Shin Godzilla Action Figure
Item No.: No. 5599, #5 of 12 Manufacturer:BanDai Includes:Tag Action Feature:n/a Retail:$20ish through importers Availability:Late 2016 Other:One of Many Forms
After seeing the movie, I was hoping to find figures like Shin Godzilla Third Form in the USA. I didn't - but thanks to the increasingly business-friendly international dealings on Amazon and eBay, it's easier to pick these up online for a reasonable (if not cheap) price. This very long, very weird take on the title monster is just one of several forms in the movie - the creature looks goofier than before but wriggles and moves in a more disturbing way than we've seen in years. A dinosaur stomping Tokyo has been done, this one slithers with ghoulish dead eyes that are as cute as they are horrifying. This time around, the creature grows in to a form that resembles the classic Toho monster, starting off as some sort of weird being that's not entirely unlike an eel.
From tip to tip, the creature measures about 13 inches in length. The dark red vinyl has some lighter red highlights with dark yellow teeth and bright, wide circular eyes that are easily the most creepy I've seen on a kaiju toy in some time. The hollow vinyl figure looks fantastic with great detailing, from his evolving gills to the classic back fins to the questionable role of the tail - which you'll see in the movie when you see the movie. Since it came from the creators of Attack on Titan, you can see the design influences on the classic movie monster. They made it their own, and unless they use this as the new default design it will really stand out on a shelf that's a sea of green vinyl lizards that breathe fire.
Articulation is weak, but it's a vinyl figure - that's normal. This one has 4 joints, thanks to the stubby arms being molded to its chest. The legs are jointed with swivels at the hips and knees, which allow this figure to have limited articulation. It's basically a statue as you have to balance it using the tail, but you have limited options in how low to the ground it goes. This gives it a more interesting range of motion than some earlier figures, but since the neck and tail and arms don't move you can't do much to change its mood - visually speaking, anyway. The wide-eyed open-mouthed rampage seems to be driving that, anyway.
Soft vinyl figures occupy this weird place where they're both the cheapest, low-rent figures and highly-priced collectibles. Now it seems that the expensive toys will inevitably get cheaper, and the super limited toys - or the cheap ones - get pricey if you dawdle. Don't look up the Godzilla: Final Wars vinyl toys, is what I'm saying. It can take a long time for the weird versions or bad guys to see a second or third toy, so go ahead and get your Shin Godzilla stuff now while it's affordable. X-Plus will no doubt do a deluxe $200 one someday, but I doubt you're going to see another one like this in the near future. It's cute, it's nifty, and the price is right - for now. I got it for Mrs. 16bit as a gift, and because I'm an excellent spouse, I'm reviewing it here. "See honey, it's a good toy, that one review site said so." Best husband ever.
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