Weta 1:4 Lara Croft Shadow of Tomb Raider

[It's Sisko]

Originally Posted by BrandonJF

Hate to be the downer of this thread, but....

This has not been a great week for me and these statues. This is three in a row all in a week.

I got a special version where the jaguar won. Lara was decapitated. As I struggled to remove the tree from the styrofoam, I looked to see what in the world could be keeping it wedged in there. Oh - it was HER HEAD. Really, the way this was packed I wasn't seeing how that head isn't snapping off in transit, so those of you getting these intact are pretty lucky. Sometimes, there is such a thing as jamming these things in there too tight.

The jaguar also had a small white spot on it that would've bothered me.

Really, it is for the best as long as I can get a refund. I do not like the portrait. I thought it when I saw nearmint's pics, but it was even more obvious in person. This does not look like the prototype. It's like the prototype squeezed in. I am not sure I would have known who this was if I had to display it - it doesn't look at all like the in-game model. Maybe the styrofoam was designed for the less stretched out head.... maybe they had to stretch the design to try and get it closer to 1:4 scale (which it doesn't sound like it really is, either).

Proto's on the left, in-game on the right, nearmint's in-hand in the middle. I don't know. Maybe it's the angle, although I looked at some of the early con videos and there wasn't really a "bad" angle to me on those. Whenever I picked up her head in person, I immediately did not think it resembled the proto images/videos I've been looking at.



I don't know... maybe this is an improvement. Yeah, I would probably be trying to be more positive if this didn't happen, but I can't see any way I wouldn't have been severely disappointed.

Wow, sorry to see that. I do actually agree that the shape of her head seems to have changed since the proto. It looks a bit longer and thinner, and you can really tell in the nose. However, I was pretty sure that the photos seem to be making it worse than it is, since this screenshot shows her face looking closer to the proto (although not quite there). I'm sorry to hear you were disappointed with it. I will have to judge when I see it in person.

[BrandonJF]

Originally Posted by It's Sisko

Wow, sorry to see that. I do actually agree that the shape of her head seems to have changed since the proto. It looks a bit longer and thinner, and you can really tell in the nose. However, I was pretty sure that the photos seem to be making it worse than it is, since this screenshot shows her face looking closer to the proto (although not quite there). I'm sorry to hear you were disappointed with it. I will have to judge when I see it in person.

I was hoping the photos were making it look worse than it was, but that didn't seem to be the case when I saw it in hand.

Here's a kinda straight on angle compared with the pic on the back of the box - that is a pretty good representation of what I'm seeing in-hand:



I can say Weta is super fast to respond (not used to that). They had me destroy it. That was painful. The jaguar was pretty cool looking.

But, check out the monstrosities inside the base. Creepy.

[slinch]

Originally Posted by BrandonJF

I was hoping the photos were making it look worse than it was, but that didn't seem to be the case when I saw it in hand.

Here's a kinda straight on angle compared with the pic on the back of the box - that is a pretty good representation of what I'm seeing in-hand:

Now compare the distance between the head and the shoulders on the left and on the right pic. It's just the difference between a wide angle lens and a tele lens

[nearmint]

Looking at those comparisons, it seems fair to say that the production portrait doesn’t match the proto exactly. It didn’t occur to me to compare them because I think the production portrait is very attractive. It probably would have occurred to me if I hadn’t liked it.

[slinch]

Yeah, I absolutely agree, there's an obvious difference (and I prefer the proto portrait), it's just that that particular shot Brandon posted isn't really representative of how big the difference is.

[BrandonJF]

Originally Posted by slinch

Yeah, I absolutely agree, there's an obvious difference (and I prefer the proto portrait), it's just that that particular shot Brandon posted isn't really representative of how big the difference is.

No effect was used to distort the image unless there is just some inherent telephoto effect in my phone. Holding it in front of me now and looking at that pic, I guess the pic DOES look a little more exaggerated (as far as the elongated look goes), so maybe there is something going on with this phone. It's hard to tell - it is representative of the production portrait being thinner and longer looking than the proto, but you're right that it does look a little more extreme in that pic for some reason.

I do think it's a significant difference. Her face is shorter and rounder in the game. This just isn't really a "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" statue... maybe it wasn't supposed to be? (although the proto looked closer). The box did say "Tomb Raider - Lara Croft Queen of the Jungle". I don't recall if it referenced "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" now.

For me, out of all the TR statues out there, this may be my least favorite portrait.... well, either this or the Adam Hughes PF (which didn't look like Hughes' portrait). The Adam Hughes snow day statue had an AMAZING portrait, though (didn't look like Hughes, either, but it was good). I recently got rid of the original Gamer's Head 1/4 scale and Legend PF. Kinda regretting getting rid of them both now.

For those that like the portrait, everything else looked cool. I liked the plastic foilage on the base. I sure didn't enjoy destroying it.

[nearmint]

Judging by the pics you posted, the proto didn’t look anything like the game model either.

[silentwinter92]

Don’t know why you bothered comparing it to the in game model. You had prior knowledge it looks nothing like it, but you still bought it anyway.

[BrandonJF]

Originally Posted by silentwinter92

Don’t know why you bothered comparing it to the in game model. You had prior knowledge it looks nothing like it, but you still bought it anyway.

I compared it to show how far this has drifted from what it was supposed to be based on (and I checked and this WAS supposed to be a "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" Lara).

The proto at least maintains the shape of her head from the game. Oh, and how about this - I LIKED the proto even though it wasn't an EXACT much for the in-game model. Which do you think looks closer to the in-game model? Proto or production? Right. If anyone wants to check, that's exactly what I said.

Everyone was already forgiving the fact this isn't 1/4 scale. Now people are getting defensive over a portrait change. I can tell this is one of those threads where criticism isn't welcome. Don't worry - I don't have anything else to add. Like I said, for those that LIKE how that portrait turned out, everything else looked really well done.

[nearmint]

Originally Posted by BrandonJF

I can tell this is one of those threads where criticism isn't welcome. Don't worry - I don't have anything else to add.

I thought we were having a reasonable discussion.