Review: 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall
Posted by CapnRex101,Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has inspired a number of fantastic sets since 2001, each focusing upon different moments from the Harry Potter series and offering unique qualities. 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall seems to be the best rendition yet, including magnificent architectural detail and an extensive interior.
Furthermore, this tremendous set contains ten minifigures, almost all of whom are exclusive, along with several different animals and some accessories. It should therefore offer considerable play value and look wonderful on display, following the example of previous Hogwarts sets. In fact, I have high expectations that this example will surpass the high standard of its predecessors.
Minifigures
This set includes five Hogwarts pupils wearing their school uniforms, the first of whom is Harry Potter. His tousled hair looks brilliant and the head is decorated with the wizard's famed lightning bolt scar, a pair of round glasses and two different facial expressions. The dark bluish grey jumper includes some dark red and flame yellowish orange highlights, representing Gryffindor House, while Harry's legs are plain black.
Ron Weasley includes the same Gryffindor torso with a white shirt, a striped tie and a lovely jumper. I like the hair piece which has been selected for Ron and this element is only available in dark orange in the new Wizarding World sets. The double-sided head looks good too, featuring a few freckles and two expressive faces. Ron comes with a reddish brown wand while Harry wields a dark brown accessory.
The two friends are accompanied by their respective pets. Hedwig is printed with some light bluish grey streaks that delineate her feathers, distinguishing this version of the owl from the one in the Collectable Minifigures series which includes dark bluish grey feathers. Scabbers is moulded with impressive detail and his curled tail is designed to fit around a row of studs.
A brand new hair piece has been designed for Hermione Granger, depicting her wavy hair style from the first few Harry Potter films. The intricate texturing is thoroughly impressive and reddish brown is a perfect colour when compared with the character in the movies. I like Hermione's double-sided head too and she wears a dark bluish grey jumper with the red and flame yellowish orange stripes of Gryffindor, just like Harry and Ron.
Draco Malfoy, on the other hand, wears a Slytherin jumper which features dark green and sand green stripes along with a matching tie. This torso component is only available here at the moment, although I imagine further Slytherin students will appear in any future Harry Potter sets. Malfoy's blonde hair piece looks perfect in relation to his appearance in the first two films and I like his sneering and angry expressions too, both of which suit the character.
Gryffindor and Slytherin are by far the most prominent Hogwarts houses during the Harry Potter series and past sets have excluded the other two houses entirely. Fortunately, the new range includes Susan Bones from Hufflepuff so provides fans with a Hufflepuff uniform! This dark bluish grey jumper appears similar to the Gryffindor version at first glance but is distinguished by black stripes rather than red ones and a brighter shade of yellow.
Susan only makes a few appearances in the movies, accompanying Hermione across the Great Lake before being sorted into Hufflepuff during the Sorting Ceremony. Nevertheless, I think she was a good choice for a Hufflepuff character as her ginger hair is unique within this set and the freckled head looks superb in relation to the films. The figure comes with a black wand.
A black wizard's hat represented the Sorting Hat in 4701 Sorting Hat from 2001 and was replaced with a printed component in 2010's 4842 Hogwarts Castle. However, this specialised element is far superior to its predecessors, including tremendous moulded detail while still being able to fit onto the head of a minifigure, as demonstrated below. I love its eyes and mouth as well as the crooked tip, all of which match the source material exactly.
This rendition of Professor Albus Dumbledore takes inspiration from his appearance in the first two Harry Potter films, during which he was portrayed by Richard Harris. His light bluish grey beard is an existing element but the flowing hair piece is brand new and features some realistic texture. I am also very satisfied with the double-sided head, showing a smile on one side and a more severe expression, without spectacles, on the other.
Dumbledore's dark red robe looks brilliant too, featuring rich decoration on the front and back. I like the dark red swirls across the torso and the subtle chequered pattern, more visible on the character's back, is delightful. The only addition that might improve this minifigure would be a little hat, like that shown in the films, but I think Dumbledore looks fantastic without it.
Professor McGonagall wears an equally detailed dark green robe which is nicely decorated with some leaves and scattered pale blue motifs. A sketch model for 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall was displayed at New York Toy Fair and featured Professor McGonagall with a dress element rather than printed legs. I think a dress would have been more suitable so am disappointed that it has been omitted, presumably so the minifigure can sit down.
The head is decorated with an angry expression on one side and a kind smile on the other, befitting the duality of McGonagall's personality. Unfortunately, her wizard's hat does not properly cover the face on the reverse of the head and I think this component is starting to look rather dated, as one might expect given its age. I would like to see a modern element replace this one in the Wizarding World sets, although the classic hat could still be used in future Castle themes. Dumbledore and McGonagall carry dark tan and black wands, respectively.
This selection of Harry Potter sets does not include Hagrid's hut but it does come with Rubeus Hagrid himself. The half-giant Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts looks far better than previous figures in my opinion, featuring a brand new torso element which consists of a medium nougat jacket with a reddish brown shirt underneath. I like the row of buttons and Hagrid's enormous metallic silver belt buckle looks marvellous, although a little more moulded detail here would have been welcome.
The arms are attached using Technic pins so they can swing back and forth but the short legs are fixed in place. It seems ironic that short legs have been used on such an enormous character, although they work perfectly here. Hagrid's dark brown combined hair and beard element looks fantastic too, slotting over his head and torso smoothly. The head is decorated with a single smiling expression and I think it suits Hagrid quite well.
Hagrid is officially forbidden from performing magic so is not equipped with a wand. He instead makes use of a pink umbrella which is brand new in this colour and matches the films exactly. The pearl dark grey lantern looks great as well, with a trans-yellow 1x1 round brick placed at the centre to depict its glowing light.
Professor Quirrell plays a vital role in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone but has only appeared in one previous set, 4702 The Final Challenge. I am therefore very pleased to see a new version of the character which improves upon the original minifigure in every respect, sporting a marvellous lavender turban with a band that runs across the front of his torso. A simple black jacket and a dark blue tie are visible underneath.
The graphic designer has definitely captured Professor Quirrell's nervous disposition in the expression shown above. However, removing the minifigure's turban reveals an even more impressive design on the reverse as the spirit of Lord Voldemort has taken up residence within Quirrell's body, causing his gruesome visage to protrude from the back of the professor's head! Voldemort's face is printed in tan so appears distinct from the surrounding flesh tone and I love how it is contorted in anger so matches the film.
Hogwarts is inhabited by several ghosts, perhaps the most famous of whom is Nearly Headless Nick. The ghost of Gryffindor Tower consists entirely of white and light bluish grey parts so looks great and I love the metallic silver highlights across his torso and legs, both of which are intricately detailed. The hair piece is excellent too and has not been available in light bluish grey until now.
Nearly Headless Nick features two expressions alongside his facial hair. One side is decorated with a smile while the other appears sad, presumably in response to yet another rejected application to join the Headless Hunt! The only improvement which might have been applied to this figure would be the addition of a ruff around Sir Nicholas' neck, although that could cause interference with his hair piece so printing it on the torso is a good alternative.
The Completed Model
Hogwarts Castle is a vast structure, consisting of numerous towers and connecting buildings as well as several bridges. This model is therefore focused upon two of the school's most recognisable features, the Great Hall and the Marble Staircase Tower. It measures 30cm wide and almost 38cm in height so looks quite imposing on display and I like the combination of tan walls with dark bluish grey roofs, the latter of which represents a significant improvement over the sand green designs found in past sets.
First Year students approach Hogwarts aboard a fleet of enchanted rowing boats and one such vessel is included here. The reddish brown hull is nicely textured and a trans-neon green lantern, formed by a minifigure head, is placed towards the bow. I like the black support structure and pearl gold fitting but wonder whether trans-yellow would have been a more appropriate colour than trans-neon green.
The boat docks at a small wooden jetty in this set, allowing students to disembark and enter the Great Hall quickly. I like the tan and dark bluish grey railing around this area of the model but am not entirely convinced by the two dark blue 2x4 wedge plates which give the impression of water. Neither seems necessary in my opinion and they appear slightly out of place when the set is on display.
A pair of enormous wooden doors guard access to the Great Hall. It would have been wonderful to see a separate entrance hall which would be more faithful to the books and film series, although accessing the Great Hall directly seems like a reasonable compromise given the relatively modest size and price of this set. The white clock above the doors looks good and I like the medium nougat bricks which are sprinkled throughout the tan walls.
The Great Hall stands at the top of a sheer cliff face and the designer has acknowledged that, including a few light and dark bluish grey slopes at the base of the walls, which I appreciate. However, I am even more impressed with the new lattice elements that fit into 1x2x2 window frames and match the curved elements used on the tower. The spires along the edge of the roof look brilliant and I like the new 1x1 prisms which form tiny dormer windows in the roof.
Another large window dominates the other end of the Great Hall. This wooden structure is constructed very simply but looks wonderful and I like the smaller arched windows on either side. A couple of black Technic beams support the roof and these are visible above the protruding window which is unfortunate and the towers should be taller, particularly at the centre of the roof.
The back of the Great Hall is open so you can access the interior very easily. It is furnished with some tables, benches and banners as well as a large fireplace with an attractive dark red surround. There is plenty of space to stand or seat minifigures inside and the tables are all oriented in the correct direction so improve upon 4842 Hogwarts Castle.
A row of candles hangs far above the banquet tables, suspended using a Technic liftarm and two black bars. The new candle wick looks superb and I like the little flames on top of each candle, although the Technic support structure seems rather out of place. Just a couple more pieces would probably have been sufficient to conceal the cental liftarm so it is a shame that it has been left exposed.
However, the reversible banners alongside the candles look absolutely spectacular. Large stickers are applied to each one, featuring the dark blue and metallic silver quarters of Ravenclaw beside the black and metallic gold quarters of Hufflepuff. Gryffindor's dark red and metallic gold colours are found on the reverse of the Hufflepuff banner while Slytherin is shown on the back of the Ravenclaw banner. It would have been nice to display all four banners at once but reversible designs make more efficient use of the limited space available.
Minifigures with short legs are unable to sit down but I think they look pretty good when standing on the benches. Furthermore, you could alter them for figures with standard legs by placing an additional 1x2 plate beneath the table legs, raising them to a height for minifigure legs to slot underneath. Plenty of food is included for a banquet and broomsticks are clipped to the wall on either side of the entrance doors.
The staff dining table is raised on a podium in relation to the other tables, just like in the movies. There are chairs for three professors and the central throne appears very regal so is suitable for Dumbledore. Two pearl gold goblets are placed on the table and the golden House Cup is located on the window sill behind the teachers, exemplifying how the designer of this set has used every available space!
Hogwarts Castle includes several towers of differing heights and shapes. The Marble Staircase Tower, situated directly adjacent to the Great Hall, is perhaps the most recognisable of these and looks pretty good in LEGO form, featuring curved walls and an imposing arched doorway. The spire over the door uses a new textured component that features three courses of tiles while the pinnacle on top has not appeared in dark bluish grey before.
Recreating the conical roof at the top of this tower must have been difficult but I think the designer has done reasonably well, using some half cone parts towards the peak of the roof but 3x12 wedge plates at its base. There are narrow gaps on either side of the wedge plates but these only become visible from certain angles and I am not sure how this could have been improved without the creation of another new piece.
Naturally, the Marble Staircase Tower does include a short flight of spiral steps which can fold to form a flat surface, as demonstrated below. However, they look much more impressive when unfurled to reach the next level. A reddish brown broom is clipped to the wall beneath the stairs and there is a yellow frog on a table in the corner.
The next floor includes a large black cauldron, a smaller pearl dark grey cauldron and a table which is laden with potions. I imagine this is intended to represent a generic Hogwarts classroom as Professor Snape's potions chamber is found in 75953 Hogwarts Whomping Willow, although it might also be a storage area for keeping unused equipment.
A storage room definitely occupies the second level of the tower, housing the Sorting Hat on its stand as well as a reddish brown chest and a black spider. The chest contains five gems in different colours and the trans-red example might be the Philosopher's Stone itself, as indicated by one of the images on the Mirror of Erised which is found on the top floor.
The magical Mirror of Erised shows the viewer's deepest desire in their reflection and serves a vital role in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, concealing the stone from those who would seek to use its power. This rendition is heavily reliant upon stickers but looks very good in my opinion and I like how you can reverse or swap the mirror panel to show different images. The first displays Harry Potter beside his parents, Lily and James.
Turning the mirror around reveals Albus Dumbledore holding a pair of woollen socks, in reference to the headmaster's claim from the book. In fact, Dumbledore sees himself standing among members of his family. An entirely separate panel features two more stickers, one of which shows Ron Weasley as the Gryffindor Quidditch captain and the winner of the House Cup while the other features Professor Quirrell, grasping the Philosopher's Stone.
There is not enough room to stand a minifigure in front of the mirror which seems odd, although it can be removed entirely and placed on the ground. Doing so will reveal a perch for Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix. This brick-built animal looks magnificent and could be adapted quite easily for flight by placing neck brackets between the phoenix's body and its wings, although no brackets are actually included.
This set is focused almost entirely upon Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, featuring characters such as Professor Quirrell who only appear in the first book, or movie, of the series. Fawkes therefore seems somewhat out of place as he does not appear until Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and the same can be applied to the Basilisk, an enormous serpentine creature that lives within the aforementioned Chamber of Secrets.
Personally, I would rather the Basilisk had been omitted from this set and its pieces used to add extra detail to the castle as she looks tiny when compared with the source material, measuring just 18cm in length. However, the Basilisk does offer some additional play value and I think her head has been well designed given its small scale, featuring opening jaws and a pair of removable fangs. The Sword of Godric Gryffindor is not included, unfortunately.
Overall
75954 Hogwarts Great Hall is probably my favourite of the new Wizarding World sets. It looks fantastic from the outside and the interior of the Great Hall is highly detailed, matching the source material quite closely and including plenty of room to play with the minifigures. Furthermore, the architectural design of the castle is absolutely magnificent and it includes several new elements which could prove to be extremely useful.
The minifigure selection is similarly impressive, including a tremendous range of characters which are of a consistently high standard. I think a dress would have improved the Professor McGonagall figure and there are certain areas of the castle which could be refined with a little more detail but this is still a great model. In addition, the price of £89.99 or $99.99 feels very reasonable and I would therefore highly recommend adding 75954 Hogwarts Great Hall to your Harry Potter collection.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your thoughts on the set in the comments below.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review is an expression of my own opinions.
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47 comments on this article
Love the updated Quirrel figure, honestly. The build itself is a bit dull, and doesn't seem to tower above the microscale Hogwarts that much, big no no for me when this is minifig scale. Size is King.
Splendid review Capn! This set looks amazing, not in as much detail as the microscale castle but still, all the new molded parts are to die for. The only thing I don't like is the Basilisk, I would've rather Lego made a $70-ish Chamber Of Secrets set that connects to the other 2 Hogwarts this year, and it could come with a moulded Basilisk.
Another great review. It looks like a brilliant set, it would be interesting to see what could be built with four of these (to match the cost of the micro scale castle).
This a a great set, but compared to the new UCS Hogwarts, it’s almost disappointing. Still good detail and a great original Dumbledore minifigure.
Love this set.
I also love that you’re saying Philosopher’s Stone. That is an actual alchemical term, as opposed to Sorceror’s Stone.
^ hes from the UK, that’s what the book is called :)
I want it more for the minfigs than the model itself.. And that sorting hat is awesome!
Excellent review.
Not a big Harry Potter fan but this round of HP sets is going to be just like TLNM sets, excellent designs at fair price points on all the sets and me not wanting to miss any.
The new Hagrid (and both his accessories) look like Playmobil. I'm increasingly disliking all the new molded pieces that look like generic toys, rather than keeping a LEGO esthetic, so I'm very happy McGonnagal is stil rocking the old witches' hat, and not yet another molded piece. I think this set, with a little modding, can become very nice.
Doesn’t this attach to the willow set somehow?
You have to pay 400 bucks to get Godric Gryffindor's sword. :)
I for one seem to be liking this one more than the UCS Hogwarts set. The detail is better in the more expensive set... but this smaller one just captures my nostalgia for the series and the original 2001 sets more; and I appreciate the ability to cram in minifigure sized details (even if cramped) in this model. The photos I have seen of it alongside the Whomping Willow make it a solid contender to the bigger UCS set.
I place my bet on buying these modular parts of the castle each year and ending up with a minifig scale full Hogwarts castle :)
@Mahenry926
I know, but the film was called Sorcer’s Stone worldwide. I personally say Philosopher’s.
@Mr. Thrawn, according to IMDb it was only called "Sorcerer's Stone" in the U.S. and India. Most countries have their own translations, while other English speaking countries like Canada and Australia have "Philosopher's Stone" listed.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241527/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_dt_dtakas
Except in markets where it was called philosophers stone... such as the uk
Pretty cool set that I won’t get although the Hagrid and nick figures are fantastic
From Wikipedia: "They thought that a child would not want to read a book with the word "philosopher" in the title and, after some discussion, the American edition was published in September 1998 under the title Rowling suggested, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."
Wasn't this one of the sets we thought they'd be including the new skirt pieces? Bit disappointed to see McGonagall with normal legs. :(
Instead of the basilisk they should have added the troll, that would have made much more sense!
the prototype version had some snazzy new half-arch pieces in the little fence at the entryway, I wonder if those will ever see the light of day...
A rather brilliant set in my opinion, about the only things I don't like are the brick-built animals which are vastly inferior to the specially molded ones from 2002. I'm really curious to see how they expand upon this idea of selling different parts of the castle separately, and to see how that compares with the $400 Hogwarts.
Great set. I’m personally not a fan of the old or new skirt pieces, or the short legs due to the lack of articulation
PicnicBasketSam-
I believe the half arch pieces you reference have been spotted on the new micro scale Hogwarts Castle model.
Why are you still calling it bluish-grey? It's been the standard grey for over a decade, man. Move on.
@Jorel - Including the troll in place of the Basilisk is an excellent idea.
@Ender37 - Light and dark bluish grey is the standard terminology for the 'modern' shades of grey. The fact that these colours have been in use for more than a decade has no bearing upon their naming.
In fact, I do not remember a time before the colour change was made so have no nostalgia for the original shades of grey or brown.
@HomerJay..
"Is this yer homework Harry? Is this yer homework Harry?"
That's supposed to be the Basilisk? Even in the original Chamber of Secrets set, it was at least the right color, I didn't even know what was being referenced here. My best guess was actually the snake from the dueling club, except that still didn't make sense. Bad addition. I agree with Jorel who suggested the Troll would have been a better additional monster.
I love the look of the exterior and the set has great features like the figs and mirror but I feel the interior space was not used effectively. I recognize that it is difficult to fit rooms into the small tower space but I don't need a storage room or another potions one. I would have preferred it if they had tried to make specific rooms and add more over four or five sets like with the Prisoner of Azkaban line (although they could do much better today). I want something that is drawn directly from the movies/books rather than something that merely emulates the feel of the wizarding world. I also think the Basilisk is out of place without the Chamber of Secrets and the boat is unnecessary despite its role in the first movie.
As I've said before although I'm no Harry Potter fan by any means these are some great sets. This is near top of my "wanted list" just for its' architectural look. I'm thinking of adding some more tan pieces, completing the other side, and plunking it down in my city as a church. It has a certain mini-cathedral vibe to it...
I like the over all look of the set but that Basilisk still looks like road kill. Way too flat.
Whoa! No spoiler alert?!?
“the spirit of Lord Voldemort has taken up residence within Quirrell's body, causing his gruesome visage to protrude from the back of the professor's head!”
Guess I don’t need to read that book now. Thanks.
:-)
I take issue with “plenty of food” (unless there’s food not pictured). Otherwise a great review of a great set. :)
A new version of the Chamber of Secrets would have been far more welcome than placing Fawkes and the Basilisk in this set - it's great to see them at all, for sure, but we've only had one version of the Chamber, which appears in two books, and this is our third Great Hall. Fawkes could've also gone fine with Dumbledore's Office, as would the Sorting Hat.
The Tower also feels pretty poorly used - I mean, it's lovely to see the Mirror of Erised put together so well, but the Sorting Hat was always stored in Dumbledore's Office as was Fawkes, and we get some kind of Potions Classroom for some reason? It feels like the Tower was furnished as an afterthought, which is a shame because the Great Hall is beautiful.
I'm also, as mentioned elsewhere, still not crazy about the new torso style and short legs.
Great review of a great set! Just grabbed a second one so that I can turn it into a church for my LEGO city.
I bought this set as soon as it became available, and by far the element that gets played with the most by my children is the basilisk! They love it, and it seems the perfect size to attack the Hogwarts students. The set itself looks great on display, although all those windows were a bit of a slough. I'm thinking about re-skinning the Mystery Mansion in tan and nougat to add on another tower and greenhouse.
I'm not a Harry Potter fan at all I've seen only a few mins of the first film. Anyways I love these Harry Potter sets especially this one, I just picked it up! The design is perfect like a church or large hall which it's supposed to be. I'm a huge pirate/castle fan so these structures are perfect for me, I really bought the sets for all the good parts. The new 2x2 lattace windows are awesome! I feel like this set is priced well too 99.99 usd, you would expect a license set like this would have cost 129.99. Anyways great review, I really enjoy this set and this is coming from a non Harry Potter fan.
I want this for the minifigs! Very nice set. Great parts, too!
The Basilisk's just horrible. They should've gone with the moulded one. Same goes for Fawkes.
The large tower is missing the iconic 3 smaller towers.
McGonagall definately needs a hat with a bun and a dress.
I know that it is mostly called Philosopher’s, but am so used to people saying Sorceror’s, which is both not the original title, nor an actual term.
I went and bought two of these at our local Target yesterday.
Great, thorough review. Thanks.
Thanks for a great review! I plan to buy two copies and combine, a bit taller towers (s) and a closed hall.
@J0rgen -my exact tought too. The latern really looks like Playmobil and are not welcome in the Legofamily of bricks and pieces.
Hagrid just doesn't look Lego. I think they went too far in trying to capture his proportions: he would work better as a minifig.
I just finished building this set this evening and it was an absolute joy. The finished model is superb; the shaping and level of detail is fantastic and the minifig selection and printed features are wonderful. As always, pictures don’t *quite* do it full justice!
If I could level any criticism it would the space with Fawkes/The Mirror of Erised is a bit cramped, but as mentioned above the mirror can be moved, and it’d be very easy - simply by removing two parts - to modify this section to stand a minifig and even convert it to a small Owlery.
Really nice review of a great looking model and, dare I say, a reasonable price for a licensed set nowadays!
This and the Hogwarts Express are certainly must buys for our household.
This set is wonderful and should be viewed as a combination of Book 1 AND 2, hence Quirrell and The Basilisk, which, as people have said, is the WRONG colour, it should be a bright poisonous Green which 2 huge Yellow eyes.
The characters are fine except for Susan, not only is she a very minor character until book 5, but she's not a red head (It would have been noted if she was), she doesn't fly (except for flying lessons), and she has a plait down her back, similar to Lavender Brown. The character basically looks like Ginny in a Hufflepuff uniform.
While I love Harry Potter and Lego, I do wish they'd base their sets on the books, not the movies, as the movies get a lot of things wrong.
I think if LEGO keeps up the good work with sets like this, the Harry Potter line could go down as one of the company’s most successful themes, even rivaling the success of the Star Wars sets.