Jada Toys Universal Monsters Entertainment Earth Exclusive Creature from the Black Lagoon Action Figure Jada Toys, 2022
Day #2,412: April 14, 2022
Creature from the Black Lagoon Glow-in-the-Dark Exclusive
Universal Monsters Entertainment Earth Exclusive
Item No.: No. 33763 Manufacturer:Jada Toys Includes:Gut gun, tail whip Action Feature:Glows in the dark, swappable head and hand Retail:$29.99 Availability: March 2022 Other: Glows best with sunlight
I was really excited when I saw the renders for these Universal Monsters figures because they looked good and were cheap, but I also asked about a Glow-in-the-Dark Creature from the Black Lagoon toy. Since I have a lot of figures, I held off for this one - and man, it was worth it. With about 30 points of articulation, this lanky gill man is molded in glow platic with some painted highlights. Each segment is a slightly different kind of plastic, so the glow effect varies by body part, but it still glows well when exposed to really bright UV light.
As a figure, it's really good - all the hallmarks of most relatively recent collector figures are here, like the buttefly-jointed knees and elbows, rocker ankles, and lots of swiveling elements. The hips have a great range of motion and can swing forward completely without looking goofy, plus all of the joints seem tight enough that you can pose him and he stays standing. With big feet and a good center of gravity, I don't think I need to worry about him tumbling off a shelf or falling on my hands as I type this review. He's going to stay put, and that's very necessary nowadays. Well, any time really - it's just not something guaranteed of all action toys. This one can even crouch and remain standing without leaning him against something. Some poses require hand support, but this figure doesn't seem to need a hand.
Speaking of hands, this set has two. A fossil hand accessory for your other toys to find in the jungle, and an alternate left hand that is designed to grip accessories. Sure Gill Man doesn't need to fire a dart gun, but he probably could. He also has a great alternate head - closed and open mouth versions are included - plus a net. The net is actually string and not rubbery plastic, so it should be pretty durable for the long haul.
The eyes are very clearly printed, with various green scale stripes painted on the heads and body for added definition. I very much like plain green glow plastic, but it doesn't look as good in pictures nor does it show off the considerable sculpted detail of the costume. The green costume color is dark enough that I can actually see the scales in parts, as opposed to the lighter, more washed-out color of most glow plastics. The downside is that it doesn't glow quite as brightly as some other glow figures, but it's still quite impressive in person.
I haven't seen plastic Jada figures in stores much and they're pretty swell for a license that's closing in on being nearly 100 years old. Gill Man has only been with us since 1954, but maybe that's why he's so appealing. It's not a guy in a roughed-up suit with make-up, it's a full-body creature mask, and we saw him swim. NECA also has monster figures, as does Super7 and others, each of which capture something different, or inhabit a specific price point or unique corner of the toy world. These seem to be entry-tier, but still awesome, figures for adult fans and I hope they do well enough to warrant a few more. If you are so inclined, go ahead and get this figure - it seems nicely done and I also work at the place that sells it as an exclusive, so that's a totally biased plus there.
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