Master Replicas: FX Sauron ONE RING REVIEW

Special thanks to the folks at Master Replicas for providing a great product for which we can now present the most thorough review of the Sauron ONE RING you will find on the net!

The recent delivery of Master Replicas first venture into the world of Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings in the form of their fantastic FX Sting Sword replicas made a major splash in both the FX replica community and the Lord of the Rings Collectible world. We here at the Green Dragon did a thorough review of the FX Sting that can be found HERE! In that review we pointed out that the FX Sting was probably the best replicated version of the Sting sword to date...thanks in most part to the superb construction and very AWESOME FX Effects. Reliving the scenes in which Sting glowed and hummed is no that much more possible thanks to the folks at Master Replicas. But Master Replicas did not stop at the FX Sting. They are positioning themselves to release yet another very cool little LIMITED EDITION FX Collectible in the realm of Middle-earth called: Sauron ONE RING. This not only surpasses the quality of the FX Sting Sword, but will inevitably be the centerpiece of many collection and that one item that nearly everyone who obtains it (better get one fast as they are limited to 2500 WORLDWIDE), will desparately want to put on their hearth or desk at work to act as the conversation piece of a lifetime. Without further ado, here is The Green Dragon's in depth review of the Sauron's ONE RING from Master Replicas:

“One Ring to rule them all…” Consumed by an unquenchable thirst for power, the Dark Lord Sauron forged the One Ring, the Master Ring to control all others. Although King Isildur wrests The One Ring of Sauron with one fortunate blow to the Dark Lord’s fingers, the cruelty and malice behind the ring continue to hang over Middle-earth like a dark, ominous cloud. Then, lost for over two thousand years, the One Ring of Sauron resurfaces in the hands of the unsuspecting Frodo Baggins, and a battle of epic proportions begins once again.

Creating the One Ring was an exercise in subtle variations. The film’s Art Direction team selected from 15 ring prototypes submitted by a gold-and-silversmith of New Zealand. For the various scenes, different versions of the same props were used for Sauron’s armored glove, severed fingers, and The One Ring. To accommodate the various ring bearers in the film, almost forty different rings were made, most of them of smooth, solid gold. All of the inscriptions were added later with computer graphics.

The accurate scale of our ring and severed finger replica gives you some idea of Sauron’s imposing ten-foot high stance. To replicate the ring on Sauron’s finger, our designers made intricate sketches from detailed information provided by New Line Cinema. Original replica prototypes were then hand sculpted and approved by the studio before we electronically lit the rings inscription. Because the props in the film did not bear inscriptions, we painstakingly developed a way to light our replicas from the inside; our Ring appears solid gold at first glance, but the simple motion of a waving hand triggers the glowing script to magically shine through.

As any The Lord of the Rings fan knows, it’s all about The One Ring. We hope you enjoy the authentic details and striking craftsmanship of this preciousss replica.

Packaging..........

External: The Master Replicas FX Sauron ONE RING is packaged nearly without flaw. At first glance the box that the replica comes in is a golden brown color, with fantastic embossed lettering stating Lord of the Rings in crisp clear gold lettering. Upon first opening the box, collectors are greeted with a superb little Envelope with the Master Replicas logo on it in which is enclosed the Certificate of authenticity, instruction booklet, and details on care of the replica and it's acrylic casing.

Internal: The display case is wrapped snuggly in it's own plastic baggie as well as packed with hard foam. In addition, fine sheets of tissue cover each important piece of the replica to ensure its safe arrival to the collector's shelf. Once we removed the acrylic casing, you can plainly see the neatness and snugness of the packaged replica itself. Overall, it would be extremely difficult to receive a damaged product with this superior packaging!

Unpacking: Removing the Replica from the sturdy styrofoam packaging can be a bit tricky, since it is so snuggly nestled in the packaging, but with a little shimmying and some gentle tugging, the piece is removed quite easily and nicely.

Instructions and Certificate of Authenticity: The certificate of autheticity is printed on VERY HARD card stock and has the wonderful write-up seen above in our introduction to the review. The card stock cover is embossed with high quality GOLD-leaf lettering similar to the product box seen above. Further, the instruction and safety card is also printed on quality card stock and details how the FS Sauron One Ring works and the care required for the replica and the case and base. The Certificate of Authenticity and Instruction set are packaged in a very high quality textured envelop with the Master Replicas logo on the flap.

Molding/Sculpt..........

Molding Process: As described in the Certificate of Authenticity write-up the Sauron One Ring replicas was hand sculpted based upon information and detailed data obtained by Master Replicas through New Line Cinema. Since there were so many different castings of the One Ring due to so many ring bearers, this Replica needed to be sculpted from scratch. Further, since the rings used in the films DID NOT have any light-up features to represent the glowing script (digital technology is great isn't it...at least for films!!), the folks at Master Replicas had to figure out how to add the glowing script feature to the ring. The sculpt of the severed finger is HUGE and in EXACT SCALE to the 10-foot height of the Dark Lord Sauron.

Finger: The Severed Finger of Sauron looks immense in the display case and accurately reflects the last moments of existence of Sauron from the Second Age. About the only thing lacking from this portion of the sculpt is a bit more detail where the finger was actually severed from the hand. However, this is a very minor complaint and is made up for in many ways with the intense details on the ring itself and on the details of the finger armor.

Base: The base of the FX Sauron One Ring is hand-sculpted to reflect the rough ground and ash depicted in the scene in which Isiuldur severs the finger from the hand of Sauron and reaches to pick up his prize. The base also has a plaque-holder sculpted into it which shows the replica title and edition number (Ours is obviously an Artist Proof).

The FX Effects..........

The FX Glowing Feature: The glowing script feature of the Sauron ONE RING is absolutely breathtaking and must be witnessed in person to see the greatness of the attention to detail from the folks at Master Replicas. You simply will be amazed at how well the feature is hidden in normal lighting conditions and how well the script actually glows when the feature is enables. The switching mechanism on the replicas allows it to be turned on by MOTION or by simply turning it to the ON position of the switch. Images of the switch mechanism are detailed below!! The one minor drawback or additinal feature that would have been a sweet addition would have been some minor sound effects representing the voice of Sauron heard by Frodo and Gandalf in the Shire and the voices heard by many others throughout the rings journey back to Mordor (Council of Elrond, Aragorn, Galadriel, etc.). But the simple nature of the glowing script is an amazing feature that will simply blow your socks off...you can almost feel the power ofthe One Ring as it glows.

Battery Compartment, Sensor, and Switch: The battery compartment for the Limited Edition FX Sauron ONE RING is located on the bottom of the base. The switch mechanism is very small and located on the right side near the bottom eadge of the base. Finally, the motion sensor is located logically on the front of the base is is very nicely small and difficult to see. The detail is amazing and the fact that were able to hide the mechanics of the piece is a special added bonus!

Display..........

The Display Stand: The base for this collectible is a nice and heavy and has some nice rubber grippers on the bottom to prevent the piece from sliding around on any surface. The base also houses the battery compartment and the sensor and switching mechanisms. The acrylic casing that covers the replica is VERY WELL constructed and is highly durable and approximately 1/4-inch thick. This is a Limited Edition collectible to outlast any other. The display case also has a nice sculpted spot for the attachment of the METAL Plaque with the title and edition number on it.

The sculpting on the display stand is pretty neat and it is fairly durable, but once again, we expected something a bit more 'high-end' to come with this high-end FX collectible!

OVERALL..........

The Master Replicas Sauron ONE RING surpasses the previous release of the FX Sting in so many ways. While the FX Sting is an amazing piece all on it's own, the thought of having both of these pieces sitting side by side is simply...well...too much to think about. The Limited Edition FX Sauron will be one the THE BEST Sauron Replica items released in any Lord of the Rings collection...until Master Replicas comes up with yet another cool new FX Collectible that is. There is very little about this collectible that can be stated in the negative. Sound effects would have been a cool addition like adding the voice of Sauron as heard by Frodo and Gandalf and others whoe were near the ring or tempted by it, but the positives far outweigh this minor drawback. Priced at $199, this FX Limited Edition Sauron is a true masterpiece and should be THE CENTERPIECE of every Lord of the Rings Collection!