Review - Godzilla Minus One (Metallic) (Movie Monster Series)

The newest purebred Japanese Godzilla nightmare, Godzilla: Minus One, has been an incredible international success, and, at the time of writing, has just hit the high seas of internet piracy. Hooray! And, just in time, I've gotten the Godzilla Store Japan exclusive metallic Minus One figure, fresh from the scalpers. The standard, as well as various other editions have just hit the U.S. Godzilla Store, but not this guy - and, just looking at it, I can already tell he's going to be extremely sought after. 

This figure is just incredible - maybe one of the best MMS figures ever made. The running's tough, but this guy really is flawless. I have to assume Bandai used the CG model itself as a direct reference, it's so one-to-one accurate. The sheer amount of gritty detail scarring this bulky figure - heavy, cascading scales, warped leather skin, bony, jagged spines - is stunning, and the unique paint deco does an amazing job emphasizing the already very intricate sculpt. For being such a comparatively small part of the hulking monster, his furious face looks especially great; with lots of tiny details, and a perfect likeness. Killer profile with those gigantic jutting spines, too. It's a perfect translation of an already iconic design. 

My only real complaint is the hands; Minus One has very scrawny, emaciated claws, but the figure has simplified them into weird cupped paws - almost like he doesn't have a thumb. I'd understand if it was a sculpting limitation, but the later Heat Ray variant of Minus One pulled them off fine - not to mention the Godzilla: The Ride figure, to which this design is directly related. Nevertheless, it's barely a noticeable issue in the first place, as they look pretty natural to Godzilla's pose. 

Godzilla moves at both shoulders and hips - I think they could've managed a head or tail swivel, but it's par the course. The aforementioned pose is nice, somewhere between a fearsome roar, and a massive stomp - pretty much the usual MMS Godzilla stance, but it's got some good motion to it, and looks very regal. The massive, unmoving weight of Minus One works to the limited articulation's advantage. 

Covered in a shiny metallic gloss, the metallic variant's got a nearly lifelike effect, as if his rugged skin is covered in steaming hot oceanic waters. Unfortunately, I believe the standard figure's sprayed highlights have been omitted, but you really don't notice since the gloss more than makes up for it anyway.  He may look mostly silver in photos because of just how reflective he is, but in person, he's an appropriate greyish-brown. There isn't much other paint to speak of, but his tiny little golden eyes, and very sharp, individually painted teeth are so well done. The mouth could've been a bit less vibrant, but it's a nice splash of color that adds some charm to the deco. Zero slop or poor work to speak of - the paint job may be altogether straightforward, but it really is beautiful, and infinitely elevates the already very slick figure. 

I think this is the must-have Minus One figure; sure, he's not as poseable, or elaborate as S.H. Monsterarts or Super7s offerings, and sure, the aftermarket on standard Minus One merch is already nuts, let alone exclusives; but, if you've gotta get one, go for the metallic variant. It's a really incredible figure that feels just as subtle, yet awesome as the film itself.

Review - Godzilla 1994 (Movie Monster Series)

Any Godzilla fan of a certain age... or, level of unhealthy obsession... will have at least a passing familiarity with Bandai's Movie Monster toy line, featuring tons upon tons of unique kaiju spanning just about every bit of media imaginable; from a figure representing an original 1954 concept art design, to a set based on Universal Japan's Godzilla: The Ride, to whatever the hell these unholy Chibi creatures are. More or less beginning in 1983 and going through many scales, name changes and eras, 2001's Movie Monster Series is the line's longest running incarnation, continuing to this day with new releases for Godzilla Minus One and Godzilla X Kong. 

While I've never really watched the strange televised kaiju hypnosis known as Godzilla Island, the legendary MMS as we know it today more or less started with 1997's Godzilla Island Monster tie-in toy line; featuring reissued, as well as newly created sculpts, as literally seen in the show - which used modified Bandai figures as the monsters themselves, Thomas the Tank style. It's a trip. 

This particular Godzilla is based on his appearance in 1994's Godzilla Vs SpaceGodzilla, and was originally released in a larger scale as part of Bandai's Godzilla Collection, coinciding with the film. Many fans agree this is one of, if not the most iconic looks for the creature; his snarling, feline face and massive dark stature really leave an exciting impression. He's been the face of the series for decades, for good reason. The figure definitely captures that look, but - with all due respect - it's showing its age. With a very retro, stylized sculpt, its rigid and perhaps lacking in the accuracy MMS eventually came to achieve. 

However, that's not necessarily a bad thing; there's a certain charm to this guy. It ain't the rubber suit itself leaping off the screen, but it does remind me of more inspired collector figures such as Mondo or Medicom; proudly toyetic and eye catching. It's far from a weak sculpt, featuring it's share of well done details, only a simple one - but, simple can be effective, and I think that's true here.

Godzillas got six points of articulation, though it's about as limited as the sculpt itself. You can get some basic poses out of him, but nothing all that cinematic - Godzilla's arms are floaty and expressionless, and his Big Fat Thighs don't get a lot of range against his fupa. Nevertheless, I really enjoy figures with a certain level of "staticness"; a dynamic model is one thing, but sometimes there's something so appealing about a basic, straightforward... toy, y'know? Bandai's figures almost universally share this simplicity, to varying degrees of success, and while it's not always exciting, per se, I think it gives plenty of room for effective sculpts and, of course, a kid's (or elderly collector's) imagination. 

Godzilla features a unique shiny deco with silver teeth and claws, golden eyes and metallic blue spines, charging up his iconic atomic breath. There's not a ton of paint work to speak of, and it varies from sharp to noticeably undersprayed, such as the mostly black spines. Regardless, it adds a lot of draw to this particular figure, it pops. Stands out against the sea of goth black and white Godzillas. 

Beyond what I've already said, the figures got some annoying quirks. The thick legs are warped outward due the sheer fatness of Godzilla's paunch, giving him a wobbly, overweight stance. Lay off the Twinkies. You can hide it pretty well by leaving him in a walking pose, or by re-positioning the vinyl itself. More noticeably is the pretty poorly done solid block of upper teeth - it sort of disappears from a distance, but it really doesn't look great upon close inspection. The bottom rows are nice and sharp, if only they cut the top the same. I also wish his pupils were less walleyed, too - looks neat in some visual sense, but really doesn't capture the fierce look of the actual design. No dealbreakers, but certainly things to be aware of. 

The figure was later once again reissued in 2001 with reworked paint, softer vinyl, and a few extra inches in height, overall looking closer to Godzilla's actual onscreen appearance despite the still somewhat dated sculpt. 

I think the softer vinyl does a much better job accentuating the finer details, and it also happens to fix his unfortunate chafing issues. The paint work is much cleaner, but also inherently less interesting; it's the true classic look, but nothing too special. I like the frosted grey spines and once again shiny golden eyes. I'd say this is definitely the nicer looking variant, and probably the one most fans would prefer - but it all depends on your personal taste as a collector. Me, I'd take the wacky candy color variant. 

I have been tough on this figure, but it only shows just how far the MMS series has come; nowadays, Bandai releases amazingly accurate figures almost regularly - including better versions of this very same design, if that's what you're after. You gotta start somewhere, and this guy's one of my favorites for nostalgia alone. It's a classic Godzilla collectible in it's own right, and looks really cool in spite, and because of its faults - I enjoy how it's sort of the perfect in-between stage between Bandai's older, more rough sculpts, and their more attractive modern ones. The first of the series, and an iconic incarnation of it's own right, I think he's a must-have for anybody's Movie Monster Series collection. 

Review - Daft Punk Discovery Helmets Ornament Set

What better time to review a couple of Christmas decorations than January?

Isn't it wild that Daft Punk's been dead for three-ish years, now? Well, kinda. For a group that's officially called it quits, Daft sure keeps chugging along. They just released a drumless edition of 2013's Random Access Memories... for some reason... as well as an extended version featuring all kinds of wicked unheard demos and alternate cuts, such as the grand finale single, Infinity Repeating. The band's "over", sure, but one cant help but feel it's yet to truly end when there's still so much new content to be enjoyed - even if it happens to be... drumless? I can't complain.

Call it cool, call it sell-out behavior - all I know is, naturally, the temporarily dormant Daft Punk merch machine is back up and running, and I love me some funny French robots. Most of the new offerings are your run of the mill sweatshop classics - printed tees, a bag or two, we've seen it all before. One band's merch page is every band's merch page. However, there's at least one item that'll definitely catch any collector's eye - the Discovery helmet ornaments set. 

Daft's made three varieties of these ornaments over the years, based on their various helmet designs; 2014's classic RAM set, 2016's white and gold Grammy performance set, and 2017's neon Discovery set, which was reissued for this holiday season. 

Daft's Discovery getup was revolutionary for the band, introducing the silver and gold cybernetic personas we immediately associate with the band today. Though Discovery's costume designs have been phased out in favor of the more iconic, basic look introduced with the following album Human After All, the Discovery look is definitely my favorite of the bunch - and certainly the most complicated; both helmets lined with dozens of flashing neon lights, pixellated screens and psychedelic rainbows. They're seen all throughout Discovery's related media, from single covers to action figures, and totally represent the hyper-futurefunk album. I think they're put to their best use in the haunting alternative music video to Something About Us. 

The ornaments come packaged in a slick black box, the Daft Punk logo in white across it's face with their seal of quality and further legal crap hidden on it's back. It's nothing flashy, but matches the usual Daft aesthetic and looks co next to the robots themselves. Collector friendly, too! Both Punks are secured by thick Styrofoam and tissue paper, and can be easily stored back inside after opening. You love to see it.

Getting on to it, these guys are, simply, sick. Each and every little detail matches the real duo, right down to Thomas' groovy smile and Guy-Man's rows on rows of LEDs. A small bump on the top of their heads loosely secures a thin decorated metal base to their strings, which are color coded to silver and gold respectively. Cool little detail. While this does mean their strings are easily removable, they don't look so hot with hollow little spouts poking out of their skulls. I'd leave them in ornament mode.

Their paint decos are clean, with no slop whatsoever. Both ornaments are mirror reflective, with a matte, but still shiny finish to their visor screens and a touch of glitter over their holly-jolly red text. Just as sleek as the real helmets.

At about four inches tall, these guys may not immediately look very big onscreen, but they're just over the size of your average ornament - not too huge, but still perfectly eye catching. They're not as heavy as I expected, being hollow, but aren't fragile at all. 

At about $50 retail as of 2023, they're a bit expensive; though, in past years, they've gone up to the hundreds on eBay. I think their current price is more or less fair, only $5 more than their original 2018 price, though it's definitely still a little inflated for exclusivity's sake. For fifty bucks, it would've been nice if they were fitted with actual miniature light effects. 

Nevertheless, I think they're simple, effective, and most importantly, unique - what can I say, I got a thing for weird holiday stuff. They're an eye catching addition to my Daft Punk collection and I'd love to see more takes on the concept; how about the neon red Alive 2007 helmets, or the chrome TRON: Legacy look? 

Review - KidRobot Gorillaz Phase Two 2-D (CMYK Edition)

KidRobot's Gorillaz figures are some of the best the band's ever made, particularly the sets based on the Demon Days/"Phase Two" artwork. The group's used them more than once in official music videos, just about every rabid fan owns one, and the scalpers have gone wild. The true mark of a quality toy.

As I mentioned in my Murdoc review, each figure came in a really well designed (and collector friendly!) box featuring all sorts of character specific art. The figure's great, sure, but I think he's really only half the package - pun somewhat intended. The box is just as much of a display piece itself, to the point where you might even want to leave 2-D sealed. But where's the fun in that?

Taking after the illustration on the figure's box, 2-D's sculpt is pretty much perfect; using many elements of the earlier Phase One figure, with a harsher, blockier spin that really reflects Gorillaz' evolving art style. In some small ways this throws off the likeness, but it's nevertheless an awesome take, and in my opinion, the face's angular depth is a very striking translation of 2-D's then simplistic design. I love the bulging black eyes, his thin, noodly body, clown-size shoes, hunched back, jagged hair, busted overbite - he's the spitting image of the drugged out, half-gothic 2-D of 2005. I also dig his appropriately vacant expression; it's an intense glare, or a cool toothless grin. The hair's flat, bulky shape and sculpted detail really capture the original illustrations, as well as those massive Hewlett hands. Love 'em. It's awesome in every way.

2-D's caught mid-performance, complete with a standing microphone accessory. It comes in three separate pieces - top microphone half, middle metal bar, and the base. Sadly, it barely stays together, slipping apart at the slightest touch. Nine out of ten times you see this guy on the second market, you're only getting that top half. 2-D's right hand grips the microphone while the other hangs open, so besides the accesory's flimsy construction, you shouldn't have any problem losing pieces on display. Just breathe carefully. 

Standing at about 8"s, he's right in scale with the rest of the crew, but notably smaller than the preceeding KidRobots and later SuperPlastic series. Though Gorillaz certainly has a thing for scaling up the crew, I think this scale strikes somewhere perfectly in the middle. It's catchy, y'know? 2-D is a towering zombie of a man, so having him slouch just above the your average action figure works really well; and furthermore, he's just easier to display and move around at this size. Speaking of... 

Also unlike the majority of Gorillaz figures, 2-D has a couple points of articulation; specifically, both shoulders. It's limited, but you can manage some cool poses with and without the mic stand. Also worth noting is the storied secret third point of articulation; as with Murdoc, 2-D has a tendency to lose his head - literally - so, assuming your figure's shambled apart the way mine have, you can manage some limited swivel movement out of 2-D's neck. Nothing much, but it's cool for photos.

That said, these figure's build quality is somewhere between expectedly high end, and strangely flimsy. There's often a pretty big crossover between the two in the world of "art toys". He's mostly very sturdy, but pieces tend to be very loosely assembled, and while he's not exactly "breakable" or fragile, the figure's a bit touchy. It's probably something to do with Hewlett's already abstract designs, the figures somewhat limited production, and, of course, their age. As already mentioned, the microphone is pretty jank, 2-D's head topples off very easily, and I've seen some with disconnected torsos entirely. Time does not work wonders on glue. These build issues are very fixable, as these parts typically pop right back in, but it is what it is.

The paint work is excellent, with virtually no slop or missed lines. He looks fantastic - almost like a digital model, in the right lighting. I really love the dark blue spray giving some depth to his polygonal hair. It's only real issue are the seemingly misplaced eyebrow decos; as you can see in the photos, the sculpted detials seem to suggest they should be painted right along his massive honkin' caveman brow, but, for some strange reason, they were placed at an angle just slightly above. I've never seen a 2-D without this issue, which leads me to think it must've been some odd creative choice - hell, even the Phase One figure sort of has this problem. It doesn't break the deal, but it can look a bit weird. Nevertheless, while it's not a terribly complex paint job, it's cleanness and eye catching simplitity makes for a proper artistic figure. 

The CMYK 2-D is one of Gorillaz' best collectibles, and a total must-have - provided, you're either very lucky, or willing to fork out what eBay's asking. In my opinion, even those inflated prices are more or less worth it, especially if you're a big fan; though he's comparatively small, and has some QC issues, it's still a real stunning and cool take on good old Mr. Pot. 

Looking at... Cancelled Futurama Toys

Futurama's one of my favorite shows, and it's just come back (baby) for a... somewhat mixed new semi-season - but hey, we'll see where this "Hulurama" goes. I'm there - I've caught every new episode and I'm pretty excited for the rest. Even if that new episode "The Prince and The Product" was the actual worst thing I've ever seen. Also the Covid episode. Also the western episode.

Back around Futurama's third revival on Comedy Central, manufacturer Toynami took over as the go-to guys running the Futurama junk machine. By the end of the reboot's two seasons, Toynami had released not only the entire Planet Express crew, but loads of cool, unique side characters and variants really made for fans. My favorites are the very rare Dr. Zoidberg, the 8" talking golden Bender, and the huge rotocast monster robot maniac, Destructor. As the TV series was quickly coming to a close, however, a few planned figures were left unreleased - and unfortunately, they're definitely some of the coolest we could've had. 

First revealed around 2011, waves 10 and 11 would've consisted of Clamps, Joey Mousepad, the Donbot, and evil Bender lookalike Flexo, with deluxe vinyl figures Lrrr and Morbo listed separately. All of these sculpts are among the series' best - Toynami's sculpts often fell into that static rigor mortis pose a lot of Matt Groening merchandise ends up taking, but here, the already unique designs of each character really help make them stand out on the shelf - in spite of, or even, adding some charm to their basic poses. Even, y'know, bearded Bender. 

Morbo had originally been planned as the build a figure spanning a previous wave, before being upgraded and reworked as a vinyl. Fans on Futurama forum Planet Express Employee Lounge (PEEL) took a particular liking to the figure, and even suggested to a Toynami company representative the idea of crowdfunding towards its release. Soon later, an advertisement at the 2013 Comic Con advertised a Kickstarter campaign for Morbo; though, for one reason or another - most likely the liscencing itself running out - it never came to be.

Lrrr, Ruler of Planet Omicron Persei 8... the other deluxe figure, had previously been planned for a main series release before being replaced by Amy, and, as with Morbo, was later reimagined as a vinyl. It was speculated that had the Morbo Kickstarter gone through, Lrrr could've gotten a chance next - a man can dream, though.

Ever since first binging through the series on some virus-filled bootleg website, The Robot Devil's always been one of my favorite characters - he's a wicked parody of old-school swinger demons, Forbidden Zone stuff, complete with catchy jazz numbers, dark humor and flamboyant rage. Sort of my thing. Naturally, the lost figure I wanted the most, was the 8" talking Robot Devil; revealed around the same time as a prototype closely resembling the original Robot Devil build-a-figure. In my opinion, it and the original figure's sculpt is... rough - still cool, but not very good. The set-in eyes do it no favors. Imperfect sculpts are especially apparent with the series' robotic characters, who themselves already look very well defined and three dimensional onscreen. 

The Build-A-Bot and Talking Robot Devils

Later, an excellent resculpted take on Beelzebot was unveiled posing atop a wicked unique Robot Hell base housing the speaker. I assume it was for tooling/display purposes only, but man, it really made for an awesome looking piece. This second version picked up the ball and looked just perfect - as if the Devil himself demonically lept through the TV screen, yodeling showtunes and sardonic one-liners. Following in the footsteps of the aforementioned talking Bender, the Devil would've been a large scale, partially bendable figure with a built-in voice feature, as well as his cool little future pitchfork thingie. Sadly, the hellish base was, of course, nowhere to be seen for it's final release... which, of course, went unreleased.

I think, if they had been given the time and opportunity, Toynami should've gone forward with more large scale figures - especially if it meant new, improved sculpts such as the Devil's; I'd love an 8" Fry, Roberto or Zoidberg. The talking Bender is very well made, and it's too bad it and it's golden variant were the only large scale figures to actually release; among the last, and best, of Toynami's Futurama products. 

The Idalia Chronicles - Captain Gonzo's Furball

It's 6:43 AM; another night at the ole Motel 6, and it's storming hard. Gusting 20 mile per hour winds, apparently a "category four" - not that I, y'know, have any idea what that means. I've lived, or, more accurately, slept, through plenty of Hurricanes in my Interment here in the sunny Purgatory of Florida; but I must admit, it's different when you're holed up on floor two of a ghetto joint built in the tourist boom of the '60s. This ain't no Hilton. The scenic palm tree towering across the way is looking scarier than usual, wobbling like a limp wiener gone skydiving. Ah, well - least I got Cartoon Network and the magic of social media to distract me. I don't get scared often, but the automated robotic storm alerts that keep incessantly cutting through my beloved cartoons shakes me to the core just about every time. I think its some oddly specific, but potent trauma from being woken up in the middle of the night by that terrible muffled alarm tone as a child. Even bank phone calls or text-to-speech tools give me the jitters. Is there a word for the abnormal fear of lo-fi mechanical voices? 

How about... Robophobe. Sure. 

So far tonight, I've called friends, drawn, and sat by the shower listening to one YouTube documentary or another. Mostly Red Cow Arcade and Joon the King. I may have a strange aversion to monotonous, disembodied, automated messages, but I really enjoy the brown noise of long-form video essays. The difference? That's for you to decide. 

Just like writing, something about hotels really revitalizes my soul - I'd stay here all the time if it were financially realistic. I guess that goes to show the state of things. Hell, even at home I tend to leave on a ten-hour loop of that lovely motel AC rumble. Then again, I'm not sure how I'd feel getting robbed on the daily - can't underestimate the trash ways of southern folk. Myself included. I am a cook, after all. 

MidLife's going well, if not a little slower than I'd prefer. I just started working with a new voice actor who seems great so far, and I've been doodling loads of zombie extras and funky advertisements to decorate the dingy world of death. Music wise, I've been pretty narrowly focused on a track called "Isotope Sister", a sort of reversed song-within-a-song reggae experiment that I hope opens some minds to the insanity that is sound. Not every track is a unique musical idea, statement or effort, but I hope most have a standout gimmick of sorts that lets listeners introspect on perception. That's where my head's at. 

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Ah, well... three days later, the storm's dead and gone. Just like my grandson. It's a warm, sickly summer night, I gotta get up early, and I'm wasting time on my nightmare blog... this is the life.

Review - ReAction Figures MF DOOM

 

Super7's Reaction Figures just released their Kenner-ized take on your favorite rapper's favorite rapper, MF DOOM; his first official action figure since KidRobot's 2007 Madvillain vinyl, which, like all DOOM merch, has become a bit ridiculously overpriced as the years go on. So it goes.

I've been a massive DOOM fan for years, as well as toy collector, so you know I jumped all over the chance to finally own the supervillain in poseable, playable, toxic plastic form; needless to say, it immediately sold out, but I was one of the lucky few to swoop in before the scalpers. 

Reaction is known for their basically endless re-releases, redecos and repackagings, so don't feel left out if you weren't quick to the draw; as suggested by the packaging design and flavor text, this particular DOOM is themed around his wicked debut album, Doomsday - all but guaranteeing variants based on cuts like Madvillain, Mm... Food and his further discography. They've already got a head start on King Geedora.

DOOM's in his iconic green hoodie, ten and a half Timbs, and metal-face mask; its actually his more recognizable Roman-esque mask which debuted following the release of Doomsday, rather than the spray painted Kane mask seen in the album's promotional materials. They obviously made the right choice, but I do hope they try their hand at its original design someday. Could be a neat exclusive. The mask is a real shiny silver, which stands out nicely against the otherwise matte, but bold palette. I also really like his gruff beard, painted on in small dark patches - looks great. 

His sculpt is a solid mix of accuracy and style, keeping within the concept of retro Kenner while still appropriately capturing DOOM's likeness. As one might expect, he's got five points of articulation - more or less universal to the ReAction series, per Kenner tradition. Very "toyetic", but not so much as to make it cheap, or any less of an art piece - in fact, I think that just makes it all the more visually interesting. 

Destro comes with a tiny little mic, which I immediately feared would get lost fast; but, thankfully, his right hand is sculpted in a very solid gripping pose, so chances are it at least won't fall out while on display. That's all she wrote, as far as accessories go, and I can't say I expected more - but, I would've liked to see a big ol' bottle of brew, or maybe some MF-Os. 

DOOM is just the eye catching, hip-hop twist on Marvel's classic baddie you're promised, and in every way looks awesome. A vintage inspired action figure is truly the perfect match for DOOM's old school nerdball persona - I just wish he were still here with us to pit this little dude against Vader and the crew. Here's to the future of these wicked mini DOOMbots - assuming we obsessive collectors didn't hit a lucky strike grabbing this one.