The final
figure in the original four Bandai Creation figures
released in the United States, the 1954 version
of the monster king is, sadly, the worst of the
lot. At first glance he seems to be a decent representation
of the monster, but upon closer look, and comparing
it to the Japanese release and the monster from
the film, several flaws emerge.
Lets start with the basics first. Godzilla stands
at six inches and is made of a softer vinyl when
compared to the Burning Godzilla and Gigan released
at the same time. His arms and legs are moveable,
but the tail and head aren't.
Starting from the top, the flaws begin with the
head. It doesn't look right, especially when
compared to the movies. It looks like it has been
slightly crushed in a compactor. The biggest flaw
in the figure comes in its arms, which are way too
long for a figure based on the 1954 Godzilla. Not
only are they too long, but also too thin. They
look like twigs that would snap the minute another
monster fights back. The spines are the last thing
done wrong. They are not bad per say, but don't
look much like 1954's. They'd fit a
1989-based figure fine, however, with a little problems.
There's also something going on about its
build I can't quite put my finger on. He looks
enough like the 1954 Godzilla, but doesn't
seem bulky enough, but when placed next to the Japanese
release and comparing to pictures, it looks fine.
It has to be the lighter colors, I'll touch
up on that later. It also doesn't help that
he doesn't really look threatening or angry…
He looks bored.
Thankfully, the rest of the mold isn't so
bad. The legs aren't as nicely done as the
Japanese release, but are the right size. What the
figure falls flat at the most is the texturing.
There are just not enough ridges and bumps to be
found here. Its like Bandai had the impression Godzilla's
skin was like that of an elephant's.
The paint job is done well enough. I feel he should
be a bit darker, but everything is done in a decent
manner. As I said before, the lighter shade of gray
just makes him look thin, but he isn't. Optical
illusions suck like that. His tongue is even painted
red, an aspect the Japanese release can't
relate to. If there's one flaw in the paint,
it's the lack of color on the tail where the
spines turn to ridges.
Overall, not a bad figure, but not a good one either.
He's a cheap release if one doesn't
feel like ordering a better Japanese figure. I can't
really recommend it much, but I also can't
say avoid it and don't get it. If you have
the Japanese release, skip it. If you don't
have plans to order the Japanese release, get this.
There we are, better.
Rating:  |
|
