GODZILLA (2021)
This one will be considered a "Let's Look At" because this is mostly the same as the 2019 Godzilla figure, a figure I love to death.
The sculpt and articulation are pretty much the same
The only real difference I've noticed is the upper jaw looks smaller than the original figure.
Although a constant issue I've noticed with this release is that the right shoulder sticks out considerably.
Really the big difference is the paint work.
The body for the most part is the charcoal grey you come to expect from your Godziller figures. Although there is a bit of light brown across his chest and belly. I really like that touch.
But you probably wont notice that right away unlike the dorsal fins. From head to tail the fins have been painted with a splash of blue paint that works for an Atomic Breath or intimidation display.
Of course this figure doesn't glow in the dark unlike a certain other figure I own...
Where my issues come with this figure are the head. In my opinion the inside of the mouth is a little overdone. It looks less Atomic Blast and more like Big G shotgunned a Blue Raspberry Icee.
I don't like how the eyes look. If they had added some shading around them maybe they wouldn't look so beady.
Honestly the overall blue on the color bothers me, but I'll get to that later.
In addition to the normal Godzilla hands we're all familiar with, this figure comes with a pair of open/aggressive hands. These hands look really great depending on what poses you can get Godzilla into. The hands can also be attached to any other MonsterVerse Godzilla figures, assuming the ball joints come off properly.
Overall, this isn't a bad figure, but I definitely prefer my other MonsterVerse Godzilla figures.
The only real difference I've noticed is the upper jaw looks smaller than the original figure.
Although a constant issue I've noticed with this release is that the right shoulder sticks out considerably.
Really the big difference is the paint work.
Of course this figure doesn't glow in the dark unlike a certain other figure I own...
I don't like how the eyes look. If they had added some shading around them maybe they wouldn't look so beady.
Honestly the overall blue on the color bothers me, but I'll get to that later.
Overall, this isn't a bad figure, but I definitely prefer my other MonsterVerse Godzilla figures.
KONG (2021)
Before we look at the star of the movie, I need to talk about my experience with obtaining this figure.
When I received this figure it came complete with a slew of loose joints. The left leg was especially wobbly and the head and arms were constantly popping out of place.
This wasn't quite a deal breaker for me as there are multiple tutorials on how to fix loose figure joints, what broke me was the fact that it came with 2 right forearm pieces.
Naturally, I quickly emailed BigBadToyStore customer service to see if I could get a replacement/possible refund. Fortunately, I was able to get a brand new Kong figure free of charge. Not only did it have the proper arm pieces, but the joints all around were much tighter. They still like to pop out of place, but not to a ridiculous degree. I was not expecting that at all and it just makes me glad to be a loyal BBTS shopper.
I'm still stuck with a defect Kong figure though, maybe I'll sell it for parts.
All that aside, this is a great Kong figure.
Despite being smaller compared to most Kong figures currently on the market, the fur detail is really good. What really helps this figure's detail stand out is the paint. While maybe a little too glossy for my taste, Kong still has a nice mix of brown with some black shading. The chest, hands and feet have a darker shade as they should, but I feel like a bit more grey shading should have been added to Kong's face. The brown blends in a little too much for my taste.
The head still looks good though, eyes are painted great and I love the stoic, calm expression.
Kong also has a nicely applied battle scar across his chest.
Kong's articulation is as follows:
Head is attached to a neck joint that can look up, move left & right and make a full rotation.
Arms move out and rotate at the shoulder, there is rotation at the bicep, you get a nice bend at the double jointed elbows, forearm can rotate and the hands can rotate and pivot at the wrist.
Even with the tightest joints out of the box, the arms can still inconveniently pop out of their ball joints, as is the case with my left arm. Always be wary when moving them around.
The lower we go on this figure, the more things start to get interesting. He can bend forward, backward, side to side and rotate at the waist.
The chest is made of two separate pieces to help with posing Kong and is easy enough to maneuver to make sure the scar lines match up.
Legs can move forward and out. Knees bend nicely. The ankles are made of several pieces to give the feet a lovely pivot so you shouldn't have trouble getting this figure to stand up. The feet can bend and rotate.
The articulation of Kong is so intricate, you can get him into a very nice four-legged pose. I find it a lot easier to pose this figure into a four-legged pose the the SHMA 2005 Kong figure and the 2021 Kong can stay in this pose with one hand.
This Kong doesn't have as much accessories as other Kong figures, but we got the basics.
We get a roaring head, which has a moveable tongue!
I also noticed the paint on the roaring head looks a bit better than the paint on the normal head.
And I know I'm not alone in wishing that we had a head with a growling expression.
And we have a lovely bunch of alternate hands. Ya got fists, open palms, grip hands and knuckle hands for the gorilla pose.
The fingers on the open hands look flat and weird me out.
When I received this figure it came complete with a slew of loose joints. The left leg was especially wobbly and the head and arms were constantly popping out of place.
This wasn't quite a deal breaker for me as there are multiple tutorials on how to fix loose figure joints, what broke me was the fact that it came with 2 right forearm pieces.
Naturally, I quickly emailed BigBadToyStore customer service to see if I could get a replacement/possible refund. Fortunately, I was able to get a brand new Kong figure free of charge. Not only did it have the proper arm pieces, but the joints all around were much tighter. They still like to pop out of place, but not to a ridiculous degree. I was not expecting that at all and it just makes me glad to be a loyal BBTS shopper.
I'm still stuck with a defect Kong figure though, maybe I'll sell it for parts.
Despite being smaller compared to most Kong figures currently on the market, the fur detail is really good. What really helps this figure's detail stand out is the paint. While maybe a little too glossy for my taste, Kong still has a nice mix of brown with some black shading. The chest, hands and feet have a darker shade as they should, but I feel like a bit more grey shading should have been added to Kong's face. The brown blends in a little too much for my taste.
Head is attached to a neck joint that can look up, move left & right and make a full rotation.
Arms move out and rotate at the shoulder, there is rotation at the bicep, you get a nice bend at the double jointed elbows, forearm can rotate and the hands can rotate and pivot at the wrist.
Even with the tightest joints out of the box, the arms can still inconveniently pop out of their ball joints, as is the case with my left arm. Always be wary when moving them around.
The chest is made of two separate pieces to help with posing Kong and is easy enough to maneuver to make sure the scar lines match up.
Legs can move forward and out. Knees bend nicely. The ankles are made of several pieces to give the feet a lovely pivot so you shouldn't have trouble getting this figure to stand up. The feet can bend and rotate.
I also noticed the paint on the roaring head looks a bit better than the paint on the normal head.
And I know I'm not alone in wishing that we had a head with a growling expression.
And we have a lovely bunch of alternate hands. Ya got fists, open palms, grip hands and knuckle hands for the gorilla pose.
The fingers on the open hands look flat and weird me out.
Now for the most important accessory, the Axe!
This axe looks amazing, the color and detail are all very well done. The white/silver on the blade could be better though.
Also yes, the dorsal fin is sharp!
Obviously, both 2021 Kong and Godzilla figures are meant to be bought and displayed together, but that begs the question: Why doesn't the blue on the axe match the blue on the Godzilla figure?
If I had to pick which blue I would prefer for both, it would be the axe.
This axe looks amazing, the color and detail are all very well done. The white/silver on the blade could be better though.
Also yes, the dorsal fin is sharp!
Obviously, both 2021 Kong and Godzilla figures are meant to be bought and displayed together, but that begs the question: Why doesn't the blue on the axe match the blue on the Godzilla figure?
If I had to pick which blue I would prefer for both, it would be the axe.
 |
| Ain't no party like a Kong party!!! |
All in all, while the boxes look great together, I can really only highly recommend the Kong figure. I'm very impressed with how it turned out. The Godzilla figure is fine enough, but it just didn't do it for me. However that doesn't stop me from displaying him next to other MonsterVerse Godzilla's and that makes me happy enough.
As of this writing, both figures are getting reissued soon, so hopefully the Kong's wont have as many QC issues.
So, what are the chances we'll get Special Color versions of these figures to emulate their Hong Kong battle? If Playmates can do it why not Bandai?
As of this writing, both figures are getting reissued soon, so hopefully the Kong's wont have as many QC issues.
So, what are the chances we'll get Special Color versions of these figures to emulate their Hong Kong battle? If Playmates can do it why not Bandai?
Till next time, I have been your host Gryphon
and thank you for joining me here in my lair.
So long...
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