppose the ring is still inside of it!

In terms of actual play features, this set surprisingly has none. Although in Lego's defense, how many play features do you have in your home? Certainly there are plenty of accessories to play with, and if you own Gandalf Arrives, it looks fantastic parked in front of this set.

I would have liked to see the chandelier that Gandalf hit his head on, and it would be cool if there were one or two walls to divide the rooms and give the Hobbit hole that rounded look, but of course adding these would have made the house very cramped.

My one complaint is that the base of the model is not very solid, plus it includes a small plate sized step in the house. By building the base out of two stacked plates they could have made it much more solid and eliminated that step. I suppose this an easy enough fix to make on my own.

The design is actually very similar to the new Flintstones set. I will say that the Flintstones set is much better designed, but Lego had 7 years to learn since this set came out. However, if you want to improve or build upon this set, the Flintstones set could provide some valuable insight into how this set could be improved.

Nevertheless, if you are a LOTR fan, this is obviously a must have set and is well worth the money.

Overall this is an amazing set.

Pros

ALL MINIFIGURES

Good looking set

cons

I feel the set was a little pricey

The rubber hair/hat combo on Dwalin is very loose.

Verdict: An amazing set with little cons.

I got this set a few weeks ago, and I absolutely LOVE it. This is one of the best sets I have purchased or received ever. I guarantee you will have fun with this amazing set, Hobbit fan or not!

Box/Instructions

The box is one of the newer higher quality ones that came around a few years ago. The front depicts the set in a fantasy situation, with some bright artwork filling the background. The front side of the box also shows the character lineup in a small box in the bottom-left hand corner. I also appreciated that the main scene shows one set of faces for the characters, and the lineup box shows the other set of expressions. My only complaint about this side is there is a bit of false advertising: Through the crack in the door, we see some wooden planks as a sort of back wall, which is not in the actual set. The back shows the features of the model, as well as some 'cinematic' shots which is mostly just the dwarves eating! The are two instruction manuals in this set that go along with the six numbered bags.

Parts

There is a great parts selection in this set! We are treated to many new elements, as well as some old pieces in fresh, new colors. There are also some rare parts in their original colors, such as the pretzel and loaf of bread. My favorite is the PRINTED door to Bag-End! Also, most of the minifigures feature brand-new hair pieces.

Minifigures

This set has an amazing cast of characters. I will start with Gandalf, because he is very common. He has is same usual printing, as always, and it is extremely accurate. There isn't much else to say about him, and I am sure most of the LOTR/Hobbit fans out there already have two or three Gandalfs. Next up is Hobbiton Bilbo. This version of Bilbo is exclusive, and features a unique torso print, as well as a different face variation. The legs are plain brown, but are unique to this version of the little hobbit. Dwalin next! This dwarf is probably the most detailed of the four. He is bald, and consequently does not have a double-sided head. We do, however, get Dwalin's tattoos printed on the back of his head. He has a new beard piece, which unfortunately covers most of his amazingly detailed torso. Dwalin also wears a green cape, which, unlike the other dwarves, has one neck hole instead of two that go over each other. This minifigure wields a brick-built battlehammer that is almost twice his size! Now on to Dwalin's older brother, Balin. Balin also features a unique beard/hair piece, as well as a two-hole red short cape. He carries a short sword like a few other members of the company, as well as Sam, Merry, and Pippin. Both sides of his torso have film-accurate printing, unfortunately covered on both sides. Time for Bofur! Bofur may be my favorite of the four, but I love them all. Bofur, instead of a beard/hair piece, has his iconic "ear hat", cast in rubbery plastic. Be careful, as this is a 'squishy' piece like Kit Fisto from the Star Wars line. Bofur has a small beard printed on his double-sided head, accurate to the movie. This means that his awesome torso printing isn't covered! (On the front). Bofur also has a brown short cape and a Pickaxe from Power Miners. Last, (and he hates being last in book and film) is Bombur. This guy stands out among the entire Company because he has a special beard/belly piece that makes him fatter. Bombur has a double-sided face and torso printing, and both are mostly covered by his beard and hair. Bombur is the cook of the Company, as he is too fat to fight, so he has cooking utensils and food items instead of a weapon.

The build

The build is very interesting, because you are building a hollow hill with windows and a door and such. There are many clever building techniques, like the sideways style used for the large window. It took me about an hour and a half to build.

The completed model

The finished product looks great. It manages to look very bright, but stay earthy at the same time. There are many, many, many small details that the designers spent a lot of time and effort on. If you read the book, you will see just how accurate and life-like Bag-End is.

Overall opinion

This set could be the best set ever made. It has outstanding minifigures, amazing playability and value, and clever building techniques. Plus, the price is great! I normally recommend sets to fans of that theme, but this time, I recommend this set to ANY fan of Lego.

So, I've tried to write this review several times, but I could never quite figure out how to avoid just repeating what others have said about this fantastic set (most of which I agree with). But this set is way too awesome to not say anything about it, so here goes. To set my review apart from the others, I'm going to focus on how this amazing set really captures Bag End as it's described in the movies and books. So to start things off, here's Tolkien's own description of Bilbo's home:

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with paneled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats - the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill - The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it - and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining-rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left-hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep-set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river." ––The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien

In my opinion, the Lego designers have done an amazing job capturing the feel of Bag End in brick form. For example:

• "It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle." Bilbo's front door is round, green plate with a printed wood-grain pattern that is unique to this set. Combined with a gold 1X1 round plate, it makes the perfect hobbit door. The fact that the designers included Gandalf's mark on the print pattern is a good example of how they really went the extra mile with every aspect of this set.
• "The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with paneled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats" Admittedly, the set is built out of bricks, so the "tube" shape is a little limited; however, the designers did a fantastic job using straight and rounded slope pieces on the exterior to give the set an organic feel. And while there are no hats or coats, there are chairs and plenty of shelves for holding bottles, books and swords. One of my favorite aspects of this set is that while it's officially in the Hobbit line, it includes little easter eggs from the LOTR books/movies. For example, underneath the main window Bilbo has a writing desk for maps and The Red Book––his personal memoir that he only begins writing after he returns from the Lonely Mountain. And let's not forget Sting. Bilbo's trusty sword has an honored place displayed on one of his shelves. Again, the extra details really make this set stand out from the crowd.
• "No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining-rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage." Now, obviously the designers couldn't include all of these rooms . . . but they did give us a set that is chucky-jam full of accessores: dishes, cups, bottles, pans, fruit, bread, meat, maps, letters, an inkwell and a broom (to name, erm . . . most of them). All of these accessories make the set (which really only includes the entryway and the dining from) feel like a well-used, thoroughly lived-in and comfortably-cluttered Hobbit hole.
• "The best rooms were all on the left-hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep-set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond" Funny as it may sound, the windows really are one of my favorite aspects of the set. They look like they're nestled down in the hillside, peaking out of the green grass. The main window is especially clever, and incorporates a lot of fun building techniques to create the glass-pane look. Good stuff.

Minifigures

As is their MO, the Lego designers have created six awesome minifigs to go with the set––and five of them are unique! Gandalf is an obligatory member of the caste of course, and the only non-unique minifig in the lot. The other five are: Bilbo, Dwalin, Balin, Bofur and Bombur. All six figs have highly-detailed printing on the front and back of their torsos as well as their heads (happy/angry faces for everyone but Bilbo, happy/nervous face for Bilbo). The only shame is that you can't really tell the difference between Gandalf and Bombur's two expressions since their beards cover most of their faces.
One thing I really enjoyed about these minifigs is that they're slightly brighter in color than the costumes worn by the actual actors in the movies, so you can see their coloring better. In fact, it wasn't until I'd seen the minifigs that I realized how closely the movie costume designers had kept to the coloring (if not much else) described by Tolkien.

"All that the unsuspecting Bilbo saw that morning was an old man with a staff. He had a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, a silver scarf over which a white beard hung down below his waist, and immense black boots." So yeah, Gandalf may not be a unique fig, but they definitely nailed it.

"It was a dwarf with a blue beard tucked into a golden belt, and very bright eyes under his dark-green hood. As soon a the door was opened, he pushed inside, just as if he had been expected." Green cloak? Check. I mean . . . maybe they fudged on some of the other details . . . but who's really judging? Not me.

"But it was not Gandalf. Instead there was a very old-looking dwarf on the step with a white beard and a scarlet hood; and he too hopped inside as soon as the door was open, just as if he had been invited." They definitely got the white beard down (even if it's not your traditional dwarf's beard), and the cloak and coat are scarlet (even if the hood is missing). The guy is still my favorite dwarf from the book and movie. Hands down.

"Carefully! Carefully! he said. "It is not like you, Bilbo, to keep friends waiting on the mat, and then open the door like a pop-gun! Let me introduce . . . Bofur [and] Bombur . . . At your service!" said . . . Bofur, and Bombur standing in a row. Then they hung up [a] yellow hood and a pale green one;" Again, even if some of the details are off, the designers at least got the colors right, which is fun . . . and these two definitely make a fantastic pair. Bombur especially cracks me up.

Finished Model

In the end, what makes this set so great is that that the designers managed to squeeze in a TON of playability, without sacrificing the overall look of the set, or all of the fun details they've crammed into it. This is a set that looks equally good set up for display, or spread out on the carpet where you and your kids can have fun with it. And it does it all while staying true to the fantastic descriptions provided by Tolkien and the LOTR/Hobbit movies.

Would I go as far as saying this is my favorite Lego set? Without a doubt. Is it (as some reviewers have hinted) the best set of all time? Well . . . yes. I believe it is. Mostly because it provides so much entertainment without breaking the $100 mark, which makes for a set that is available to a much wider audience of casual Lego fans and younger fans.

Should you buy it? If you haven't already, you really should. Even if you're not a huge LOTR fanatic, this is a seminal Lego set that I think will go down in history as one of the greats. As of this moment, the set is still available in stores, or online. Go out and get it!

Well done, Lego. Well Done.

First of all, I should start with the mini figures. Balin, Bofur, and Bombur are the best. The build is very nice even though it is like building a box. The food is the best part about the set. 11 pieces! If you wreck it there are some pretty nice plates to use for building with later. The only bad part is that you really cant play with it all that much.