This week I’m sharing a review of the new Harry Potter LEGO set Hagrid’s Hut: Buckbeak’s Rescue (Set 75947). As with all my LEGO reviews there is no piece count, and no build review, just an honest look at the potential for toy photography.
Looking at the set as a whole, although there are some elements from the first book in the set, such as a dragon’s egg in the fire, it primarily explores the third book. As it’s called ‘Buckbeaks Rescue,’ this probably won’t come as a surprise! With all the touches you might need to recreate your favourite The Prisoner of Azkaban scenes, this set does a pretty good job of setting the scene for Buckbeak’s rescue!
The set
The main part of the set comprises two rooms of Hagrid’s hut. These are open to the back, and with careful re-building, I reckon a clever builder (not me!) could combine two sets to create a much more charming build that is enclosed.
One room contains a fireplace, dining table and chairs, whilst the other contains a small desk and a trunk. The details in this set really come about through the decor on the roof beams though, featuring a range of items from a bucket, to a spoon and pan.
The other part of the set is a simple pumpkin patch, featuring a stand with Buckbeak secured to it. This is a nice little detail that could be expanded with additional pumpkins to really fill out the garden.
The figures
We get six figures in this set, related to the Buckbeak storyline, as well as Buckbeak himself.
To start with, we get the standard Hagrid figure we’ve seen in other Hogwarts sets.
– Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, page 88.
We also get Harry, Ron and Hermione in casual outfits that match their movie counterparts. Each character in the trio comes with two faces: happy and angry/sad. This works well for a book where they are all upset at times!
In addition to our main cast, we also get the executioner McNair and the Minister of Magic, Fudge. I don’t have much real desire to photograph these two, although I do love the McNair’s axe, as well as the black hood.
– Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, page 235.
The star of the show is obviously Buckbeak though. He’s a great model, despite not having any moving legs.
– Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, page 89.
However this model does have a moveable head, allowing some recreation of the respect a Hippogriff needs. He also has some great printing on his face, with those orange eyes proving very striking!
Issues
I had a couple of issues with this set that impact photography options.
My first issue is that Hagrid is just unable to interact with the items in his own hut. He can’t sit in any of the seats, and he barely fits (although that’s probably true to size!).
I understand why the figure is the way he is, but it’s frustrating being unable to utilise him properly for photography.
My second issue is that the printing on my Harry’s happy face is awful. This is why Harry is frowning in all my photos!
Final thoughts
This is a great set, and I really do love the details on Hagrid’s hut. It’s pretty well thought out and looks really good. The light brick fireplace is also a nice touch, and helps to provide some atmosphere within the hut.
From a photography point of view, it does come with a lot of items to make use of in recreating key story moments. With Buckbeak as well, you could make use of the Sirius Black figure in other sets and really go to town on re-making your favourite scenes.
~ Lizzi
Disclaimer: This set was provided by LEGO for review.
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Nice pics Lizzi! You’re right about Hagrid, is a trunk. No many interactions with him, unfortunately. More or less you have the same articulations of Buckbeaks…