Huh? No, it doesn't make any sense. I could come up with some lame idea that Godzilla was somehow the Star Wars of it's time, but it would be a load of crap, and you'd see right through it. But let's face it, the movie hasn't opened yet and you're already suffering from Star Wars overload, so we'll give it a rest and go in a completely different direction.

If you're a child of the 60's, Godzilla was da man. Or lizard. Or dragon. In reality, every kid out of diapers knew he was a guy in a rubber suit, even when they also believed all Japanese people moved their lips funny when they talked. But watching old horror movies on a Saturday afternoon was a ritual, and Godzilla ranked right up there with the Universal Monsters as a regular feature.

They've supposedly made their last Godzilla movie, or so they claim. Of course, just like Cher and her farewell tour, they've said that more than once before. He's managed to survive battles with Mothra, King Kong, Gamera, Rodan, and even Hollywood, when they tried to destroy him with that God awful 1998 film. But he's a tough old lizard, and I'd be surprised if we've seen the last of him.

Tonight's review covers one of the many action figures of the character. X-Plus USA has a line based on the various Toho films out right now, and I'm reviewing the Godzilla from Godzilla vs. Mothra. X-Plus has also released versions from Godzilla vs. The Three Headed Monster, and Godzilla 2001. There is a second series set to ship this summer that will include Godzilla: Final Wars, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, and First Godzilla. Suggested retail on these is $16 each.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, you can always reach me at mwc@mwctoys.com. If you enjoy this review, take a minute to check out my other site at Michael's Review of the Week, and let me know what you think. Now on to the review!

"Godzilla"

This is the Godzilla many of us know and love, from the mid-60's movie Godzilla vs. Mothra. Why Mothra didn't just keep slamming up against the side of a lighthouse, I'm not sure, but we never asked those sorts of deep questions.

There are actually variants of each of these figures, done in a slightly metallic paint job. I saw one of these last weekend at a local comic book show, and wasn't particularly impressed. Skip the variant unless you're a completist, and go for the normal version.

Packaging - **1/2
These come on standard cardback/bubble packaging, with decent if not outstanding graphics. The figure is easy to see though, with a large sticker proclaiming which version he is, but more info on the back of the card itself would have been useful.

Sculpting - ***1/2
This line is considered an 8" scale, and I threw in a couple photos for comparison. If you have some of those micro-machine style guys around, they'd be perfect stand ins as fleeing citizens.

The sculpt on the figure is nicely detailed, although not over done. If he looks a little corny, it's not X-Plus' fault, but rather the simple fact that the Godzilla of our youth was a corny monster to begin with.

The facial expression captures his pissed off look, just before he either screamed at you or blasted you with a little fire. He's in a walking pose, with his clawed paws out, ready to grab Mothra. The vinyl material looks very much like the rubber suit material, adding a little more realism to the appearance. There's no articulation, but the pre-posed sculpt allows him to stand perfectly on his own, a critical component in this type of plastic statue.

Now the question is - where's the quarter scale rotocast version?

Paint - ***
The paint ops are solid if not outstanding. There's not a lot of color or small detail work, due to the basic design of the monster. They eyes are clean though, and the pupils centered. There's a wash used to bring out some of the sculpt, which works well and is not excessive.  It's clear that dental hygiene isn't a top priority for the old Zilla, and there's some nice highlighting on the claws on both the hands and feet. 

Articulation - Bupkis
If you're an articulation junkie, this ain't you're kind of fix. There's no joints here - not even at the shoulders, neck and hips, where it would have made some sense with this design. That's too bad, and depending on your feelings toward articulation, could be a deal breaker, or could be inconsequential.

Accessories - Bupkis
Even more disappointing to me was the lack of accessories. Some small vehicles, a crushed building, or a couple humans to terrorize would have been nice, and could have been done film specific. Instead, we get nothing with the figures, which hurts this score and the overall value.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
Even without articulation and accessories, this is a pretty fun figure. If you're kids have no idea who he is, it might be time to acquaint them. There's something timeless about a big lizard who stomps on fake buildings. Besides, kids love all things lizard/dinosaur/dragon, so the character design works whether you know who he is or not.

Value - **
The figure looks great, but at $16 each, he's a tad overpriced. Some of this is in import costs of course, and I'm betting that even now that he's dead (supposedly), Godzilla is still an expensive license.

Something closer to $10 would have really boosted the value. However, the hardcore fans of the movies - and there are plenty of them - will have little issue shelling out sixteen smackers for these.

Things to Watch Out For
Zero issues. Without articulation, you don't have breakage problems, and there are no small accessories that might choke the cat. Of course, children who are accustomed to uber-cool CGI effects and ultra kick ass monsters might laugh at you hysterically when you tell them that Godzilla is da man, but that's an issue you'll just have to deal with.

Overall - ***
One thing that Godzilla movies did is make it impossible for me to watch a dubbed foreign film. Give me subtitles any day over poor voice acting and funky lip syncs. These characters also filled many a rainy Saturday afternoon, as I watched them cavort through the streets of Tokyo on Sir Graves Ghastly. SO even though I'm not the biggest Godzilla fan on the planet, this figure will take a spot on my movie monster shelf for all posterity, because he's truly a classic.

X-Plus has done a solid job capturing him, although some articulation and accessories would have gone a long way to boosting the final score. The sculpt and paint ops are solid though, and if the other categories hold less weight for you, you'll be very happy with the final product.

Where to Buy -
Some specialty retailers, especially those dealing in Asian import toys, may have these. Online options include:

- Circle Red has this set for $17, and a bunch of the earlier sets as cheap as $15.

- Alter Ego Comics.com has the pair for just $16.

Related Links -
Sadly, I have no other personal reviews of Godzilla toys. However, I did review a Universal Monster mini-bust here at the Poop awhile ago, and you can always hit their own site for more info.