HARRY POTTER TOYS & GAMES, PART 9: LEGO

Denmark's best-known export -- at least to kids -- has to be the LEGO plastic snap-together blocks and kits. The brand name comes from the Danish words "leg godt," which means "play well."

LEGO's adventure playsets are some of their biggest sellers, and the company was wise to get a Harry Potter license from Warner Bros. The result is a number of play sets of familiar settings from the book and movie. Clearly, these sets and characters were inspired more by the movie, in terms of appearance. However, even if a kid hasn't seen the movie, the sets and people will be "old friends."

LEGO also has been quite successful in getting into computer software and robotics, with complex kits adults are purchasing and building.

Part of the firm's software line has been the "Creator" series. The LEGO Media division released Harry Potter LEGO Creator CD-ROM in September 2001 for $29.99. Users can make virtual Hogwarts castles, constructing the furniture out of blocks. They also can build students and send them to the Hogwarts houses with a virtual Sorting Hat. Students also can interact with each other, even showing different reactions to pupils from rival houses.

The best-known products from LEGO remain the plastic people and block sets. For most of 2001, the Harry Potter LEGO line was top secret. One eager fan even built his own version of Harry and posted on the Internet as the "real" Harry. Other fans got excited, too, thinking they were getting a sneak preview of LEGO Harry. After the fan admitted his was not the real thing, not much time went by when another figure was posted. It was this figure (right), and it was and is the real thing. This Harry's uniform resembles those in the movie, down to the Gryffindor badge on a gray sweater.

The known LEGO sets are listed and described below. They will be out in October 2001. The prices are given in Canadian dollars, with U.S. in parentheses. This is because these are the first prices I could find. Better prices will be posted in the near future. Suggested ages are 6 to 12 years.

A cheerful looking Hermione goes shopping in a Diagon Alley shops. The shop at left looks Madam Malkin's, and the one on the right could be the Magical Menagerie. This set contains 80 pieces and the backdrop shown in the photo at right. $9.99 U.S.; $17.99 Canadian.

Harry, Hermione and Ron venture into the forbidden corridor, where they find Fluffy, the trapdoor he's guarding -- and the room beneath with the big, nasty Devil's Snare plant. This is a big set, containing 296 pieces. $29.99 U.S.: $44.99 Canadian.

Hagrid's hut includes a caged baby Norbert, a big fireplace, and Albus Dumbledore, who in this picture could easily find about the baby dragon. The hut looks as if it is stone, like the movie version. Hagrid's place was wooden in the book. Set contains 238 pieces. $29.99 U.S.; $44.99 Canadian.

The LEGO "Final Challenge" set featueres Harry standing up to Professor Quirrell by the Mirror of Erised (showing Harry holding the Sorcerer's Stone). Quirrell looks almost cutesy here. Part of this set includes a spider web that doubles as a catapault which Harry can use to fire bottles at Quirrell. Funny, I don't remember that scene in the book. $9.99 U.S.

"Gryffindor or Slytherin?" The Sorting Hat set looks more like the American game show Wheel of Fortune, with a little revolving disk printed with the animal mascots of the four Hogwarts houses. Spin it to sort Harry. The Sorting Hat is there to announce Harry's house (it better be Gryffindor!) $6.99 U.S.

ON TO TOYS, PART 10/LEGO, PART 2 >>