Is Viggo! No, not that one. This Viggo is much more Aragorn and much less Carpathian and he gets a new action figure in the Lord of the Rings Select line. He is joined by the Moria Orc and they make up series, the best of the line thus far.
I have mentioned it before – I am a HUGE Lord of the Rings mark. I am very glad that there are new action figures to collect, and I am pleased that the line seems to be getting better and as it goes on. Series one was a bit of a bust for me, and I hope that Legolas and Gimli get another crack, but Frodo and the Nazgul were a step in the right direction and Aragon and the Moria Orc definitely continue that trend. These two new figures are not flawless by any stretch, but if these past two waves are more of an indication of what is to come in the future, I think we are going to be in pretty good shape.
Let’s take a look.
ARAGORN
Boy oh boy, I was nervous about this one. Not just because Legolas and Gimli still have me little shellshocked due to the stark differences between the prototypes and final figures, but also because Viggo Mortensen is one handsome enigma. Going all the way back to the Toy Biz LotR days, Aragorn’s likeness has been really challenging to pin down. I guess Viggo is in the same boat as Harrison Ford where they just have these faces that make replication especially difficult, but there just hasn’t been a spot on Aragorn yet.
I am happy to report that I find this to be the best Aragorn/Viggo likeness yet. I wish the eye paint was a bit better, but it’s not bad, and it doesn’t detract from this being better anything else we have gotten at this general scale/product type. The costume details and build are also very nice, and while Aragorn is mostly monochromatic in his choice of clothes, the difference materials and pieces are interesting. The Boromir’s gauntlets and the Evenstar are highlights for sure but even the scabbards are nicely detailed.
Additionally, unlike poor Legolas and Gimli, Aragorn has little to no articulation degradation from prototype to final figure. He sports great double elbow and double knees and it makes a significant difference in his range or movement over the elf and dwarf. His long jacket inhibits a few points a bit, but nothing too badly. I am a little worried about his hip joints as they feel tight (you can hear it) and I don’t want to go too crazy for fear they might break; I feel there is some shock oil in the future here. I do wish Aragorn had some swappable hands as the right grip is a little wide for the sword hilts, and the left hand just has a splayed pose that does not really allow you to do anything. Another grip hand would have been good for two-handed sword poses.
The accessories are mostly good, but like all the figures in this line, there are some baffling choices. The torch is cool, and I appreciate the translucent plastic, but the wood part looks a little too perfectly fabricated, like a broom handle. I like that we get the knife, and of course, the sword Aragorn wields for most of the trilogy is essential. We also get Anduril, which is neat, but both swords feel a little flimsy and thin, so I wish there was more substance to them both. Also included is Anduril’s scabbard, but it is simply a conversation piece – there is no way to attach it so it can be carried or anything. It makes the inclusion just kind of weird. It speaks to the fact that, with everything that has been included and not included, this figure is a bit of an anachronism to itself. The Boromir gauntlets are there, but without the Lorien cloak, if feels weird. The Anduril inclusion calls that out, too, and the torch somewhat iconic, but that is early on in Weathertop. There is just a bit of lack of attention to detail that can show itself if you are well-versed in the trilogy, so I don’t know, it isn’t bad, just weird.
Overall though, this is a GREAT Aragorn figure, and not only is it my favorite regular figure of this line thus far, it is the best (movie) Aragorn figure ever.
MORIA ORC
This is a fun figure to include in the line, and pretty great army-builder if that is your thing. With the inclusion of the helmeted head, this figure can be any number of nameless crawlers from the Moria scenes, so build away. The non-helmeted head is nice, too though as it can be a “hero” orc, but I wish the paint was just a little bit better, so looks too clean. That is a small nitpick though, because overall, this is a good looking figure.
This guy also benefits from a great articulation scheme just like his series mate, and it really shows. At first I thought the figure was a little too tall and wiry, but once you take advantage of the articulation you can get him low and hunched and he looks really good. The armor is nicely sculpted, but it is pretty stiff (and sharp!), but it doesn’t really inhibit the movement at all, so that works nicely for the figure.
A mentioned the aforementioned second head, and that is certainly the best “accessory here” but you also get a sword and spear to give some variety. Both are nicely executed, and I think I prefer the spear of the two. I DO wish that the almost shell-like shield would have been included here as a fully armored and armed version of this guys would look GREAT, but like all figures in the line, there always seems to be something missing in terms of accessories.
Regardless, I really like this guy, and even though I have not been army-building this line (I CANNOT be tempted into 9 Nazgul), I might pop for one more orc to display a couple of different configurations.
Finally, both figures come the final pieces you need to build up the armored version of Sauron. Aragorn gets the right arm and leg, and the orc has the mace, and hooooooo boy. I mean wow. This figure is absolutely AMAZING, and worth the work it took to build him up. He is hideously beautiful and absolutely massive, in fact, he might be a bit too tall. But I don’t care. The figure is just too good in every phase. This will enter my conversation for figure of the year (seriously) so I will likely be talking more about this soon. For now just know, the final build-up is totally worth it.
This line still has some work to do, but it keeps getting better, so I am very happy it is continuing to make strides. With Gandalf and the Uruk-Hai up next, it is full Fellowship or bust at this point, so I am ready to see what will be coming after series four. Then, lets get some of those Company Dwarves. Oh, and find a way to get us those Lorien cloaks. WE NEED THEM.
Get these guys at Dorkside Toys.
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Source: The Fwoosh
