‘It is said that the Hornburg has never fallen to assault,’ said Theoden; ‘but now my heart is doubtful. The world changes, and all that once was strong now proves unsure. How shall any tower withstand such numbers and such reckless hate? — From Helm’s Deep, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
It is impossible to even say, “The Battle of Helm’s Deep” aloud without conjuring images from Peter Jackson’s incredible cinematic visuals of mayhem and battle. It was a complex bit of filmmaking on a long, cold, wet shoot that rem
ains legendary among stuntees and actors. Put it on your home theater and viewers cannot turn away.
LEGO faced the daunting task of bringing that movie sequence to life in a toy in a way that would be true to the film, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and yet work as a play set. The result is a massive set that retails at about $130 but can be located around $100 a lot of places including Amazon. (Toys-R-Us actually marks it higher online than in stores!) There is also a Urak-Hai Army companion set for around $30 that looks pretty cool on the store shelf but is not part of this review. Continue reading “Product review: LEGO Battle of Helm’s Deep set”
Yesterday another Hobbit poster hit the internet, and it contains some great character images! These dwarves we’ve seen before – though it’s nice to see them in active pose. But who is that top left? It’s none other than goblin Bolg, as confirmed by the Bridge Direct action figure.
Not listed in Bridge Direct’s recent release list, but included in Vivid’s list for release in Europe, is also a ‘Yazneg’ goblin figure, but for now there’s no Azog. Of course we’ve also seen Grinnah and Fimbul the Hunter with his warg; but those fellas seem to be Misty Mountain goblins, connected to the Goblin King, whereas Bolg and Yazneg are connected to the earlier Goblin Wars (with Bolg being the son of Azog, and Yazneg a character created for the movies). So what does this tell us about what we can expect to see in the first film of these goblins and their battles with the dwarves? Do these toy releases mean we won’t have to wait until the second (or even third) movie to learn more about the Goblin Wars? Why don’t you join us in our message board forums to speculate?
Thanks to our friends at Tolkiendrim.com for the heads up on these European toy releases – see the full list over at their website.
Our friends at LEGO have all those nifty LOTR brick sets you can construct and video games are in our future but now word comes of a Hobbit game you play on your tabletop. Below is the information direct from LEGO and a way to play along on Facebook. Look for the game at retail outlets starting today.
“From the LEGO Games collection that can be built, played, and changed to create a unique gaming experience every time comes The Hobbit Game from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey move hitting theaters Dec. 14th. Bilbo Baggins lives in the quaint village of Hobbiton, but today his comfort has been shattered by the arrival of 13 Dwarves. They have convinced Bilbo to embark on a most unexpected journey. But first Gandalf, along with the Dwarves Dwalin, Kili and Fili, must find the other ten Dwarves who are lost in the Hobbit holes of Hobbiton. Features buildable dice, microfigure characters: Gandald, Dwalin, Kili or Fili, and LEGO building instructions. Continue reading “LEGO desktop game adds to new Hobbit items”
Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve 
fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun!
Continue reading “TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – September 30, 2012”
Big thanks to Ringer MrHollandsays for sending us pics of the ‘Thorin Oakenshield & The Goblin King Battle Set’ from The Bridge Direct. You can pre-order the vast majority of these figures right now on Amazon.com – so start your ‘Hobbit’ collection today! For those wishing to avoid spoilers, don’t look beyond the break as we have close up shots of the figure! [The Bridge Direct Hobbit Goblin King with Thorin 3.75″ Battle Pack]
[All Hobbit Pieces]
Continue reading “Goblin King & Thorin Figure Set Revealed!”
Word has been seeping out for a few weeks of some of the toy characters (on display at Comic-Con) being revealed through various channels of the pipeline that gets movie tie-ins to market. Now, made by Bridge Direct, they are for sale on store shelves in at least some locations including the new Toys-R-Us in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Not only is it exciting to see new products (Tolkienites make great consumers!) but there are some clues about “The Hobbit: A Long Expected Journey,” and, our staff thinks, some false leads. But true or false, except for some glimpses in Peter Jackson’s production diaries, we have our first clear look of Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel. For those wishing to avoid spoilers, don’t look beyond the break!
The process of merchandise hitting the market and spoiling some aspects of movies is inevitable and fun for consumers but maybe less fun for filmmakers who may want to keep a lid on every possible detail. Lilly’s character, a creation of the screenwriting team, has been mildly controversial as a character not created by J.R.R. Tolkien who wrote the children’s novel the trilogy of movies is based on 75 years ago. Many message board users at TheOneRing.net have taken a wait-and-see stance. Continue reading “Hobbit toys hit store shelves, Tauriel revealed”
