Godzilla PVC, More CHARLIE'S ANGELS, Even More STAR WARS

By: Dan Cziraky
Date: Sunday, December 17, 2000

GODZILLA PVC FIGURES (Bandai)

Well, after over a year of watching merchandise languish from 1998's travesty that posed as a Godzilla film, I was overjoyed to learn that figures from the Japanese films (the only true Godzilla movies!) were at long last available! And, how appropriate, as the video & DVD release of Godzilla 2000 is right around the corner: December 26, 2000.

*MechaGodzilla: Ah, the new version from 1993's Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II. This guy was cobbled together from the technology found on the corpse of Mecha King Ghidorah. It's a 6-inch figure with four points of articulation, mostly silver, and pretty good detailing.

*King Ghidorah: The first of the old Godzilla villains revived for the '90s, from 1991's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. This 12-inch figure is all-gold in color, and has four points of articulation. True, it could be a tad more poseable, but the Japanese PVC's generally stress detail over articulation.

*Mecha King Ghidorah: After a royal butt-kicking by the Big-G, King Ghidorah was left for dead in the Sea of Japan. Future-honey Anna Nakagawa revived him and brought him back from the future to keep the new, more-powerful Godzilla from utterly destroying the island nation once and for all. Another 12-incher with four points of articulation and a nice, gold-and-silver paint scheme.

*Mogera: After MechaGodzilla got its butt roasted by the Mighty One, G-Force built this giant robot-spaceship to battle him. It promptly had its hiney knocked flat by SpaceGodzilla in 1993's Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, of course! Still, they fixed it up in time to battle the Big-G and SpaceG at the finale. This is a 6-inch PVC, only two points of articulation but lots of detail. By the way, the original Mogera was an alien robot in the '50s classic The Mysterians.

*Gigan: Personally, I've never liked this guy. He's a robotic monster that appeared in a couple G-films from the '70s. Most embarrassing moment came in Godzilla vs. Megalon, when he was teamed with the giant cockroach! Anyway, this 6-incher is still a pretty good version of him, and has four points of articulation. Nice job on the multicolor paint application, too.

*Angilis: Ah, Big-G's ol' sparring partner from Gigantis the Fire Monster, Angilis here looks more like he did in the classic Destroy All Monsters! He's got four points of articulation, is 9-inches long, and is mostly brown in color.


*Orga: Okay, this is the baddie the re-designed Big-G fights in Godzilla 2000. He stands 7-inches tall, is bluish in color, and has five points of articulation. Re-enact the battles from the new movie, or create new ones, with this monstrous PVC!

*Godzilla 2000: [From the Editor's Desk: The 7-inch G-2000 figure sold out before we could get a copy to Dan for review; however, your humble editor (i.e., me, Steve Biodrowski) just so happens to be the proud owner of one, which guards my computer at work on a daily basis, faithfully fending off legions of other action figures and occasionally duking it out with McFarlane's King Kong.] This excellent figure has five points of articulation and is fairly poseable (if you're careful, you can get him to lean over pretty low before he topples on his nose), but the real selling point is the cool sculpt and paintjob (love the purple on those dorsal spines). More than anything, it was this figure that sold me new the new Godzilla design, long before I actually saw the movie. [Now, back to you, Dan!]

Unavailable for review were the following, which should soon be back in stock: 'Godzilla' (6-inch), 'SpaceGodzilla' (6-inch), and 'Fire Rodan' (10-inch).

G.I.R.L. FORCE featuring CHARLIE'S ANGELS: Signature Looks Series 2 (JAKKS Pacific)

Yes, the second series of Charlie's Angels action dolls are out and ready to kick Barbie's butt back to her Malibu Dream House! These are the same 'Action Fashion Dolls' from the Signature Looks Series 1 line, only with different outfits. For more details on the dolls themselves, see my previous Toyaholics Unanimous review. The new outfits are nice, but I was hoping to see something that was actually worn by the Angels in the movie this time around. I don't remember these outfits (and trust me, I was carefully scrutinizing their clothes throughout the movie, if you know what I mean and I think you do!).

In fact, I think JAKKS here missed the boat, big-time, by not coming out with a line of CA action figures. Not knowing the film would be the mega-hit it is, they banked on its appeal to girls. However, this film had the potential for some genuinely, hot, kick-bewtocks action figures, with all sorts of nifty, martial arts action features. Karate-chopping Cameron Diaz, high-kicking Drew Barrymore, and flying fists Lucy Liu could just have been the start. Hey, it's still not too late, JAKKS. Just put some new heads on some of your WWF women wrestler figures, and you've got it! And, just because he's never had an action figure, you can throw a Bill Murray head on a Vince McMahon figure for Bosley, too!

STAR WARS: POWER OF THE JEDI--Collections 1&2 (Hasbro)

Yes, Christmastime is turning into a prime season for scoring new SW:POTJ figures. Unlike the last two Christmases, when it was darn nigh impossible to find new figures in the stores, this year Hasbro seems to have hit everything in perfect stride. So, without further ado, I bring you four new figures in this oh-so-hot line.

*Battle Droid (Boomer Damage)--Collection 1: Not a total re-sculpt, but it does feature new arms that have upturned hands to simulate the shock to the system of a direct hit with a Gungun 'boomer' energy ball. Nine points of articulation, blaster rifle, removable backpack, and removable boomer and energy bolts.

*Han Solo (Bespin Capture)--Collection 1: A nice resculpt on the head gives us the best likeness to Harrison Ford yet! Solo is in his blue Bespin jacket, has a blaster that fits in the thigh holster, and removable binders (for when he's taken prisoner on Cloud City). Eight points of articulation are heightened by ball-jointed shoulders that allow you to cross the figure's arms and place the binders on correctly. Unfortunately, the binders are just a tad too small, and don't look all that hot when actually placed on the figure. Otherwise, a great job!

*Sebulba (Boonta Eve Challenge)--Collection 2: The nasty little Dug podracer at last gets his own figure (apart from having to buy his racing pod, too!). Features five points of articulation (including a ball-jointed neck), removable racing helmet, and a multiphase wrench with which to sabotage Annakin's pod. Great sculpting and paint applications on this one, gang!

*Jek Porkins--Collection 2: Wow, which weighed more, Porkins or his X-wing fighter? Yes, the tubby one at last gets his own figure, something poor William Hootkins can't say about his role as Detective Ernhardt in Batman, right? The sculpt is extremely flattering, not quite capturing the entire girth of the biggest grease smear on the Death Star's exterior just before it blew up. Porkins has six points of articulation, and a removable X-wing fighter helmet. Put him with your Biggs Darklighter figure in Rebel pilot heaven!

FARSCAPE (Toy Vault)

*Farscape Aeryn Sun Worldwide Exclusive Figure: The powers that be have seen fit to send me one of Fandom's exclusive Aeryn Sun figures. I was thrilled and flattered by the opportunity to test my journalistic objectivity, especially since I have given negative reviews in the past (e.g., the Spawn: Series 17 line awhile back). Well, I gotta say, it's a nice figure, but not a great figure. This one depicts Claudia Black's character after having been injected with Pilot's DNA, and she starts to mutate! It has only three points of articulation, as the head and left arm are immobile. Accessories included are her gun, which fits snugly into her side holster, and two injectors (one large, one small). My major problem with the figure, other than its limited articulation, is the facial sculpt. Ms. Black is one sultry, hot babe, but she looks more like a chipmunk here! Granted, she's sick from DNA infection, but it didn't do this to her face. Hopefully, when the regular edition Aeryn Sun figure comes out, they'll improve the head sculpt.