by Austin Becknell
As we all know this past May, Legendary Pictures released a film bearing a title that has struck a core with audiences for nearly 60 years; Godzilla. As all collectors know, when something as big as Godzilla gets released onto American screens there will be figures following such a huge franchise. As of right now there seem to be only two toy companies that have been given the rights to make Godzilla (2014) figures; NECA and Bandai Tamashii Nations. These two companies are very different from one another; however they both bring a mix of good/bad things to the table with their figures. NECA is known for their low prices and there screen accurate figures, while Bandai Tamashii Nations are known for their higher end, more expensive, and really poseable figures. I will discuss the pros and cons of each of these brands.
NECA: Pros & Cons
The standard NECA Godzilla figure stands 6” tall and 12” long. It is almost 100% screen-accurate and has amazing paint applications. The figure is rather passable, with 3 arm joints, rotating head and neck joint, 3 leg joints, a mid section joint and a tail that is divided up into 4 sections, the largest (at the end) being a bendy wire, and lastly, he has jaw movement. The figure is very pleasing to the eye, and it’s only a retail price of $19.99, some retailers will even have them for less. However, there are a few cons to this figure. He is weighty, his poses require resting on his tail or else he will topple over. Although his poses are limited he can still do quite a lot with his arms, head and torso. Even though the tail has several articulated sections, it cannot bend very far, so putting him in a tail swinging motion is virtually impossible without the aid of a stand. I've noticed that several of these figures that have been painted differently, some with a greenish blue wash, which is ugly and inaccurate, considering he’s supposed to be dark gray/black. Even with the few cons of the NECA figure he is still an amazing value if you are looking for a screen-accurate representation of Godzilla.
Bandai Tamashii Nations: Pros & Cons
The Bandai Tamashii Nations 2014 Godzilla is an amazing figure. He has almost 3 times the amount of joints and articulation that NECA’s does as well as amazing paint applications. He has 3 neck joints, 4 leg joints, 4 arm joints, a mid-section joint, and has around 20 tail sections, his pose ability is endless. He is also made from a lighter plastic which allows for more dynamic poses; however it seems that the cons here may outweigh the pros on this figure. First off, this figure stands 6” tall and 12” long, same as NECAS's but the price is tripled. Retail for this Japanese figure costs around $60.00 - some resellers are charging more than that. Also he isn’t 100% screen accurate. The sculptors didn’t like some things about the Legendary version of Godzilla and decided to change a few things; they are subtle, but noticeable to someone who cares about representing him in true screen quality. The torso is skinnier than it should be, his feet are larger and less stumpy, his head is also changed to be more angular and less smooth, the snout is also a bit longer and his eyes are bigger with a different color.
tête-à-tête
In my opinion I would much rather spend less on a slightly restrained amount of poses, but more screen-accurate figure, it seems more fair that way. I dislike the Bandai Tamashii Nations Godzilla because the company wasn’t satisfied with his looks so they chose to create a "rogue" version and slap the Godzilla 2014 label on him which may have been too independent a choice for my taste. But that’s just my opinion, I’ve given you my findings to consider when you’re looking at these two figures for a possible purchase. If you like a more appealing poseable Godzilla, and can afford it, I’m sure Bandai Tamashii Nations will be on your shelf, but if you’re a screen freak like myself and wish to own a screen accurate representation of the "King of the Monsters" save some money and let NECA's Godzilla 2014 find it's way to your humble shelves. This is just something to think about, there will always be a never ending war of accuracy versus appeal in the figure world.