Beautiful! Asmus Toys (Movie) Frodo and Sam!

[wallace_trust]

Late last year, my dear Mother surprised me with a truly extravagant gift-- a pre-order of the new Frodo and Sam collector's set by Asmus Toys.  Of course she knew just what I would want!  ^_^  I received the dolls in February and we marveled at them together.   I haven't seen much about these on the Net, so  I wanted to write a review, but the weather's been so rainy out here that I couldn't get a good day to photograph them until now!

The first thing I was pleased to see is that they arrived together in the same shipper box.  Frodo and Sam should always travel in the same box!  ^_^
The individual figure boxes are very lovely, sturdy and featuring silky smooth enamel printing.  They are reminiscent, in quality and feel, of the gorgeous Sideshow figure boxes, though they do not open like books.  Here's Sam's COA, #27 out of 1000!  Frodo is also #27! 



And here's Sam, all snug and safe in his plastic packing ^_^  He comes with his pots and pans, a ladle, a wooden spoon, some sausage, his Lorien cloak, his barrow sword, scabbard and belt, and his coat, weskit, shirt and trousers, (more on these later) as well as his satchel and water bottle and some extra hands for posing.  One of the best items is a bag of extremely tiny extra buttons!  ^_^   Unlike the Sideshow figures, neither comes with a pipe. 

The next thing I was struck by when unpacking these dolls was how substantial and sturdy they feel.  Another thing I love about them are their body proportions.  These dolls are made to true hobbit-scale, with shorter torsos and legs, and are clearly recognizable as such. 
Did I mention the clothes?  They are very fine!  The material is richly colored and textured and of high quality, sewn with infinitesimally tiny stitches!

Sam's face is sculpted reasonably accurately, with a somewhat grim expression suitable for his encounters with Shelob or the orcs.  My camera could not capture the really fine points, but you can actually see each individual pore of his facial skin, as well as the most minute streaks of color in the irises of his eyes!   The same is true for Frodo!  This must have been accomplished by 3D printing technology-- I cannot possibly imagine someone being able to paint these details by hand, even with only a single hair for a brush. 



The final touch is real fur on the feet of both hobbits!  This is delightful in concept, but I do believe rooted hair would have worked a bit better. 



Overall, these figures have a slightly darker feel than the others I have collected.  The artists were not going so much for hobbit cuteness-- though the body proportions are very cute-- so much as gritty realism, and I think they succeeded very well!  ^_^  


 

Comments

[ink_gypsy]

How exciting for you! I have the ones from Sideshow Collectibles, but found they weren't very sturdily made. They were meant to be put in different positions, but shortly after I received them, my Frodo's arm broke off, something I found happened to others who bought the dolls.

One difference I noticed with those you just received is the number of different hands. I believe the Sideshow versions only have one. I like the faces as well.

Enjoy them!

ETA: You're very lucky to have gotten them. I just went to the Asmus website and both Frodo and Sam are sold out. :-(

[shirebound]

Ohhh, how nice! All the accessories are wonderful.

[wallace_trust]

Hi Ink Gypsy, and thank you very much! ^_^

There are a few of these sets left on eBay, but I'm sure they will become a rarity!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IN-STOCK-1-6-Lord-of-the-Rings-Frodo-Sam-Figure-USA-BONUS-Asmus-Toys-Hot-Gandalf-/302133292780?hash=item46588c2eec:g:Ct4AAOSw4DJYj684

[wallace_trust]

Thank you, Shirebound! ^_^ These dolls are so fun. It reminds me of all the happy hours I spent as a kid playing with my Marx "Johnny West" dolls and their extensive accessories ^_^

[lbilover]

I haven't bought them yet. I've been on the fence since I have the Sideshow Frodo and Sam. It's tempting, especially now I've read your review!

[lbilover]

The Sideshow ones have at least one extra hand, but not multiples like these.

[wallace_trust]

For me, nothing can beat the sweet look on the face of Sideshow Sam. FYI I got the Sideshow figures after encountering your 'dollustrations!' I was fortunate to find two used, but good condition, Sideshow figures at very low cost. I think this is what gave my dear Mother the idea of fueling my collecting passion ^_^;

The Asmus dolls seem a little smaller than the Sideshows, but I can't be certain without a side by side comparison. Maybe I should photograph the two sets together?

[addie71]

These are lovely! You're mother's a real sweetheart to get these for you.

[wallace_trust]

My mother is always a real sweetheart, and so very, very selfless!

Last year around this time, she was battling a very serious illness which she was not expected to survive. She couldn't speak or eat, and she was estimated to be only a week from death. Yet she returned from one of her treatments with my favorite Easter chocolates! How I cried.

But she is also very tough and resilient, and somehow she battled her way through that illness and is going strong today!

We have had so many ups and downs in life, but we have never fought and have always supported each other. She is truly my very own Sam :)

[addie71]

She sounds amazing! I'm glad fought through her illness and is still with you. *hugs*

[lbilover]

Aww, I didn't know you were inspired by my doll fics. My Frodo and Sam are very honored!

I'd love to see the two sets side by side!

[wallace_trust]

Your doll fics are hilarious ^_^ If it ever stops raining where I live again, I'll break out both sets for a side by side photo shoot ^_^