Year two of Harry Potter's Wizarding Career. So far, he's broken out of his Uncle Dursley's house in a blue Ford Angela, flown said Ford Angela into the Whomping Willow, learned that he can speak Parsletongue, escaped from a giant spider and its slightly-less giant children, exposed Lockheart as the fake he really was, found the Chamber of Secrets, saved Ginny, killed the Basilisk, and destroyed Tom Riddle's Diary. Now, only one thing remains on Harry's To-Do-List, and that is to Free Dobby.
Set #: 4736
Name: Freeing Dobby
Theme: Harry Potter
Year: 2010
Pieces: 73
Minifigs: 3
Price: 10.99 USD, 9.99 GBP, 13.99 EUR
Brickset
Peeron
Bricklink
Flickr Set
The Box
Average small set box. Shiny, with an action shot displayed proudly on the front. The set looks pretty good from this vantage! As for the box art itself... I have to say that it's some of the best ever produced. I love the red 'wallpaper' type border. There is a Hogwarts corridor in the background as well. That's interesting, seeing as the set is a doorway...
The back, showing off the set's one play feature, as well as Lucius Malfoy's... 'Dark Side'. The box is another one of those horrid 'Push-Tab' openers, which is a deterrent to box-savers.
Instructions
Folded instructions again . I'm really sick of that, the box definitely could have fit the whole thing inside without it being folded. Sorry for the mini-rant, but folded instructions are a pet peeve of mine. As for the instructions themselves, they are crisp and clear, just as they should be. Color distinction is good, and the steps are easy to follow.
Random page, showing steps 9 and 10. Here we are beginning to build up the archway a bit.
It would appear that these instructions have the 'Trio' watermark. They only appear on apparantly random pages, which struck me as odd. It's a nice watermark, though.
Pieces
Ah, fresh out of the box. I don't really get why the plate is out of the polybag, it could have easily been slipped inside the large one. Oh, well, not really a big deal.
The pieces, all (kind of) sorted out. Pretty good assortment. Sand green (), tan, dark bley, bley... Sorry, I kind of zoned out there for a second . There are also plenty of interesting pieces to be had...
Interesting Pieces
Very interesting pieces, indeed. I love that sand green slope, and those inverted slopes are always good to have around.
The spider is nice, and I can use as many books as I can get. The sock-tile is fantastic, as well.
Dobby's head gets its own polybag. It's very rubbery, with great detailing to be had. I love those big pleading green eyes...
Minifigures
Three really good minifigures. Lucius Malfoy, in spiffy business attire, Harry, in full Hogwarts uniform, minus the cape, and Dobby, in his pillow case rag.
All the torsos are very detailed, and the face prints are excellent.
Harry and Dobby have a backprint, which both look very nice. Harry and Lucius both have back head prints. Lucias with his Death Eater face, and Harry with his Frustrated or Angry face. You may notice that Lucius' cape is very wrinkled in the back. That would be due to his hair. While being movie accurate, his long flowing mane isn't really cape-friendly.
Bonus
What's this? I thought we were done with the minifigures? No, dear reader. Here we have some bonus images!
Here we have a back-shot of Lucius Malfoy. His flowing locks really are nice, but they really screw up his cape mojo.
Another back-shot of Dobby. This time, you can see what his head looks like! Good detailing, even on the back.
Here's a good shot of Malfoy's Torso.You can really see the flower on his collar here.
And here we have the comparasin to the previous two versions of Lucius Malfoy. I have to prefer the newer one. Its eyebrows aren't as cooky as the other twos, and the hair and torsos look a lot better and accurate.
The Build
Four steps in. The base has come together nicely.
At step 11, there are a few more details, and the structure is beginning to get a little taller.
And, at 17 steps in, the structure has most of its details and structure, with just a little left on the top.
Set in Full
Ah, the set is finished. Doesn't that Arched Door look lovely ? The torches aren't bad, either. There is a random broom hanging on the wall, though . Not sure what that's about, but I'm not complaining. A good broom is always welcome in my house. The spider is attached by a 1x1 brick with a stud on the side, along with the gold stud on the other side. The set isn't flimsy at all, even during building. I really enjoyed the arch technique of building the back first, then building the front part to make a stunning effect.
And here the set is from the back. There's not much difference, except for the small platform is more defined back here.
Features
Oh, that's a peculiar looking button... I wonder what would happen if I were to...
...Give it a little push...
It would appear that Mr. Malfoy pops out and falls on his face! Neat little play feature, sure to keep children giggling.
Here's on last picture of the set without the minifigures from a different angle to round out the review.
The Final Verdict
Design: 9/10. I really enjoyed the design of the door, actually. That surprises me, seeing as this is such a small set, but it's a pleasant surprise.
Build: 7/10. Short, enjoyable build. It loses some points for being so short, but it's a small set. It had some interesting techniques, and I'll be sure to use that arched doorway again.
Playability: 8/10. It only has one feature of note. Sure, it's an interesting and funny feature, but it's just one feature. The three minifigures save this score, though.
Minifigures: 10/10. I could not be happier with the Minifigs. Two have backprints, two have double-sided faces, and Dobby's face is extremely detailed. Three for Eleven bucks isn't bad, either.
Price: 7/10. I can't really complain, seeing as I got this as a gift, but Eleven dollars is a dollar over what it would have been two years ago. I understand, inflation, but still, it was nice when it was an even Ten Bucks. You get your moneys worth, though, so that partially saves this score.
Overall: 8/10. A really enjoyable build, three highly detailed minifigures, a well-designed Arched Doorway, and an interesting play feature all make this set worth picking up. The price isn't all that bad, either. It makes a good gift! I'm glad to have two in my possession.
Parting Shot
Lucius was a shoe-in for First Prize at the Halloween Party...
