Wastelnd: 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.