Review - Godzilla 1984 (Movie Monster Series) + Custom!

Emerging 30 years after the death of it's 1954 predecessor, Godzilla was resurrected with a brooding vengeance in 1984's Return of Godzilla; a Cold War political thriller setting off Godzilla's Heisei era, centered around the temporally displaced creature as it returns to a modern Japan. Godzilla '84 is an eerie, gritty entry very much in the vein of the original Gojira, offering a distinctly dissociated take on the monster who's motives and behavior are decidedly much more mystic than the increasingly zany adventures of the preceding Showa era; sleepily trudging through the dwarfing skyscrapers of 80's Japan as it is shadowed by the world's powers, a lost, territorial animal seeing beyond what we know, animated by an insatiable hunger for radiation. Oh, and he really, really likes birdies!

1984's Godzilla was first introduced to MMS as part of 2005's Godzilla 50th Anniversary Memorial Box, a box set featuring a wide variety of MMS figures old and new, celebrating the series' history. '84 had the honor of being among the new sculpts produced for the set, having not seen a Bandai figure since the film's original release. Bar a limited 2008 reissue featuring a sort of retro silvery redeco, '84 wouldn't see a rerelease until 2022, when a Godzilla Store exclusive reissue was revealed as part of a Godzilla Day livestream. Finally, he could be mine.

The MMS Godzilla '84 features a very expressive sculpt; lumbering, and ominous, lurched in an otherwordly daze as he wades through the neon void of Tokyo - or, y'know, your shelf or wherever. It's a great match for the misplaced monster, and a great example of how even the slightest sculpted pose can make these figures so much more. Beautifully detailed by a flow of scales and scars, the figure's a perfect representation of the very unique suit, capturing it's cascading spines, creeping hunch, and wall-eyed mug. Definitely among the contenders for all-time greatest MMS likeness. 

Godzilla features five points of articulation - including a head swivel, which I always love. I also dig the choice of an elbow swivel on both arms, in place of the usual shoulders; it really works for this particularly slow, listless incarnation.

Molded in solid black, Godzilla's paint is pretty typical of a modern MMS release; very clean, and effective, but limited - and, to no surprise, nowhere near as detailed as the original 2000s versions. His spines and claws are a very nicely faded bold white, with subtle sickly yellow eyes and fangs, and, of course, a little red tongue - it's not much, but it's about accurate to what's onscreen. Since most fans find it egregious, I'll mention that it's too bad his spines are only sprayed about halfway down the tail; though, really, it's the standard nowadays, and it more or less blends in to the largely dark '84 design regardless. Same goes for the omitted sprayed highlights and such present on the 2000s figures - they'd certainly make the toy look nicer, but I don't feel like they're missing.

'84 is yet another one of my favorite MMS figures, flawlessly representing the reactor-smoking, hobo-chasing, bird-watching beast. Though the 2000's versions are only more and more hard to come by, the reissue remains widely available, and near it's original price. It's beyond wicked to finally have the official figure - I was insanely excited when the reissue was announced. Hell, I even bought 2024's new Cybot Godzilla 1984, based on the film's massive sixteen foot animatronic - maybe we'll cover that dude, too. Regardless of what version of '84 you land, though, word to the wise - just make sure you keep him away from volcanoes. 

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I have a longstanding history with this particular figure - Godzilla '84 has always been one of my favorite Kaiju flicks, and off the bat, I instantly wanted a figure of the dark and wonky design. Unfortunately, finding any '84 merchandise was a bit of a challenge at the time, having got into Kaiju more or less off the heels of Godzilla 2014, and MMS figures in particular were generally a bit harder to come by compared to today's floods of offerings. Characters such as '84 were locked behind exuberant aftermarket prices; far too much for kid-me... or, hell, adult-me. So, I made a deal with the devil; diving into the deepest, dirtiest, most despicable depths of depravity - partaking in perhaps the most abhorrently vile behavior known to Toy Collector kind... Bootlegging. 

This figure, and variants of it, were somewhat common around the internet in 2015; beyond the strange golden eyes and wonky spines, it's a perfect replica of the original sculpt, albeit with some expected warping and whatnot. You can actually still find a handful of reviews on the bootleg floating around if you search hard enough. 

Equipped with nail polish remover, tape, spraypaint, and a creative dad, I managed to rework BootleGoji into a pretty solid facsimile of the original figure - that's how desperate I was to have an '84 Godzilla, man. Really the only things I kept as-is were the base nails, though I did add grey highlights, and the mouth-tongue area, which looked fine enough. 

Unfortunately, he's off in storage, so I can't directly compare my custom to the re-release - but hey, least I gave the spines full coverage. In place of something sleeker, enjoy these photos posted a decade ago on the Toho Kingdom forums. Shout-out TK. 

Check out my previous MMS reviews:

Godzilla 2001

King Ceasar
Gamera 1995

Gigan 1972
Godzilla Evolved

Gamera 1965

Godzilla Minus One

Godzilla 1994

Review - Godzilla 2001 (Movie Monster Series)

2001's Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack - also known simply as GMK - tells the tale of 1954's Godzilla, resurrected nearly fifty years after it's death by the vengeful spirits of those who died under Imperialist Japan, enraged that Japan's horrific crimes of the past have gone all but forgotten. As the walking corpse attacks Japan, three guardian monsters - Baragon, Mothra and King Ghidorah - awaken to protect the homeland from the invincible spirit. 

GMK's a big, mean, majestic muhh-fukka - the MF DOOM of Godzillas. Fully aware of the death and destruction he brings, GMK is one of the only truly evil versions of the monster, specifically targeting and brutalizing his victims; human, or kaiju. He's become a fan favorite incarnation of the radioactive lizard, and even went on to directly inspire the creature in 2023's wildly popular Godzilla Minus One, in both behavior and design.

Bandai's MMS GMK is a beautiful figure, perfectly capturing the indomitable bulk and vengeful anger of Zombie-Zilla. Released as part of the 8 inch series, he's considerably larger than your average MMS, and that added size really drives in GMK's massive scale - it's a wicked match for this particular incarnation. He moves in six places - Always really appreciate when they toss us head and tail articulation - and features a very expressive, lifelike sculpt, allowing for lots of cool poses. All about that snarling, fierce face and sharp clasping paws. The attention to detail is beautiful; the wrinkles on his serpentine tongue, the varying scales decorating his midnight skin - there's even minuscule ear indentations near the back of Godzilla's head, an element of the design that's nearly impossible to notice onscreen. I also really love the uniquely shingled positions of his huge spines, which have a very sleek bone pattern shared with his grooved claws. It's really a perfect take on the undead monster. 

If I had to throw a couple critiques out there, I think he could've used a fatter beer-belly - 'tis Fat Boy season, after all - and something about his arms seem ever so slightly too small, though, that could be a fault of the original design. 

Paint's a bit limited, to no surprise - he's a very monochromatic Godzilla - but what's here rocks, and sells the figure. Molded in a stark black, his paint applications are largely very clean, albeit with a bit of overspray on the feet - your mileage may vary. My big standout is the light spray softly highlighting his spines, a ghostly off-grey (shared with his empty possessed eyes) that beautifully brings out their unique look, and extends all the way to the tip of the tail. 

Figures for the film were released in 2001, and though I really dig their large scale, they never saw proper mainline 6" releases until 2023, when Godzilla and Ghidorah were finally reissued. There are various differences between the original and reissued Godzilla, though, by and large, same figures, different sizes. Still, to be clear, the new version does have what seems to be a marginally new sculpt. I think the original is nicer, but I won't lie, I'd love to have a little version of this guy, and it's great to finally have him in the more popular and accessible scale. It's also worth noting that in 2005, MMS-adjacent Bandai Creation released their own 6" GMK, with an entirely new - albeit, way worse - sculpt.

GMK's one of the greats; one of my favorite Godzillas, favorite Godzilla movies, and of course, one of my favorite MMS. He was one of the first MMS figures I specifically wanted, and I still have fond memories of eagerly waiting for him to arrive as a teen after snagging him cheap off eBay. These days, he's become a bit less rare, thanks to the reissue, and is totally worth the hunt. Many fans agree this figure is one of the Movie Monster Series' crowning achievements, perfectly capturing the Ghost Godzilla. 

Check out my previous MMS reviews:

King Ceasar
Gamera 1995

Gigan 1972
Godzilla Evolved

Gamera 1965

Godzilla Minus One

Godzilla 1994

Review - King Ceasar (Bandai Creations)

Introduced in 1974'a Godzilla Vs MechaGodzilla, King Ceasar is a traditional Shiha turned guardian kaiju awakened in hopes of aiding Godzilla, who is locked in battle against the evil metallic doppelganger, MechaGodzilla - a strange alien machine, not unlike the regal Ceasar himself, who is suggested to be similarly fabricated by bricks and gold. Pretty straightforward stuff. 

Bandai introduced Caesar to the Movie Monster Series with 1993's Godzilla Collection, featuring a... strange sculpt, that, while not bad, really hasn't stood the test of time. This sculpt was reissued in new scales and decos up to 2003. Meanwhile, overseas, Bandai America - or, Bandai Creations, as they were known at the time - had taken on the Godzilla brand, producing an MMS-adjacent line of 6" Godzilla vinyls. These figures were often based on Japan's original toys to some degree, though occasionally, BC offered entirely new and creative sculpts, such as their 2013 swing at the King; which, among other unique BC figures, was later ported to the MMS series proper in 2015. I'm sure I speak for many when I say he's one of the most nostalgic Godzilla figures in my whole collection - I totally remember buying him brand new, off the shelf when Toys R Us was still around as a kid. God Bless, Geoffrey. 

King Ceasar isn't a totally perfect, 1:1 replica of the suit, but there's still plenty of awesome detail and screen-accurate specifics packed into the very appealing figure. I love the dense shingled bricks patterning his body, draped and accented by his thick frayed mane. He's definitely more stocky and undefined compared to the suit, particularly in the wide face and short neck; though, the figure's really amazing detailing, in my opinion, make up for it's inconsistencies. 

At eight points of articulation, Ceasar is one of the most poseable MMS figures ever - and, rightfully so, being a very agile and ferocious creature onscreen. He can strike all kinds of mangy, light-footed poses, even including articulation on his floppy little ears - a really great bit of fanservicey detail, above and beyond the standard.

Beyond that, the figure's second big draw is it's very nice paint work, an area in which Bandai Creations often stood out next to their Japanese counterparts. Molded in a light sandy tan, light blondes color his fur, with off-white claws and teeth, a nicely varied deep brown wash giving the figure a beautifully aged and sharp look. Really my only complaint, paint-wise, is that I think giving him bold black pupils kind of throws the likeness. Ceasar's eyes were this hot, soulless red onscreen, allegedly being made out of tail lights - but hey, that's semantics. Could've brought the look all that much closer, but he's overall very well painted. 

I wouldn't say Cesar is a flawless encapsulation of the freaky rubber dog monster we all know and love, as MMS figures typically are... but, y'know, he's probably among the best Bandai Creations MMS figures, and either way, he's still better than Bandai's weird old attempt. He certainly represents, and takes on the character perfectly well, and will definitely please fans of the mythic machine.

Check out my previous MMS reviews:
Gamera 1995

Gigan 1972
Godzilla Evolved

Gamera 1965

Godzilla Minus One

Godzilla 1994