“By my beard. You are shorter and wider than last we met.” — Dwalin to Balin as they meet up for the meeting at Bag End
Our friends at Gentle Giant have a program known as their Premiere Guild Membership (PGM), which allows fans to get discounts, early access, and other exclusives for the many products they produce. When Gentle Giant announced their PGM gifts for this year, an exciting collectible from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was on the list: the Dwalin Mini-Bust! Fans of one of the baddest dwarves in Middle-earth can now select Dwalin, representing The Hobbit for 2012/13. Dwalin of course follows up Thorin who was the first bust released in this line and could be had during Comic-Con 2012.
In Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit, Dwalin is one of the many dwarves of the Lonely Mountain driven into exile by the dragon, Smaug. Dwalin joined his brother Balin, and Thorin’s father Thrain, in the group of dwarves who tried to take back Erebor in 2841 of the Third Age and was also one of the company who, 100 years later, joined Thorin in retakig Erebor from the dragon. After the mountain was retaken Dwalin, and his brother Balin, went on to be very successful. Dwalin lived to be one of the oldest Dwarves on record.
PACKAGING
The graphics used for Dwalin represent our first glance at what Gentle Giant will be doing in the future with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. One noticeable difference is a change from the box used for Thorin at Comic-Con. Dwalin’s box is very colorful and has a more of a distinct feel of Middle-earth. The color mixing that almost feels like it’s the dawn of a new day, with a great shot of a mountain range in the background. The coloring and style used is the same styling used for the figures from The Bridge Direct, which makes me think this is the style that we will see going forward for many of the products from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The sides of the box are similar to what we’ve seen from other companies with great looks of the Mini-Bust. While the back of the box gives the summation of the story of The Hobbit. Inside the Styrofoam gives the protection required to make sure this makes it to your home.
SCULPTING
Gentle Giant has once again produced a really solid sculpt, continuing the momentum they started with the Thorin Mini-Bust. Regarding likeness, Gentle Giant did a solid job of capturing Graham McTavish in his portrayal of Dwalin. The only minor issue is the face is a little longer in the jaw area. His outfit is very well done with bits of fur that look like fur, leather looking like leather, and the proper Dwarvish look to his clothing. His weapons are also sculpted in delightful detail, including each of the axes having their names sculpted into the blades. The Mini-Bust also gives you something we’ve not seen before with Dwalin in that we get the large hammer he is also known to carry with him; it rivals the detail of his axes and adds a nice touch to the character we’ve not seen before. As I mentioned in another review for a product for Dwalin, the guards on the hands are also very well done. The base of this bust is also well done with little cracks all over giving it a great sculpted from stone appearance.
PAINT
Gentle Giant really nailed the paint job with this bust. Everything comes together to help make this one of the best products I’ve acquired from them. The skin tone on Dwalin is really outstanding and is very natural. Another solid job by Gentle Giant is the paint job done on the outfit, armor, and axes. All of these have great detail, which is not lost with the paint, but rather enhanced with the job done on the production level. The outfit has great shading for the fur that accurately reflect many of the production stills and scenes we see during the course of the movie. The leather-work also has the proper look, better than what you’d expect of leather on a polystone product. The weapons all have a great metal look to them and very much give you the feel that they’ve been used in many battles. Dwalin, of course, has tattoos representing his heritage. Gentle Giant appears to have used a printing process for the ones on his head and hands and did a really nice job of making sure these came out well.
Overall
Dwalin retails for $70 with the purchase of the Premiere Guild Membership and, after discount, you only pay the shipping. If you also you choose another one of the PGM gifts, you will still only pay $70 for Dwalin. Gentle Giant did a really fantastic job with Dwalin and, as good as I think the Thorin figure is, Dwalin is even better. Dwalin is my favorite Dwarf and I am thankful that Gentle Giant did such a good job of capturing the look of the warrior we saw on screen. I recommend getting this great follow up Mini-Bust and I can’t wait until we get Gandalf and Gollum.
SPECIFICATIONS
The edition size of the Dwalin Mini-Bust is only 300 pieces worldwide with a retail price of only $70.
“By my beard! You are shorter and wider than last we met.”
-Dwalin to Balin as they meet up for the meeting at Bag End
Yet another one of the statues we saw at Comic-Con 2012 for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was for the character Dwalin. Dwalin joined Thorin, Gandalf, Bilbo, Balin, and Bombur (not yet released). Dwalin went up for sale the same day as his brother Balin, making them the fourth and fifth statues released.
In Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit, Dwalin was one of the many dwarves of the Lonely Mountain driven into exile by the dragon in the Third Age. Dwalin would join his brother Balin and Thrain in a group who would try to take back Erebor in 2841 of the Third Age. Dwalin would be one of the company who, one hundred years later, joined Thorin in trying to retake Erebor, and was successful in doing so. After the mountain was retaken, Dwalin would go on to be very successful with his brother Balin, and would live to be one of the oldest Dwarfs on record.
PACKAGING
The graphics on the box follow the same pattern we’ve seen with both Thorin and Balin, keeping the now familiar Dwarven design. Per the format we’ve come to know, the front of the box gives you a great shot of Dwalin, graphic work for the title of the movie, and of course the Weta logo. The sides of the box for Dwalin also present a familiar format with different looks at the statue on one side, while the other side of the box presents some of the various products you can get for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, such as the Balin statue, Thorin’s Map, Key to Erebor, and Bilbo’s Contract. The back of the box contains a great story on Dwalin, as well as information regarding details of the character and statue. The styrofoam on the inside is typical with what we’ve come used to getting with these statues, but does have a special compartment for his arms holding his axes.
SCULPTING
Greg Tozer is a name fans of Middle-earth collecting should know, if they own a certain statue of a Dark Lord of Mordor. That’s correct – the massive and awesome statue of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings statue line was created by Greg Tozer and David Tremont (who worked on Barad-Dûr). Dwalin is my favorite looking Dwarf design from The Hobbit, so I was super excited to get this into my collection. As is the case with his brother Balin, the likeness to Graham McTavish’s portrayal of Dwalin is fantastic. Not to be outdone is the work on the outfit of Dwalin; Mr. Tozer did a superb job of sculpting the fine details of the cloth part of his outfit with all the little lines in their place, and the fur of the outfit also wonderfully matches its onscreen counterpart. The leatherwork on the Dwalin statue is also exceptional. You have great detailed work in his chest guard and his belt, which lead into his sheath holding his knife. Dwalin, like any warrior, must have weapons which he takes into battle, and this warrior carries two nasty looking axes. These axes, named Ukhlat and Umraz, have all the Dwarven detail you see on the larger props in the movie, including the names carved into the axes. Any warrior must protect his hands, and Dwalin takes every precaution with two metal guards, which in the right situation could also be used as weapons. Finally, on his back, Dwalin has two holders for his axes, which are also sculpted very well.
PAINT
Dwalin continues the streak of very well painted statues from Weta Workshop. The skin tones use the proper paint mixture to not only make the statue look like a miniature Dwarf but also very like the character appeared on screen. The painting on Dwalin’s outfit is equally good. All the pieces of cloth, fur, and leather look as they should and as they did when we saw them in the movie. One of the great things about the cloth aspects of the paint is the proper green tint, giving homage to the green hood he wears in the book. As with both Thorin and Balin, the metal paint look to his axes makes them very much like used versions of something he’d carry if the statue were real. Much like with those two Dwarves, the Dwarven details of his axes are still there for the world to see. Finally, Dwalin has tattoos in support of his Dwarven heritage. These tattoos are decals, allowing fans to get great clean lines and show no blurring at all on the statue (both his head and on his hands).
Overall
Dwalin retails for $249, and while he is more expensive than his brother Balin, he is still a good deal. As I said earlier in this review, I love the design of Dwalin, from the tattoos and weapons, to just his overall look; he’s freaking cool! So for me, the $249 was easy for that reason alone. He looks great with the other four statues and if you can add him to your collection, I say go for it! Dwalin, like the other statues so far, is an open edition.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dwalin is an open edition statue with a retail price of $249. He’s also instock as of right now, so don’t delay.
Dimensions:
9.8″ x 9.1″ x 5.9″ (H x W x D)
25 cm x 23 cm x 15 cm
greendragon with actor John Bell, who plays Bain in The Hobbit movies
On 12th December staffer greendragon was lucky enough to attend the red (well, actually it was green!) carpet in Leicester Square, London, for the Royal Film Performance of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Many of the film’s stars – and other celebs who were there to see the movie – stopped by to say hi, and were delighted to see TheOneRing.net (‘our special friends,’ as Peter Hambleton said) represented there. This is because YOU, our readers, are all so fabulous – everyone involved with the films knows that the best fans are the ones who visit TORn. 😉 So here, as a little festive mathom offered to you all from us, the staffers at TORn, is a video of some greetings (and some ‘woohoos’!) to you all, from the folks who work in Middle-earth.
After a little footage of the set up in Leicester Square to set the scene, you’ll see John Bell (Bain) and his parents, Graham McTavish (Dwalin), James Nesbitt (Bofur), William Kircher (Bifur) and his beautiful wife Nicole, artist Alan Lee, Stephen Hunter (Bombur), Peter Hambleton (Gloin), Jed Brophy (Nori), Adam Brown (Ori), and of course Dominic Monaghan (Merry) and Billy Boyd (Pippin)- who were there to see the movie and revisit old haunts! Enjoy! Wishing you all happy holidays!
IGN.com has a great video interview with the dwarven cast of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey‘ that is well worth 8 minutes of your time today. Watch the company squibble and squirm as they try to answer a variety of Tolkien trivia. In-between the humorous answers, you’ll see some great clips from the film. (Who knew Galadriel was the name of Gandalf’s sword? 😛 ) Enjoy! [Video]
Courtesy of Warner Bros Belgium, here is an amazing 13-minute look into The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. It features behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and many, many other key cast and crew members where they discuss the inspiration for, and direction of, the story the first film reveals. Plus there’s plenty of new, previously unseen (at least by me!) sneak previews of what you’ll see on the big screen! So I guess I’ll add: spoilers! Continue reading “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – 13-minute TV special!”
Richard Armitage listens to a question during a press conference before the World Premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in Wellington, New Zealand.
Only hours before the stars walked the red carpet in front of 100,000 fans on the street of Wellington, nearly the entire cast gathered at Te Papa Museum for a pair of press conferences.
Peter Jackson and stars Richard Armitage and Martin Freeman attended both press events while most of the rest of the principal cast and screenwriter Philippa Boyens attended one event or the other.
Media was invited by Warner Bros., the studio that was handling press from around the world during the week. TheOneRing.net was included in the press invite, not the only online fan site to get the call, as our friends from herr-der-ringe were also there. MGM and New Line were also announced as presenting the press conferences.
John Callen sits with his “Team Oin” jacket on during the press conference at Te Papa Museum in Wellington, New Zealand. Each actor choose a unique approach to wardrobe, just as in the movie, showing their personality when there was little dialog to go around.
Te Papa, a world-class museum, arranged a long table for the events and switched name cards in front of native Maori art. Called a Marae, translated as “big house” but serving as the symbolic center of Maori tradition, the event started with singing and then a forehead-to-forehead welcome to the participants. With the unique and beautiful colors behind, each of the question and answer sessions lasted about 40 minutes and was moderated.
Flash photography was not allowed, although clearly TheOneRing took quite a few stills. In the back of the room rows of cameras shot video, including for TORn. We audio recorded the event as well and hope to present a transcript of it in a day or two. Meanwhile enjoy some of the best handful of photos. The participants included: Cate Blanchette, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Stephen Hunter, Peter Hambleton William Kircher, Sylvester McCoy, Graham McTavish, Andy Serkis and Elijah Wood.
Philippa Boyens (l to r) Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and Dean O’Gormann react to a question from the media. The reporter asked Freeman if he could eat dinner with anybody, living or dead, who it would be. Martin seemed a little stunted by the question.
Martin Freeman, who plays the leading role in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, tries on his Hobbit Halo next to Peter Jackson.
Richard Armitage listens to a question during a press conference before the World Premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in Wellington, New Zealand.
Jed Brophy and William Kircher, fresh from playing Red Carpet Tours and TheOneRing.net’s combined party two nights before, speak earnestly about their experiences acting on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
John Callen sits with his “Team Oin” jacket on during the press conference at Te Papa Museum in Wellington, New Zealand. Each actor choose a unique approach to wardrobe, just as in the movie, showing their personality when there was little dialog to go around.
Our friends at Gentle Giant have a program known as their Premiere Guild Membership (PGM), which allows fans to get discounts, early access, and other exclusives for the many products they produce. When Gentle Giant announced their PGM gifts for this year, an exciting collectible from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was on the list: the Dwalin Mini-Bust! Fans of one of the baddest dwarves in Middle-earth can now select Dwalin, representing The Hobbit for 2012/13. Dwalin of course follows up Thorin who was the first bust released in this line and could be had during Comic-Con 2012.
The graphics used for Dwalin represent our first glance at what Gentle Giant will be doing in the future with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. One noticeable difference is a change from the box used for Thorin at Comic-Con. Dwalin’s box is very colorful and has a more of a distinct feel of Middle-earth. The color mixing that almost feels like it’s the dawn of a new day, with a great shot of a mountain range in the background. The coloring and style used is the same styling used for the figures from The Bridge Direct, which makes me think this is the style that we will see going forward for many of the products from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The sides of the box are similar to what we’ve seen from other companies with great looks of the Mini-Bust. While the back of the box gives the summation of the story of The Hobbit. Inside the Styrofoam gives the protection required to make sure this makes it to your home.
the Thorin Mini-Bust. Regarding likeness, Gentle Giant did a solid job of capturing Graham McTavish in his portrayal of Dwalin. The only minor issue is the face is a little longer in the jaw area. His outfit is very well done with bits of fur that look like fur, leather looking like leather, and the proper Dwarvish look to his clothing. His weapons are also sculpted in delightful detail, including each of the axes having their names sculpted into the blades. The Mini-Bust also gives you something we’ve not seen before with Dwalin in that we get the large hammer he is also known to carry with him; it rivals the detail of his axes and adds a nice touch to the character we’ve not seen before. As I mentioned in another review for a product for Dwalin, the guards on the hands are also very well done. The base of this bust is also well done with little cracks all over giving it a great sculpted from stone appearance.
Gentle Giant really nailed the paint job with this bust. Everything comes together to help make this one of the best products I’ve acquired from them. The skin tone on Dwalin is really outstanding and is very natural. Another solid job by Gentle Giant is the paint job done on the outfit, armor, and axes. All of these have great detail, which is not lost with the paint, but rather enhanced with the job done on the production level. The outfit has great shading for the fur that accurately reflect many of the production stills and scenes we see during the course of the movie. The leather-work also has the proper look, better than what you’d expect of leather on a polystone product. The weapons all have a great metal look to them and very much give you the feel that they’ve been used in many battles. Dwalin, of course, has tattoos representing his heritage. Gentle Giant appears to have used a printing process for the ones on his head and hands and did a really nice job of making sure these came out well.
