Wastelnd: Review - Zilla 2004 (Movie Monster Series)

Zilla is an... oddity. Created for the atrocity known as Godzilla 1998, the design more or less dropped almost every traditionally recognizable element of the character, rounding the creature down to a vaguely humanoid Jurrassic Park bootleg of a Kaiju. Almost universally hated by fans, and general audiences alike, '98s "Godzilla" quickly became 2004's "Zilla", appearing alongside the Japanese original in the anniversary film Godzilla: Final Wars;

...Where he is brutally killed in about 30 seconds by the true Godzilla as dated emo rock blares. Hell yeah.

Zilla's 2004 incarnation was, by design, a total farce; intentionally poorly rendered, modeled quick and dirty directly off the Ultimate Godzilla figure by Trendmasters, and, overall, really only there to join the fan community in hating the poor little guy. Does he deserve such terrible, public abuse, and incessant humiliation? Yes. And that's why we love him.

Being based on a CG model, based on an action figure, based on a CG model - based on Jay Leno - Zilla's detail is there, though somewhat muted; reptilian scales, gills, spikes, and muscles define the musculature of his sandstone skin, with very nicely gnarled and carved upturned spines, but by and large, it seems they've sort of aimed to replicate that smooth, undefined low-rez CG look of FW (Final Wars) - and hey, I'm here for it. It's a creative approach.

Zilla's in an almost adorable little roaring pose, clawing and hissing with a doofy evil grin - it's largely the MMS standard, but it's another good example of a sculpt where I think the subtle energy to it really enhances the overall sculpt.

At four points of articulation, Zilla can strike some very dynamic, light-footed poses, usually balancing on his long tail; which, as expected, is glue sealed. He's also much, much shorter than your average Goji, fitting in perfectly with the MMS FW crew.

Cast in a blue-grey that totally captures the stark, Y2K color grading of Zilla's scenes, Zilla's paint, while sharp, is very limited; though, you can't say that's entirely unexpected, considering... he's Zilla. I totally love the very bright, sparkly metallic blue used on his spines, though they're pitifully undersprayed - it would've been great to see a bit more detailing his tail, or further body. Playing to the figure's unique tinted look, his teeth are vaguely purplish, with a light pink tongue, and dark mauve claws, all very cleanly done. Zilla's eyes are a bold, fiery orange, with a nice bit of shine. The figure's prototype images sort of give the impression he's got little white pupils, due to that shine, though these aren't actually present on the figure.

A few months after the '04 figure, a new version of Zilla, based on his original 1998 appearance, was released, which seems to have addressed pretty much every quirk of the FW figure; awesome paint, sharper detail - he's even a fair bit larger. I sprung on FW Zilla, having never expected him to actually join the MMS lineup, but truth be told, if you're gonna get one, I think '98s the go-to. Just a beautiful boy. That being said, as a fan, I really appreciate the deliberate differences made between the two, and I think it's pretty wicked they've gone out of their way to match the quality of each Zilla's visual effects, just as they replicate the wrinkles and folds of the old-school suits.

I was really psyched to see Zilla finally land an MMS - he's never necessarily been a favorite... for anyone, really... but he's an interesting footnote-slash-joke in Godzilla's storied history, and certainly one of the most memorable Kaiju of FW. USA, baby.