Review: 5005254 Lego Harry Potter Bricktober Minifigure Pack

[LegoSims20]

Here is my review of 5005254 Lego Harry Potter Bricktober Minifigure Pack.

It comes in a little cardboard display case with a plastic slip case, with packaging that matches the rest of the 2018 Wizarding World Lego. 

First we have Boggart Snape. He comes with a purse; hat and shawl and a double-sided face. Both of his faces are the same as the Snape figures included in 75953 and 75956. This outfit has only been produced once before in 2004. While it is quite an insignificant scene, it is a fun variant to have (especially for any potential DADA classroom sets that may come) as Snape doesn't really have the potential for very many variants throughout the series, and it is an improvement on the 2004 design. Perhaps the inclusion of the vulture for the hat would have made this even better. 

Next we move on to Dolores Umbridge. This minifigure has only ever been produced once before in 2007. Personally, I am still on the fence with this minifgure. While I think her printed outfit looks spectacular, something about her face prints (she comes with 2) and/or hair is off for me. While the texture on this hair is a clear improvement over the 2007 one, I think the style of the 2007 one suited the character much more. As it is, this is the one figure in the pack who would not be instantly recognizable (in my opinion) with just her face print. Her accessories are a teacup and wand. 

The next character is Horace Slughorn, and is his first appearance in physical Lego form. In my opinion, this character is fantastic! His face prints (he has 2), hair and outfit perfectly capture the character. His accessory is a potion bottle. While it would have been nice to have been given one of the academic hats he so famously wears, this is an excellent minifigure.

The forth and final minifigure is Madam Rolanda Hooch. This is the third iteration of this character (following from 2002 and 2010) and I believe it is the best one to date. While her design is not dramatically different, her face print is instantly recognizable. And her second face has her iconic flying goggles. Personally, I am not sure if this is 100% the right hair choice (much like in 2010) but it is not a big deal. her accessories are a wand, a broom and a cape.

Overall thoughts: 

I think that this is an excellent selection of minifgures, and if you are a Harry Potter fan and you have the chance to pick up this set, I would TOTALLY recommend it! While there are certain flaws (as discussed earlier) overall, they do an excellent job of portraying each of the characters included. My issue with this set, however, lies in the distribution of it. While it was no one's fault that TRU went out of business in most countries, I wish TLG would have made this set available for purchase in its own stores and on its websites, as the difficulty most fans are going to have in getting this is already proving to be very annoying - especially due to how rare and desirable the included  figures are. I had to pay £35 ($45) for this set, but in the end, for the usage I would get out of it, I deemed it worth it.

Edited August 30, 2018 by LegoSims20

[WhiteFang]

Thanks for sharing! Will you be able to rotate the minifigures into an upright position? I can't see the details of the images in this manner. Will appreciate if you change it and also to keep your images within 800x600. 

[LegoSims20]

4 minutes ago, WhiteFang said:

Thanks for sharing! Will you be able to rotate the minifigures into an upright position? I can't see the details of the images in this manner. Will appreciate if you change it and also to keep your images within 800x600. 

Sorry I wondered why it had done that. Let me quickly edit it. 

@WhiteFangFixed them!

[WhiteFang]

Thank you LegoSims20. 

[Marvelous Spidey]

Great review! I can't wait to get my hands on these.

I do agree that Hooch needs a different hair though, although creating a new mold just for this character I guess was decided to be too much. I keep thinking Nakia's hair in grey would work, but I also feel like that's not pointy enough.

[cocabottle]

Thanks! Can't wait to get mine this week.

[Robert8]

They all look great

Umdridge is the best one and Snape is my least favorite.

Agree that Hooch needed a new hairpiece. And Umbridge old hairpiece was better 

 

Thanks for the review

 

[Johnny1360]

Thanks for the fine review, glad to see it, helps me decide if I really want to try and track one down locally. Really happy to see you finally scored this set, I was worried you were going to give yourself an ananurism trying. 

[Ultron]

Hooch is easily the weakest. Her face print is slightly better than last time, but she definitely needed a new hair piece. Would've liked maybe a printed cape for her as well, just like she had back in her first appearance. All well, she's a terrible character anyway and severely incompetent as a teacher. 

Umbridge is bloody brilliant, imo. The face captures her so well and the hair looks much better now that I look at it more.

Boggart Snape is quite good, but did need a vulture on the hat!!

Slughorn is ehhh. The hair only kind of works and the face is not really distinguishable as him. A molded hat/hair combo was needed. Still nice to finally get him as a figure though!

[MAB]

Have you removed the collar of Boggart Snape? It would be nice to see the parts or if the detail is still there when the collar is removed. It looks odd to me that the body of the cat is 3D while the head is flat. Hopefully it can be displayed without the fur collar to correct this. Also shame about the double head here, as it shows from the rear. The hat looks very similar to that of the CMF scarecrow but I cannot tell if there is a hole in it. Is there? If there is, then getting a vulture on the top is very simple. Photos of the parts in reviews can be very helpful for addressing things like this where they are not talked about.

[Robert8]

3 minutes ago, MAB said:

Have you removed the collar of Boggart Snape? It would be nice to see the parts or if the detail is still there when the collar is removed. It looks odd to me that the body of the cat is 3D while the head is flat. Hopefully it can be displayed without the fur collar to correct this. Also shame about the double head here, as it shows from the rear. The hat looks very similar to that of the CMF scarecrow but I cannot tell if there is a hole in it. Is there? If there is, then getting a vulture on the top is very simple. Photos of the parts in reviews can be very helpful for addressing things like this where they are not talked about.

This is something LEGO seems to be doing now: exposed alternate faces. They also did it with McGonagall this year

I hope this won't be a new trend

[MAB]

1 hour ago, Robert8 said:

This is something LEGO seems to be doing now: exposed alternate faces. They also did it with McGonagall this year

I hope this won't be a new trend

It makes it appear like they design the parts individually rather than as a figure.

 

[LegoSims20]

@MAB

Spoiler

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2018 by LegoSims20

[MAB]

Thanks. Pictures like that add quite a lot to reviews without actually having to say anything! It does seem a bit cheap that LEGO didn't add the existing crow to the hat.

 

[fred67]

Where are these available?

 

[LegoSims20]

47 minutes ago, fred67 said:

Where are these available?

 

Toys R Us in select European countries that have those stores. They are coming to US at Barnes & Noble later in the year. 

[Soupperson1]

Lovely review! I’m surprised these all have back printing, they really are all CMF standard.

[8BrickMario]

Snape is really disappointing; that hat was made specifically to have a bird on it when the Scarecrow CMF introduced it, but they couldn't bring the crow back in dark tan for Snape's hat? I also think Umbridge's hair is lazy. While it's in LEGO's current design standard and library, it's too wide for her hairstyle, and even though they didn't put much expense into this set, I'd really liked to have seen a direct update of the older sculpt.

[Ultron]

2 hours ago, 8BrickMario said:

Snape is really disappointing; that hat was made specifically to have a bird on it when the Scarecrow CMF introduced it, but they couldn't bring the crow back in dark tan for Snape's hat? I also think Umbridge's hair is lazy. While it's in LEGO's current design standard and library, it's too wide for her hairstyle, and even though they didn't put much expense into this set, I'd really liked to have seen a direct update of the older sculpt.

To be fair, that's more or less exactly what her hair looks like. It's just that her curl is missing, which would be nice, but it's still a striking resemblance, imo. 

[8BrickMario]

11 hours ago, Ultron said:

To be fair, that's more or less exactly what her hair looks like. It's just that her curl is missing, which would be nice, but it's still a striking resemblance, imo. 

I see why people think it looks right, but it's just too puffy for me to agree. I think it's definitely the best option they had without making a new piece, but if Commissioner Gordon can introduce a subtly different combed hairstyle, why couldn't they put Umbridge in a set with the budget for a subtly different granny hairstyle?

[JVM]

I think Umbridge's hair could've worked, but the problem is the face print - it makes for a nice old lady print, but it doesn't feel like it captures Umbridge's unique features. It's a very simple grin and an outright sneer -- she needs a bit more of a snooty look, almost sadistic. Something where there's a little displeasure in her eyes but with a neutral or slightly smiling look. So much of what made the character so dislikable was how she always seemed to maintain an aura of being pleasant even while being vile. I think the original minifigure captured her features much better than a lot of female minifigures in that era. I'm also not sure the legs work well. The printing limits cause the shirt to look a little shorter than she wears it.

I can understand why people wish Hooch had a new hapriece, but I don't think anything better exists in the repository. I'm glad we received a better headpiece though -- I found myself disappointed in the exaggerated 'hawk' eyes on the previous iteration. It was a nice detail to try to include but I just don't think it worked there. I can certainly agree about the new cape being a bit generic.

Slughorn is a favorite character of mine and I am so happy to see him included. I would agree this hairpiece isn't exactly right, though I'm unsure any existing piece could have done the job better, as his hair in the film is thin and that's a hard trait to translate to bricks. I think the faces are fine, but do a gree a hat might've been a nice bonus.

Everyone's mentioned the bird, but I wish Snape came with a wand. Might grab an extra old lady face to make into Grandma Longbottom! It's a cute minifig choice although a part of me can't help but think of more deserving characters. I'd love a new Lockhart.

What does the back of the box look like?

[MAB]

8 hours ago, JVM said:

Everyone's mentioned the bird, but I wish Snape came with a wand.

 

Get some HP CMFs and you'll soon have some spare wands.

 

[JVM]

17 hours ago, MAB said:

Get some HP CMFs and you'll soon have some spare wands.

 

I've got plenty -- it just feels like an odd omission, and considering they let Hooch have one, who wasn't previously released with one, I felt a bit more surprised.

[Robert8]

Yeah some odd choices here

Like giving Snape an exposed alternate face. Which was unnecessary considering there are other Snape faces around. With characters like Hooch and Slughorn I get it, because those are rare so is nice they gave them 2 faces here. 

Also, Umbridge's hair. Maybe the CMF line was the best place for her because she needed an updated version of her old hairpiece. Or maybe including her in both: An Order of the Phoenix version in the CMF line and a Deathly Hallows version here, sporting the Horcrux

[scatmanjack]

wish the crow head piece wasn't so expensive on Bricklink... Adding it to this Snape is $$ for what it is...