Review - World's Greatest Mego Monsters Freddy Krueger

There's something I really dig about vintage 8" Mego action figures; the weird, plasticy outfits, the cheapo accessories, the stock buff bods - they're simple, effective, and really catch the eye. Megos are all the same basic figure -  14 points of articulation, mostly rubber bands n' metal hooks style - modified via new head sculpts, specific costumes, and so on - just enough to communicate the character, while retaining that same overall design. 

I suppose it's an example of what were once limitations eventually becoming something rather artistic - just look at how many collector-centric brands such as KidRobot or Funko nowadays deliberately reuse their basic sculpts ad-nauseum for a similarly artistic effect.

Well, lo and behold, Mego's been back for a while now under the reigns of the original founder's son, and as they slowly snag more and more licenses, they've started a dedicated horror-themed line of classic style 8" figures called "World's Greatest Mego Monsters". It's a neat variety, though most are admittedly a little more generic than I prefer; you've got your usual Frankensteins, your Draculas, your Mole People- basically, exactly what you'd expect. I think these characters tend to be a little overdone, as awesome as they are. Slowly, though, they've tossed in a few more contemporary cult-slasher icons - including, of course, the lovely Mr. Krueger. What'd you expect?

Right off the bat, I think the most striking thing about the figure might be the fact it looks... good. Now, don't get me wrong - Mego's awesome - but their older junk always had a bit of an off-model thing going on, didn't it? Just look at pin-head Spidey or local comic con cosplay winner Iron-Man.

Freddy's sculpt isn't necessarily a one-to-one likeness, but compared to the old days, he's top of the line. That's not as much of a complaint as it is an observation, though I do think something a bit more basic would've sold the concept better. I'm picturing something like the Matchbox Freddy doll, with less paint applications. That said, the sculpt is nevertheless very cool - his head is cast in a sort of soft rubber, as per Mego usual, but the detail is still extremely sharp. It's greatly supported by some very nice paint work, which brings out intricacies that mightve otherwise gone lost. I think it looks best when viewed from the side - I'll be damned if that's not a surprisingly spot-on Robert Englund, for what the figure is aiming for.

For the record, it doesn't appear Mego recreated any specific onscreen incarnation of the dream demon for this figure's sculpt; If I had to guess, I'd say he looks the most like Part 3, but I think it's more likely just an amalgamation of Freddy's general design aspects.

The paintwork becomes a bit more obviously imperfect when comparing Freddy's hands; while one is beautifully gory and gross, the other looks... well, a bit more like I'd expect a Mego to. One's got layers-on-layers of detailed color, the other's comparatively flat; simple. It just doesn't match very well, at least when you're looking up-close; it's the little things such as consistency that can really sell a concept figure such as this one. That said, both hands sport a nice amount of detail. Unfortunately, his blades seem to be warped on almost every model I've seen; I guess it has to do with the packaging, which can be an annoying oversight. I'd assume this can be corrected via hot water, hair dryer, whatever - but in a way, I think it adds to that perfectly imperfect Mego aesthetic. Call it a reach, but it's not out too of place.

Another aspect that really screams "retro" are Freddy's clothes - if you've held an original Mego toy, you know just how their fabrics feel. That very specific choice of fabrics continues, here, and I think the outfit really does the best job overall when it comes to supporting the figure's throwback concept. 

Many reviews seem to dislike his very light, almost faded sweater - which I think its safe to assume is some sort of production error - but I think it's very fun in that - again - retro feel. Every action figure had some sort of jarring color mismatch back in the day. Just look at Beetlejuice's bright yellow McDonald's polo or T-800's rockin' pink wifebeater. It comes with the territory - I could see Freddy going for it. For what it's worth, they've certainly at least done a better job of tailoring the sweater to his body than other Mego-inspired Krueger figures - looking something like that one kid from A Christmas Story. If not worse.

Freddy's pants are a light, dusty black, looking very musty and stiff with a wash of faint white. It's a bit like he's just gotten out of a one-off painting gig, and has yet to change out of his tacky, sun-tired work clothes. The shoes are nice and simple - solid black, nothing to see here. Just as they ought to be. On the opposite end, however, the hat's very detailed and well-worn; again, might've been cooler to see a generic black plastic hat rather than something so... accurate... but, its hard to gripe when the accessory still looks good at the the end of the day. It's a bit difficult to jam the hat onto Freddy's somewhat oversized head, but thanks to the fact both his hat and his head are rubber, it shouldn't be too impossible to get it stuck on there one way or another.  

I mentioned before that each Mego has 14 points of articulation, and if you're a nerd, you know exactly where these, are and how they move. If not, it shouldn't be hard to tell; Megos are vintage by design, and as such, are built with play in mind - not poseablility. You can still work out some fun stances, and as simple as his articulation may seem, it's surprisingly useful and fun with some clever messing around. Specific joints seem to become loose and flimsy rather easily, but this tends to always happen with Mego's figures. I see it as part of the package, for better or for worse.  

Overall, Mego's Freddy is a cool figure - nothing to gush over, but still a very nice little themed collectable. I think your more surface level Elm Street collector may want to aim for something a little less intentionally limited by design - you can't go wrong with NECA's wicked Ultimates line - but, to buyers who remember and enjoy the quirks of the original Mego series, you'll be very entertained by the novelty of a Mego Freddy existing in the first place. What a wicked character to stack up against Mego's long-running gallery of monster weirdos - it's like a badge of honor. If a character's been adapted into an 8" Mego, they're officially a classic. Good work, Krueger.