Tag: #TolkienThursday

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.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#LordOfTheRings
#LOTR
#ToyPhotography

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.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#LordOfTheRings
#LOTR
#ToyPhotography

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.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#LordOfTheRings
#LOTR
#ToyPhotography

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.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#LordOfTheRings
#LOTR
#ToyPhotography

Recommended music: Howard Shore – The Wolves of Isengard

On this #TolkienThursday, let’s go take a look at a ToyBiz The Lord of the Rings Return of the King Legolas!

Although the Fellowship that departed from Rivendell was reduced to three members, the bond of friendship among them remained strong. In the face of significant danger, Legolas and Gimli demonstrated steadfast loyalty. Wherever their companion and leader traveled, both the Elf and the Dwarf accompanied him. When Aragorn fought on horseback, Legolas and Gimli also fought alongside him, using sword, bow, arrow, and axe in coordinated efforts.

ToyBiz released this Legolas figure (featuring Dagger-Slashing Action) as part of a deluxe horse-and-rider set, which includes his horse, though the horse is unnamed on the packaging. This is the only horse set to feature a Legolas figure. Although the packaging identifies it as part of the Return of the King line, I have always chosen to display this pair with my figures from The Two Towers. The epic maneuver by Legolas to mount his horse when the Warg-riders ambush the Edoras refugees on their way to Helm’s Deep is unforgettable cinema.

While the figure’s nickname matches a Legolas from the Fellowship line due to its action feature, this version appears to be a completely new sculpt. The head, arms, oversized quiver, and rubbery, flexible legs indicate that it is more than a simple repaint. The addition of a soft-goods cape and skirt really makes the figure look great on horseback.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#LordOfTheRings
#LOTR
#ToyPhotography

Recommended music: The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter

Take a gamble this #TolkienThursday as we’re taking a look at the ToyBiz The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers Gamling!

The warrior Gamling was a loyal soldier of Rohan and a member of King Theoden’s royal guard. During the Battle of Helm’s Deep, Gamling is seen nearby Theoden in multiple scenes, acting as his primary bodyguard. Gamling is experienced with both a lance and a sword, which was useful not just for defending Helm’s Deep, but was also valuable during the years of defending Rohan from both Orcs and Wildmen. Both The Two Towers film and Return of the King change up Gamling’s role a bit as the character becomes an amalgamation of multiple book characters, and doesn’t fight on either the Deeping Wall or in the Glittering Caves as he did in the book.

This Gamling “In Rohan Armor with Weapons” figure was released in the third wave of Trilogy carded series figures for The Two Towers in 2003. Contrary to the packaging name, the figure only comes with a sword and sheath, omitting the lance and shield seen with other Rohan figure releases.

The sculpt and paint are detailed as expected, but the head could be any old man of Rohan and doesn’t bear a great likeness to New Zealand actor Bruce Hopkins, who played Gamling. In fact, I’ve got one normal picture of Gamling here in a scene where he’s telling everyone they are abandoning their home to shelter at Helm’s Deep, and there is a cool board head fountain in the foreground. I also have a second picture that is more how I’ve had Gamling displayed for years, ready for battle with a borrowed Rohan helmet, lance, and shield, and not just holding Theoden’s armor as he can get dressed on his own.😄

#ActionFigurePhotography
#LordOfTheRings
#LOTR
#ToyPhotography

Recommended music: Elvis Presley – Take Me To The Fair

Fair enough, #TolkienThursday is back. Today, we’re taking a look at the ToyBiz The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers Faramir!

Captain of the Gondorian Rangers, Faramir was the youngest son of Lord Denethor, Steward of Gondor. Faramir was also Boromir’s brother, who had perished defending Merry and Pippin, unknown to Frodo and Sam when they first met. “It would grieve you then, to learn that he is dead?” Unlike his brother, Faramir was not beloved by his father and spent many years as a ranger, scouting and protecting the wild borderlands of Gondor in hopes of earning his father’s affection.

This “Sword-Wielding” Faramir figure was released in the first wave of half-moon packaged figures for The Two Towers, ahead of the film’s theatrical release.

The sculpt and paint are excellent, and the head bears a decent likeness to Faramir actor David Wenham. Like the Gondorian Ranger figure, a removable hood would have gone a long way for display options. Fortunately, ToyBiz did include his sword, an impressive five arrows, and his long bow. In addition to the button hidden on his back for his swordplay action feature, Faramir can really launch the arrows with a pull of the bow string.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#LordOfTheRings
#LOTR
#ToyPhotography