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Sculpting - ***1/2
The sixth scale Gandalf that Sideshow produced was great - this one is even better. The
wizened visage of the elderly Gandalf is extremely detailed, and a very
realistic sculpt. It's not *quite* as realistic and textured as what
we've seen produced by Hot Toys, but this style fits the film extremely
well. The hair is a separate piece, which is fairly apparent, and
probably my only real complaint. He's been caught mid speech, with the
slightly open mouth and intent expression. He's looking upward, focused intently on the area illuminated by the staff. One of
the unique features is the rubbery ends to some of the more fragile
strands of hair. While the majority of the head sculpt is solid
polystone, the longer 'wig' under the hat has a rubbery feel to the
ends. That makes it less likely to break, and allows the hair to fit
tightly over the shoulders and cloak. The sculpted hands are
properly proportioned, the staff and crystal look great, and the
underlying body has been posed and shaped to match the expression and
stance from the movie. The
base is very solid and sturdy, designed to look like the interior of
the cave. Gandalf is on two steps, and there's a name plate just in
case you are one of those people that get him confused with Dumbledore. The
base is also just about the right size. I own about three dozen PF's,
and I've found that displaying those with the excessively large bases
can be a challenge. This base is large enough to add visual interest to
the overall statue, but not so large as to take away your focus.
Paint - ***1/2
Excellent work all around. The paint ops are clean, with sharp corners
and even tones. The skin tone is tanned, and the hair has the right
amount of highlighting. You'd never be able to tell that some of the
hair is made from a different material, at least not based on the
appearance of the paint. The
eyes are particularly well done, with a nice gloss and even stare. He's
looking upward, and there is less bleed and discoloration than we've
seen with some past Premium Format releases. That's been a common
complaint from me, and I'm glad to see less of an issue with it this
time around. The only thing holding it back from a perfect score
is the slightly waxy look to the face. It doesn't come across as much
in photos, particularly with just the right lighting, but in person I
felt that the skin tone wasn't quite as realistic as I'd like to see at
this price point. The base looks great though, and there's a very
detailed, attractive logo and design on the bottom. Considering how
rarely anyone will see it, that extra detail is a nice touch.
Accessories - Regular Bupkis; Exclusive ***
The regular statue doesn't come with any extras, at least not by my
definition. Of course the hatted head and right arm are separate
pieces, as is the base, but without them he'd look pretty silly, so I'm
not counting them. The
exclusive does have the swappable hatless head however, and that's
clearly an extra. It's an identical portrait, with the single
exception of the hat. It has all the same strengths and weaknesses that
I pointed out on the main head in the previous sections. While
it's quite nice, it's unlikely that you'll pose this figure without his
iconic hat. He was wearing the hat in the particular scene, although he
was hatless during much of the Moria trip. Since there are several
places where you can pick up the
regular edition for around $260 or so, that means you'd end up spending
at least $40 (or even more) just to have this second head sculpt...and
then rarely use it. This is one of those occasions where I believe it's
really not worth the extra bucks for the exclusive, nice as the
portrait might be.
Outfit - ****
While the paint and sculpt are great, right down to the selected pose,
I have to say that the costume is my favorite aspect. Each layer is
well done, properly tailored, and even aged and weathered in a very
realistic way. You'll
actually do more futzing with this outfit than usual. Most PF's have
costumes that are pretty well kept in place, but you'll need to work
with the cloak, robes and sword to get everything looking just right. It's
easiest to put the cloak on after the right arm is in place, but before
you've popped on one or the other head. There are small strings that
tie under each arm and at the chest, but I ended up leaving all three
untied. You can play around with the shoulder bag a bit too,
which has a flap on one side. The sword does NOT come out of the hilt -
it's all one piece - but that's a minor nit.
Light Feature - ****
Sometimes the light up feature on the Premium Format statues is iffy,
particularly with light sabers. But this time around it works great,
and is clearly visible even in normal room lighting. The
battery pack is on his belly, so you'll need to lift up his shirt and
pull down his pants a bit to reach it. While there are two batteries
included, you'll need to remove the small piece of plastic keeping them
from contacting before the light will work. The button is to his left,
also on his lower belly. It's large enough to find easily, although it
does look like you're getting a little too personal with the old guy
every time you turn it on or off. When attaching the left arm,
make sure you pull the sleeve up past the shoulder so you can get the
orientation just right. The metal post must be fully inserted for
everything to work properly.
Value - **1/2
Three bills is mighty expensive, but pretty much on par with other Premium Format statues. Figures like Jedi Luke
light up, but lack the second head sculpt. And companies like Gentle
Giant, who are starting to dabble in this market, are also charging
over $250 but lack any swap out pieces or light up feature.
Things to Watch Out For -
I mentioned it earlier, but it's worth repeating - don't try to attach
the right arm blind. Pull the sleeve all the way up out of the way so
you can see the shoulder.
Overall - ***1/2
This is almost a full four star overall statue, and is actually my
favorite so far this year. That's saying a lot too, considering some of
Sideshow's releases. But with the slightly waxy, mannequin coloration
to the face, I can't quite go all the way. Still,
I doubt anyone will be disappointed by the purchase, especially big
Lord of the Rings fans. Now the question is: we didn't get a full
Fellowship in sixth scale format, but can we manage one in PF style?
I'm not betting on it (I suspect poor Gimli will get screwed again),
but it's always nice to dream!
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Accessories - Regular Bupkis; Exclusive ***
Outfit - ****
Light Up Feature - ****
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy -
If you want the exclusive version, you'll have to get on the Wait
List at Sideshow. They still have the regular
version available for $290. Online options
include these site sponsors (lower than Sideshow's SRP):
- Capstone Comics
has him at $261.
- Urban
Collector has him at $261.
- Fanboy Collectibles
has him at $265.
- Alter Ego Comics
has him at $275.
- Big Bad Toy Store
has him for $280.
- for the UK buyers, Forbidden
Planet has him at 250 GBP.
- or you can search
ebay for a deal.
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