Hagrid's Hut - A Mystical Place Indeed!
Written: Nov 30 '01 (Updated Jan 07 '04)
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Pros: Fantastic new pieces, Hagrid and Dumbledore figures, a must have!
Cons: Can be tough to build, small pieces that get lost.
The Bottom Line: Overall this is a great set, but with a little work it could be exception. Get them now, stores are selling out fast!
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| Freak369's Full Review: LEGO Harry Potter Hagrid's Hut 4707 |
Just when you thought it was safe to visit one of my Epinions – along comes yet another review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Lego style of course! Hagrid’s Hut is one of the larger sets in the series and like its brother and sister set, contains never before seen pieces. If you’ve seen any of my recent reviews you’ll see a rather disturbing trend developing – my desire to review all the available sets well before the holiday rush starts.
Hagrid’s Hut is one of the larger sets but not the largest. It contains a wide variety of pieces ranging from stenciled brick wall to multi leveled ceiling tile pieces. While the included instructions only show one method of construction, this set is phenomenal in it’s replay value. The box gives suggestions on alternative designs but don’t let that be your only guide, the more you play with this set the more buildings you can create. When coupled with other sets from this series – or any other – your only limits are the ones you create.
If you are planning on collecting all the sets in the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone series to build the castle village you may want to buy two of these sets. Hagrid’s Hut is set number 4707 and is a stand alone building, simply meaning that it is not connected to any of the other structures. If this sounds confusing, check out the back of any box to see the completed structure and where this set fits into the process. If you purchase two of these you can create one of the huts on either side of the village using different designs. Plus, the additional pieces [lizard, spider, tools] can be added into other sets to improve the overall appeal.
Hagrid’s Hut is the only building in the series that is completely closed [or can be completely closed depending on how it is built]. It comes with hinges that are attached at each wall joint so that the structure can be opened to different degrees. This is a wonderful design and is breathtaking when completed. The hut consists of seven wall panels and seven leveled roof tiles [two pieces to each section], there are small windows as well as a door complete with keyhole and golden key. The windows feature black plastic lattice weaves, which really give it an ‘old world’ feel. . There are a few little pieces that really add to the total charm of the hut, one being that wall-mounted lantern at the front door [or back door depending on how you place it]. It’s a four-pronged holder that has an orange pod piece resting in the middle. This piece can also be removed from the holder and carried by any of the Lego figures. [This might cause your Lego figure to tip over so make sure you snap the person onto a small base first.]
The Tools
What good is a hut without some tools to keep it from falling apart? This set includes a black axe, a gray pickaxe, tool cart, hammer [needs to be assembled] and a barrel. The tools can be used by any Lego figure however the axe handles are a little hard to snap into place the first few times. There are at least 13 different spots in the hut where the tools can be stored, hung up or placed for safekeeping. This number doubles if you add a few small pieces from the other Harry Potter sets. Yes, I know, I do need to seek professional help.
The Cage
You are also given instructions on how to build a small cage with a working drop front screen. We’ve had multiple ‘discussions’ about the small animal included with this set; I say it is a mouse and the boys say it is a cat. Whatever it is, it fits inside the cage with plenty of room left over for other items. In my set I chose not to build this design but rather to use the pieces inside and outside the hut. You can visit the Lego website for alternative uses for these pieces as well.
Gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid
This is the first set in which I encountered Hagrid. And what an impressive figure this is. I must admit, every time I see it – I am reminded of jkkelley [an Epinions member]. Maybe it’s the beard. :] In any event, Hagrid comes with a full beard and long black hair and looks pretty close to the character in the film. This heavy brown coat is completely removable from the figure. The coat is stenciled with a fair bit of detail and of course, there are the big feet and boots. That’s one of the things that make this Lego figure really stand out – it’s kind of hard to miss those boots :]
Professor Dumbledore
Professor Dumbledore’s Lego counterpart is equally impressive. With his white beard and flowing purple cape, he makes a stunning first impression. His face is stenciled with glasses and gray eyebrows. The bread and hair are removable and let me say this – they do get lost easily so keep a close eye on them. The body of the figure has some nice stenciling of a belt / wrap as well as a few items that I can’t completely make out hanging from the belt.
Other Extras
As with almost every set in this series you get the red flames. For the size of this set I expected to get more than two and was a little disappointed when I opened the box and didn’t see more of them. I guess Lego justified this with the addition of the lantern. You also get a red drinking mug and yellow goblet, very nice pieces if I do say so myself. I lost track of the number of brown cylinders at 20, they can be sued to make tables, wall supports, elevation spans under buildings [great if you want to flood the village], a fireplace setting that can be built several ways and of course, a magic book that opens.
Some other items of interest that are also included: a light brown owl, a few leaves and branches, orange spider and some nice assorted pieces that can be used as cup hooks, key holders and as a brace for the door frame.
As I said before, any of the pieces that you don’t like [mainly the cart and cage] can be built to create other additions to the hut but made sure that if you have the hut open the pieces you add will not keep the structure from closing. I had this happen about 3 or 4 times before I gave up trying to build a table in front of the fireplace.
Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback Dragon
Hello? Lego? Where is Norbert? Unless I am completely losing it [which very well may be the case] I am clueless as to where Norbert is. I am hoping JediKermit [another Lego addict here at Epinions] will be buying / reviewing this set soon so I can get his feedback / guidance on this issue. I checked the Lego website and stated that Norbert was included with this set, but alas, no Norbert.
UPDATE Norbert has been found. The lizard I mentioned in this review turns out to be Norbert. Looks nothing like a dragon to me, a little more detail wouldn't have killed the designers.
Who Would Love This?
Since this a bigger set in the series, it does offer a lot of replay value, however, a lot of those pieces are small and serve a limited purpose. Any fan of the Harry Potter Lego series would love this – if for nothing more than the additional pieces. I really don’t suggest this as an introduction set for a few reasons. There are only two Lego figures, the hut does get boring after a while since there are only so many ways to rearrange the pieces and lastly the issue with the hut not being able to close completely if you have items in the middle of the room.
Some of my reasons for not recommending this as a first set are purely my own personal quips with the design. But I’d rather see a child get three of the smaller sets than to have $29.99 sunk into this and have them left a little disappointed. If I were a child and this was the first set I received, I might have to think twice about additional sets of this size.
The Stats
Set Name: Hagrid’s Hut
Family Set: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Lego Set: 4707
Number of Pieces: 299
Age Recommendation: 8 - 12
Ease Of Assembly: Moderate, may need help from an adult
Time Of Assembly: 20 - 30 minutes
Cost: $29.99
Retail prices vary from $27.99 - $33.99
As always, thanks for the read!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
Other Harry Potter Set reviews ...
Dobby's Release
The Dueling Club
Slytherin House
The Flying Lesson
Troll on The Loose
Hogwarts Express
Hogwarts Castle
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $29.99
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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