Sideshow Faramir

[Darth Cruel]

There are some great pics of the new Sideshow Faramir on Sideshow's website. He looks awesome with the likeness being as good as any figure they have done. But his exclusive item is the cloven Horn of Gondor. I am not sure why it is with him, but I am glad we are getting it just the same. It will be nice to have Boromir and Faramir reunited.

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/behindtheshow/?cat=26

[RooJay]

I have been a huge and vocal fan/supporter of Sideshow from the very beginning - I remember buying my 12" Frankenstein from TRU for $25 and being blown away, but I have to disagree with you about their Faramir. While I'm definitely buying one, and I think he looks fantastic, the likeness is barely what I'd even call close at all. While he's recognizeable to me as Faramir, the figure looks almost nothing like David Wenham. I'm betting they finally get LOTR likenesses right when they do Gandalf.

[Darth Cruel]

I have been a huge and vocal fan/supporter of Sideshow from the very beginning - I remember buying my 12" Frankenstein from TRU for $25 and being blown away, but I have to disagree with you about their Faramir. While I'm definitely buying one, and I think he looks fantastic, the likeness is barely what I'd even call close at all. While he's recognizeable to me as Faramir, the figure looks almost nothing like David Wenham. I'm betting they finally get LOTR likenesses right when they do Gandalf.

None of Sideshows figures perfectly resemble any of the specific actors they represent. I once posted a primer on sculpting action figures which explained why the likenesses are never perfect. Basically it stated that it is largely due to the original sculpt being watered down because a mold is made from ithe original sculpt to do the prototype which is painted and sent to China as an example of what Sideshow wants the figure to look like. Then the manufacturer in China makes a mold of that one for production. So you actually get a cast of a mold of a cast of a mold of the original sculpt. And there is no stopping the dampening of minor details like character (or "age") lines or most any of the more subtle effects of aging in a process like that. Some sculptors will attempt to minimize the loss of some of those features by exaggerating them in the original sculpt.

But thankfully, perfect likeness is not important to me. And I still say Faramir is as good as any they have done...but I will have to add the caveat that I don't count non-actor likenesses like monsters and aliens as those are easier to do. Kit Fisto is a good example of a near-perfect likeness...but as his character's facial features are born of sculpting and are already hand created, it is easier to duplicate them by hand. The nuances of an individual human face such as non-symetry in ears, and eyes (check out Natalie Portmans ears and nostrils and compare them to the ones on the Sideshow figure) along with character lines and the afore mentioned subtle effects of aging are a lot more difficult to do (or are ignored for aesthetics). I don't believe the human hand can do too much better with the exception of the occasional lucky hit. Even the real scans don't do all that much better (which can at least partially be blamed on the paint app).

I, myself, have not seen closer likenesses on any line of action figures.

[RooJay]

It's not important to me either, but good to see you agree with me nonetheless. Unfortunately, I have personally seen hundreds (at least) of closer likenesses in action figures.

[Darth Cruel]

I can't believe that I missed the priority pre-order for Faramir. What in the Hell was I thinking. I got on the wait list and ordered the regular version.

[evenflow]

I passed on Faromir. I decided that with the LOTR line I would pick and choose, probably only buying those who make up the fellowship and a few bad guys along the way.

[Jayspawn]

I'm holding out for Saruman!

[jonthejedi]

I passed on Faramir, too...and cancelled Legolas & Boromir. I wasn't blown away by the Aragorn likeness, and with Sideshow's quality control slipping with the SW line. Well, I'm being a little more prudent with my $$$.

[RooJay]

Sideshow's quality slipping?! In what way? They just seem to be getting better to me. I haven't noticed any quality issues at all, especially on the Star Wars line.