Tag: movies

Recommended music: Howard Shore – Sons of the Steward

It’s #TolkienThursday, so let’s take a look at the ToyBiz Lord of the Rings The Two Towers Boromir, Captain of Gondor figure!

Boromir is a brave warrior and the oldest son of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. He joins the Fellowship to protect Frodo, but his mistaken ideas about the One Ring’s power lead him to become fascinated by it and want to claim it for himself.

Though ToyBiz had already released a half-dozen Boromir figures in their Fellowship of the Ring line, he was not included in the initial half-moon waves of figures for The Two Towers, as the character only shows up for a moment in a flashback to Moria. However, Boromir’s inclusion in the Extended Edition released in November of 2003 made him a great candidate for inclusion here in the third wave of the carded series figures for the film, also known as the Trilogy line.

In The Two Towers Extended Edition, Boromir appears in Faramir’s visions. Faramir sees his brother’s body floating down the Anduin, and there’s another scene, which shows Denethor’s favoritism of his eldest son, and Boromir’s compassion for his brother. Finally, when Faramir is presented with Boromir’s broken horn, he remembers a moment in Osgiliath where they are in armor and victorious in battle.

I’m really glad these scenes made it into the film because they give more depth to Boromir’s actions in The Fellowship of the Ring and help explain his heroism and redemption after being tempted by the One Ring. The figure resembles Sean Bean, who played Boromir, and fits well with other Gondorian soldiers. The armor is detailed, though the scabbard is on the wrong side. He also comes with a cool tattered soft-goods cape, a sword, and his signature Horn of Gondor.

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Recommended music: Warg – Tales From The North

For this #TolkienThursday, let’s check out the ToyBiz Lord of the Rings The Two Towers Warg Beast!

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, Wargs are a type of wolf that lived in the Misty Mountains and served Sauron and his followers during the Third Age. They often worked with the Northern Orcs and were used as mounts by the Orcs of Isengard and Mordor.

In Peter Jackson’s The Two Towers movie (and also in Return of the King and The Hobbit), the Wargs look more like hyenas than wolves. The Orcs of Isengard and Mordor breed them, and a pack led by Sharku attacks the refugees of Rohan on their way to Helm’s Deep. Sharku fights Aragorn, and his Warg famously falls off a cliff into a river with Aragorn’s hand caught in its harness. This scene isn’t in the book, but it helps the movie’s story by separating Aragorn from the group.

ToyBiz released this Warg figure with a fun jaw-chomping feature as part of a deluxe set that comes with Sharku. The figure is detailed, with well-painted hair and mouth. If you press the button on the Warg’s hip, its mouth closes. The legs also have a good amount of joints, so you can easily pose the Warg at different heights—perfect for building an army of Isengard Orc riders.

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Recommended music: Jacob Banks – Unholy War

On this #TolkienThursday, we’re having a look at the ToyBiz The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers Sharku!

Sharku, an aged and severely scarred Orc veteran of the Goblin Wars, serves as the chieftain of a tribe of Warg-riding Orcs who support the fallen wizard Saruman. Saruman channels Sharku’s aggression to lead the Warg-riders in mounted raids against the Rohirrim of the Plains of Rohan.

Although J.R.R. Tolkien’s books do not name any specific leaders of the Warg-riders, the character of Sharku was introduced in Peter Jackson’s The Two Towers. The name derives from Saruman’s nickname “Sharkey,” meaning ‘old man,’ which appears in the “The Scouring of the Shire” chapter of Return of the King, a section omitted from the films.

ToyBiz released this Sharku figure, featuring “knife slashing action,” as part of a deluxe beast and rider set with the Warg Beast. The figure is well-painted, displaying a yellow skin tone that is uncommon in the toy line and, in my observation, not accurate to the film costume, which appears gray. Although ToyBiz designed Sharku with flexible legs to improve his attachment to the Warg, the absence of ball hips and knee articulation limits his positioning. As a result, the figure only grips the Warg’s back or saddle pad with his thighs and appears to float above the animal, resembling a jockey in a two-point stance.

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Recommended music: Georges Bizet – Carmen, Act 1: Habanera “L’Amour est un oiseau rebelle”

On this #TolkienThursday, we’re thankful to have a look at the ToyBiz The Lord of the Rings Return of the King Arod!

In The Two Towers, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas meet the Riders of Rohan for the first time. Eomer gives them two horses to make up for the supposed deaths of Merry and Pippin at the hands of the Orcs and to help them reach Meduseld in Edoras more quickly. Since Garulf, the original rider, died in battle, Aragorn gets Hasufel. Legolas is given Arod, a smaller, lighter, and spirited horse. Gimli does not get his own horse, but he rides behind Legolas after Arod’s reins and saddle are removed.

Arod’s story is a little different in the books compared to the Peter Jackson movies, but the horse appears in many later scenes when Legolas needs a ride. Arod takes Legolas to Edoras, the Paths of the Dead, and, in the books, carries Legolas and Gimli back from Minas Tirith after the War of the Ring.

ToyBiz released this Arod figure as part of a deluxe horse-and-rider set with Legolas, though the horse is unnamed on the box. While the blue packaging accurately features The Return of the King, I have always chosen to display this horse with my figures from The Two Towers.

While the white paint shows some yellowing, the detail and articulation on the ToyBiz horses still hold up, even after 20 years. The scale matches the figures well, and the “deluxe horse galloping action” works with a button hidden on the horse’s hindquarters. This horse is great for army-building since it is plain enough for any Rohirrim figure to ride.

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