I love this gorgeous recreation of the perilous scene from Fellowship of the Ring, as depicted by Adam Dodge (dodge_a)
My favorite part is the snowy mountain that dominates the entire feature, but I also dig the poor minifigs who look in constant danger of falling off.
A whole series of creative vignettes like these from the LOTR saga would make for a really fun and impressive home display of minifigs (and building skill!)
In the film, The Fellowship of the Ring, the Moria is portrayed as big place. When the LEGO The Lord of the Rings set names were revealed, “The Mines of Moria†could have meant anything. For a single set there’s so much to choose from. An entire wave of sets could conceivably be based on the place. Naturally, I was intrigued and decided that even if I didn’t collect the entire line, 9473 The Mines of Moria was a set I was going to pick up. Now that time has come to pass and for a set that could have been so much, it’s hard to believe it’s so little. (more…)
Here we are in 2012 and we’re finally getting The Lord of the Ring LEGO sets. Can you imagine if these had been timely? We’d have yellow-headed Gandalfs, Aragorns, and Frodos. But they weren’t and we don’t and thanks to the upcoming The Hobbit film (Part 1, no less), LEGO fans and LotR fans can rejoice. We finally have our favorite characters immortalized in high-quality ABS plastic. So, what a better place to begin our not-so-new journey back into Middle Earth than with 9469 Gandalf Arrives, based on one of the earliest scenes from The Fellowship of the Ring, in which Gandalf arrives. (more…)
If you live in the Pacific Northwest, then lucky you, the new LEGO The Lord of the Rings sets are hitting shelves. The good, or neutral, news is they’re priced at MSRP. The bad news is there isn’t a “10% off” coupon this week. As the sets are just beginning to trickle out, your store-to-store experience may vary. The store I visited and snapped the pic above only had three sets: 9469 Gandalf Arrives, 9470 Shelob Attacks, and 9473 The Mines of Moria. Expect reviews for Gandalf Arrives and The Mines of Moria very soon.
You saw this coming, right? It seems like a perfect fit to me after LEGO basically dumped it’s Pirates theme to make room for Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean line. They’re obviously looking for popular licenses that can enhance if not replace their own similar themes (don’t worry, I doubt Castle/Kingdoms is going anywhere). Since the article went live on Variety at midnight the web has been abuzz with salivating fans. Here’s the skinny:
BILLUND, Denmark and Burbank, CA – December 16, 2011 – Warner Bros. Consumer Products and The LEGO Group announced today a partnership that awards the world’s leading construction toy brand exclusive rights to develop build-and-play construction sets based on THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ trilogy and the two films based on THE HOBBIT™. The multi-year licensing agreement grants access to the library of characters, settings, and stories for THE LORD OF THE RINGS property, as well as films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again. LEGO® THE LORD OF THE RINGS construction sets are slated for a rolling global launch beginning in June 2012 in the United States, with LEGO THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY scheduled for later in the year.
“Only LEGO, with their expertise in the construction category, is capable of doing justice to the incredibly imaginative environments depicted in the world of THE LORD OF THE RINGS and the two films based on THE HOBBIT,†said Karen McTier, executive vice president, domestic licensing and worldwide marketing, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “These films give life to amazing worlds and characters and we are thrilled to bring fans these products that deliver an imaginative play experience befitting of these beloved properties.â€
The LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS collection will translate into LEGO form the epic locations, scenes and characters of Middle-earth as depicted in all three films, including The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
In late 2012, LEGO THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY will give fans of all ages a chance to build and play out the fantastical story and new characters of the legendary Middle-earth adventures depicted in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, slated to premiere December 14, 2012.
“Our collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products has delivered numerous worldwide successes in the construction toy aisle with lines like LEGO HARRY POTTER and LEGO BATMAN, introducing us to loyal audiences who love great stories, strong characters and the toys that they inspire,†said Jill Wilfert, vice president, licensing and entertainment for The LEGO Group. “It’s particularly exciting to now be able to create sets based on the fantasy worlds and characters from THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and the two films based on THE HOBBIT, not only because we know they will foster collectability and creative play, but also because these are two properties that our fans have been asking us to create for years.â€
With mention of the popularity of current licensed themes and the future synergistic releases of the Marvel half of the LEGO Suoerheroes line and now LEGO Lord of the Rings due in June, I think LEGO is making a strategic strike to rule the toy aisle in 2012. While I doubt next year will mark the end of the world, It will certainly bring about the destruction of my wallet.