Post # 8 - Giant Godzilla 43 inch Action Figure by Jakks Pacific

With Warner Bros. and Legendary Picture's "Godzilla" movie set to make its way onto the big screen in May of this year, it was only appropriate that we also see a toy line to accompany it.  While that might mean that we end up seeing a tidal wave of overly produced Godzilla toys on the shelves soon, I can assure that the figure I'm taking a look at today might possibly be an exception.  I say this not only based on the figure's coolness but also because of it's sheer size!  I knew this figure was on it's way to stores, so when I made my way down to my local Toys 'R' Us and saw it in person for the very first time, I was surprised and transfixed.  The toy and it's packaging was massive.  So massive in fact that the shelf could only fully support one, while the other remained in a partial balancing act on the shelf's edge.

To help you better understand the size of this guy, let me first tell you that Godzilla stands over 24 inches tall!  With his added tail that does require some very minor assembly, he sits at 43 inches from head to tail!

I love this toy but after I got him out of the box, I was already looking around trying to calculate all the empty spaces in my house.  He hasn't found a permanent place yet, but some of that is due to my fear of my cats thinking he's a new playmate.  Anyways...

Lets break it down and start with the figure's packaging...

Packaging - The packaging is pretty simple.  It's basically a cardboard box with some added graphics to highlight all of the toy's marketable qualities while loosely promoting the upcoming Godzilla movie.  It's not bad for a toy this size as the open space allows kids and erm, adults to get a up and close look a what the figure has to offer.  I could interject a point here about a clear plastic window on the front being helpful for storage or keeping the toy mint in condition, but at this size there's just not much you can do for the packaging.

I think the packaging does a good job at marketing the toy from the shelf.  It's eye-catching with variations of red and orange.  I think the packaging was simple but effective in terms of marketing, but as far as collectibility or attractiveness goes it's sort of meh.  It's the kind of packaging which winds up in the trash, which is fine I suppose since this toy would be tough to find storage space for anyhow.

The packaging isn't the greatest, but it's not the worst.  Pretty run of the mill.

Packaging Score - 2 out of 5

Sculpting - The sculpting does a pretty good job at capturing the jagged and craggy look of lizard or reptile skin.  Another cool quality about the texture of the skin is the subtle variations of smooth and scaly.  

At this point I have yet to see what Godzilla will look like in the upcoming picture, but I love that this toy seems to strike a balance of a classic and modern look.  It looks more reptile than dinosaur, yet it still does a great job at finding some resemblance to the Godzilla we fell in love with from the 1954 original.

The figure is primarily made from a harder plastic, with exception to the cretaceous looking fins along his back.  They're made from a vinyl/rubbery material piece that appears to be glued into a carved out section in his back.  It's not that noticeable and I don't believe that it will deteriorate easily.  In fact, one of my largest complaints is that the entirety of the figure was not produced using this vinyl/rubber material.  It would of really enhanced the overall lure, playability and fun in my opinion.

Another particular area that I find somewhat bothersome is along the tops of the legs near the body.  In order to allow the leg to swivel back and forth without any issues, they left the surface smooth.  It sort of breaks up the look of the creature's skin.  I'd like to say it's not noticeable, but it is.  At least to me.  A break from aesthetic consistency tends to make toys, especially ones at this scale look cheap by taking shortcuts, and while I believe that this was an easier and less costly solution, I maintain that an alternative could have been sought.

Sculpting Score - 2.5 out of 5

Paint - The paint job is simple and not overwhelmed with any wide range of detail.  At this scale it would come at a heavy price to offer an advanced paint scheme, so I'm pretty comfortable with what we received.  Lest we forget that this is a toy geared more towards children and preteens.  

The base of the body is coated in a black that has a slight hue of a blue.  It's not a flat or overly glossy paint, but it works just enough to highlight the texture of the skin.

The chest along with small areas of the head and neck are coated in a shade of light brown.  I think it works as it helps portray a hint of realism.  No person, creature, or animal has the same complexion from head to toe, so I was welcome this addition.

The eyes are painted in a yellow, which is fine enough and works well for it's purpose.  The tongue is painted a solid hue of red with no variations.  The teeth are painted a solid white, and not as cleanly as I would have hoped for.  The attention to detail was a tad bit sloppy and leaves you feeling about as satisfied as a cheap dinosaur toy from your local dollar store.

Overall, my not entirely wowed by the paint job, but once again I feel the need to overlook it based on the intended demographic of this toy.  It's fair but nothing to shout to the world about.

Paint Score - 2 out of 5

Accessories - Unless you consider the tail which requires only a small amount of assembly, there are no included accessories.  This sort of toy carries its own and doesn't really need any accessories in order to have value.

If there was an accessory what would I liked to have seen?  Perhaps a foldout city diorama for Godzilla to destroy.  I had even thought about the inclusion of tiny people for Godzilla to chase after in terror, but then I realized that this toy was intended for ages 3+ and by adding small parts you could potentially take away more than half of your market.  So then a diorama would of been nice.

Since there was no included accessories, I am going to give this category a bye.

Accessories Score - __ out of __

Articulation - Godzilla comes with a decent amount of articulation, and to be fair the real Godzilla's mobility was never great either.  The jaw opens and closes, allowing you to horrify or maim the occupants of your toy box.  The head full swivels but looks odd if you do it too much.  Try to remember that Godzilla is a reptilian creature, not an owl.  The arms can move forward and backwards, but his arms cannot move above about chest level.  The hands can rotate at the wrist, which is nice for picking up fearful civilians for Godzilla to feed on.  

 The legs can move forward and backward which helps him readjust and balance on variety of surfaces.  The feet can rotate which could maybe be useful but I can't think of when.  The start of the long tail must be pushed in and rotated to stay locked in place.  However that does not mean you are allowed to rotate the tail.  If you were to rotate it, you would simply unlock the tail, cause it to disconnect from the body.  The middle of the tail comes with "tail swinging action".  In its simplest form, this means that the tail can move left and right on a hinge.  Its a rather short distance, and not exactly what its cracked up to be.  The articulation is finally capped off with two small quarter sections in the tail that are able to fully rotate.

The articulation is fine for its intent and purposes.  Its good enough to allow any child, preteen, (clears throat) or adult... to be able to enjoy this toy.

Articulation Score - 2.5 out of 5

Conclusion - While there are many ways I can think of improving this figure, I'm still incredibly excited to own it.  I think majority of that excitement is based upon the size of this figure.  It is massive and cool.  If the figure had been made from a vinyl/rubber material I might not have been so obsessed with the unimpressive paint job.  However, based upon the intended demographic for this toy, it's hard to judge it by the same standards as an adult collector toy.  In the course of evaluating this toy I tried to think of how this product could be improved in ways that was still fitting for its genre.  Even in recognizing that it wasn't a high dollar/highly detailed action figure than an adult collector might own, I still saw ways that I thought it could have been improved even for a child.

The overall score I have given this figure is reflective of what I think people of all ages would average as a whole.  The figure does have some things that could be improved, but without that being said, in no way do I regret purchasing it.  It has been an absolute blast to own and a toy I intend to hold on to for a very long time.  If I can find the space...

Overall Score 2.25 out of 5