Review:75952 by SPIRIT

BS01 Reviews

75952 Newt's Case of Magical Creatures

Review: 75952 Newt's Case of Magical Creatures

Move over Harry Potter, you're yesterday's news. It's time for some Fantastic Beasts! How does this set compare to the movies, let alone to the Harry Potter sets that have come before it? Is this set fantastic or just fantastically bad? Let's find out!

This set is pretty much the definition of good things coming in small packages. It manages to squeeze quite a lot of detail out of not that many pieces. You've got your characters, your creatures, and your transforming suitcase. It's got everything! Just like the other sets that came before it, this one just has so much going on. I'll have to break it down section by section because there's just too much to miss out on!

First off we have Frank the Thunderbird. And what can I say except he looks like a Thunderbird! He has articulated talons, a wonderful white and gold colour scheme, and he's even got a place for a minifig to ride on his back. He's got several points of articulation and is surprisingly poseable.

The Occamy is also pretty stunning. It has a very similar build to the basilisk (?) seen in the Hogwarts Great Hall set, but it definitely improves upon the design by adding feather-scales and a much more detailed head. The colour scheme is certainly unique, but very much in-line with its movie appearance. I can safely say that I did not own any Lego parts in that shade of pink prior to opening this set.

Both the Occamy and the Thunderbird have an interesting Lego Elves vibe. Not that there's anything wrong with Lego Elves, but they do stand out next to the rest of the collection. I don't really know what Lego could've done to avoid that. Building creatures in general is quite different to making buildings or vehicles, but there's just an indescribable feeling of "hmm, well that doesn't quite look right".

I think the Erumpent is my least favourite, sadly, which is a shame because I really enjoyed that scene in the movie. Once again, I'm not really sure what they could've done differently. I mean, it pretty much looks like an Erumpent, but I definitely had a sense of "oh, that's it?" when I finished building it. They also did a good job of making it feel pretty bulky, but it doesn't look nearly as good as the other big creatures.

All the characters look really great in this. It's a great opportunity to get all the main characters to act out whatever scenes from you movie you want if that's your jam. I like that they even included a football helmet for Jacob. Such a small inclusion, but it goes a very long way. If I had to nitpick, Queenie has a really happy face or a really upset face -- I'd have preferred a neutral option. Also I get that they're trying to capture Newt's striking cheekbones, but it kind of makes him look like he's 60. Ultimately, they're pretty great. Everyone's easily recognizable, which is the main thing anyway.

Now, those eagle-eyed readers out there might be somewhat concerned at this point. Is that it for the characters and creatures? Was no one else included in this set?

Well, they've got Pickett the Bowtruckle. He appears as a little green branch. Not even worth mentioning, really.

But there is also... another.

The Chosen One.

The one to save us from the darkness that lurks within our hearts.

The true saviour of mankind.

THE ANTI SUSAN BONES.

The Niffler (Nifflericus adorableous). Gaze upon his cuteness and despair. The Niffler is just the embodiment of all things good in this world. He is genuinely a major selling point of this set. True, you can get him in the minifig blind bags, but why do that when you can get him guaranteed in this set? I've checked, and you can't even order the Niffler piece online. So either you buy him in this set or you end up with ten Dean Thomases as you try to get him in a blind bag.

Moving forward, I'm just going to try to include him in every picture of the review.

So the case is divided into three basic sections. The left one seems to have a little sink/Niffler bath along with what I'm hoping is a pile of hay and not a pile of manure. The middle one has some potions and a subtle photo of Leta Lestrange. Lastly the right one has a bunch of gold for the Niffler, a Bowtruckle tree, and a large egg. These little details are a lot of what makes the set fun. So much to explore and do, it has a lot of possibilities.

The case transformation is pretty slick, I must say. The locking mechanism that holds it together takes a little getting used to, but all in all they did an amazing job of making it look like a case on the outside and a creature care home on the inside. They even included the "Muggle worthy" sign. It's just a very impressive level of detail. The whole transformation thing is pretty unique as well. I guarantee this isn't the first Lego set with some sort of transformation functionality, but this is objectively a very interesting and unique build. And best of all, it genuinely looks like a suitcase when you're done.

This set surely awakens your inner 90s kid if you ever had a Polly Pocket or Mighty Max.

The Brass Tacks

Did we like this set? Yes	What We Liked: The transforming suitcase works really well Lots of tiny details everywhere *Comes with a Niffler (that's all you really need to know anyway)
	What We Didn't Like: Creatures look a little off Locking mechanism can be a bit temperamental *Some of the Minifigs could stand to have their faces improved
	Other Comments: If you liked the Fantastic Beasts movies, this set is a must. It's got all the characters and beasts you could want, and it transforms into a suitcase for crying out loud! I give this set an E for Exceeds Expectations.