I'm a huge Lord of the Rings fan, and while I'm a bit wary of all the merchandising surrounding the upcoming films, there were a few figures I knew I'd have to buy. Gandalf and the Witch-King were two of them, but they've already been reviewed on this site, so I thought I'd review Saruman instead.

Christopher Lee will make a great Saruman, and Saruman makes a great action figure, I have to say. First, the sculpting is top-notch. The likeness of Christopher Lee is uncanny. I originally thought it was the product of Gentle Giant's "Real Scan" technology, in which an actor's face is scanned by lasers and the resulting 3-D image is used to make the action figure's head (almost all of Jakks Pacific's WWF toys are now made this way). It turns out I was wrong; while most of the figures in the Lord of the Rings line were made this way, Saruman's face was sculpted by Phil Ramirez, a well-known sculptor in the action figure industry. It says a lot for talent vs. technology when the best likeness of the line comes from a human's hands.

I have noticed that some of the Sarumans have better paint ops than others, so watch out for that. But the expression on his face, one of intense concentration, is perfect. But I'm also quite impressed with the robe. Sculpted robes are often too stiff and don't look right, but Saruman's are both pliable and look great. I'm a little annoyed that his left sleeve juts out a bit, and you can't bend his arm so it hangs down like it should, so it looks as if Saruman's always in the wind. But it's not a big deal.

I'm also a little miffed that the robes are white, and note a "robe of many colors," as Saruman is said to wear in the novel. But that's the film's fault, not Toy Biz's. Perhaps Saruman will switch his robes in one of the next two films.

There are two small details I'd like to mention - his left and and his staff. The left hand is one of the finest-sculpted hands I've ever seen. It's just the right gesture - it can be menacing when held palm-down, but inviting when palm-up, playing on Saruman's Mephistopheles-like charm. The staff is great too, and looks excellent when held in his hand, though I do wish the ball on the end glowed in the dark.

The articulation is good too. He's got legs, and they even have knee articulation, although admittedly there's not much you can do with him due to the robes. But the shoulders are ball-jointed, and he's also jointed at the elbows and wrists (he's also jointed at the hips and neck). He's also a nice, solid figure, and very playable. The only thing that annoys me is the lever jutting out from behind his right arm; it allows you to manipulate Saruman's right arm, but this seems pretty silly. Saruman's no fighter. Why would he be waving his staff around like a maniac? I realize it may have something to do with the liberties Mr. Jackson has taken with the films, but still...

One more thing...the Palantir of Orthanc. This thing is neat. It's actually a magnet, so it hovers over the base it comes with. I can't emphasize how cool this is. Saruman also has a magnet built into his left palm, so he can hold the palantir like an NBA player palming a big black basketball. Go Chris Lee!

All in all, Saruman is a great figure, and he is an amazing combination of playability, articulation and sculpt. Are you paying attention, Mr. McFarlane? It can be done. Kudos to Toy Biz.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): $8
Type of Toy: Action Figure
Age Range of Child: 6 to 8 Years