Set Review ➟ LEGO® 40630: Frodo & Gollum
BRICKHEADZ is a theme I have only recently had personal experience with. To be honest, these cute little builds looked fun, but not something I would put on display anywhere in my house or collect the same way people collect Funko POP figures. This time there were extenuating circumstances: these BRICKHEADZ are from the “The Lord of the Rings” theme. I was an avid collector of the theme from the time it came out in 2012 to its end in 2013 (2014 if you include the sets from The Hobbit). Seeing another offering that is related to one of my favourite books (yes, I read the book way before the movie came out) made my heart skip a beat. It has been 10 years since the theme was discontinued, but here it was again, though not in the format I expected it to be. In other words, it was as much the prospect of further offerings in the same theme as the figurines themselves that drew my attention. Maybe even more so.
In for a penny, in for a pound. And seeing how small and relatively cheap these sets are I decided I really wanted to give these a try as soon as possible. On the whole I have to say I wasn’t disappointed. The figurines are fun enough to build and there are a number of reasons that make them so, not the least of which is the fact that they come in pairs. Back in 2012 I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings sets in blissful solitude (while the baby slept). These days I build in company and having two instruction booklets and the pieces divided into two bags is the perfect way to build these little sets.
The first of these offerings, Frodo and Gollum is also the smallest. This is reflected in the price: 14.99 EUR/USD compared to 19.99 EUR/USD in the other two BRICKHEADZ sets in this series. We know it’s Frodo, because it says so on the box art and because of the dark(er) hair. But for those details it might as well be Bilbo: both wore the ring and used Sting, the elvish dagger. The cape is also a bit of an indicator: Bilbo was never portrayed wearing a cape in any of the “The Hobbit” sets.
As for Gollum, I’m not a fan of the blue fish. It makes him look like a toddler in diapers wielding a baby shaker. I also miss a bit more of a hunch to make him more easily identifiable. The printed tile on the back of his head, representing the few remaining hairs on otherwise bald head, is the clearest indication that this is not just an angry toddler, but, in fact, Gollum. After building the other BRICKHEADZ it will become clear that Frodo is “smaller than average”, as befits a hobbit.
By way of comparison, check out Bilbo and Gollum in 79000 – Riddle for the Ring
I probably shouldn’t have started with this set and left it as a second or third build. Overall, it felt like too little. Not just small in size, but also in detail. And I don’t like the figurines enough to put them on display anywhere so it’s back to the box and recycle into something else.
Disclaimer: no hobbits were harmed in building or dismantling this set. Evidently, all opinions are just that: my personal findings regarding this set.
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