Statue Weta Workshop's The Balrog Statue

[TD-0488]

His opinion...no need to insult him. Geez...

 

[Adolfo]

Like ive said before, Weta's pieces just dont have the wow factor like SS PF's... this on the other hand does!

until SS shows me something more, Weta is ME king. Only size can be used. Weta QC and paint apps is better than SS by a long shot too

Agreed 100%. Its quite hard to compare overall impressiveness between the two licenses, since size is always a factor.

Not always

 

[67L88Stingray]

until SS shows me something more, Weta is ME king. Only size can be used. Weta QC and paint apps is better than SS by a long shot too


Not always

I don't know about that. I can't think of any Weta pieces that are more impressive than PFs like Lurtz, Berserker, GTG, etc... They are good on their own, size just makes them that much more impressive.

 

[SurlyJ]

Weta and Ss color palettes are very different. Weta tends to go with more detailed, smaller statues with subdued tones. Ss goes with larger piece and more vibrant colors.

 

[The Josh]

I don't know about that. I can't think of any Weta pieces that are more impressive than PFs like Lurtz, Berserker, GTG, etc... They are good on their own, size just makes them that much more impressive.

I guess it depends on what you find more impressive. There are several pieces from Weta in the orignal LOTR line, which they worked with SS that are every bit as impressive as well as some of the new stuff from The Hobbit.

Weta and Ss color palettes are very different. Weta tends to go with more detailed, smaller statues with subdued tones. Ss goes with larger piece and more vibrant colors.

I don't know. They seem to both nail the colors of the characters and such pretty well. I do agree that SS usually does bigger pieces because they've had the 1:4 license.

 

[Adolfo]

I don't know about that. I can't think of any Weta pieces that are more impressive than PFs like Lurtz, Berserker, GTG, etc... They are good on their own, size just makes them that much more impressive.

For Middle Earth there is no line that beat Weta the Bowen of ME. Granted SS has a few select top notch pieces but until otherwise the line is practically dead while Weta's is king. As a whole the Weta ME line is king, while SS has just a few great pieces.

 

[The Josh]

I'm just thankful for both companies solo lines, which have been pretty fantastic. Then of course you have the SSW line that they worked together on that built so many of ours collection. I'm just glad both companies have turned out quality work and turned out impressive pieces that have allowed me to have the collection that I have.

 

[67L88Stingray]

For Middle Earth there is no line that beat Weta the Bowen of ME. Granted SS has a few select top notch pieces but until otherwise the line is practically dead while Weta's is king. As a whole the Weta ME line is king, while SS has just a few great pieces.

Sure we would all like more SS pieces, but that alone does not make the ones they have done any less than what they are. Nor does Weta churning them out make them any better. Weta may be the king of ME quantity, but that alone does not make their pieces overall better. Mixed media is the truest representations for most of the characters. You can do a lot with smaller fully sculpted statues, but they just seem to get lost next to a 1/4 most of the time and will never look as real as mixed media. If Weta started 1/4 I have no doubt they could do a better job if they wanted. Until they do, like others have said their pieces just don't have the same room presence on their own as a PF. Personally I prefer "a few great pieces", but others like the massive amount of Weta offerings and that's cool too. I am glad Weta is doing larger pieces, hopefully they do someday get into 1/4 and I will be waiting. Until then I am happy with mostly PFs and a handful of choice Weta pieces.

 

[The Josh]

Sure we would all like more SS pieces, but that alone does not make the ones they have done any less than what they are. Nor does Weta churning them out make them any better. Weta may be the king of ME quantity, but that alone does not make their pieces overall better. Mixed media is the truest representations for most of the characters. You can do a lot with smaller fully sculpted statues, but they just seem to get lost next to a 1/4 most of the time and will never look as real as mixed media. If Weta started 1/4 I have no doubt they could do a better job if they wanted. Until they do, like others have said their pieces just don't have the same room presence on their own as a PF. Personally I prefer "a few great pieces", but others like the massive amount of Weta offerings and that's cool too. I am glad Weta is doing larger pieces, hopefully they do someday get into 1/4 and I will be waiting. Until then I am happy with mostly PFs and a handful of choice Weta pieces.

I can't say I agree that mixed media is their truest representation. I think you may feel that way being more of a PF collector but I can assure that most of us feel the 1:6 statues are more the proper representation. That's what we've been collecting since the early part of the 2000's. That's why I think those lines tend to sell the best of any line involving Middle-earth. Don't have the same room presence? Come on now. I guarantee if people walk into my collection room it's going to have a presence. Each and every piece will and has it. Don't get me wrong I love SS PF. Sauron is a beast and one of the best Middle-earth pieces produced but I think/feel the heart of Middle-earth collecting is clearly in the 1:6 statues be it Weta or SS.

 

[67L88Stingray]

I can't say I agree that mixed media is their truest representation. I think you may feel that way being more of a PF collector but I can assure that most of us feel the 1:6 statues are more the proper representation. That's what we've been collecting since the early part of the 2000's. That's why I think those lines tend to sell the best of any line involving Middle-earth. Don't have the same room presence? Come on now. I guarantee if people walk into my collection room it's going to have a presence. Each and every piece will and has it. Don't get me wrong I love SS PF. Sauron is a beast and one of the best Middle-earth pieces produced but I think/feel the heart of Middle-earth collecting is clearly in the 1:6 statues be it Weta or SS.

I meant piece for piece, not a whole collection room. A room full of Weta pieces like yours is of course impressive. It is just whenever I see a collection shot my eye naturally goes to the 1/4+ or 1/1 props if they are mixed in. If you stick with smaller scale I think it looks better overall, and those who focus on ME only don't have much option. I think more collectors are invested in 1/6 due to how long they have been out and the variety you can get, if Weta had started with 1/4 too who knows. I feel the same way about 1/6 scale Hot Toys who many of people also love. They are great pieces and I have quite a few, and a proper display of them can look incredible. I just don't like displaying them near PFs as they tend to disappear(except my Batmobiles). Weta has stayed true to ME, and SS has not. It is a shame, we should have 2-3x as many PFs as we do now and the snubbed Maquette collectors missing that one piece is embarrassing. Like I said, the big Weta stuff I will buy,

As for fully sculpted being a truer representation, when was the last time you saw someone wearing a polystone outfit? On some monsters and environments if would not matter and I do like some of the dynamic poses you can get with all sculpted, but no fully sculpted Lurtz is every going to look more real than the PF. Well done tailoring makes them look like they just stepped off the screen. Some prefer the look of fully sculpted though, and that is fine too.

 

[The Josh]

I understand that as someone who prefers that scale is why you feel that way. I disagree of course but I understand the scale means a lot to some collectors. I pretty much feel the same way about most PF's. Its why they don't outside of say Sauron tend to stay in my collection long. I just think the better scale is what we're getting from Weta.

Obviously the outfits they wear in the movies are not that. I think you know what I meant though. I think the statues just give you a truer representation of the character and the feeling you get seeing that character. I disagree. I think if Weta was to make a 1:6 Lurtz similar to what the original SSW one was going to look like would be every bit as badass as the PF. I feel the same way about those that prefer PF's.

 

[Irvy]

Balrog legendary scale ftw

 

[cstojano]

I love some of the PFs, Gandalf the Grey is fabulous. But I am more than happy to have a few PFs that are set off in my display but not have all of them. I think Weta's offerings make sense as a complete line, while with the PFs the planning is just such a mess. It is so uneven in representation and so stretched out temporally that the early pieces don't even hold up anymore. SS has this thing for randomly inserting females as well (Arwen maquette, Galadriel PF), which makes little sense to me. I think SS at its heart is more of a Court of the Dead type of company.

 

[PermaG]

Balrog legendary scale ftw

Having that bust, if a full body was attached...omg!

 

[The Josh]

Balrog legendary scale ftw

That would be pretty impressive looking.

 

[Pork Chop Express]

The flames at that scale would be a challenge.
If they did a light up feature like IM, it may work. Or not...

I pray for the day SS does a Ghost Rider PF.

 

[The Josh]

It would be a challenge for sure to make it all work at that scale. I don't expect it to ever happen but its fun thinking about all the same.

 

[PermaG]

I would assume if the flames on the bust can be done fine, flames on a body can be done just the same.

 

[finarfin]

I am still hoping, a fool's hope, that SS does a large Balrog PF one day, similar to Sauron in size.

 

[PermaG]

I am still hoping, a fool's hope, that SS does a large Balrog PF one day, similar to Sauron in size.