There are numerous pics of the Uruk-Hai Berserker on this thread, so I thought I’d weigh in with my thoughts on this magnificent piece. Besides, I got too anxious and unboxed the Uruk-Hai Berserker PF last night without getting my camera. I received EX #53/750 yesterday. Some quick thoughts:
Sideshow has changed cardboard types for the display box. The last PF I received, the Moria Orc exclusive came in a cardboard display box that I would describe as having a matte finish. The Uruk-Hai Berserker comes in a shiny, high gloss box, as did the previous piece I received before it, the Duel of Light and Fire diorama. They seem to be out the same high-gloss cardboard stock that the Sideshow Weta LOTR stuff came in. Not a big issue, just a simple observation.
As for the piece itself, all I can say is that it is my favorite piece in my collection. The base seems very solid and heavy, a far cry from the light-weight bases that came with the previous LOTR PFs (Lurtz being the exception, as he had a fairly heavy base as well).
The Uruk’s two-handed sword/cleaver is entirely made of metal, and is AWESOME. It’s a shame that Sideshow did not use metal for the previous PF’s weapons. You have to hold the weapon in your hand and feel the weight of it to appreciate how impressive it is. The two arrows that fit into the Uruk’s torso seem to be made of metal as well; I’m not certain, but they felt like metal to me. What’s interesting is that the fletching on the arrows are different; I’m guessing one is a Rohirrim arrow and the other is a Galadhrim arrow (after all, Legolas wouldn’t miss a kill shot, would he?
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The paint application on the Uruk is great, Portions of the Uruk's body, to include his legs and lower torso, are muted and subtle as if he had gotten dirty fighting in the dusty plains of Rohan. Other portions of the Uruk have shiny applications of paint as if the Uruk is drenched in the sweat, blood and viscera of his dispatched enemies (and his own blood, of course). For me, the bright yellow eyes on the Uruk convey his madness and bloodlust best, even more so than the decapitated Rohirrim head.
As expected, the Rohirrim head is heavily detailed as well. You can see the detached veins and the spinal cord in the neck stump. The soldier’s mouth is slightly open, and his tongue is rolled to the side. Sideshow could have enhanced the creepiness factor if the soldier’s eyes were open with the blank stare of death, but I think maybe that would have been a little too much.
Now for the million dollar question: is the Uruk-Hai Berserker a better piece than Lurtz? In my opinion yes. Lurtz was my favorite LOTR PF prior to receiving the Uruk, but has since been displaced. Both sculpts are terrific; I like the quiet menace that the Lurtz pose conveys, striding to the death blow. But the Uruk-Hai Berserker's pose is pure bloodlust and aggression; all his muscles are tense and seem like a steel trap ready to snap at any second.
As many others have stated, I think this is the best PF of the year, regardless of license or line…