Showing posts with label Collection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Collection. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Review - Anguirus 1968 (2024 Version) (Movie Monster Series)


2024's DREAM5 box set brought a fun array of previously unseen, or otherwise outdated kaiju to the modern MMS line; Anguirus '68 falling into the latter category, having first seen an MMS release in 1997 - itself, using a sculpt dating all the way back to 1984 - which saw regular reuse up until as recently as 2005. Pretty crazy. A mere 20 years later, Godzilla's oldest adversary finally saw a well-deserved, full-on redux with the DREAM5 set, hitting mainline MMS a year later. 

I initially felt the new Angy was a waste of a spot, seeing the older, Y2K figure as a solid good enough - boy, was I wrong; the new Anguirus is an MMS masterpiece, really proving Bandai's ability to nail a scuzzy Showa sculpt when they really want to - in my opinion, the nicest figure of the DREAM5 set, a modern "must-have" for any classic Godzilla nerd. Hell, any Godzilla nerd, really.

Anguirus perfectly captures not only the unique '68 likeness, but the rugged feel of the suit itself; its excellently tactile grit really bringing the figure to life, from his sharp, spiny carapice, to heavy, gnarled scales. The figure is so rich in detail, even the "white space" between his spines is appropriately textured - just stellar.

Something about it all reminds me of the suit's later... more waterlogged appearances, specifically as seen in 1972's Godzilla Vs. Gigan - easily his finest hour, if you ask me.

Angy features a solid five points of articulation - including a rare tail swivel. Neat. His lively tail and dragging back legs can aid in some vaguely dynamic poses... but, generally, what you see is what you get. Still, that alone is better than usual for present day MMS, no? Particularly useful or not, I'll always take more articulation over less, and this guy delivers.

With a sort of dusty, desaturated color scheme (that was for some reason kinda tricky to capture on camera?), Anguirus takes a grey-brown base, with warm tan horns, white teeth, very well detailed brown-on-white eyes, grey claws, and a bony off-white carapace. Very cleanly done, great variety of color - again, well above the modern day MMS standard. I especially love those mean little peepers. Killer.

That said, a little nitpick - I totally miss the wicked golden carapace present on the original Anguirus figures! Not sure how screen-accurate it really was, or anything, but what a cool, toyetic look, y'know? Oh well. Speaking of the original figure...

So, as mentioned before, the original original MMS Angy dates all the way back to 1984, as part of Bandai's 8" Godzilla Collection. Jeepers. Best I can offer is the previously reviewed 200x 6" edition; one of the earliest scaled-down reissues of the figure, and probably the best.

There's really no contest between the 200x, and 2025 Anguiri - and, I mean that in the best of ways; the original figure has always been one of my favorites, and, now, Bandai's improved upon themselves ten-fold. Both are unique, snappy takes on the character, with their own distinct charms - the original carrying that flashy, old-skool Bandai style, while the redux more deliberately, dedicatedly aims for screen-accuracy, beautifully capturing the feel of a vintage kaiju via sofubi vinyl. More attuned to modern collector's tastes, I think most fans will gravitate towards the 2024 version - but hey, don't sleep on the classics.
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Saturday, August 2, 2025

Review - Godzilla 2001 (Bandai Creations)


One of my favorite Godzillas is the evil, undying demon of 2001's Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack - better known as GMK. So far, I've looked at both the original 8" MMS figure, as well as its 2024 6" reissue; though, between these similar versions, was an original take by American Bandai subsidiary, Bandai Creations - a sub-series featuring unique figures inspired by, but often quite distinct from MMS - released in 2005, as part of BC's third wave.

BC's Godzilla 2001 is a pretty representative example of the sub-series' earlier works; generally true to the intended design, but oddly exaggerated in small, but substantial ways that throw the overall likeness. The figure looks a bit like if you took the Japanese figure and threw it through the Content Aware Scale; very strange, questionable proportions - such as the clownish feet, mitten hands, and bowling pin head - though still carrying the character's core "look" somewhere in there. As an aside, as a kid, I actually didn't recognize this guy as GMK specifically - I assumed it was some odd, generalized spin on Godzilla '54. It's just so... wonky. 

I think the figure's strongest aspect is it's face; from some angles, they did a pretty solid job capturing GMK's evil snarl, and serpentine hunch - though, from others, he's like if Willie Tanner morphed into a Godzilla. The body somewhat captures the incarnation's massive build - even that beer belly - yet also, gives him this warped, anemic look, like GMK went on Ozempic. Another one of GMK's defining characteristics - his huge, misshapen spines - are very rounded down, and undefined; sculpted into long, unbroken "chunks", with filled-in blank spaces between each spine, which themselves are angled upward very unnaturally - a quirk you'll find across various MMS-types of the time.

There is a certain awkwardness to the overall figure, between it's wafting arms, perfectly straight tail, and weird proportions - though, I'd be lieing if I said it doesn't capture GMK at all. It's nowhere near the accuracy of the MMS, but, I can reasonably see the vision. I'll even add that the figure's detailing is pretty solid, covered in a tactile variety of wrinkles, scales and bony grooves - credit where credit's due. Though one would assume it's based directly on the MMS predecessor, it's so off, I almost wonder if it could've been referencing some specific concept art, or illustration? Whatever the case may be, points for trying it's own thing, but, unfortunately, it just doesn't come together. 

GMK features six points of articulation, just like the MMS - neck, both shoulders, both thighs, and tail. As mentioned before, his arms are sculpted in a sort of lifeless "wave" - though, you could also see it as a vague action look, kinda.

Cast in black, solid whites define GMK's eyes, teeth, claws and spines - sprayed just before the midpoint of the tail - with a light maroon tongue. Straightforward as it may be, the figure's paint is very cleanly applied. Not a whole lot to say. 

Directly comparing him to his Japanese counterpart(s)... no contest. I could go into specifics, such as the differences in paint, proportions, et cetera, but I think the photos really speak for themselves. At best, the BC GMK is a uniquely stylized take - at worst, it's just very, very off.

It's worth mentioning the BC figure was the only 6" scale GMK until the 2024 reissue of the 2001 original - so, for many a fan, he probably filled that niche well enough. Still, even in that very specific case, I think anyone would agree he just doesn't hold up to standard. 

BC's GMK is an odd little guy - things just really fall apart from the neck down. These days, there's not much of a reason to hunt him down in particular, what with the aforementioned MMS reissue; though, fans are quite nostalgic for the figure, being so readily available across most retailers at the time. I'd imagine most who want, or own him fall into this category - myself included. While there's not much draw to the toy, it's a unique take on the character, and it's got it's own oddball appeal. Even though he's Ugly.

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Monday, March 24, 2025

Review - Godzilla 2001 (2024 version) (Movie Monster Series)

A Gaggle of GMKs
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack - or, GMK - is one of my favorite Kaiju movies, and, naturally, one of my favorite Godzillers; I've owned both the standard and theater exclusive variants of the 2001 8" MMS figure, the S.H. Monsterarts, the NECA, the X-Plus USA, the Marmit, the Real Action figure... heck, I've even had the ugly-ass Bandai Creations pass through the collection now and again. Needless to say, I really, really like GMK - so, when Bandai revealed a new 6" version of the character, I was all over him. 

From what I can tell, it appears the 6" GMK, despite taking clear inspiration from the old-school 8" released alongside the film, is an almost entirely new sculpt; though, certain areas appear to be largely the same, albeit with minor differences that could be chalked up to the obvious changes in scale, production, so on and so forth. It's most clearly a new take when you compare the figure's heads, spines, and overall texturing - I'm sure the original sculpt was at least used as a "base", but, to be certain, this is a new version of the character. Fear not, completionists - he's not just a downscale.

Needless to say, a lot of the praise I have to give to this figure can also be said of the original; so, for a more detailed rundown, be sure to check out my previous MMS GMK review. 

Nevertheless, GMK is once again fantastic; I think they've managed to improve on what was already a damn near perfect sculpt, generally making the figure much more detailed, and sharp. Some notable differences I'll expand on are the fresh head sculpt - which is likely a result of the removed neck swivel, allowing the opportunity for a somewhat more accurate likeness, and hunched stance - the improved spines - far softer, and less defined on the original  - and overall greater width, doing an ever-so-slightly better job of capturing the incarnation's almighty dad bod. Even the position of his tail is different - though, again, it's sculpt is very, very similar.

As mentioned before, the new GMK is less articulated - missing both the neck, and tail articulation - though, it's about exactly what you'd expect for a modern, mainline MMS. 

Cast in a deep black, the dark original figure was very bold, with ghastly grey eyes and spines, off-white teeth and claws, and a vibrant red tongue; the new version, instead, moreso matches the average MMS Godzilla, with an overall lighter, desaturated color scheme that in many ways does look a bit better. I definitely prefer the original's leather black hide, and miss the variety and contrast of it's cool bone yellow sprays, and eerily faded spines - but, the new figure works just about as well. This time around, GMK's cast in a more standard grey, his eyes, spines and claws painted a bright white, with a mauve purple tongue resting behind his yellowed teeth. Despite how it may appear in photos, his spines' spray even lightly fades to the tip of his tail - though, it's very faint, and could vary from figure to figure. I think the original version generally looks nicer, as a figure, but the new take is somehow much more clean, and perhaps even accurate to the suit itself; and, paired with the 6" scale, just fits in better with the wider MMS collection.

It's absolutely wicked to finally have a proper 6" GMK, after years of having to settle for Captain Ugly... AKA, the Bandai Creations version. While I'm not gonna say he's a must-have if you've already scored the original, which does have a better "presence", its still an excellent figure; perfect for new collectors, taking nearly everything that made the OG so great, and punching it up a little. Neither version is particularly hard to come by these days - the new figure's release has definitely made the original much less sought after - so, make your choice, and go for one of the coolest MMS figures out there.

Check out my previous MMS reviews:
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Sunday, March 23, 2025

Review - Godzilla 1968 (Movie Monster Series)


1968 saw the release of the ninth Godzilla flick, the classic Destroy All Monsters; a monster-mash soaked in camp retro-futurism featuring nearly every old-school Toho Kaiju - from classic creatures such as King Ghidorah and Mothra, to freak-out hippie weirdos like Varan or Gorosaurus. While it's not all that exciting of a picture - despite what's written on the tin - it's still a memorable, seminal installment in the Godzilla series, even if most only remember the (admittedly, spectacular) effects scenes. 

As with various starring monsters, Godzilla saw a fresh redesign for the film, referred to by fans as "SoshingekiGoji"; the seventh unique Godzilla, going on to become the longest used Godzilla suit in the series' history - featured in four consecutive films, tattered and visibly falling apart by his final appearance in 1972's Godzilla Vs Gigan. Naturally, Destroy All Monster's Godzilla became one of the most prolific versions of the character, and for many, still stands tall as "the" Godzilla - very fitting, considering it was the final suit worn by original Godzilla actor, Haruo Nakajima. 

'68's MMS reign of terror began with 2005's Godzilla 50th Anniversary Memorial Box, a celebratory set of 20 MMS figures featuring loads of cool characters and unique incarnations spanning Godzilla's storied history - definitely one of the coolest things to ever come out of the Movie Monster Series. Like most Showa-era Godzillas included in the set, the Memorial Box '68 featured a unique greenish color scheme, replicating how the suits often appeared across older media. A year later, in 2006, '68 was given a mainline re-release, with a new, slightly more accurate charcoal deco - which is the version I'll be incessantly praising here today.

Let's cut to the chase - Godzilla '68 is pretty much a perfect figure. His sculpt is totally 1:1 with the original suit, by MMS standards; perfectly capturing the classic incarnation, from the wrinkled, heavy body, to the crooked shape of his jaw, to that iconic Nakajima roar - it's all there. Even the whip of his tail totally reminds me of the spry performances true to the '68 version. There's a couple oddities to the sculpt eagle-eyed fans might notice, but by and large, '68's an all-around A lister.

Though only featuring four points of articulation, that iconic pose really carries. A head, or (intentional) tail swivel would've been neat, but I'm not complaining. He feels very alive.

Paint wise, '68's still winning; His cutesy googly eyes and pink. gummy maw of needle teeth are very cleanly applied, with a dark, bone grey spray across his plush spines and little claws, as well as lightly highlighting his knees and chest. There's even a bit of spray around his left eye area, reminding me of the battle damage seen in Godzilla Vs Hedorah - though, it's most likely a happy accident. His softly faded spines look particularly nice - not to mention, again, that super sharp face. It's even nicer upon closer inspection. 

'68 is easily one of the all-time best MMS figures, and definitely a must-have for any fan of the Showa Godzilla era. As with most figures from the collection, The Memorial Box version's pretty hard to land, though the '06 reissue's always been one of those middle-of-the-road figures as far as rarity goes; I got mine mint at the same convention where I met Godzilla stars Haruo Nakajima and Akira Takarada, weirdly enough.

Beyond these earlier versions, in 2007, a totally new - and, well... inferior - '68 was featured in Bandai Creations' American MMS equivalent, later being carried into MMS proper with 2015's "Movie Monster Series EX" lineup. It's been the most common version for years, on both coasts, but I've never liked it much at all - far too exaggerated and wonky for even the sometimes froggy '68 design.

Just recently, the original figure was reissued with some very subtle modifications, this time representing the monster as seen in 1971's Godzilla Vs Hedorah - more or less. The sculpt's about... 0.1% different, not at all replicating the violently battered '71 Godzilla you might expect; instead serving as an alternative, or better yet, more accessible option for new fans to pair with the many modern-day MMS Hedorahs. 

I'd say you're best off going with the '06 version - it really is flawless - but there's plenty of options, and, for what it's worth, that '71 ain't too shabby. Just... maybe avoid the Bandai Creations / MMS EX take. Ugly. Either way, G'68 is truly a classic.

Check out my previous MMS reviews:
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Friday, March 21, 2025

Review - Zigra (Movie Monster Series)

1971's Gamera Vs Zigra tells the lovely tale of the titular sharkboy, Zigra; a telepathically talented megalomaniac of a Kaiju bent on world domination, possessing the minds of human and monster alike as he hungers for flesh after the pollution death of his home planet - much to the chagrin of the Friend to All Children, Gamera.

Zigra was introduced to the Movie Monster Series with the Gamera Memorial Box, a commemorative set released in 1999 featuring each and every Showa-era Gamera character in one package - a real holy grail. Though the majority of these figures were rescales of the early 90's Gamera Series line, Zigra, along with Gamera himself, were the two to receive an entirely new sculpt - and rightly so. Yikes. 

Zigra had multiple "forms" thoughout the film; first, as a sort of detached head, looming over his base - second, a wafting fish, growing to gargantuan scale under Earth's foreign conditions - and third, a proper, suited monster, standing upright on conspicuously disguised feet-fins; often obscured by buildings and scenery. The original Gamera Series figure took on a sort of mix of his latter two forms, awkwardly lacking proper feet, while the MMS instead directly adapts the suit version. 

A pretty flawless take on the suit, Zigra captures both the quirks and appeal of the uniquely designed kaiju; from his angular, sci-fi head, to his odd little feet. His detailing is especially beautifully done - the bumpy, insulation-like texture of his body, the fine grooves along each fin, even the folds and creases of the suit itself. Its all there. While it's a sort of simple sculpt from a distance, being 20+ years old and all, I'd say it perfectly captures the look.

Zigra only features three points of articulation - both arms, and his tail - though his head is glue sealed, and probably could be moved without warping the figure, which is typically the reason behind the seemingly unnecessary seals on these figures. Of course, it never moved onscreen, and beyond perhaps hip joints, it all feels appropriate for the character; he was never much of a dynamic monster, and the poseability is pretty par-the-course for MMS' more humanoid creatures.

Zigra'a paint is, likewise, really spot-on; sculpted in a light, sky blue, bright metallic silver sprays define his head, beak, body and spines, with a dash of bold red on all three of his devilishly evil eyes - pretty much exactly replicating the onscreen design. 

Zigra's definitely one of the best members of the great Gamera Memorial Box, truly summoning the mind-bending monster from the murky, alien depths. He's never been re-released outside of the set, however, he's not exactly rare, being such an obscure kaiju and all. If you're like me, and have surrendered free will for the future of Zigra planet, you'll love this freaky little fish. Obey Zigra.


Check out my previous MMS reviews:
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Monday, March 17, 2025

Review - Gamera Rebirth (Movie Monster Series)

After years of dormancy, it ain't a bad time to be a fan of the friend to all children - the guardian of the universe - the original Koopa, Mister Gamera; with the six episode anime Gamera: Rebirth having just been released in 2023, including tie-in games, manga, and even - of course - Movie Monster Series figures! The series does a great job revisiting, and reviving just about everything we all love about Gamera; from the melodrama, to the fantasy, to the offensively low budget. 

Somewhere between Gamera 3's dark, extreme Samurai overlord, and the Showa era's goofy, wide-eyed supermonster, Rebirth - who technically made his first appearance in 2015's aptly titled "Gamera" short film, in a sort of prototype state - is a determinedly heroic guardian kaiju, hell-bent on savaging and destroying all freak-out hippie weirdos who oppose him; whether it be kid-hungry demons, or psycho cultist moon bureaucrats. 

Gamera Rebirth is a tank of a monster, let alone vinyl; there's a lot of mass to the figure, really conveying his heroically colossal scale. While his ominous, lumbering pose certainly plays to the designs strengths, it's also not quite representative of what Gamera's up to throughout the anime; that being, running, jumping and generally kicking kaiju ass. Plus, that tail... so... Erect. Ahem. See below. Nice as the figure looks, it also feels a bit like they nicked the reference sheet and called it a day - a more dynamic, battle-ready pose would've fit much better. Just compare it to Bandai's HG figure. 

Plus, with that hunchbacked slouch, you can't see his face most of the time; which is a real shame, because it's a very accurate and intricate likeness across the board. As evidenced by various MMS figures since 2016's Shin Godzilla, I wouldn't be surprised if the figure drew from the screen-used CG model itself - the detail is just perfect. Just look at those sculpted retinas. Gamera's heavy leather skin is textured by various scutes and ridges, richly carved while still replicating an appropriately "flat" animated look; I especially love the flowing waves and curves of his huge armor shell - really beautiful. While I find it overall a touch underwhelming, it nevertheless is one of those sculpts that's a marvel to just look at.

As for articulation... well. There's none.

Okay, that's not fair - you got an elbow twist on both arms, a swivel on his thick, suspiciously phallic tail, and... yup, that's it. So, yeah, borderline nothin'. He's either looming intensely, or shouting a hearty "come onnn!"

It seems Bandai traded poseability for detail with their 2020-23 Gamera lineup, with newly sculpted figures such as Gamera '96 and '98 featuring similarly limited articulation; effectively more statues than action figures, at least by MMS standards, though this might not be much of an issue for some collectors. The figures certainly look excellent, offering some of the best work MMS has had to offer in years - it's just a bit of a letdown, especially, again, for this particular version of the character. 

Gamera's paint is, likewise, limited, though it looks cool, and pretty much matches his onscreen appearance. Cast in a deep, desaturated green that does a nice job giving some depth to his sculpt, a shiny blue-green representing his bioluminesent power glows through his patterned chest and heated eyes, with a very cleanly detailed mauve mouth, grey teeth, and deep, black claws. It's about all that's necessary - he is animated, after all - but more variance in color could've really brought out the nice sculpt.  

2023's Gamera Rebirth is a solid figure, though, not unlike the anime itself, one that's pretty held back by it's own limitations. If I had to blindly speculate, this probably had to do with the figure being released more-or-less alongside the series' five new monsters - production costs, yadda yadda. Don't get me wrong here, it's still a nice, if not vaguely middle-of-the-road MMS, but I really think a more creative second pass could've worked wonders in truly bringing the character to life. Still, I can't understate the figure's excellent detail, and, beyond that, what's there, works - despite its shortcomings, if you're a Gamera Lifer like me, he's definitely a must-have. 

It's my favorite boy Gamera's 60th birthday this year, and just recently, a "new project" of sorts was teased by the mega-turtle's official social media account; will it be another wave of MMS figures? A new season of Rebirth? Perhaps... a movie?!

I doubt it. But let's hope this ages poorly.

Check out my previous MMS reviews:
Godzilla 2014
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