A lot of those issues can be solved with some futzing. The head can be lowered so it doesn't look so big against the body. The armour needs a bit of weathering to take the plastic look away and I'll admit the chainmail didn't come out as well as I thought it would but again, I think a good paint wash will bring out all the details. In an ideal world the figure would come out the box and be perfection but not even Hot Toys can execute that as their recent ESB Darth Vader and ROTJ Luke shows and they have had time to perfect those characters over the years! I think Asmus has done a stellar job considering this is the first real attempt at a 1/6 Gimli (not including the old, naff early 00's version!).
I'm not seeing olebienkopp's issues myself, *realistically* at this price point.
Re head scale etc. as well - didn't see a problem but kinda remember the WETA Chronicles AUJ book and disc special features talking a lot about dwarf proportions - widening the head, making the noses bigger, broader foreheads, e.g. in theory dwarves have heavier bones than humans - I'd have to go look stuff up but willing to bet ASMUS already did, re proportions. Far as I remember dwarf heads, hands were supposed to be more broad. I think the description was they were like little tanks.
Re other comments depending, the second someone mentions "custom" - well, yeah. Figure a great custom is always gonna beat a more mass-produced figure. But if I had a great "custom" Gimli - and I mean to-scale actual chain mail in stainless or bronze, human hair wig and beard, genuine leather boots, gloves, gauntlets, custom portrait - u can bet I'd charge plenty for that $$$$$. A great painted custom portrait sculpt can cost $500+.
So far I'm blown away by the work ASMUS puts in, detail-wise
. Thranduil 2 metal katanas and sculpted base and beautiful sculpt; Gandalf with a great full cloak, great sculpt, extra base, multiple staffs, patterned under-robe; Thorin has both his swords, pipe, great sculpt, and lush hair (as he should), Bilbo has great sculpt, contract, map, pipe, cloak - all these figs have great costumes.
All that at a price many can actually afford. HT doesn't even bother to put that kind of work in a lot of the time - look at CW BP didn't even come with an extra sculpt. How about HT getting cheap w. 10 year Cap and using plastic shields vs. diecast.
I'm looking forward to Gimli and ASMUS' future work. ASMUS talks to fans and works hard and seems to actually watch the films they are doing characters for (as opposed to Hasbro, say, which put out the $40 Falcon/Bucky pack that has some weird space gun and Falcon has no pistols). HT does some odd stuff too but u just get to pay more.
