One of the most popular Godzilla suit designs, the Bio-Goji Godzilla suit, which premiered in Godzilla vs Biollante (1989), served as the basis for all future Godzilla suits for the remainder of the VS series (from 1991 to 1995). Now this design has already appeared in the larger, aborted LIGHT, SOUND AND MUSIC sub line of SH MonsterArts in 2016. Around the time of SH MonsterArts SCV Biollante's release in 2020, though, advertisements of Biollante showed an outline of a Bio-Goji figure in a standard SH figure size. That started speculation that Bio-Goji would appear in the regular SH MonsterArts line, which finally happened in 2021 under the designation Godzilla 1989.
Details
The figure is designed by Yuji Sakai, a veteran monster designer from the series who has worked on other SH MonsterArts releases. His design work makes for an excellent match to its movie counterpart. It also helps that they already had used the design in an SH MonsterArts release, even if it was in a larger scale, and thus knew what they needed to do when they shrank the figure to standard size. In addition, the designers made sure to scale this Godzilla figure to be smaller than the Burning Godzilla and Birth Godzilla figures (as Godzilla in 1989 was at 80 meters while the later VS films had him at 100 meters), which is an excellent touch. While the LIGHT, SOUND AND MUSIC figure does a good job resembling the Bio-Goji suit, the smaller figure improved on that resemblance particularly in the case of the legs which is more of a match to the Bio-Goji suit.
For those that already have the LIGHT, SOUND AND MUSIC figure, comparisons are inevitable with this release. On the issue of height, the regular Godzilla 1989 is ¾ the height of the LIGHT, SOUND AND MUSIC figure, with the head measuring to its shoulders. The LIGHT, SOUND AND MUSIC figure also has a bit of a longer neck while the tail seems a bit shorter and not as poseable as this release. As for the eyes, the two have different styles with the LIGHT, SOUND AND MUSIC figure a closer match to the movie. When looking at both from a distance it seems the LIGHT, SOUND AND MUSIC figure has a noticeably big body and thinner limbs while the normal sized figure strikes a better balance between the main body and the limbs. For the skin color, the Godzilla 1989 is a bit darker compared to the larger figure.
Articulation
On the issue of articulation, the figure has good articulation and in certain respects a bit more movement compared to the LIGHT, SOUND AND MUSIC figure. The tail and arms have a good amount of movement while the head has less articulation in that it can move up and down fine but difficulty going from left to right even in comparison to the 1995 figures. For the legs, the articulation aligns with the movements one would see in the movie. The figure, like most of the SH MonsterArts, has excellent stability and unlike the earlier 1995 figures, it is almost equivalent to the suit itself although a bit more flexible.
Accessories
Sadly, there are no accessories for this figure unlike its LIGHT, SOUND AND MUSIC counterpart.
Paint
While the colors on the figure are mostly faithful to the movie there are some sections on the body that are a bit lighter in terms of paint applied in comparison to other sections. Some figures may have mismatched eyes although it usually occurs on the left eye. It is barely noticeable in the distance but if one gets a close look of Godzilla 1989's face then they can see the issue with the eyes. In addition, there is the possibility one hand has darker claws than the other although reviewers have said it was not as bad as with the LIGHT, SOUND AND MUSIC Godzilla 1989. The dorsal fins have accurate paint with only a few exceedingly small blotches here and there. While at times the blood on the teeth may not be a problem and in fact it makes him look more bloodthirsty, it is an annoyance when comparing it with the look in the movie.
Overall
Aside from the lack of accessories and the potential mishap with the left eye, the figure is an excellent match to its on screen counterpart and it also scales well with SH MonsterArts Biollante. Sadly, it does have a high price tag considering the lack of accessories. It is recommended if one is willing to tolerate a few inevitable mistakes.
Rating:  |
Addendum: Godzilla 1989 Exclusive Edition
A Godzilla variant returns as a San Diego Comic Con exclusive. Part of the S.H. MonsterArts line, this figure marks the first time in five years the company has done an exclusive for Comic Con. In terms of this release, it's based on the 1989 version and aptly named "Godzilla 1989 Exclusive Edition". In terms of what separates this one from the normal version, the dorsal fins have been painted an icy white, mimicking the look of when Godzilla charges his atomic heat ray or nuclear pulse.
Details
Godzilla looks great with his ferocious face and menacing eyes. I love the detail on the hands and arms and how you can really see the folds of the suit. There are a few "gap covers" on this release in the high leg and knee areas which is interesting. As a whole, this is a great looking figure.
Articulation
Godzilla can't do much but what he can do, he can do it well. The arms bend at the elbow and the shoulders can rotate 360 degrees which is the usual fare. Godzilla can do the splits with a fair amount of space. His head can move down a fair amount-more than usual from other releases but he can't look up at all. The tail has some great articulation and can hold a pose with no drooping. And, as usual, Godzilla's legs can move back and forth at the knees and the feet can move 360 degrees. Godzilla's mid section has very little movement, though. The big reason for the lack of movement is because of the waist mold and how it rises above the midsection's joint thus limiting movement. This was fixed on the Godzilla 1991 release months ago, but was a problem on the original Godzilla 1989 release that this is a variant of. So it's unfortunate that it wasn't corrected for this variant.
Accessories
Just like the original release, the exclusive edition of Godzilla 1989 comes with no accessories. This is a bummer because those backplates are powered up and ready to go! Really a shame that no beam effect was included and it just makes the whole release feel unfinished. Godzilla's 2019 SDCC Exclusive had a beam effect-even though it was an alternate version of a previous release which DID come with a beam, the effort was made.
Paint
I'm a real big fan of how well the backplates are painted on this release. The mix of ice blue to white on the backplates looks awesome and the fact that they're translucent really adds to the cool effect. The metallic blue paint looks great and compliments the backplates. The toenails look awesome with a mix of dark yellow and black-and they've got quite the glossy shine too. The claws are of the same paint color but there's a blemish on the right hand with a little too much black paint on the claws although it's not a big deal. From the top of the head to the sort of "split" with the blue backplates at the base of the tail, there's a nice gray paint job here. The teeth have a nice bright white paint job with barley amy paint run off from the rose paint job inside the mouth/tongue. I like the paint here; it helps Godzilla's face pop. Finally, the eyes: they're decals. While this isn't anything new, I'm a little on the fence. Generally, the decals are uniform but with painted eyes, it's a bit of a crapshoot if you're gonna get eyes that look uniform. I've reviewed plenty of figures where one eye looks how it should and the other is off in some crazy direction. It really boils down to it fitting the release I guess. In this case, it works!
Overall
I'd recommend this release for the completionists and those who want a less vanilla Godzilla 1989 figure. While it's a big misstep that there's no included beam in a Godzilla with glowing backplates (OR maybe Tamashii Nations just wanted to have a convention exclusive Godzilla with ice blue backplates), the figure itself is pretty awesome.
"Godzilla 1989 Exclusive Edition" will be available at San Diego Comic Con 2024 beginning July 25th, 2024. For purchase at SDCC, please visit the Tamashii Nations booth #3329 and the Godzilla booth #3345 For more information, click here.
If you're going to SDCC, Godzilla is a "No Ticket Reservation" item. See here for more information.
| Rating: |
|
