Here I am again with another figure review. This time it is for Bandai's Movie Monster Series Godzilla from last year's anniversary short film "Godzilla vs Gigan Rex." The short film is a sequel to a fan film called "GvsG" created under the YouTube channel Gemstone, which is about a fleet of Gigans appearing from space to invade Earth. Godzilla appears and goes on a conquest to stop invading forces of Gigan. The short film takes place right after those events to fight the leader of the Gigans called Gigan Rex. It is a really great short film that has a lot of suggestions that this particular Godzilla could be the adult Godzilla Junior from Godzilla vs Destroyah making the short film a sort of official sequel to the 1995 film.
This MMS Godzilla was released in 2022 alongside a MMS Gigan Rex figure as a way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1972 film Godzilla vs Gigan and it was a Godzilla store Japan exclusive, which made this figure hard to grab, at the time. Now, there is a Godzilla store USA branch that had opened back in August on Godzilla.com making it easier for figures that are harder to purchase more available and easier to access. I was actually stunned by how quick this figure arrived as it only took two days to arrive to my door step. I bought this figure for $38 and that includes the %15 discount, which would have been $42. Now, let's dive in and see if this figure is worth adding into your collection.
Sculpt and Paint:
The idea for this particular line can be summed up with one word: "simplicity." They make their figures close to "suit accurate" as possible while also simplifying the sculpt and minimizing paint applications. Bandai really did a good job capturing this Godzilla's likeness from the short film. The keloid scarring is softened up a bit, but that is to be expected with this kind of toy. The area of the mouth where the upper and lower jaws meet looks a little wonky with the way the upper jaw curves down. Godzilla is made with a softer plastic, which makes him feel really light to hold. You can even give Godzilla a little squeeze because the inside is mainly hollow. As if this toy was meant to be played with by kids rather than to be collected by adults. Hmmm…
The paint is simple and straight forward. Orange for the eyes and silver on the fingers, toes, and dorsal plates. The actual color of the dorsal plates are bone white in the short film, but the silver works just fine. My only gripe is that Bandai did not finish painting the rest of dorsals on the tail. The silver paint just stops without any transition to the charcoal grey nor does it continue. It just goes from silver straight to the grey, which is a bit of an eye sore to me.
Lastly, Godzilla comes with this tag that can be found on all of Bandai's MMS figures. On the front of the tag, you have the name of the film this Godzilla appeared in, the name of the monster, and other information. Same with the back of the tag. It has information like the web address for Bandai's customer support, a warning note, a side note that inquiries outside of Japan can't be accepted, and the toy's barcode.
Articulation and Size:
Articulation is also very simple. All you have are swivels at the shoulders and hips. That is pretty much it. This is not like S.H. MonsterArts or NECA or Hiya Toys which their figures are super articulated. No ball joints or hinges that can get this Godzilla in awesome action poses or anything.
When it comes to scale, this Godzilla is in the average six inch scale, but that tail is going to take up a little bit of shelf space. Without any articulation in the tail, you are going to need to make some room for this figure if you plan to put him in your display.
Accessories:
MMS Godzilla from "Godzilla vs Gigan Rex" does not come with any accessories, but you do get goodies with every order you make in the Godzilla store. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Godzilla vs Megalon, so an art canvas of Godzilla '73 by Tom Whalen is included with the purchase. Also included are a Godzilla Minus One post card and a heart shaped stamp/sticker with the Heisei Godzilla on it.
Final Thoughts:
I am going to say it. This toy does not feel like a collector item. This Godzilla figure feels more like a kids toy that you would find for $15 at a Toys R' Us or Target or Walmart. Take that as however as you like. If I were a kid I would probably have loads of fun playing with this Godzilla figure and having it clash with some of my other toys that I had. As a collector item, I cannot see this toy being worth the price of $40. HOWEVER, in terms of the new Godzilla Store and how quick it got delivered it was so much easier to purchase from than other retailers like BBTS forces you to pay an arm and a leg. Currently, the store has a limited selection of collector items, but they have been gradually increasing their stock and releasing new items. I definitely recommend checking them out.
What are your thoughts on this figure? Is this one of your favorite designs? Do you think this toy could have been better or do you think it is good as is? Will you be checking out the Godzilla web store? Leave a comment in the comments section of your thoughts on the MMS Godzilla figure. I am back on Twitter and I have a new Facebook page. You can follow me by clicking the links below and make sure to follow me on Minds, MeWe, Gab, and TRUTH Social to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.
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