Wastelnd: 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.