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Old 08-03-2014, 08:46 PM   #1
Sithlord32
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Balrog Legendary Scale Bust ~ Sideshow Collectibles





The dwarves delved too greedily and too deep... You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dûm...Durin's Bane. The Balrog of Moria.

Durin's Bane was one of the Maiar spirits that existed before the creation of the world, who descended into Arda with the Valar. It was eventually seduced and corrupted by Melkor, becoming one of the Valaraukar and joining with the other Balrogs in Morgoth's service. The Balrog fought in many battles of the War of the Jewels, up to and including the War of Wrath. Durins Bane somehow managed to survive Morgoth's defeat, fleeing east and taking refuge deep beneath the Misty Mountains. There he lay hidden from the world till awoken by the mining of the Dwarves of Moria.

Sideshow has brought us this rendition of the Balrog in their Legendary scale as a bust that is truly epic. So without further hesitation, The Balrog of Moria.


Product Details
Title: The Balrog Legendary Scale Bust
License: Lord of the Rings
ES/EX (edition size): 1000 (exclusive edition size): N/A
Scale: (objective)
Composition: Polystone
Dimensions: 22" H (558.8mm) x 18" W (457.2mm) x 17" D (431.8mm)
Product Weight: 35.00 lbs (15.88 kg)
Manufacturer: Sideshow Collectibles
MSRP (USD): $189.99 (EX) $169.99 (REG)
Design: Steve West, Tom Gilliland
Sculpt: Tom Gilliland
Paint: Anthony Mestas

I was a bit distraught looking at the available statues of the Balrog as none seemed to quite fit what i was looking for not to mention the first rendition gathering a huge price tag in the after market. By mere chance I stumbled upon this bust and proceeded greedily in my efforts to track one down. I knew I had to have this the moment I laid eyes on it. This piece cries out to the nature of the Balrog. In all my readings of the world of middle earth there lye no aberration, monster, demon or lord that spoke to me as fiercely as the Balrog.

Sideshow truly hit the nail on the head with this piece of Tolkien's imagination and the people who brought it to life on the big screen. This is another of the few collectables I will most likely never let go of. If i was posed to come up with one on my own I cant think of much of anything about this I would change except maybe a light up feature.













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Old 08-03-2014, 08:46 PM   #2
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Summary

Sculpt: 10

I think the sculpt on this is just fantastic. All the ridges and detail in the horns actually look like real ram horns. The texture of the skin and where it meets bone shows through like actual skin. The mouth teeth and tongue were spared no small detail either. The shape of the teeth both broken and whole is done in such a way that it brings a large amount of realism to this fantasy beast of a statue. The base too is very well done. It has the same architecture as the caverns in Moria where the Balrog dwelled. The strength and size of it show in the tension of the muscles in his neck. Its just all around for a lack of a better word awesome!


Paint & Mixed Media: 9.5

As a fully sculpted piece so then must it be fully painted and is achieved with great fervor. The oranges, reds and yellows that show through the cracks in the texture of his skin give the illusion of fire behind that leathery hide. His eyes and mouth look to be glowing its a really nicely done effect. The base has a great real stone look to it and sets off the bust.


Design: 8.5

The design over all is superb in the representation of the character. If placed by a light the acrylic will catch the light and give the illusion of flame. No parts or pegs to contend with here its just one solid piece. It is surely not hollow as it weighs in at about 40lbs. The one downfall of the acrylic I think is it adds weight and is semi fragile but its tit for tat and I wouldn't change it as I think the acrylic is a nice touch that we are seeing more of now in statues.
The other downfall is stability. Though heavy all the weight tends to be towards the front of the bust and it if not perfectly level it wants to tip forward. I added more small rubber bumpers to the front underside like the ones they already had in place and it seems to have helped it greatly but is still going to be front heavy no matter what you do.


Production & Build Quality: 9

The bottom of the base has a raised pattern around the edge that was done rather sloppy but easily touched up. The edges where paint meets the acrylic fire were all nice and clean with no spillage on the acrylic. All said and done i think this piece came out of production looking sharp.


OVERALL: 9.25

A great big and heavy piece that can appeal to collectors in a broad spectrum not just LOTR fanboys. I cant see why anyone would want to part with this as overall I think it is the best representation of the Balrog out there though that's just my opinion. Thanks for checking out the review, Happy collecting.
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Old 08-06-2014, 09:25 PM   #3
JP Sarri
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Excellent review and wonderful pictures, SithLord! Once again, you have another home run in your hands. Great work!
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Old 08-06-2014, 10:18 PM   #4
Sithlord32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jpsarri View Post
Excellent review and wonderful pictures, SithLord! Once again, you have another home run in your hands. Great work!
Appreciate the positive feedback Jpsarri.
It s going to be a good time once all these PO start shipping here soon. Looking forward to reviewing some of these anticipated pieces for sure.
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Old 08-07-2014, 05:01 AM   #5
JP Sarri
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sithlord32 View Post
Appreciate the positive feedback Jpsarri.
It s going to be a good time once all these PO start shipping here soon. Looking forward to reviewing some of these anticipated pieces for sure.
Looking forward to it.
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Old 08-08-2014, 10:51 AM   #6
PermaGrin
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I was able to scoop this guy up a while ago.

Really dig it.

There was someone a bit ago (and on the other forums) that posted images of them modifying there to have a light up feature.

The build images no longer work. But if I recall correctly, he mentioned, it is hollow.

As you mentioned and I noticed when I received mine, he is pretty front heavy. I too just added an extra layer/set of bumpers/pads to the from side of the base. Which helps out a lot.

I think it looks neat on how he looks different with flash off VS on.
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