Review of Gandalf and Uruk-Hai
Lord of the Rings action figures

Introduction

It's been a long time since I bought any Lord of the Rings 6-7" action figures, and while I have a few Toybiz releases, I never got into the line the way many collectors did. But the new series from Diamond Select Toys has me hooked, at least for now.

They release them in waves of two, and the latest set is Gandalf and the Uruk-Hai Orc. This is Gandalf the Gray, adding another key member of the Fellowship to the series. They are currently shipping, and will cost about $30 each, although you might find a deal buying them both at once.

Packaging - ***
These do not come in the usual DST bookshelf packages, but rather in boxes with J hook hangers. There's less waste with these smaller boxes, and they are more collector friendly, although there are a few plastic ties to cut. They character art is good, but the smaller size means they are more functional, less artistic.

Sculpting - ***1/2
This is a 7" scale series, fitting in nicely with other lines from companies like NECA. Gandalf is about 7 1/8", and the Orc is about 7 1/4".

The work on Gandalf's portrait is excellent for this scale. Yea, in macro photos the hair stranding can look a little thick, but in hand he looks terrific. The likeness is spot on, and the long flowing beard blends nicely.

The work on the costume, especially the textures, is also quite good. The smaller details on the belts, boots, and other accessories are well done, but I would have liked a bit more texture to the hat.

The Uruk-Hai is looking mighty bad ass, and he comes with two portraits. One is wearing the helmet, and the bits that stick out around the neck are done in a soft material, so it doesn't interfere or damage the collar of the armor. The second portrait is helmet-less, with wild flowing hair and a snarling battle expression. I'm going with the helmet on my shelf, but you won't be disappointed with either.

There is a little gaping along the hair line of the helmet-less head, but it's a pretty minor nit in hand.

His body has some nicely textured armor, looking like it was forged in the bowels of Mordor. The marks and dimples give it that hammered appearance, making it very realistic, especially in this scale. The chain mail is also quite detailed, and small minutia like the rivets and buttons, are extremely well done.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work here reminds me of NECA or McFarlane - there's a lot of wash and dry brushing to bring out the details, but specific areas - like the teeth or eyes - are clean and neat.

The armor on the Uruk-Hai and clothing on Gandalf are improved with the paint work, both getting more realistic thanks to the application. Details like the smeared paint that is the emblem on the chest and shield of the orc, or the dash of brighter color on the sword hilt and sheath of Gandalf, really make the figures pop on the shelf.

Articulation - Gandalf **1/2; Uruk-Hai ***
While there's lots of points of articulation, there are some design issues here that make them less than useful at times.

Gandalf has the bigger problems, thanks to the heavy cloak, long hair, and thick beard. That means there's not much you can do with the neck or legs, and while the torso can turn, there's no tilt or lean. The hips and knees won't get you much, other than a stable simple stance, but the ankles do have good rocker movement.

The shoulders, elbows, and wrists are pretty blocked as well. You can pop off the head and get rid of the outer cloak if you want, which will give you more range of movement in the shoulders. But the long sleeves pretty much tie up the wrists, and make posing with the accessories difficult.

The Uruk-Hai has the same issue with the ball neck. The long hair on both heads make much movement impossible. The armor is less restrictive on the shoulders, elbows, and wrists though, and you can get decent one and two arm poses with the weapons.

Likewise, the hips, knees, and ankles are less restricted, and he can take decent short to medium fighting stances. The torso can turn, although there isn't much lean or tilt action.

Accessories - ***1/2
Both come with a good assortment of extras.

Gandalf has his hat, sword, staff, satchel, and an extra pair of tighter gripping hands. The sword fits neatly in the scabbard on his belt, and you can use it with the tighter grips. Unfortunately, the long sleeves make some poses difficult, and using the hands with the staff is much harder due to the sleeve design. They tend to get in the way of most poses with the staff, especially any two handed versions.

The hands aren't too hard to swap, although those sleeves on Gandalf can get in the way again. The hat looks great - something of a rarity with Gandalf figures - but you may have to use a little poster tack or quake putty to keep it in place. You'll need to pop off the head and cloak to wear the bag, something that will require a little heat.

The head on the Orc is tough to swap too, and again, a hair dryer comes in handy. Along with the extra head, he has an extra set of hands, a nice shield, and two weapons - a spear and a scimitar sort of sword. Both fit neatly in his hands.

They advertised these two as having parts for the BAF Sauron, but there aren't any here because none are needed. All the parts to complete him have been released with the previous waves.

Fun Factor - Gandalf ***; Uruk-Hai ***1/2
Gandalf is a tad less 'fun' than the Orc, simply because you'll have less desire to pose and re-pose him. You'll find one decent leg stance, and move the arms from time to time, but the limited articulation and sleeve design means you're less likely to revisit.

The Uruk-Hai is less restricted, and with two heads and multiple weapons, you might even end up picking up a second to have more than one look on the shelf all the time.

Value - **1/2
The thirty dollar price tag for a specialty market 7" figure is pretty standard right now, but I fear we'll see this rise with the push by NECA to increase their prices. What they do could drive the entire market to follow.

Things to Watch Out For -
Swapping hands can be tricky, especially on Gandalf where you can really only grip the fingers. Have a bit of patience and you should be fine. Also, I found that attaching the gripping hand of the Orc to the shield first, and then attaching the shield and hand to the arm was the easier route.

Overall - ***1/2
I don't really need another line to collect, but I never did pick up a large number of the Toybiz figures, so I'm willing to jump in and see how long this one lasts. We only have the deluxe Gollum out there for pre-order right now, but I'm hopeful we'll at least get to complete the Fellowship. It's certainly worth it, considering the quality of the line so far.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - Gandalf **1/2; Uruk-Hai ***
Accessories - ***1/2
Fun Factor - Gandalf ***; Uruk-Hai ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has the pair for $50, with free shipping right now!

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've checked out Frodo, Gimli, the Nazgul, and Legolas.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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