GODZILLA 2016 - S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla Resurgence figure review

Tamashii Nations released their version of Shin Godzilla late in November,as the newest Godzilla in their S.H. MonsterArts line. Advertised to be larger than previous figures, this version carried a heftier price tag as well, coming in near around $100 plus shipping via Japanese sellers.

When I saw the initial images of the new Japanese Shin Godzilla this past summer, I instantly hated the design. It seemed gawky, awkward and not at all in keeping with previous designs. That all changed when I got to a screening of the film during its limited October run. The Godzilla I saw in that movie was so impressive and awe-inspiring that I totally forgot my earlier apprehensions. I had pre-ordered S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla 2016 on the off-chance that I would like the film, and then regret not having pre-ordered one (this turned out to be a good instinct, as he sold out everywhere, prices have skyrocketed, and I did, in fact, love the movie).

My Godzilla 2016 arrived this past week. I elected to have it shipped by slow mail (took about 2 weeks, but saved me nearly $20), which allowed me to see plenty of early reviews of the figure. They seem to be split, though not evenly, with people either loving the figure or (more often) expressing disappointment at the final result. I tried to keep an objective, open mind as I considered my impressions.

First off, the box is huge. This is due to the need to fit Shin Godzilla's immense tail in the package (with the tail curled up as it is, the figure measures just about 14" from nose to tail tip). This version is, in fact, taller than all previous incarnations - with the exception of Godzilla 1989 - standing just under 7 & 1/2" tall. The sculpt is interesting. The tail sports some of the finest, sharpest detailing I've seen on any Godzilla, the textures if the dorsal spines are nicely pronounced, the feet are strikingly gross and the mouth shows a nice variety from the teeth to the interior and jowls. In sharp contrast, the body is soft and underdeveloped from the neck down to the legs. It's the kind of sculpting I would expect to see more on a Bandai America $12 vinyl figure at the local Toys R Us. Taken all together, the sculpt does capture the "essence" of Shin Godzilla well. The silhouette is mostly there, but I do feel like something is a bit "off" with the head, especially when viewed from the side.

The biggest complaint I've seen across the board with this guy has to do with the paint. Godzilla 2016 is a very dark figure. The paint application over the red plastic base makes him come across as mostly brown. There's not nearly enough red, nor is it blazing enough, to convey the sense of molten lava that the character had in the movie. The red that's showing (at least on mine) looks good, though it's nearly entirely restricted to his spines and the dorsal portion of his tail. There's a really odd change in the sculpt and paint about one third of the way back on the tail of mine which lasts for 2 segments (it almost looks like a totally different sculpt). The tail tip, which brilliantly sculpted, is not as well painted. Mine has a few random sprays of brown swept across it. I'm not sure what they were going for, exactly, but it didn't work. The toenails and teeth on mine are painted very well, and both of the eyes of my figure are looking down (derpy eyes is a consistent complaint across this release - I have no idea how mine ended up fairly symmetrical).

I haven't pushed the articulation too far to this point. I haven't felt the need to. The right arm on mine sticks out at an odd angle, and doesn't seem to want to move in the same way as the left one. The neck seems a little restricted and the head has nearly no side-to-side movement. The top of the head is hinged to open upwards while the lower jaw does drop down, making for an incredibly wide roar. There's a flap inside at the back of the throat to fill in the space somewhat. Speaking of the interior of the mouth, it's sculpted with lots of fleshy ridges which are painted with a deep red gloss, making the whole thing look disgustingly wet. Godzilla will bend forward deeply at the torso, and combining this with his ability to curl his neck forward and down as much as it can means he can replicate his fire vomit perfectly.

In terms of quality control, I feel like my figure is mostly well-made. None of the parts have popped off yet, and I mentioned the eyes. I don't have any loose joints, either, though like I said I haven't really pushed the articulation. The top three dorsal plates just behind his head were bent severely right out of the package, and are nearly broken off. There's another plate about midway down the back that looks like one tip is slightly melted, and there are about a half-dozen places across the figure where paint has rubbed off, or a drip of a different color has blopped on. It's all relative, though. Compared to what I've seen of some samples, I feel pretty fortunate.

Overall, I like this release. It sits well among my other S.H. MonsterArts figures and conveys the offensive repulsiveness that Shin Godzilla was going for. It doesn't elicit the "wow" factor that Godzilla 1989 did for me, and it's far from my favorite figure in the line, but I certainly don't feel the animosity towards it that so many other reviewers seem to have. I think the key to a good transaction is for the buyer and seller to both walk away feeling like they got what they deserve. In this case, it appears that the final product doesn't match the asking price, even at retail. I'd agree that this figure is overpriced at $120 shipped, despite his size and heft. At $80, I feel like a lot of his flaws would have been much more forgivable...

With a Flash, to show color variations...

1989, 2001, 2016, 2000, 2014