GIANT SIZE GODZILLA 2014 - JAKKS Pacific large size figure review

The new Godzilla film opens in just over two weeks, and I couldn't be more excited. My favorite movie-related collectible released so far is easily JAKKS Pacific's Giant Size Godzilla. It really took some work to track down, but he was well-worth the trouble!

Giant Size Godzilla comes in a great box. The colors are striking, the graphics are awesome, and the size is just fantastic. There's a terrific black cardboard insert above the head, and his feet are fitted nicely into a couple of holes cut into a water-design insert. The tail is roped off to the side in two pieces. The box is heavy, and does an amazing job of showing off the figure while still protecting it. There are a lot of open edges and interesting shapes that can easily get bent or creased on the shelf or in shipping for MIBers, though.

The box actually makes Godzilla seem bigger than he is. Don't get me wrong, he's big. Just not quite as big he he first seems, boxed.

The figure itself is great. The sculpt does a nice job of capturing the look of the new design, though the head, legs and tail seem to have more intricate detailing than the torso and arms do.

The head sculpt is closer to the screen shots I've seen than any other toys released so far. The mouth opens, and there's a prominent tongue in there (though it's painted a vivid shade of Hubba Bubba pink) along with only about 20 teeth. The eyes are yellow with tiny black pupils, set deep amidst some great wrinkling. There are scales sculpted on the sides of the head and top of his neck, but they don't look like gills the way the Bandai toys do. Besides the opening mouth hinge, the head swivels at the base of the neck.

The torso is made of a very hard plastic that feels and sounds hollow. It really reminds me of the Clash of the Titans Kraken toy I had as a child. There's some lighter browning shading on the front, but the detailing over all of the torso isn't as defined or plentiful as it is elsewhere.

You'll find screw holes on one side of the figure and some prominent seams holding the figure together. The undersized dorsal plates are rubber and the arms have cut joints at the shoulders and wrists. There isn't a great range of motion, and the cuts make it so things look a little disjointed the farther you get away from how the basic sculpt fits together.

There's some more great detailing on the outside of the legs and the feet look way better on this version than on any of the Bandai figures. There are cuts at the hips and ankles for some fine-tuning.

The tail is absolutely immense. This version measures about 21" to the top of his head, and his tail extends back about 40". The thickest main portion attaches with a rotating lock that I had no trouble with. There's a (largely useless) hinge about midway back that allows for a little swinging motion, but it really can't be "posed". The last portion involves a couple of swivel/cut attachment points that don't really fit as well as the other pieces. Altogether, it's quite impressive!

The main selling-point for JAKKS is the "giant size", and Godzilla really lives up to that billing. Finding a place to display him is a challenge, and moving him around is a real trick for anyone, especially a kid. He's not highly detailed, he's not very pose-able. The paint is minimal and the electronics were never completed (there's a speaker opening in the torso and a sealed battery compartment inside the tail, but no actual working electronics), but this is the Godzilla toy that every kid would want to have. Combine that with a very reasonable $50 price tag, and this guy has stolen the toy show so far. I'm still waiting on NECA, Tamashii Nations and X-Plus to show their hands (with NECA promising their 6" version some time this month), but in the mean time Giant Size Godzilla is a real joy to add to the collection...

S.H. MonsterArts BATTRA Figure Review

Battra should come to you in a plain cardboard box with a prominent barcode and a simple "Battra" on the outside. Since this is a web-exclusive figure, I would assume this is the "mailer box" that Tamashii Nations would ship the figure in. The colorful packaging box is inside. There's no window, but there is a beautiful (larger than full-size) shot of the figure, along the typical (and hilarious) MonsterArts mantra (if anyone can translate what their statement about "pursuing character expression" actually means, I'd love to hear it - my own translation is "these are really good monster figures that are more art than toys"). The back of the package has 5 shots of the figure in various poses (2 of which I found impossible to achieve with the actual product). It's a fairly long box at 13 & 3/4" long, while it measures  8" tall and about 5" deep. The box I received had been opened and re-taped closed, which I assume was to check the contents before shipping, on Amazon's part. The figure inside was pristine.

The figure is sandwiched between 2 clear plastic trays. There is no assembly needed, outside of a small baggie taped underneath which includes the base and display arm. There are some directions included for removing Battra, and for attaching the base. Battra's legs are very fragile. They come with a protective shell, whose removal the directions attempt to explain. Despite following the directions, my figure has one leg that consistently falls out with the slightest movement. My understanding is that this is typical of the figure.

Right out of the package, Battra is a beautiful figure. S.H. MonsterArts is the ONLY line of toys I collect where I regularly catch my breath in awe when I first take them out of the box. Battra is no different. Sporting a bright yellow and fire orange/red on black paint scheme, she's a striking figure. Battra measures about 13 & 1/4" from wing tip to wing tip, with the rearmost points nearly 7 inches behind the foremost curve. The head and torso measure about 4 & 1/2" long, depending on where you choose to measure. The sculpt is exceptional - it's the main reason I buy this line. There's an incredible level of detail in the texturing, which varies from head to thorax, abdomen, legs and wings. I will admit that the wings come off looking a bit more plastic and "toyish" than the rest of the figure.

There's a generous bit of translucent plastic used throughout the figure, most notable in the horns/spikes of the head and torso (orange on the head, red on the torso). The eyes also sport a beautiful textured detail as well as a vivid race-car red paint app. Battra is a beautiful looking figure, and looks right at home hovering above or amongst the other MonsterArts figures atop her custom stand.

I'm not as thrilled with the articulation. Most of it is restricted severely, with the head probably possessing the greatest range of motion. The torso parts are very tight, and I'm not able to come close to the pose shown on the back of the box where the rearmost part is curled under nearly vertically. The wings can move up and down freely, with an additional joint allowing the smaller ones to be posed independently. The legs...ugh, the legs. Yeah, one keeps falling out and it's quite annoying. Besides that, they really don't have much of a range of motion - they are all angled severely and feel so fragile that I'm loathe to mess with them much. This is my least favorite part of the figure.

Battra is a terrific looking figure priced about twice what she's worth, in my book. There are no accessories, limited articulation, and she's fairly obscure (having appeared in only one film). If you are an S.H. MonsterArts completist or a huge Battra (or Mothra fan), you'll most likely be pleased. Otherwise, this might be a figure worth passing on...

GODZILLA 1989 - Diamond Select Vinyl Bank Review

Diamond Select has just released its first in a line of 12" vinyl banks: Godzilla 1989. I picked this figure up on a whim earlier this week after seeing some pictures online and running across a coupon that brought it to a very reasonable price...

Godzilla 1989 comes in 2 clear plastic bags (no box for this guy), and he has a tag. The tail needs to be attached, like with all large vinyls, but since this is a bank, there's a twist-lock-mechanism where the tail connects, which allows it to be removed to fish out any change whenever one wishes. The fit is VERY tight, and I really had trouble getting the lock to fit into place. I've read other reviewers complain that they were completely unable to attach the tail, and returned the product as a result. I was able to get mine to fit with a bit of muscle and a lot of patience. No way will I be removing this thing...ever. The entry point for any money is a large slot behind the right shoulder. It's obtrusive and inconspicuous at the same time: the slot is really quite large, but it's in a place where it isn't often seen. I'm not sure why Diamond elected to 1) make this as a bank instead of a straight-up vinyl figure or 2) decide not to include a simple rubber flap that would cover the slot but still allow for money to be inserted if one should so wish.

In any event, this is a pretty cool-looking figure. The sculpt is great and I especially love the dynamic pose. Godzilla looks awesome from nearly any angle. He stands just a shade under 12" tall, and measures about 15" from snout to tail tip. His torso is twisting to the left and his really impressive tail is whipping up and out behind him. He's caught mid-roar with his left arm coming up in a fighting stance. Like I said, the overall look is great - I'm usually a really boring, vanilla-pose kind of guy, but this dynamic one really works.

The detail of the sculpt is good (better than what I've seen from Bandai's American releases), but not quite excellent. Godzilla's arms (especially the left one) seem really long and thin, the claws on the fingers and feet are very plain and smooth, and the snout looks strangely flat and wide from some angles. That said, the sculpt and pose are the strongest points of this figure. 

The same can't be said about the paint. This is probably the weakest part of this release. The paint is very thick and quite sloppy in places. The eyes feature 3 colors (white, yellow then black) but aren't aligned perfectly, so he looks cross-eyed  from some angles. The teeth are sort-of individually sculpted, but the paint is thick and uneven in coverage. There's a tongue in his mouth, and even some faint ridging on the roof of the mouth, as well. It's painted a shade of bubble-gum pink, as are some of the gums, but the pink suddenly stops and becomes gray-green. The claws feature sloppy lines where they meet fingers and toes, the dorsal spines are uneven in both coverage and color (they switch between grey and white with no rhyme or reason), and there are several stray paint marks all over the big guy. But...I still love him.

Let's be realistic here. This is NOT a few-hundred-dollar X-Plus figure. Neither is it a Bandai Creations throw-away (I can't bring myself to buy that 12" Final Wars Godzilla that's been on the shelf at the local TRU for 4 months now, no matter what). What we have here is something in-between. For about $30, I got a large vinyl Godzilla who looks terrific on the shelf and from a distance. I love the pose and he actually looks just fine beside my X-Plus GMK Godzilla. With a little more attention to the paint, this would be a stellar collector's piece. As it is, it's a good initial release to a line that I hope continues for a while. The "bank" gimmick doesn't do anything for me, but as a shelf display piece he's a great find.

LEGENDARY GODZILLA 2014 - Bandai Tail Strike Godzilla

I planned to pass on the two smaller Bandai Godzilla offerings for the new 2014 movie, but once I saw them in the store I just couldn't pass them up.

Tail Strike Godzilla stands 7" tall at the crown of his head, and measures about 10" from snout to tail tip. I like this version, though not as much as the Smash Strike one. It's an entirely different sculpt, even down to the rubbery dorsal spine insert. Tail Strike Godzilla has his mouth sculpted closed. He has the same basic paint apps as the other 2 Bandai releases: white on teeth, yellow on eyes and a tan spray on the chest. This version has the glossier plastic that Atomic Breath uses, while Smash Strike is a bit more matte. There's a weird disruption to the sculpt created by the action feature. There's a "button" at  Godzilla's tummy that connects to the tail from inside. Pushing the button gets Godzilla's tail to "slam" down, while working the button around gets the tail to swing from side to side a bit. That's the "Tail Strike" feature: the tail is done in 3 hinged segments that swing back and forth. Imagine those segmented plastic snakes you can get at the dollar store. It works ok and kids might really enjoy knocking their other toys around with it, but it compromises  the look of a pretty good figure with that giant button up front and center, literally. I would have preferred this sculpt with better articulation and no action feature, but I'm an adult and this is a kid's toy. My version will come in a couple of months...

Tail Strike Godzilla features cut joints and the shoulders and hips, in addition to the swinging tail.

These 2 smaller-sized Godzillas are actually much cooler than I thought they would be. Neither is a collector's version, but they do a decent job of being fun toys for kids to play with. I think both of them had the potential to be better than Atomic Breath Godzilla, but they don't quite pull it off. Each has it's merits, and I don't think I prefer one to the other, but I'm glad that I picked them up...

LEGENDARY GODZILLA 2014 - Bandai Smash Strike Godzilla

I planned to pass on the two smaller Bandai Godzilla offerings for the new 2014 movie, but once I saw them in the store I just couldn't pass them up.

Smash Strike Godzilla stands 6 and 3/4" tall at the crown of his head, and measures about 9 & 1/4" from snout to tail tip. There's something really appealing about this version's look, despite the huge (and weird) torso split created by the action feature. Let's get this out of the way first. There's a "button" at the base of Godzilla's tail that connects to the upper torso from inside. Pushing the button gets Godzilla to lean up and back, while working the button around gets the upper torso to swivel a bit. That's the "Smash Strike" feature. It doesn't work too great and it really compromised a pretty good figure with that horrendous gap at the waist. I would have preferred this sculpt with better articulation and no action feature, but I'm an adult and this is a kid's toy. My version will come in a couple of months...

The sculpt on this guy is soft, but in many ways is preferable to Atomic Breath Godzilla. I think the shape of the head, face and snout are all better here, despite a slight underbite. The proportions overall also seem a bit better, especially around the thighs. Details that show up clearly in the larger Deluxe Atomic Breath version are very basic here (the gills are just a few curves at the base of the neck, for instance). He's still got the alligator scales, more pronounced on the arms and legs, and the dorsal spines are rubbery enough to bend slightly. The tails juts straight back, but isn't nearly as long as the tails we have seen from NECA or JAKKS Pacific's versions. There's cuts at the shoulders and hips, and pin elbows, but they are so floppy I think it's meant more as a part of the action feature: bend his elbows and close his mouth (yeah, there's a hinge in the jaw), then "Smash Strike" and watch his arms swing down and his mouth open! It's kind of lame- I'd (of course) have preferred real joints for the elbows and the jaw.

And that's about it for Smash Strike Godzilla. He won me over in-person, where he looks a lot better than in the preview pics. He's also a fun little toy, sans electronics. I paid about $12 for this guy thanks to a couple of coupons, so I'm pretty pleased. Now, I need to find that Giant Sized JAKKS!

LEGENDARY GODZILLA 2014 - Atomic Roar Godzilla Review

I managed my first Godzilla 2014 toy this afternoon. It's Bandai's Atomic Roar Godzilla from the new Legendary Studios film, due out 2 months from now. As a collectible, it's pretty awful, but as a toy it's actually quite cool...

Atomic Roar Godzilla stands 10 & 3/4" to the top of his crown, and runs about 14" nose to tail. He is posed with his tail curled around and pointing forward. The sculpt is soft and doesn't feature any intricate details, but gives you the general sense of the beast. For example, in the beautiful picture on the right hand side of the package (which is actually doing a lot to get his new design to grow on me - I really didn't care for it at all at first), we can see a series to ridges running from Godzilla's jaw hinge down the side of his neck, where they meet some pretty angry looking spikes above the shoulder. The toy has some light bumps along the outside of the neck, but that's about all. The scales all over his skin aren't very deeply cut, and the dorsal spines look more like a 6 year old's idea of a mountain range than anything fearsome. There's also a pig-like upturn to the snout on the toy that's more curved on the image.

The toy is cast in a greenish plastic with a light spray on the chest (tan?). The only other colors are the tiny spots of yellow in the eyes and the whites of the teeth. It looks like we will have screw holes on the right side of the toy, and there's a series of openings in the chest for the microphone. This version is articulated with cut shoulders and hips, nothing more (well, except the split in the head, but we'll get to that next).

There's a play gimmick with Atomic Roar Godzilla that I thought was pretty ridiculous at first, but which I've seen my 8 year old really enjoy. Lift Godzilla's tail until he's nearly horizontal (head to tail) and his skull splits apart a the jaw line allowing his "atomic breath" to shoot out and light up as he roars. The roar is great - long and loud. The breath looks ridiculous, but it lights up a cool glowing blue and shoots out really far. Like I said, my son can't stop playing with it, and that's a big reason why I say this is a pretty cool toy.

This is no X-Plus figure. It's a cheaply made toy (that's overpriced at $34.99, in my opinion), but unlike X-Plus's statues, which are meant for staring at, this is one you can put your hands on and really have fun playing with. He's much better suited to the sandbox than the shelf. 

I'll wait for NECA and Tamashii Nations to give me my true collector versions of the new Godzilla, but I just couldn't pass up the chance of getting my first 2014! Bandai's other offerings don't do much for me, and I'll most likely pass on them. JAKKS Pacific's Giant Size is a definite for me, just because of his sheer size. And as far as this guy goes, I like him for what he is: a fun toy that kids are going to love. That's great news in my book, because anything that gets Godzilla into the hands of the kids is a plus...

UPDATE: Ok, I've had this guy for 24 hours, and he's been out of his package for half that, and he's encountered 3 kids, none of whom could stop playing with him. Two boys (aged 8 and 7) and a girl (age 10) absolutely love playing with him, and the action feature is sounding off his roar non-stop. So, I guess the verdict is in- as a toy he's terrific. Detailed enough to get the job done, durable and with a super-fun play action feature. Don't collect him, play with him!

Lots of screw holes on the right hand side...

Much better from this angle!

Size comparison with SH MonsterArts Godzilla 1994

Size comparison with X-Plus GMK Godzilla 30cm

GODZILLA 1964 - Y-MSF Vinyl Figure Review

I've read a bit of negativity with regards to Y-MSF figures, but I was happy enough with Megalon to go ahead and order a Godzilla. I chose the 1964 version because 1) he was available, 2) the price was reasonable and 3) it's a suit version that I like. I have the S.H. MonsterArts '64 and I've pre-ordered the X-Plus Previews '64, so I figured he'd have a decent place on the shelf, even if he wasn't well-done. As it turns out, I'm actually pretty pleased with this Y-MSF version overall.

Y-MSF's 1964 Godzilla stands right about 6" tall to the crown on his head and measures about 8" long to the tip of his tail. He comes in 2 pieces- his tail to be attached with the help of a hair dryer (which I also needed to use to soften and bend his feet into place, as they came with a severe inward bend). The tail has an upward sweep and clears the ground by a large amount, which helps to offset the instability of Godzilla's forward lean. In all, it makes for a pretty neat and fairly dynamic pose - he looks like he's been captured just as he's about to step forward with his left leg.

'64's head is sculpted with a downward curve, so he tends to look better on a shelf that's at eye level or higher. The sculpt is good, without being exceptional. It's a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. The skin texture details are there, but they seem a tad soft to me. Oh, it's better than Bandai vinyl offerings (especially the American releases, which are just awful), but nowhere near the quality that you get from X-Plus.

The seam lines are prominent at the legs, tail and elbows (which are cut to allow the forearms to tilt in and out, which does add a neat variety of posing looks, actually). There's also a large plug for the dorsal spines that has a fairly poor fit around the bottom.

The paint is ok, but comes off as a little sloppy in that there's (intentional) overspray at the toes, claws and dorsals. It also seems really thick on the underside of the tail, even obscuring some of the sculpted detail. The head and face are nicely done- especially the eyes (I wish my SH MonsterArts' eyes were this even!). The mouth is very red and the teeth have a little added detail, though it's not perfect. Oddly enough the sculpt of his nostrils seem to be a bit off-center. The chest and knees have a tinge of spray, as well, and (again) it doesn't come off too great, looking more like butterscotch than highlighting.

Despite my complaints, Y-MSF Godzilla 1964 is a good figure. He looks great on the shelf, especially with other 6" scale vinyl kaiju. He's got some issues that I'd take exception with if he was an X-Plus figure, but which I can live with from Y-MSF. Godzilla 1964 will run you a bit more money than an average Bandai would, but a LOT less than you'll pay for an X-Plus.

That said, I personally think all of the Godzilla vinyls are overpriced and way over what I'm mostly comfortable with. I also don't seem to enjoy them as much as the S.H. MonsterArts  versions, so I'll probably be sticking with those for the most part, with an occasional vinyl of my really favorite suits if the price is right.

Y-MSF Godzilla 1964 with Y-MSF Megalon