Burger King Universal Monsters Down for the Count Dracula Burger King, 1997
Day #894: April 8, 2014
Down for the Count Dracula Surprisingly Good
Universal Monsters Action Figure
Item No.: n/a Manufacturer:Burger King Includes:Cape and coffin Action Feature:Rises out of coffin, glow in the dark highlights Retail:$2.99ish Availability: 1997 Other: Quality
One ding! German. Two dings? Still German. Three dings? Dracula!
Since I started punching up these reviews, I started talking to collectors about Burger King's line of Universal Monsters and was surprised to hear not only how many people remembered them, but love them. Sure, they have goofy names like Down for the Count Dracula and the estate of Bela Lugosi prevents it from having a perfect likeness, but it looks better than Remco's figure. The hands and face both glow in the dark green thanks to some clever paint applications, and the outfit itself is quite ornate. The plastic cape fits snuggly and is arguably superior to vintage 1980s capes, if nothing else it looks pretty good.
While odds are Sideshow Toy (today Sideshow Collectibles) had the best monster figures in the 1990s with its killer 8-inch line of action figures, these were the best toys for so many reasons - even if Lugosi's face didn't provide the basis for Drac, the outfit's about right. The sculpting is really good, with sharp lines and legs which can easily swing forward. The plug-in cape comes off without a hitch, making this arguably more playable than the bulk of Kenner figures of his era. The coffin gimmick is what really makes this one sing, since you can turn a knob and the Count rises from his coffin and casts aside the lid. Sure, the coffin has a bat cut-out and his name on the lid, but it's still a dang coffin!
As always you get 5 good joints in addition to his unpainted reddish coffin. It's a very simple design, as the foot pegs on the hinge peg in to the feet, more or less staying in there even if you flip it upside-down.
While not the perfect Dracula, it is pretty darned good - but without likeness rights, all of the Universal Dracula toys feel even cheaper than they should. It's a fun figure if you enjoy these charms, and would like a figure that's worth playing with rather than staring at. The little mechanism in the coffin is simple and fun, plus any figure that glows in the dark is worthy of some attention. Get this set if you can!
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