1991 was
a decent year for kaiju toys from Bandai, as they
would release 7 toys in the standard 8 inch line,
but their biggest release was no doubt the Large
Scale Godzilla commemorating the debut of Godzilla
vs. King Ghidorah. Standing nearly 15 inches
tall and reaching 19 inches from toenail to tail-tip,
this is quite a large toy. In fact, its size adds
to its rarity in the American market, as these larger
size toys can be incredibly expensive to ship from
Japan. It was also not produced in as many numbers
as the standard sized Bandais, as most Japanese
houses are smaller than those in America, and there
was not as big of a market for these large toys.
Bandai only produced a few "large scales"
for their Godzilla series. This one, as stated,
was released in 1991, and also re-issued in 1996.
How does he fare? Read on.
Being such a thick toy, Godzilla only sports limited
articulation in his neck, arms, and legs. I imagine
posablity and play value were not selling points
for this big guy, but he is quite impressive to
view. The fins on the back are nicely individually
sculpted and painted a bright silver, as are Godzilla's
claws. The paint detail is good, as it should be
on such a large toy, with Godzilla's teeth and tongue
all painted. The "Large Scale" Godzilla's
mouth is opened, contrasting the standard size Godzilla
released in 1991, commonly called the "Closed
Mouth Godzilla" amongst collectors due to the
small number of Godzilla figures produced with closed
mouthes.
Also interestingly to note is that instead of a
tag, Bandai shipped each Large Scale Godzilla in
a cardboard box, with a large portrait of the 1984
Godzilla's head on one side, and Godzilla 1991 on
the remaining sides. Also you will find several
small "logos" for Godzilla
vs. King Ghidorah on the original's box
that would be absent from the re-issues. It can
be difficult to tell the toys apart if you cannot
see the date stamped on their feet. The best advice
I can give you is that the original is SLIGHTLY
taller, made with much thicker vinyl, and has slightly
more curve to the tail than the re-issue. Also,
an one slight complaint against the figure, the
original sees the neck of the figure not line up
perfectly with the "shoulders", and a
small gap is noticable where the pieces connect,
something I've heard was corrected for the re-issue.
Don't expect to ever find one, but there is also
a variation of this toy that was painted gold. It
was produced in incredibly small numbers, perhaps
less than 30, as a gift for various Toho employees,
not to be confused with the earlier release of the
Bronze Great Monster Godzilla 1964.
The only scale this figure is concerned with are
the thousands of scales sculpted into Godzilla's
detailed vinyl skin. In other words, don't expect
him to match up with any other figures in your collection.
He dwarfs the standard sized Godzilla from the same
year, and does the same to both Ghidorah figures
released alongside them. However, Godzilla fans
might recall that the original plan for Godzilla's
1991 outing was a rematch against King Kong. You
can set this up in your own home using the Deluxe
King Kong released by Mezco Toyz in conjunction
with the 2005 Peter Jackson Kong film, which was
a nice toy in its own right.
Despite the lack of playability, the uninspired
pose and lack of scale with other figures, and the
small gripe of the neck connection issue, I give
the Large Scale Godzilla a 4.5 out of 5, as there
are few Godzilla figures made that can match the
display power this one boasts. He's an instant attention
grabber for any collection. Though I have rarely
seen him on eBay or among the inventory of online
Godzilla dealers, they do pop up from time to time
and could be added to your collection for under
$200 if you're lucky. So, by all means, track this
big guy down, scare your pets, attempt to justify
the purchase price to your significant other...its
worth it.
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