Wastelnd

Monday, April 14, 2025

Review - Gamera 1996 (Theater Exclusive) (Movie Monster Series)

Following 1995's Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Gamera re-re-turned with 1996's sequel, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion; where the titular turtle faces a Japan-wide infestation of insectoid alien creatures.

In his decisive attack on the invaders, Gamera summons Earth's spiritual energy, glowing with power as a beam of pure mana blasts from his chest - obliterating the Legion.

8" vinyl figures of Gamera and Legion were released alongside the film, with Gamera receiving a "Plasma" theater exclusive variant replicating the finale.

Taking a fierce, battle-ready stance, Gamera features a very detailed, and unique, though somewhat dated sculpt. Every carved groove, warped wrinkle and little gruff intricacy is present and accounted for, and though it's slightly unwieldy - his tail wanting to stay elevated, with both feet crooked to very particular positions - I totally dig that aforementioned pose; well capturing the supermonster's heroic determination, and really making the figure stand out - if that deco didn't already.

Though moving at six points, the figure's articulation is very limited by its dynamic, but specific sculpt. There's not much more than one pose he looks good in; though, I'm not really complaining - I'd rather have too much articulation than too little, and even if that articulation's a bit awkward, at least the pose carries. I applaud the extra effort, which Bandai tends to avoid these days. Foreshadowing!

Though it altogether looks pretty slick, there is a certain softness to the sculpt - nothing terrible, considering it's a 30 year old toy - but, certainly typical of MMS-types of its era. That being said, I always think it's a great look - as sculpts get cleaner and cleaner, dedicatedly accurate to their respective movie monsters, the distinctly toyetic style of Bandai's earlier works really appeals to me.

Cast in translucent orange, a blend of hot reds and sparkling golds emanate from his belly, draped by a vignette of deep blue skin. It's a real eye-catching look - paired with the sort of stylized sculpt, it very much reminds me of high-end Kaiju art toys, such as Marusan, or CCP. There's so much to like - the gentle fades between blue, red and orange defining the figure, that shiny gold-turned-green highlighting his face, claws, shell, and tail - even it's translucency works well, giving Gamera a simmering internal glow beneath his navy hide.

In 2022 - only 26 years later - Bandai revealed a new take on Gamera '96, finally inducting him into the 6" scale, and MMS proper. Though it's a beautifully done figure, certainly, and expectedly beating out the old sculpt, it's notably lacking in one recurring problem area - articulation. Whereas the original is poseable, but limited, the reimagining is a real statue; with only its legs, and tail articulated.

Though I see them as more-or-less equals, each with their own merits, if you ask me, the 2022 version is better; but, especially with this variant, the original figure has so much more character, really standing out among the same-old, same-old, roaring and stomping crowd. My only real complaint would be that pose - on one hand, it's awesome, but on the other, it's, again, a bit awkward, struggling to find a real center of gravity, and not making much use of its articulation.

If you're a Gamera psycho like me, or just dig the look, this figure's definitely worth seeking out. Now that the standard 6" exists, there's not much of a draw to the sort of plain normal 8" edition; so, all the more reason to go for the wicked theater exclusive - it's a really sick variant, emphasizing that distinct pose with killer paint work, making him one of, if not the most unique Gameras MMS has put out.

Check out my previous MMS reviews:

King Ghidorah 2019
Kong 2021
MechaGodzilla 2021

Sunday, April 13, 2025

Review - King Ghidorah 2019 (Movie Monster Series)

The most notorious of Godzilla's recurring foes, the MonsterVerse's indomitable King Ghidorah - "the dragon who fell from the stars" - rose from an icy grave in 2019s Godzilla: King of the Monsters; inciting a worldwide Kaiju riot (very much in the vein of Destroy All Monsters or Godzilla: Final Wars) as it forcefully stole the crown, reveling in Godzilla's defeat.

Ghidorah '19, along with the further KOTM crew, were originally released alongside the film; and, more recently, was one of many MMS figures reissued for overseas retailers such as Books-A-Million, FYE or any otherwise nerd-type store. The figure's very common, and shouldn't run you more than MSRP.

While its definitely got its somewhat obvious limitations, Ghidorah's a cool, and impressively large sculpt, covered in very rich little details.

Though underscaled, Ghidorah takes a massive shelf presence thanks to his intimidatingly splayed demon wings, and long, rattled tails; with an approx. 12" inch wingspan, plus an additional 12"~ inches, from head(s) to tail(s). The figure's really awesome mass carries, along with its proper threatening, animalistic pose, giving the (spoilers) totally static figure a lot of life.

Each serpentine neck is nicely arched to the incarnation's unique quadrupedal stance, a fierce and well stylized snarl shared across all three faces - complete with forked tongues. While I do wish there were a bit more variation differentiating each head, it works, enforcing the figure's strong pose. I especially dig the flowing manes of dense horns(?) trailing each head; interestingly, a departure from the onscreen design - but, we'll get there. His toned reptilian body is nicely defined by gruff textures, shingled scales and muscular alien intricacies; just look at the thin, fleshy skin of his tensely stretched wings. Unfortunately, those big honkin' wings are pretty prone to warping, and the figure tends to have trouble finding its center of gravity.

As noted before, Ghiddy seems to be based on an earlier, unused version of the 2019 design; missing, or differing on various small elements of the look, such as the structure of his wings, the spikes lining the back of each neck, or, again, his tendrilled manes of horns. Frankly, I can barely tell, so I wouldn't call it an issue - the specifics are quite negligible - but, it's definitely worth noting for the purists out there. Generally, the figure makes up for these inaccuracies, and I dig its unique look.

Though sculpted in a pretty energetic, lively pose, Ghiddy unfortunately features zero articulation - not even the glue-sealed heads, knees, or tails. The pose, again, carries, but it's just so strange - you'd think at least the heads would be a requirement, man, it's a hydra. They've made MMS Ghidorahs with proper articulation in the past - some reaching as many as nine points - I guess it could have to do with the 2019 version's comparatively spindly proportions, but I dunno. If Bandai Creations could do it in 2005, MMS can in 2019, too.

Largely a subdued, earthy yellow, Ghiddy's unfortunately not quite the shining fire-dragon one might expect; though, I suppose it's about screen accurate, realistically muted. With six shiny gold eyes, his little teeth are a simple white, with a bit of beige and light yellow sprays highlighting his horns, throats, arms and claws. Accurate or not, I think a more typical, flashy, fully golden color scheme would've added so much regal flair to the figure; more definition to the mouths, variance to the sprays - just more in general could've totally elevated what's already a pretty slick sculpt. As it stands, beyond the quality sculpt itself, he ultimately comes across as rather low-end.

Come 2020, Bandai did offer a so-called "heavy paint" version of Ghiddy; though, at the end of the day, it's basically just what the main release should have been... and, still, not that much better. I've seen a few wicked fully golden bootlegs of Ghidorah '19 floating around online, which often totally destroy Bandai's originals - and, as jank as it sounds, I'd kinda love to have one; if only because I really think that extra touch of color pushes what's a mostly sub-standard figure to something truly sick.

I really applaud the figure's wicked pose, very huge, very evil; I think if you're a fan of the character, or even just the figure itself, it all works fine - though, beyond it's size, there isn't a whole lot making it especially desirable, especially among his Glimmering Ghiddy Brethren. It certainly meets the MMS standard, as far as sculpting goes... but, that's all she wrote, with no articulation, and pretty weak decos. Serviceable - even a little bit cool - but nothing fancy.

Check out my previous MMS reviews:

Godzilla 2014 (BC)
Kong 2021
MechaGodzilla 2021

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Review - Kong 2021 (Movie Monster Series)

King Kong and Godzilla's holy rivalry is one of myth, and legend - both in some way drawn from famed stop-motion animator, Ray Harryhausen - both recurring Universal Studios theme park residents - and both set to hit the public domain within our lifespan. Neat!

Thanks to a legal nightmare of copyright confusion surrounding the monster, Kong, despite his role as Godzilla's perhaps most iconic foe, is a rather elusive character across the otherwise vast MMS lineup; appearing only once before his MonsterVerse incarnation(s), with the exceedingly rare Godzilla Collection 1962 Kong - not even receiving a figure for his first MonsterVerse appearance, Kong: Skull Island. Which is really too bad - I'd love an MMS SkullCrawler, or Sam Jackson.

2021's Kong is an... alright sculpt, certainly not bad, but sort of tinged by that recurring cartoony Bandai look - reminds me a lot of their older figures. Detail wise, he's solid, appropriately fuzzy, and muscular, with nicely wrinkled and worn texturing; though, something about the waves and tufts of his fur looks a little too exaggerated, or simplified, and I'm not fully sold on the likeness - though it, again, really ain't bad, it doesn't especially match the MV Kong's distinct face... beyond, y'know, Monkey. I definitely appreciate it's very precise sculpting, from his bagged eyes, gaping maw, and angular beard, but I think a stronger, sterner brow, and more stoic expression could've pushed the resemblance.

Moving at three points - both arms, and waist - Kong's limited, but takes the usual "humanoid" articulation seen across MMS; see characters such as Jet Jaguar, the Xilien, or Gabara. It's typical enough, but not very inspiring - there's a bit of life to the sculpt, though nothing all that exciting overall, only one or two poses in 'em. The personified, and agile kaiju he is, I feel like at least leg joints, or maybe even a head turn ought to have been warranted.

Cast in a deep, bold brown, Kong's dark, almost mauve leather skin nicely shines against his matte fur, defined in the arms and legs by the same spray, with a very beautifully done mouth, little orange eyes, and scarred gashes of flesh dug along his chest. Maybe some more detail work could've pushed things further, but... it's Kong, it's all here. It's most outstanding issue are the eyes - a bit too large, and white, giving him this almost cutesy, unrealistic look that definitely throws the overall likeness. Again, "cartoony" is the word that's coming to mind.

Godzilla Vs Kong's "Special Set" home media release featured two unique variants of Godzilla and Kong, with (somewhat subtly) new decos; Kong even receiving something of an accessory - his Godzilla spine battle axe, sculpted into his freshly reworked fist (one of the only examples I can remember of an MMS figure featuring any sort of accessory, even though it's part of the mold). I definitely think this version, rare as it is, is the one to go after - just so cool.

Godzilla's famed rival turned sidekick, and an icon in his own right, Kong's one of those must-haves, and, really, is serviceable as a representation of the character; especially seeing as we'll probably never see a 1962 Kong again. I can't say he's anything more than that - a pretty solid, standard take - but hey, what you see is what you get; it's Kong. Big Gorilla. Check!

Friday, April 4, 2025

MechaGodzilla 2021 (Movie Monster Series) (Bootleg / TWCare)

2021's MechaGodzilla is one of the most brutal, villainous versions of the character, the reanimated, mechanized corpse of a vengeful King Ghidorah following his gory defeat in Godzilla: King of the Monsters; elated not only to finally have arms, but to finally get back at that atomic a-hole, Godzilla.

Many fans are mixed on the Bayformers-type design, but I've come to love it's creepy, disheveled skeletal look - plus, a usual strength of the Monsterverse movies, his excellent characterization, clearly filled with an evil joy as he murders and maims; you can really feel that diabolical Ghiddy-brain coming through.

Now... as one might've noticed, on this Lord's day, I have committed a sin. No, not that one - or that one - no... intentionally buying a bootleg. A strange little creature known as TWCare has been producing a pretty wide variety of MMS (and BC!) bootlegs for the past few years, flooding the skeevy depths of e-retailers with... honestly, good enough lookalikes; occasionally typical knock-off crap, but, seemingly more often than not, sometimes fairly close to, or at least interesting spins on the actual figures. The majority of their offerings are fairly common to begin with, though here and there, you'll find pretty cool variants such as a rainbow of Godzilla '19s, a snazzy teal MechaGodzilla '75, a custom Gigan Miles - or, rarest of all, an almost perfect counterfeit, like BC's Showa Gigan, or today's lovely lad.

"Helps to find new playmates." So true.

The doppelganger he is, TWCare's MechaGodzilla '21 is an almost exact copy of MMS original; the literal only key difference, beyond possible paint specifics, being the articulated tail - otherwise (clearly unnecessarily) glue sealed. Oh, and you can see a little dash in the mold where the real figure's tag must've hung, if you know where to look - plus, zero copyright indications. Neat!

Bandai traditionally loves their mech designs, and MechaGodzilla's no different; a bonkers amount of detailed seams, vents and machinery designing the robo-monster, truly covered in intricate animatronic detail - definitely one of those figures to spend time simply looking at. He's a bit rounded out compared to the CG model, being sofubi and all - notice the hands, bunched into somewhat undefined fists, rather than big, scary grabby-claws - but nevertheless, I think the likeness is pretty much spot-on. I especially dig his unique lurched pose, an extra bit of flair you don't normally see with MMS' Monsterverse figures. I really can't overstate how nice this guy looks.

At five points of articulation, MechaGodzilla can strike some really manic, threatening poses; the unsealed tail even acting as a stand, allowing for some neat action. Once again, I appreciate the figure's subtle sculpted stance, adding some spark. He's also a big boy; not quite outscaling Godzilla '19, but certainly a touch larger than your average MMS figure, especially when stood upright.

MechaGodzilla's paint is limited, but covers all the bases; coated in a vibrant, shiny sleek silver, with a globby solid red dotting his antenna spines and buggy eyes. I definitely think some dark metallic sprays, or printed details defining the neon recesses in his machinery could've elevated the very attractive sculpt, but it's all serviceable, and looks cool.

Bandai's - er, I mean, TWCare's - MechaGodzilla '21 is one of the series' nicest MonsterVerse vinyls, an excellent take that, in the best MMS fashion, totally brings the character to life. It's not necessarily an A-lister, perhaps a little blasé, but at the same time, I can't find a major fault. I see no reason not to go for the counterfeit, as the original - a bit unreasonably, if you ask me - has already climbed up the aftermarket, and, considering Bandai's general indifference to the MonsterVerse series, is unlikely to be officially released again soon; plus, they're the same, and TW's gonna run you $20~, if not less, rather than the roughly $40+ standard. Hell, you can even make it a two-fer. In fact, there's an even more obscure golden MechaGodzilla bootleg, for those of you who really want an excuse. I'm a big fan of unique bootlegs, or ones that serve some kind of otherwise purpose; be it availability, creativity, or, such as in this case, offering a cheaper and totally sufficient alternative to what really shouldn't be a pricey figure. He's ready, waiting, and "develops communication" - so, what's to lose? He's a great pick.

Check out my previous MMS reviews:

Review - Godzilla 2014 (Bandai Creations)

Godzilla 2014 brought the mega-monster back to the limelight after a long, meandering decade of silence with a kaiju-size Hollywood blitz; complete with - what else? - loads, and loads of merchandise; from fun kiddie stuff, such as the amazing two foot tall Jakks Godzilla '14, to NECA and SH Monsterarts' awesome articulated figures - who can forget that incredible 12" Godzilla - to, naturally, Godzilla-lifer Bandai's grand array of G'14 junk; destruction playsets, chibis, gashapon, eggs... the list goes on.

While the Movie Monster Series had been dormant since 2009, stateside, a similar sofubi vinyl series produced by Bandai Creations chugged along, producing a good variety of unique figures inspired by, but certainly distinguishable from their MMS equivalents - for better, or for worse. Any western fan who grew up in the 2000s most certainly had one or two of BC's figures, and, as time goes on, I find myself missing the sometimes wonky, sometimes killer little sub-series. As G'14 sparked life into the comatose MMS, returning with a fresh new G'14 lineup, it also marked the end of BC's reign of arguable terror; their spin on the titular monster marking their final vinyl release, leaving further plans, including a Shin Godzilla, on the cutting room floor.

As usual, I'll mention that I don't normally care to get into a figure's packaging; be it tagged, or cardbacked, it just feels a bit irrelevant, especially concerning this particular series. Still, for the sake of conversation... here we are. Pictured above, G'14 came in a film stylized box, using the movie's typical merchandise design; I was never a huge fan of the look - especially that overused, jolly Goji render - but, it is what it is. I definitely prefer BC's more inspired boxes. Though it's hard to tell, thanks to my box clearly having been sat on by none other than the big G himself, Godzilla is strapped to a sort of upward angled cardboard base, giving the packaged figure a neat displayed look.

G'14 is massive. and mountainous, roaring in a striking unique sculpted pose resembling his triumphant rise after decapitating the MUTO. It's an iconic, and very appropriate pose for the imposing incarnation of the character; huge, and brutal. Though his articulation is somewhat limited by said pose - more of a statue than traditional action figure - at four points of articulation, it's par-the-course, and regardless is carried by that absolute quality sculpt. The best MMS figures bring great energy, personality, and sculpting to the forefront, and that's certainly true of BC's G'14.

The figure is carved in excellent detail; all varieties of scales and scutes shingling his heavy, bear-like build, textured by intricate wrinkles, grooves and leathery grain. It really is above at least the BC standard, close to a full-on "art toy" eye for detail.

Many BC figures featured conspicuously curved, or otherwise shortened tails, so as to better fit the box; though sometimes jarring, I've never particularly minded this choice - especially as it's done here, adding to the dynamic pose, and, naturally, saving some shelf space. The tail is glue sealed in three separate segments, though these breaks were used as articulation on the figure's 12" reissue - we'll get there.

Molded in a dark slate brown, the figure's vinyl has a nice sheen to it; somehow attractively capturing the light, giving it this almost tactile reptilian gloss. Off the bat, that alone gives him such a sleek appearance. A mossy tan highlights his underbelly, reaching all the way to the tip of his twisted tail, with cleanly painted white teeth, a deep red tongue, and feirce yellow eyes - which, as one might notice are missing their pupils... though, it ain't a bad look for the big guy, eh? I imagine it should've been easy enough to paste a couple dots in those peepers - somehow, the even smaller MMS did it - but, I really don't care; looks cooler, more demonic, and stylized this way. Brings out his inner GMK.

Comparing it to the MMS one-on-one... yeah, there's no contest. The MMS, while very nostalgic, and I suppose not terrible, just never hit the same as the beautifully done BC - one looks flat out 3-D printed, the other looks dedicatedly thought out and designed.

To got into specifics; First and foremost, the MMS is significantly smaller, taking a rather stock, standard pose. The BC's wicked sculpt just blows it out of the water, truly bringing the character to life - not to mention, scaling ever-so-slightly better with the MMS MUTO. In it's credit, I actually think the MMS' sculpt is more screen accurate than the BC, if only by a small margin; the BC appears slightly exaggerated, while the MMS very accurately captures his true proportions - tiny head, and all. They're both equally articulated, neither exactly what I'd describe as "poseable", but the BC at least looks great regardless.

The BC is overall much darker than the MMS, giving him a nice, murky color scheme. I will say, I think it could've been still a bit darker - particularly, that sandy underbelly highlight - but, meh. Only little details I think the MMS has over the BC in the paint territory are the figure's cool fiery orange eyes - complete with, y'know, pupils - and the subtle red paint emphasizing his slasher-smile jaws.

Final verdict - the MMS, while seemingly more accurate, is significantly held back by the figure's odd paint work, and uninteresting design; the BC just looks so much better in practically every way.

Godzilla '14 saw two reissues of sorts; the first, and most interesting, is the New York Comic Con exclusive atomic blast redeco, giving the figure an overall darker color scheme and shiny metallic blue spines - complete in a very attractive window box, framed by the burning remains of San Fransico. I'd love to own one of these, if not just for it's obscurity, than for the wicked overall presentation - definitely the best version available. Second, came something of a rescale - the 12" G'14; largely similar, albeit with added articulation in the head, and, as mentioned before, throughout the tail - plus... pupils! They said it couldn't be done.

Unfortunately, that was about it for the little guy; effectively the grand finale for Bandai Creations, the final unique vinyl Godzilla the off-shoot series would ever release. BC's G'14 is one of their finest figures, and an excellent note to end on, emphasizing the inspired detail and creativity that made BC's best takes so exciting.

Unfortunately, despite being very easy to come by for a period, it's perhaps overwhelming commonality, paired with it's release near the end of the series' lifespan, seem to have led to it going a bit under the radar - not exactly rare, or expensive, but certainly growingly uncommon, as time has gone on. Well worth the hunt, whether you're a dedicated G'14 fan, or just dig the character in general, it's a real sweet little figure, and definitely the best MMS-type GarethGoji available.

Check out my previous MMS reviews:

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.