Minas Morgul | Sculptor: Mary Maclachlan | Edition size: open

::Sculptural Quality::

Way back before the special item in the ROTK gift set was announced and amidst the storm of speculation by fans, I had always dismissed the idea that Weta would select Minas Tirith. It’s a perfectly ideal subject, however it seemed absurd and illogical that it could ever be done at a small size with quality, at such a mass produced level. But Weta has achieved the impossible: A respectable looking Minas Tirith sculpture that quite literally fits in the palm of your hand. The detail captured here is truly staggering; much of it so minute that it will not even reveal itself until you are nose deep. Even the brick patterns that are on every city wall are present and all things considered, amazingly uniform.

A unique feature of Minas Tirith is its ability to open up, revealing a storage compartment lined with black felt material on which the Gondorian Tree and Stars motif is imprinted. Beautifully done, but at the same time, quite pointless. Also of note: the White Tree is absent from the courtyard, a necessary compromise at this scale. The back of the piece is flat, and when partnered with its companion statue Minas Morgul, serve to become book/DVD ends.

::Paint Application::

Everything in the paint department is fairly decent. It is a somewhat surprising that they didn’t go with a more substantial shade of white for the man-made areas of the city; portions of the “white” city do look slightly drab unless lit with some intensity. Some of the bronzed domes are haphazardly painted, but they serve their purpose well enough. The courtyard lawn is too astro-turf for my tastes; a more natural tone would’ve improved things tremendously there.

::Parting Notes::

A few notes for any prospective buyers yet to pick this up- You’ll want to keep an eye out for any bent towers or spires. I saw a few such ones from the pile of sets I was able to pick and choose from. Will we ever see another Minas Tirith from Weta? I wouldn’t place my bet on it. Considering that you are essentially paying only $20 extra for this statue and the extra Howard Shore DVD, the Gift Set version of Extended Edition is really kind of a no-brainer.

Related:

• Part of the Gift Set on Amazon
• Minas Morgul environment review
• Weathertop environment review
• Back to the Review Index