Sculpting - Bilbo ****, Eowyn ***1/2, Legolas **1/2 
I believe we've got Real Scan here, and I think this series displays both ends of the spectrum when refering to the scan results. Bilbo's wonderful. Thank goodness for sculpted hair! His wry smile is very Hobbit-like, and the resemblance to Ian Holm is even better than the 6" scale fig. This is the only version of Eowyn we've got so far, and the likeness is superb. MUCH better that Arwen or Galadriel, she looks very much like the actress. I feel this is the best LOTR female likeness we've got. Legolas...he looks like a caricature of the actor. His head is HUGE. HUUUGE. The face is much longer than Mr. Bloom's, and I think that in a tight hairstyle like his rooted hair would have been the best way to go. It's just funny having his hair blowing in the "wind" while his clothes lay flat... 

Paint - Bilbo, Eowyn ***, Legolas **1/2
Painting is my favorite hobby, so I tried not to give harsh scores. I'm trying to score these as if I were stuck with these paint jobs. They're not bad, but with companies like Sideshow and BBI with their amazingly crisp and detailed paint jobs to compare to, I can see the bar's set pretty high to measure up to. I know that assembly line paint jobs are very hard to get detailed, and for a mass-produced line like LOTR these are well done. Bilbo's got some sort of goopy wash on his face, and while Eowyn's face is very simplistic, what's here is very crisp and clean. Legolas has a bad case of glossy lips and eyeliner that makes him look even more feminine with his long, flowy hair. These figures have a very distracting gloss shine to them that looks very unrealistic. Also Legolas' hair is painted really plain. Look at TTT 6" Legolas and they've got the blonde hair color down, but here his hair is flat yellow with a muddy brown wash

Articulation - **1/2
All three bodies we've seen before in every LOTR 12" series. A Man, woman, and midget. If you've got Aragorn or the 12" Spider-man you've seen Legolas's articulation, and Eowyn's body is identical to Arwen's. Bilbo's got a Famous Covers body with hairy feet. Let me just say that I'm extremely partial to Sideshow's figure body, and everyone has their favorites. Legolas' hands are waaay to soft and baby-like to hold his weapons, and both his and Eowyn's hands are the standard "holding a cup" pose. Bilbo on the other hand has all the articulation I'd like, His head looks proportionate to the body, and the hairy feet are wonderful. He's the only one that can stand on his own, as most of the others' joints were pretty loose (especially in the legs).

Outfit - Bilbo **1/2, Eowyn ***, Legolas **
Here's where the figures take the biggest hit. Bilbo's outfit is for sure MUCH better than Frodo's, and the materials chosen for his outfit are wonderful. I love the vest and all the shiny buttons on his coat! Eowyn' outfit is very similar to the one pictures, though the neckline is different and it obviously won't hang on a 6th scale figure like it would on a real person, so the dress looks rather poofy. Still, it's made out of a very nice, very accurate creamy-white material, and the bodysuit she wears helps the dress stay in place somewhat. Legolas: here we go again. In the movie, he's very streamlined and his clothes fit tightly. It's just made out of so many pieces that the figure can't help but look tremendously bulky. I like the choice of fabrics, but I hate the cloth boots that he and Eowyn both possess. Legolas can't stand because of it, though the bottom of the feet have a flat plastic surface. I like to embroidery on the boots but a sculpted pair would have made him look so much better. Also, my sworn enemy, Velcro, is used EVERYWHERE. The outfits look very bulky because of it.

Accessories - Bilbo ***1/2, Eowyn  Zero, Legolas ***
Eowyn, like the other females, lacks any accessories at all for whatever reason. It makes me wish she was in the outfit that she wears in the trailer while using a sword, so that could be included. Bilbo's got some pretty good accessories. He's got a book that looks good, but doesn't open like the 6" version. He's also got Sting and a sheath that he can hold, and it looks fine, if only there was a place to put the sheath. He's also got a cloth bedroll and a heavy rubber backpack. The strap on my backpack snapped when I put it on the second time. Poor Legolas' weapons are completely warped. His bow is fine, as is his quiver, but the arrows and daggers are like spaghetti. I'm sure they could be fixed but it sucks that we have to. His sword is also floppy, but it's firmer than Gandalf's and comes with a nice sheath.

Value - ***
$20 or so isn't bad for a 12" figure from a popular, licensed movie like LOTR. They really are made with care, and the efforts are seen even in the figures' flaws. If these were around about 2-3 years ago we'd be singing their praises.

Overall - Bilbo ***1/2, Eowyn ***, Legolas **1/2
I consider two stars to be average, therefore I like these more than the scores may seem. Bilbo is my favorite, followed by Eowyn, and then Legolas is going straight to the customizing table when I'm through with this review! They really are well made, and the care put into them is evidence that Toy Biz IS listening and improving their 12" offerings. I can't wait for more from Toy Biz, the series really does keep getting better. 

About the Reviewer:
I'm a collector who loves to paint and customize figures, has a deep love for making costumes, painting on canvas, LOTR, Universal Monsters, Tim Burton films, Muppets, and most every other pop culture subject under the sun. You may see me on various buzz boards and forums, and another love of mine is surfing the net. I'm hoping to become a professional painter and am blessed with a girlfriend who not only understands my interests, but partakes in them as well!