LEGO's Lord Of The Rings Barad-Dûr Set Is A Magnificent, Dark, Towering Beacon Of Evil
It's no secret that "Lord of the Rings" is one of the most impressive achievements in the history of cinema. Never before had we seen a major Hollywood studio commit to shooting all three chapters of a massively expensive blockbuster motion picture trilogy simultaneously, and it likely won't ever happen (though Netflix's "Fear Street" trilogy deserves some credit, albeit on a much smaller budget). Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novels is basically perfect, and even the extended editions of the films deliver the goods.
Now that the entire trilogy is over 20 years old, Warner Bros. Pictures is celebrating with a theatrical re-release of all three movies this month, and LEGO is joining in with its incredible new building brick set intended for adult collectors. LEGO's Barad-Dûr playset, perhaps better known as Sauron's dark tower, lets fans build one of the most iconic pieces of architecture from the entire trilogy, including the fiery eye of Sauron that gazes down on Middle-earth in search of the One Ring. It's another massive build from LEGO, and it's packed with references to the entire trilogy.
LEGO sent over its huge 5,471-piece building brick set to /Film for me to build, and I'm pleased to report that it's a truly impressive tribute to the movie with several features that make this beacon of evil stand out in a cool way. But you'll need the same time it takes to watch the extended version of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy (and more) in order to complete the Barad-Dûr LEGO set. Let's take a closer look below!
Frodo, Sam, and Gollum make a cameo
To begin with, LEGO lets you build a tiny diorama that actually isn't part of Barad-Dûr, but it's a scene from the end of the trilogy that's all too important to what happens at Sauron's stronghold in Mordor.
Featuring minifigures of Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, and an all-new minifigure of Gollum (formerly Smeagol), you get to build the cliffside that overlooks a river of lava, where Frodo is faced with whether or not he will destroy the One Ring and save Middle-earth from the return of Sauron. Sadly, Frodo isn't strong enough to resist the will of the ring, and we can't blame him. But Gollum's covetous obsession with getting his Precious back ultimately saves the day as he bites off Frodo's finger and grabs the ring, only to plummet into the river of lava, destroying himself and the One Ring in the process.
Ethan Anderton
Frodo comes with the tiny, shiny golden ring to hold on his minifigure hand, while Sam wields both Frodo's sword Sting and the Phial of Galadriel, which contains the light of Eärendil's star. Gollum doesn't have any accessories, but he's a cool little minifigure that has him crouching like the sneaky creature that he is, though his legs aren't articulated at al. Frodo and Sam are somewhat limited in their posing too; their short Hobbit stature means their minifigure legs don't have any joints like the regular minifigures. The good new is, as you can see above, two of the orc helmets included with the set are the exact same ones that Frodo and Sam wear as they sneak through Mordor in disguise.
Ethan Anderton
If there's one shortcoming with this bonus part of the LEGO build, it's that I wish it fit somewhere in the foundation rather than being a separate diorama standing on its own. Sure, this moment doesn't really happen anywhere near the fortress, but it would have made for a cool design feature. At the very least, it's nice to have our heroes and their unsavory companion along with them.
Ethan Anderton
Speaking of minifigures, here are all the others that are included in the set. First, we have Sauron and the Mouth of Sauron, who is only ever seen in the extended edition of "Return of the King." The helmet of Sauron is an entirely new element for LEGO, and the minifigure is exclusive to this set. Sauron also comes with his signature staff while the Mouth of Sauron wields a sword.
Ethan Anderton
Then we have Gothmog, the Lieutenant of Morgul, as well as four orcs with various accessories, including helmets, swords, shields, and even a hot dog on a stick for roasting.
A magma-filled foundation for LEGO's Barad-Dûr
All right, let's dig into the foundation of Barad-Dûr, which is easily the most time-consuming part of the build simply because it's the beefiest part of the playset. When it comes to the exterior, you're not only building the outer wall of the tower itself, but also the lava-covered rocks on which it sits. In fact, in order to help create the lava, a new four-stud length, transparent orange piece was created to fill the ground.
Creating the rocky exterior is probably the most tedious part of the entire set. That's because the design tries to create the jagged rocks without following a repetitive pattern, making it feel more like a natural rock formation rather than a symmetrical build. That means lots of tiny double or single stud pieces and wedges. But seeing how the orange and yellow lava pieces weave in between the rock formations is pretty cool.
Ethan Anderton
The gate is also part of the exterior wall, and there's a Technic mechanism that allow you to open the doors by way of a little knob situated on one of the rear sides of the foundation. Speaking of the rear, though Barad-Dûr has the heft of a modular structure, it's only a half-build of the tower, with the back open to reveal diorama scenes within. However, it should be noted that this is a much larger half-build than the recent "Harry Potter" builds that don't have fully enclosed buildings. The "Harry Potter" LEGO sets from Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade often feel like tableau scenes, but a set this size feels much more complete.
Entering the dark halls of Barad-Dûr
Inside the foundation are several areas where orcs are preparing for war. It's basically an armory where swords can be smelted and sharpened and shields and helmets are stored.
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Plus, there's lava flowing through both sides of the foundation, and in one area it's being used as a way of imprisoning and slowly killing prisoners, as indicated by the skeleton hanging in a cage over a pool of lava. On the other side, you can have orcs standing by to make swords out of a small well of lava pouring out of the rocks.
Ethan Anderton
Within this foundation is also the first of a few Easter eggs hidden throughout the Barad-Dûr set. There's a small opening in the side of the rock formation where a small fish is hidden, a treat that Gollum would undoubtedly enjoy. (So juicy sweet!) Just above that, there's also a little cluster of LEGO pieces that can be pulled out of the rocks, and inside of it is a little LEGO spider, representing the monstrous Shelob, who attacks Frodo and wraps him in web before being stuck by Sam.
On the second floor of the tower's large base, there's a mess hall for the orcs to drink and dine in. In the center of the room, there's a table with swiveling stools sitting around it. And on the table there are LEGO drumsticks, bones, and even a nice sausage to go with several goblets. In addition, in this side of the wall, there's another hidden Easter egg in the rocks. When you pull on another protruding piece of the stone, there's a hidden page that shows some of the other Rings of Power from Middle-earth.
Ethan Anderton
Behind the table, there's a food prep area with some veggies and herbs, a butcher's cleaver, and a much larger bone. To the left of the table, you'll notice a barrel where some kind of green beverage can be procured, with some of it having leaked onto the floor. On the right side, there's a large cauldron situated over lava, and inside of it are LEGO carrots, celery, bones, and, if you get an extra sausage like I did, you can toss that in there too. Orcs aren't picky; they just want some meats.
Speaking of which, there's a great wink on the back of the wall, where you'll see the word "MENU" scribbled in chalk above a chuck of meat on a bone. What does that mean? Well, it looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!
Gradient shading gives LEGO's Barad-Dûr a unique appearance
In case you didn't notice with the exterior, there's a cool artistic feature on this LEGO set. Even though Barad-Dûr is pitch black in its architecture, you might have observed that there are brown and autumn-colored bricks in certain areas. The intention is to create some gradient coloring that makes it appear as if there are orange lights creating a glow on the darkness of the tower. The effect isn't quite as successful when you're close to the LEGO set, but it definitely works when looking from a distance.
When it comes to the exterior, I think it's actually most effective at the bottom of the tower's walls, where the black pieces meet the lava, creating a less pronounced "glow" on the structure. You'll also notice that some of the windows have orange pieces within them to create the same effect. However, where this gradient appearance is most effective, even when close to the set, is at the top of the tower, but we'll get to that a bit later.
LEGO's Barad-Dûr tower with the Eye of Sauron is easily detachable
That brings us to the tower, which has three level inside of it. The largest area is at the base of the tower, and the base of the tower can actually be detached from the larger foundation very easily. That's because it doesn't have to be snapped on top by way of the usual LEGO studs. Instead, the base the tower is designed to slide into the top of the lower levels, locking it into place securely while also making it easy to detach and move the set without worry about the tower breaking off.
Ethan Anderton
This is a design feature that I wish LEGO could have incorporated into Avengers Tower, because moving that set after it's completed can be somewhat stressful. Yes, I realize I'm talking about feeling stressed about moving a LEGO set, and what a privileged life that I lead because of that, but after you've spent hours putting these sets together, the last thing you want is for them to break apart.
Ethan Anderton
Anyway, the backside of the tower features several smaller diorama scenes. The bottom floor easily has the coolest feature. At first, you can see that there's a throne room where Sauron can sit, with the Mouth of Sauron standing next to him, complete with his grimy teeth painted on to the minifigure. But the throne room has a secret feature thanks to Technic pieces that reveal Sauron's palantir, one of several seeing stones that allow him to see across Middle-earth (as well as the thoughts of anyone touching another palantir).
Ethan Anderton
The next level goes into Sauron's personal quarters, where he has a desk, just like any other schmuck. On that desk sits a letter, probably from his mother, who is very disappointed in him. To the left of the desk, you'll see a flat four-stud piece that you place a sticker onto make it look like the confiscated Mithril shirt that orcs take from Frodo after he's stung and stunned by Shelob. Stickers flesh out the rest of the background, showing books and other artifacts on the wall. There's also a new window insert introduced in this set that makes it look like scrolls are sitting on the shelves next to the desk. Higher up on the wall, a sticker commemorates Sauron's victory as he wields the One Ring in battle. He's a modest guy.
The final interior level offers another library of Sauron's with stickers representing 95% of the details. But there is a ladder situated in the middle of the tower library, and it sits on a base that can be rotated for easy access to all the books and scrolls. However, the best detail is the piece of parchment prominently displayed on the platform. It shows a trio of numbers that are meant to represent the Rings of Power: nine rings created for men, seven for the dwarves, and three for the elves, with one ring to rule them all.
Sauron's eye is watching you (and lighting up)
That brings us to the pièce de résistance of the LEGO Barad-Dûr tower from "Lord of the Rings." Situated at the top of Barad-Dûr is the eye of Sauron. Featuring a combination of transparent orange and yellow pieces and just the right amount of black for the narrow iris of the evil symbol, the eye is positioned on a rod that allows it to be tilted for proper framing, wherever you choose to display Barad-Dûr. But that's not all.
Ethan Anderton
Situated on the back of the tower is a light-up brick that shines an erie red light into the eye. When all the lights are on, it looks pretty cool. As you can see, this is where the gradient brick colors are the most effective, because even with the light-up brick off, the eye looks like it's casting a glow on the black tower spire and base surrounding it. But when you turn the lights off, Barad-Dûr looks even more menacing. It's so red that even Martin Scorsese would be inclined to say, "Whoa, tone it down."
Ethan Anderton
However, this brings me to the one shortcoming with the Eye of Sauron. Because the light-up bricks are activated with the push of a small mechanism on the brick itself, you can't light up the eye without reaching around the back to activate it. Personally, I would have preferred some kind of Technic element that allowed the light to be turned on from a more conspicuous place, especially since it makes it challenging to snap a picture of the entire tower with the brick lit up without taping down the brick's button or having your hand visible in the shot. But even so, it's hard to deny just how cool it looks.
LEGO
Though it's not quite a full modular building like the LEGO Avengers Tower, this is still an impressive build that "Lord of the Rings" fans will love. While it's undoubtedly a long process to piece together, with many tiny bricks that can be tedious to assemble, the result is just as rewarding as Peter Jackson's long journey to save Middle-earth.
LEGO's "Lord of the Rings" Barad-Dûr playset is available to purchase now for $459.99.