I already owned the Mirkwood Spiders set so I didn't really have any intention of buying this set, except I wanted Sam and it is so cheap in comparison to a Sam minifigure that it seemed foolish not to get it. Plus I've recently decided that since the LOTR theme is so small, it seems possible to complete it.

All I can say, if you are debating between either of the two spider sets, go with this one. The build of Shelob is immensely superior to that of the Mirkwood spiders, and she is much more larger and menacing. Not to mention this is the only place where you can get Sam (which is surprisingly given how important he is).

Minifigures

So the star of this set is clearly Sam, you can't get him anywhere else and he does look great. Frodo and Gollum are unique minifigures but not all that different from their countless other minifigures you probably already own. Perhaps another orc or two would have been nice, but 3 minifigures seems perfectly acceptable for a set of this size.

Parts

There are definitely some very unique parts here, mainly the two large bricks that make up the top and bottom of the thorax. Beyond that, you get a boat load of hinges and a lot of fangs, plus some dark green seaweed. You also get a handful of gray roof slopes which are great for building mountains.

The Build

It is no doubt an interesting build as it creates a handful of odd angles and it is very cool how it hides the string for the web. However, unlike most other LOTR sets, it does have quite a bit of repetition in the 8 identical legs, but I suppose I can forgive Lego for this, after all, there is only so much you can do with the thin legs of a spider.

It is a small set, so the build doesn't take too long, but it is enjoyable and rewarding. Probably the most brilliant piece of it is how it conceals the string but does so in a way that allows it to windup perfectly onto the spool.

The Model

Shelob looks fantastic and amazingly her very thin legs are capable of supporting her and balancing her. Her immense size in comparison to the minifigures is excellent, much scarier than the Mirkwood spiders. She also is completely poseable. Each leg is composed of 3 hinges, you have two pincers that move on a horizontal plane, and a thorax that can be elevated and rotated.

Then of course you have the web with a hook on the end. Rolling it in or out works great, but it does help if you can put a little weight on the end of the hook. Of course you can't detach it from Shelob (at least not without disassembling her), so Frodo can't get wrapped up and then removed. I wish they included one of the web bags that is included with Mirkwood spiders as they are much more practical as a play piece.

Finally, you have the cave entrance. Unfortunately this mini build is a total waste. The entire build stands on a 2x10 plate which means it tips over way too easily. The catapult for launching Gollum simply knocks the whole build over. I'm rather surprised that they put in so much detail into this build, but made it so small that a hobbit can't fit into the entrance standing, and it is so thin that it can't easily be played with without falling down. I understand making it larger would increase the price of the set, but this thing is just absurd and couldn't even be displayed. Perhaps it's best use is to use the parts to make Riddle for the Ring larger.

Overall

I do highly recommend this set. It is a lot of fun for a low price. Of course since you need to have a Sam minifigure, it just doesn't make sense to purchase him without just getting the whole set for a few bucks more. As I've said in reviews of other LOTR sets, these small sets are incredibly complex, enjoyable, and in the case of this one much larger than you would expect from a set of this size.

Depicting one of the greatest scenes from the entire LOTR trilogy, the Shelob Attacks! set let's you recreate the famous battle between Sam and the huge spider Shelob. One of my favorite things about this set is that TLC decided to make a brick-built Shelob instead of some large, molded monster. The finished spider looks fantastic and is the perfect scale for doing battle with the hobbit minifigs.

Parts

For me, the highlight of the set was Shelob's printed face. It's a great addition, accurately captures the monster's features, and will be a useful addition to lots of creature/monster MOCs. The set also includes the One Ring, and Frodo's sword Sting (just like in the book and film, in the picture of the set, Sam is holding it). Also, the use of a white jewel piece as the Phial of Galadriel was a genius move. One of the greatest things about this set is that nearly all of the pieces used to build Shelob will be useful for building other Lego creatures: lot's of joints, fangs, claws, and slopes/rounded pieces. For these more exotic pieces alone the set is worth the money

Minifigures

The set includes three minifigures: Sam, Gollum, and Frodo. Both Sam and Frodo have reversible faces: Sam has an angry face and a serious face; Frodo has a neutral face and a frightened/poisoned face that depicts him after he's been stung by Shelob. The minifigure Gollum is excellent, aside from the fact that his arms tend to detach too easily from his torso.

The build

Building Shelob's legs gets a little repetitive, but the design of the inner workings in the spider's abdomen that allow its "web" to pull in and out are clever enough to make up for it. All in all, it's not an incredibly exciting build, but the finished model is so fun that it really didn't make a difference to me.

Overall opinion

This is a fantastic set, and a must for LOTR/Hobbit enthusiasts. It's been on sale for quite cheap on Amazon lately, but even if you pay full price, it's definitely worth it. Grab it while you can!

Those were the words Frodo spoke when he pulled out the Light of Earendil and beheld the eyes of Shelob, Last Child of Ungoliant, the most terrifying spider of Middle-earth, and LEGO.

Box/Instructions

On the front of the box it shows the dramatic scene from the movie when Sam is coming to rescue Frodo from Shelob. The picture clearly demonstrates what's happening and shows off the spider.

…

Parts

For part we get a lot of dark, earth colors. Lots of brown, black, and grey, but the inner workings of Shelob are actually multicolored mainly consisting of red and blue. For the little bit of cave we get some slopes which are always useful. For accesories we get Sting and three One Rings of Power, which kind of defeats the One but I'm glad there are extras because they would/are pretty easy to loose. Plus, if you get enough sets you would have enough for the other Rings (3 Elvish, 7 for Dwarves, & 9 for Men).

…

Minifigures

Frodo: In this set Frodo is nearly identical to the one in Attack of Weathertop except for his cape. In Weathertop he had a dark green one but here he has a grey one to match Sam. One one side of his head we have his "tired" expression and on the other we have his "I've just been stabbed by a giant, poisonous, spider" look.

Sam: Sam is exclusive to this set and one of my favorites. His torso is nicely printed to be accurate to the movie. His face is also double-sided. One side is his "neutral" maybe slightly "tired/grouchy" expression and the other is his "fighting" face.

Gollum: Gollum (if you can call him a minifigure!) is also unique to this set. He is accurately sized to look right beside the hobbits. On his printed face we can definitely see the Gollum coming out more than the Smeagol. On the back of his head is also printed some hair. His arms are attached on to the side of his body and can move up and down.

For stop-motion people: He looks good just sitting there but he's incredibly hard to animate!

…

The build

The cave part of the model is simple and goes by pretty quickly. Then comes the spider. Each step she gets more and more life-like. The only part that was a bit boring was when I built the legs. There was quite a bit of repetitive building (but what would you expect?). Often times using string can be difficult but here it wasn't (except for tying it onto the pieces on the end).

…

The completed model

When finished Shelob looks more like a spider than any LEGO set ever before. At least my mom thought so. :-) The string function works very well and the legs are extremely pose-able which adds a lot more character when setting up different scenes. People have complained that Gollum's catapult didn't work right but I thought just the opposite. It seemed to work great plus it was fun having Gollum leap at the hobbits. Another neat thing about this set is that it isn't overpriced which is somewhat surprising considering that this is a licensed theme! So thank-you LEGO!

…

Summary

This may be the best set of the LotR theme. The model is fantastic and includes tons of playability for a very reasonable price. The only other contender for top place in this theme is Helm's Deep. Overall this a 10/10 set, except for your arachnophobic friend. ;-)

…

I said this in my last Lord of the Rings review, and I'll say it again: The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit theme is the best licensed theme since LEGO Star Wars hit the shelves way back in 1999. This is the second smallest set from The Lord of the Rings theme (minus the polybags and the key chains). The set focuses on a scene from the third film, The Return of the King (although in Tolkien's trilogy, this scene occured in The Two Towers), in which Gollum has led Frodo to Shelob's Lair and the pass of Cirith Ungol, straight into a trap, but Sam races to the rescue. This set is absolutely fantastic, featuring three main characters (Frodo, Sam, and Gollum) and the best brick-built animal ever. This set is a must-buy. Read on to find out why.

MINIFIGURES:

1. Frodo Baggins - In this set, Frodo is dressed in his traveling clothes and the Elvish cloak he received from Galadriel in Lothlórien. His face has an uncanny resemblance to Elijah Wood. He has the same two-sided face from Attack on Weathertop: one side is grim and the other side is unconscious/wounded/poisoned. He comes with Sting and "the precious..."

2. Samwise Gamgee - In this set (and only in this set, at the moment), he wears his traveling clothes and the Elvish cloak he received in Lothlórien from Galadriel. He also resembles the original actor (Sean Astin). He carries a short sword and the flask that contains the Light of Eärendil. He also has a two-sided face: one grim/stern, and one scared/nervous.

3. Gollum - Brilliant. Fantastic. Perfect. Gollum wins hands-down for best immobile minifigure ever. He has two wide eyes and an evil scream showing all his point teeth. He has printing to represent his stringy hair and he has his ears. Trust me, this is one minifigure you don't want to see in the middle of the night. He comes with a fish: his signature accessory.

PARTS - The set includes several useful parts: Hobbit hair in dark brown and dull orange, Sting, a short sword, a fish, the One Ring (actually, I got three of them), Shelob's printed eyes piece, and a diamond.

BUILD - An enjoyable build, with the exception of having to build eight legs, and the string neede for Shelob's web (I have chunky fingers, so I don't do string). First you build the little cave entrance with the minifgure flipper, then you build Shelob herself.

FINISHED MODEL - The cave entrance provides a little something extra, but Shelob is the main focus of this set. She is without a doubt, the best brick-built animal ever created by LEGO. My verdict -

10/10

BUY THIS SET

As my first LEGO Lord of the Rings set (which was supposed to be my second, because I was really hoping to buy Gandalf Arrives, which they didn't have at my local Target.), this set is very worth the value. You get 2 rare minifigs, Samwise and Gollum, and you get the Ring... the Ring that's Gollum's precioussss....

Pros:

• The set is well designed. Shelob is creepy and the eye printing really freaks me out. Not kidding.
• The ring. I got 2 extras!
• The minifigures. Gollum is outSTANDING, although I would've expected him to be grayer and have more hair. Oh well, win some, lose some. Frodo is like a tiny Elijah Wood, complete with oversized ring and detailed new mold of his sword Sting. And Samwise looks almost like Bilbo!
• The catapult function. It works pretty well, although for most of the time Frodo is still standing while Gollum sits lying on his side.

Cons:

• The building of Shelob's legs is RE PE TI TIVE. It's so annoying to build one leg after another.
• There's a hook sticking out of Shelob's butt.
• The string doesn't wrap around Frodo fully. Sometimes it even gets tangled.
• The cave is tiny. The only one who can actually fit through it is Gollum, who sits there eating fish and watching an innocent Hobbit get poisoned. Meanwhile, the Hobbits can't even get into the cave to fight Shelob, so it's a big mystery as to how they even got in. Maybe they used the catapult?
• Like said previously, the catapult doesn't always knock down its target, and it's pretty flimsy.
• Again, Shelob's missing eye (and the rest of her eyes). Still freaking me out.

Overall, this set is brilliant. My only problems are the size of the cave, the catapult, and the repetitive design of Shelob. But overall, this set really is worth the money and there is TONS of playability for kids. Buy it!

SKip-E-Productions2, writing another review after this! Seeya!