Aragorn at the Black Gates pictures!!

[serfup]

Re: re

Actually the only thing really different in the two photos is the bright blue. Myself I would like it in between the two.

 

[leebgb]

Re: re

That color change BElectronic made was a big improvement. I hope the actual statue looks like this.

 

[Wetaholic]

I THINK I'LL CANCEL THIS

Call me crazy, but this statue looks a bit naff to me...I thought Legolas and Gimli looked a little bit weird but seeing it in comparison to this Aragorn one, I now think Lego and Gimli on Arod is MUCH NICER.

I really had high hopes for this but we've got an even worse facial likeness than Elessar...they just don't seem to be able to do him. I'll pay $350.00 for Legolas and Gimli and save my cash and cancel Aragorn as it's WAY too colourful and NEVER did I see Aragorn in this pose at the Black Gates...he never gallops on the horse at all...I don't get it!

They should have him sat on horse back with his sword held high just after he's said the "MEN OF THE WEST" speech. GRRR...they just rushed this one and I'm not happy about it...If the MUMAK looks this crappy and cartoony I won't buy that either!

 

[GrimaSnailTongue]

Re: re

This piece depicts 'Aragorn at the Black Gates' tremendously well. It was never meant to depict 'Viggo at the Black Gates'.

Actually, it's supposed to be Viggo as Aragorn at the Black Gates. It should have looked like the pic they had on the site when they announced it, with determination and pride, contemplating his next move. I can see where they had to go with an action pose with Logolas and Gmili on Arod to make that piece work, but IMO, it doesnt work with this one.

 

[Wetaholic]

Re: re

Grima, TOTALLY agree...he NEVER displays this pose once in the film, it's totally incorrect. To see both Legolas and Gimli's faces they needed to do that and it was a cool pose now when I look at the statue.

This one ARAGORN:
GARISH COLOURS, CARTOONY TOYBIZ STANDARD
WRONG UNAUTHENTIC POSE
NO FACIAL LIKENESS - it's just the same as Strider
UNREALISTIC

I'll be cancelling thank you very much...now I'm considering about keeping Gothmog on order since he's much better....hmmmm

 

[CaptainCaveTroll]

This piece depicts 'Aragorn at the Black Gates' tremendously well. It was never meant to depict 'Viggo at the Black Gates'.

Was Aragorn a real person? Sorry to dash some hopes but the answer is 'No!' Of course they should try to make it look like Viggo as they have done with the other statues. Are you telling me that Saruman was supposed to look like Saruman and not Christopher Lee and Gandalf was supposed to look like Gandalf and not Sir Ian McKellan. Of course not.

 

[Wetaholic]

Go Cave Troll!

Character likeness is a part of an Actor's contract when they sign on to a film usually, some get royalties as a result and some don't, it depends on how bigger the star.

I doubt many of the cast on LOTR are getting royalties on their pieces but it's why actors get paid extortionate amounts of money to compensate for thier likeness and image being used almost anyway with relation to the character in the film.

 

[Revilal]

re

If you want 100% facial accuracy to the actor, then buy a photo.

Stop busting SSWs balls because you feel the likeness is 'off'.
Look at the piece and appreciate the amount of effort that has gone into it.
There is so much detail and colour and from afar looks exactly like Viggo.

But I dont care... I want the depiction of Aragorn, not Viggo Mortensen. And I have been satisfied 200%.


Some of you guys would complain if the horse strap wasn't the right colour !

 

[CaptainCaveTroll]

But I dont care... I want the depiction of Aragorn, not Viggo Mortensen. And I have been satisfied 200%.

OK. Since you're happy and you can vouch that this is a likeness of Aragorn (I guess you must have met him in person), I will shell out the cash.

The colour of a strap is neither here nor there but the face is one of the key factors.

There is so much detail and colour and from afar looks exactly like Viggo.

Actually you're right again. If I wear sunglasses, squint and face in the opposite direction, he looks exactly like Aragorn. In fact it could be a Daddy Balrog. You just saved me $3000. Cheers, bud!

 

[Wetaholic]

It looks like Strider, not Elessar...and that's that. They'd got progress with Elessar and had nearly nailed 100% Viggo, and now they've taken two steps back and there's no opportunity for another chance to make him look better...looks like a pass.

 

[leebgb]

:rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin

I have to agree with Captain Cave Troll. I haven't seen anyone on here that likes the fact it doesn't look like Viggo thrash out at the GTW bust or Saruman for actually looking like the actors. Why aren't you upset that they do look like the actors instead of a generic image of the character? I'm not saying it's the end of the world if it doesn't look like them but would you be complaining if it did look like Viggo since he's just the actor?

These pieces are for the FILM LOTR, not the book. Therefore the sculpts are to capture the likeness of the actor/actress as the character in the film.

 

[B Electronic]

Just a tiny sidenote here but SideShow is making replica's of characters from the movie, not from the book. People expect to buy an Aragorn that looks like Viggo, just as they buy a Buffy figure that looks like Sarah Michelle Gellar. For some of us it doesnt matter because we love the book and we dont mind if it does or doesnt look like the actor, aslong as it looks great. But others want actor likeness. For instance, would you buy Han Solo if it barely looked like Harrison Ford?

 

[Wetaholic]

B ELECTRONIC....HITS NAIL ON HEAD!!!

 

[adoptedscot]

If the statues were meant to directly depict the book and not the film why would SSW release a Statue of PJ the Pirate as a tribute to the man who brought us the movies that made these statues possible

SSW website:
"Sideshow Collectibles, specialty manufacturer of TV and Film Collectibles, and Weta Workshop, special effects studio involved in the LOTR trilogy, announced today that they intend to conclude their range of limited edition collectible products based on New Line Cinema's Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

The partnership of these two companies allowed the most authentic representations of the movies' characters and places to be created for fans looking to continue the remarkable film experience created by Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema.

Direct quotes from their website, surely if they had based the characters looks on the Books this would not have been said


shell
x
:toast

 

[FrodoEyes]

Wetaholic, it might be jumping the gun a bit by cancelling this just now! How many SSW pieces, when recieved in person, have looked exactly like they do on the SSW website photos? I hope SSW listen to us here and make the blue horse cloak thing darker.
No, he didn't charge on his horse at the black gate. No, it's not in the film. But can you tell me where every single one of the SSW statues poses are in the film? Probably only a handful. It's artstic license - portraying a character, not a snap shot from the film. The Weta sculptors have said as much.
Appreciate the detail and hard work that has gone into this! With all the detail on it, you can hardly say it was 'rushed'.

I'm not a major fan of this piece, it's not the bestest best statue ever ever - I had poses I would have preferred too, but these are just my thoughts.
For a Wetaholic, you're very critical of them

 

[Revilal]

OK. Since you're happy and you can vouch that this is a likeness of Aragorn (I guess you must have met him in person), I will shell out the cash.

Silly comment, but nevertheless I will answer.
OK. Since you're unhappy and you can vouch that this is not a likeness of Aragorn, I assume you must have met him in person. If so, I'll resculpt it for you.

Actually you're right again. If I wear sunglasses, squint and face in the opposite direction, he looks exactly like Aragorn. In fact it could be a Daddy Balrog. You just saved me $3000. Cheers, bud!

If I look at the poster, Aragorns likeness is spot on. Perfect. Why couldn't these so-called scuptors do it like that.
Im gonna sell all my statues and just stare at freeze-frames of the LOTR trilogy. Cheers bud!

 

[Wetaholic]

I know I'm critical of them, but I have high standards and won't part with $300 for any old rubbish that looks vaguely impressive if I squint.

GANDALFAX looked amazing in pictures and is breathtakingly detailed and is a pose in the films.

GALADRIEL pours the mirror in the film just as her statue does.

PIPPIN cowers in the film just as his statue does.

GOTHMOG sneers on his warg in the film, just as his statue does almost identically.

FRODO holds the one ring to his chest just like he does in Fellowship.

MORGUL LORD swings his stuff just like in the film.

EOWYN as DERNHELM has an identical pose to her defense in the film.

EASTERLING is identical to the pose they have in the films.

PJ as CORSAIR looks just like the pose in the film.

MUMAK look just like the pose of one as it falls in the film.

SARUMAN has an identical pose with his palantir.

GRIMA has that evil stare from behind someone we all know and love.

LEGOLAS and GIMLI have a pose very similar to when they're fighting the Wargs.

I know not all statues are poses in the film, but a damn hell of a lot of them all represent a moment in the trilogy that when you look at it, you remember that part of the film fondly.

THE MAGIC IN THESE STATUES IS IN BRINGING BACK THE MEMORY OF THAT PART OF THE FILM, if they're not representing anything that actually happens in the film, then I'm afraid what's the point in having it?

Does anyone else feel this way?

 

[FrodoEyes]

Ah, alot of 'nearly looks exactly like's in there
Lots of people here have been moaning that Legolas and Gimli never fight together on Arod, so that's why they dislike the statue.
Also I've heard -

Where does GTG point in the films?
Where does Legolas look so camp when drawing his bow string back?
Where is the Orc warrior in the film?
Where is the orc brute in the flm? (Though it's bloody obvious to me!)
When did Arwen wear that dress?
When did Gandalf The White look like a band leader? (obvious again - his first appearance at Fangorn)
When did the Fell Beast sit on a rock?
When did Theoden hold his sword aloft when not on horseback?
Eowyn wasn't holding a shield when her helm was off.
When did the Balrog perch on a rock?
Then there's Aragorn on steed, Leg and Gim on steed.

Remember these aren't what I've come up with, but what other people have said.
So if you only buy statues that are dead on moments from the films, you should have a very small collection!

 

[Wetaholic]

Things they perch on aren't as important...it's what they're doing. The Balrog does cower over them in that sort of pose, so I'm happy with Baby balrog as the Daddy is out of my price range.

I don't really like Legolas Statue because it's likeness is way off, but Theoden's likeness is SPOT ON, so I weigh two things into consideration:

LIKENESS = POSE

If one is subtantially higher than the other on the scales, I'll buy it. With Aragorn...the POSE = LIKENESS scales are not tipped more towards any other so I am very much on the fence.

The Mumakil, although I don't particularly like the POSE, the LIKENESS is amazing, so I will probably keep it on order.

:eye

 

[Revilal]

re

Yes, but there are many that don't, like ;

Ugluk doesn't carry the head,
Fell Beast isn't perched upon a mountain rock,
Mini-balrog isn't perched with his wings cloaked,
King Theoden standing raising his sword,
and Im sure there are a few more others.

I see your point, but I think SSW made a point of it being dynamic, reflecting the dramatic last stand at the Black Gate and of Aragorn leading the charge.
A stationary statue may have been too boring in their opinion.