Godzilla vs. Kong

Godzilla vs. Kong

Jakks Pacific - Lanard

Jakks has updated and rereleased their 24" Godzilla from his previous crappy movie to coincide with his newest crappy movie.  Seriously? 40% on Rotten Tomatoes?!  How could it be worse tham that bait and switch job they pulled with Bryan Cranston?!  Godzilla is now an 0-3 loser in America...Kong should have no problem whipping his scaly butt.  Oh wait...Kong is an 0-2 loser in modern cinema...just stop already!  Anyway...at least we got some cool, big figures out of this garbage.

I was so angry with that Aaron Taylor-Johnson nonsense to want anything to do with the merch last time, so I have no idea what all has changed with this big figure rerelease.  He has some speaker holes in his chest, but no sound feature, leading me to believe this time around was more cost effective.  He's not bad for $60.  His jaw opens, his head turns, his arms and legs move a bit, and his tail is super long and articulated.  The only drawbacks are the screw holes that show on both sides of his back and I wish he had included some sort of energy beam effect.  He's a big, lumbering lizard and this presentation fits that just fine.  So big that you may want to brace yourself in attempting any Jet Jaguar kicks with this thing.

Kong: Skull Island was "meh", but the birth of awesome, cheap-o toys from Lanard.  See my "Rampage" and "Primal Clash" reviews...they knock several scales of beasties out of the park!  I was lucky to pick this 18" Kong up on clearance for $9.  That's a steal, even with his limited articulation.  His legs may not move, but he can still gorilla pound Godzilla to death.

I added some challengers to demonstrate the size of these figures.  You've seen my 24" Stay Puft Marshmallow Man bank before, but not the 18" Transformers Generations Predaking!  Sorry, but Transformers take so much time to review, what with their dual forms and all.  Even worse when you have to review a big bot that splits into six smaller bots, all with their own alt. modes!  Predaking is great.  A faithful representation of the artwork/cartoon.  His size makes him a bit difficult to manipulate for play, but you can get him into some decent static poses.

Just look at that tail!  And only $60!  If you have the space for him, this Godzilla is quite the display piece.

The Real Ghostbusters

The Real Ghostbusters

Diamond Select Toys

Diamond Select wraps several years of Ghostbusters figures with a couple of waves consisting of the toon Ghostbusters and the completion of another huge diorama.  

The Real Ghostbusters is a great cartoon adaptation that still holds up today (minus the dumbed-down Slimer shows at the end of the run.)  They did a great job of capturing the heart of the characters and exploring a variety of folktales, urban legends, and greater ghost mythologies.  And Diamond did a great job nailing these adaptations in expressive head sculpts and accessories.

They do get to reuse their movie figure bodies, which isn't terrible, but may not fit some of the more exaggerated characteristics. (Ray might be a bit stockier, chubby for example.)  The packs, traps, PKE meters, belts, and uniform colors are all spot-on.  The traps do port to the side of the pack, and the clip that connects the wand is less fragile and more manageable than the movie figures.  They come with the standard "streams", but they have been recolored as a nod to the original Kenner RGB figures.  The only thing missing here is that they didn't revamp any ghost pack-ins.  Man, was there any better gimmick?  Getting a hero and a villain in one pack!

The ghosts you do get in this wave are kind of disappointing.  Slimer in his animated form may be a given, but they tried to get away with only animating his interchangeable faces.  The globs and pustules on the movie figure just don't fit the aesthetic.  I might be more forgiving had they given him some more accessories.  Heck, Slimer wielded a proton pack a couple of times in the series!

Stay Puft is actually a great little figure, but the key word here is "little." Sure, it's a throwback to the Kenner Puft with some added joint articulation but, if you're like me, you've already bought several, bigger Puft banks from Diamond as stand-ins.  I have the 11-inch bank that works with Minimates and Titans vinyls, and the 24-inch bank is as big as you could hope for to stand in with your standard action figures.  Having the big bank, I wish the slot in this wave had been used on something more unique to Real Ghostbusters like Bogeyman, Sandman, or Samhain.

No ghosts with the guys is a bummer, but you do get another piece of the Firehouse HQ exterior with each figure.  Adding to the ones from the previous Ghostbusters 2 waves, you have a big section of sidewalk, doors that open in multiple fashions, and a roughly two-story exterior.  You also have interchangeable "no-ghost" or "peace-sign" hanging signs and the option to add or remove the "hook and ladder 8" wording that is not present in the first movie.

It was a bit of a struggle to get some of the pieces together.  I sustained a nice, bloody plastic gash while working on it.  The doors on might are a little tight and take some effort to get them all closed, but other than that, it looks great.  It's not quite as impressive as the Gozer Temple diorama from the first waves, but I would regret not having it.  I wish they had included a backdrop with the firehouse interior, like they did with the temple.  If they aren't going to make an Ecto-1, they could have at least given us a flat, scale picture of it to park behind these doors.

Like I said, this set is the culmination of many waves of figures over a couple of years time.  I am sad that it's over, as Diamond did a much better job than Mattel in bringing a robust lineup and a little extra bang for the buck with the displays.  On the heels of the announcement of a true Ghosbusters 3, Diamond has announced that more ghostbusting is on it's way.  I would like to see more RBG ghosts, but am also curious to see what the new movie delivers, both on the screen and in the toy aisle.

Bucket (R1-J5)

Bucket (R1-J5)

Star Wars Resistance - Hasbro

"Resistance" isn't that difficult for me when it comes to new Star Wars media nowadays. (Thanks, Rian Johnson!)  But who doesn't love a new astromech droid every now and then?  Especially one with a very different aesthetic.  Finally, Episode 1 Threepio has a buddy for the droid nudist colony on Malastare!

I have no idea what Bucket's story is, nor do I care to know.  He looks cool and has an interesting range of motion for a small figure.  His middle "leg"  can be extended and contracted (watch out, droid nudist colony), tilting "feet", his "neck" is on a ball joint that can tilt and swivel, and he has ball-jointed "shoulders."   Shoulders on an astromech?  I guess the outer casing is movement prohibiting for fully fleshed-out droids.  It definitely gives him more expression for an animated series character.

The pilot helmet is not removable, but the guy he came packed with is.  Into the junk drawer, loser!  If you like the Resistance show (why?) or collect droids, Bucket alone is worth picking up.  He's the new co-pilot for my Star Tours Speeder!

Ultimate Gremlins

Ultimate Gremlins

Stripe, Gamer Gremlin

NECA

It's about time NECA got back to the original Gremlins!  What took so long?!  You didn't know you'd make a killing, selling us multiples of the same Gremlin buck or something?  

The Gremlin sculpt is spot-on original Gremlins, with articulation just about everywhere you'd expect it to be in bringing these puppets to toy form.  The hinged jaws and articulated ears are the highlight for me, allowing you to get multiple expressions and accessory-use options.

Accessorizing is what its all about here, with NECA providing quite a bit of add-ons to help your clones stand out from each other on the shelf.  Your Gremlins get quite a bit of junk food (candies, soda) and some interesting headwear (popcorn bags for the ears, 3-D glasses).  

The Gamer Gremlin (a Gamestop exclusive) comes with the popular popcorn bucket hat option, propeller beanie, wrap-around shades, and retro "gamer" accessories like an Atari joystick and Gremlins video game box.  The coolest accessory is the mini-arcade cabinet, even if they had to substitute imagery to get past rights issues for Donkey Kong.  It looks great with the previously released Mogwai, and the joystick is even movable!

The big-bad leader, Stripe gets some yum-yums and a couple of toys to menace Billy Peltzer.  He's got a skateboard to move around the department store to pick up some much-needed hardware like saw blades and an electric chainsaw.  The detailing on the chainsaw is great, but I feel like the plastic here is a bit fragile and a tumble from the shelf might do it in.  Warning, these figures are a bit top heavy!  

Since these accessories are from the department store finale, I feel cheated he didn't come with a revolver.  OH, NO...GUNS!!!  THINK OF THE CHILDREN...with these "adult collectibles?"  From a movie that pushed the envelope and forced the creation of the PG-13 rating guide?  Ugh...I'm more than tired of having that debate at large, let alone leaking into my toy accuracy.  If Spielberg/Amblin wanted to continue being pussies, NECA should have at least made a joke of it and given Stripe a walkie-talkie instead.  Wait...but they allowed Mohawk from Gremlins 2 his machine gun?!  What sense does that make?!  Anyway...on to the cigarettes and beer?

Toys with cigs and beer!  And cards for gambling!  Yes, they can be bad for you, but they are bad, naughty little creatures that do bad things! You couldn't call them "Ultimate" without something from the Dorry's Tavern scene thrown in.  And while I would still like a Gremlin in the Flashdance leg warmers, I'll settle for these dirty little details.  Details...did I ever tell you about the argument I had over wishing a Ray Stantz Ghostbusters figure had a cigarette?  It was the 80s...get over yourself!

These are the Gremlins I've always wanted.  But be warned, the joints can be a little fragile (stuck, paint slop). I recommend breaking rule number 2 with these Gremlins: give 'em a hot bath to loosen them up first.  The Gamer Gremlin's leg snapped at the knee right out of the package (flashback to my NECA Batman 89) with minimal force.  I used a small drill bit to install a small linoleum nail in place of the plastic pin.  Now my Gremlin's knee is better, stronger than ever! Good thing I'm getting good with minor toy repairs to combat bad quality control.  If something like this happens to you, I encourage you to try something like this rather than just gluing broken pieces in place.

Want more Gremlins?  Check out my Ultimate Gizmo review, featuring Gremlins 2: The New Batch figures!

Vikor, He-Man of the North

Vikor, He-Man of the North

Masters of the Universe Classics - Mattel

I recently found a couple of packaged Masters of the Universe Classics figures at a local flea market.  Shocking, as these were all online exclusives with Mattycollector.  Even more shocking to see them second-hand in the Middle-of-Nowhere, Missouri.  I regretted missing out on Vikor the first go round after I got Demo-Man (mostly because of the Vikor-esque skull he came with).  Both are based on early concept art for what would become He-Man and Skeletor.  Only now, they have been worked into the greater MOTU mythology as fleshed-out characters!

Vikor has the standard He-Man body, so the difference is in the details.  He's got a more primal, Conan the Barbarian look (intentional) going on.  He has some metal chain links on his wrists...making you assume he was a prisoner of some evil power at some point, powerful enough to break away, and too boss to bother removing them completely?  I dunno, but it looks cool.  The "fur" cape looks great, but is a little stiff...maybe my only gripe here. That, and I wish he had come with an alternate, screaming head.  Something a little more aggressive for a guy that doesn't think twice about cleaving his enemies in two.

His ax and shield are worked into the mythology as inspirations for the weapons the He-Man we know would later wield.  While not the Power Sword, he does pack a large blade of his own that fits the design and color scheme of the other weapons.

Even though he may not be the most exciting "He-Man" variant in the line, I am glad to have him alongside King Grayskull and Castle Grayskull Man in the hall of legends.  And if that doesn't do it for you, he is at least a great Frank Frazetta Conan stand-in.