Gandalf the Grey - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The second character from the upcoming movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is definitely a fan favorite, Gandalf the Grey! The iconic wizard is the catalyst of many things in not only The Hobbit, but The Lord of the Rings as well. Sir Ian McKellan is reprising his role as Gandalf in the upcoming film and that is awesome. Is the 3.75 scale version of Gandalf awesome as well? Hit the jump to find out!

Gandalf the Grey is an Istari wizard, sent by the Valar (gods) to Middle-Earth to strengthen the hearts of goodly people against the evil of Sauron. In the years he spends wandering Middle-Earth he is a member of the White Council, an ally to the elves, a mentor to the last heir of the King of Gondor and a friend to the hobbits of the Shire. This last thing might be the most important thing Gandalf ever did in the grand scheme of things.

The Bridge Direct is a company making its first real foray into the action figure market with toys from The Hobbit. I really thought Warner Bros. would have awarded to license to one of the big boys, especially Hasbro or *shudder* Mattel. I wonder though, if the general suckjob city that was the 3.75 figures for The Dark Knight Rises scared WB away from Mattel. I’m all for meritocracy; make crappy toys, don’t get awesome licenses, it’s the circle of brand licensing life. 

I’m not saying The Bridge Direct has shown up and is now the big dog of toymakers, but I am saying other companies should take notice of what these guys are doing. You can tell there is passion for the source material just by the thought and care put into the sculpts and paint jobs on these toys. Please note that it’s just my personal opinion about “passion” translating from production to final product. For example, I really feel like Bandai was uninspired by the Thundercats and as a result the toys were just bland. 

Anyways, Gandalf the Grey here is part of the 3.75 (G.I. Joe size) line. There also is a 6 inch line, but more on that later. Gandalf comes wearing his grey robe and is accessorized with his wizard’s staff, hat, and his sword, Glamdring. Also, he comes with a long scarf that hangs down across his chest and is secured by his head. Pop off the head and you can remove the scarf. Although he is mainly grey (duh),TBD did a nice job with the textures so that everything pops. Glamdring can be secured in its scabbard which is blue and silver and attached to Gandalf's waist by a matching molded on belt.

Glamdring is a Sindarin word that means "Foe-Hammer".

Gandalf here is fairly limited by his outfit. So you aren't going to get the legs to pose in any dramatic fashion, although there are knee joints. His shoulders, elbows, wrists, neck and waist all spin and rotate in various directions so there's that at least. I guess if TBD wanted more poseability they could have given him a cloth outfit, but a lot of times cloth at this scale looks like shapeless ass on the figures, so it's a wash to me. 

The Sorting Hat's crazy great-uncle.

Personally, I like this figure. It's a 3.75 Gandalf the Grey. Is it perfect? No. But it is pretty good for a first try and I have to give props. The staff, sword, and hat are nice little accessories. There are lots of tiny nitpicks, like my Glamdring is slightly bent (and is a straight tapered blade as opposed to the subtle leaf shape of the movie version) but it's way better than some other lines I've collected. My Thundercats Mumm-ra came with an accessory I thought was a ring to wear and role play with. Nope, turns out it was his Sword of Plun-darr that had gotten completely warped in the package. I like this and think it's a definite "get" for anyone who is a fan of this franchise. I'd like to note that I bought this Gandalf as a single figure on a blister pack, but I have another that came in a two-pack with Bolg, the head jailer of Dol Guldur. That Gandalf is identical in sculpt and accessories, with just some painted on dirt to depict "battle damage". Still, I'm loving this line! Thanks for reading!

You shall not pass!