The first in what will be at least two sets of Minimates on the Godzilla franchise. This box features Godzilla, Titanosaurus, Gigan and Mothra. Although with some charm, the figures in this set leave a little more to be desired given the $20 price tag.
First, I will admit, I'm unfamiliar with Minimates. Some basic research taught me they had been around since 2002 and have a good following. A few of the sets fetch top dollar on eBay as well, which isn't shocking for any line that has been around for this long. What shocked me, though, was the breadth of subjects covered. You have the usual suspects like Marvel Comics and Star Trek, but amongst those are things like Silence of the Lambs, Pulp Fiction and Beverly Hills Cop. A good directory on them can be found on Minimate Database.
This box set is similar to ones for The Expendables and others, although the Godzilla one doesn't come with any accessories. The package gives the description: "lurching from the ocean depths, the monster known as Godzilla revealed himself to the world in horrifying fashion, laying waste to a large portion of Japan. Since then, however, he has defended Earth from such threats as the ancient Titanosaurus and the extraterrestrial Gigan. With the help of his mystical ally Mothra, Godzilla has proven himself to be a hero many times over."
Now these figures are small... real small. Most in the Minimates line clock in at around 2 inches in height. This line clock in at closer to 2.5 inches, although Mothra is 2 inches from tip to tip. In a rather shamelessly random contrast, I have placed them next to the 7 inch Mechagodzilla Vinyl Bust Bank just for comparison. The toys can be slightly emotive thanks to the articulation, so here is another shot of them freaking out by the size comparison.
Since there are four figures included in this set, I will break it down figure-by-figure for the review.
Godzilla
First up is the King of the Monsters himself. The version used here is nondescript. It's clearly not the Millennium versions by the dorsal fins, and if any iteration had to be guessed at it's probably the suit from Destroy All Monsters (1968) or one of the late 1970's entries.
In terms of details, the dorsal fins look nice as does the tail. That's about it, sadly. It will be a reoccurring theme here, but the body itself is a bit too big. It's not as bad as Titanosaurus or Gigan, but still looks a little awkward with the smaller arms and legs. There is also some odd center area on the chest with a line, which I can't figure out why that was done. The face of the figure looks more like a gorilla or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle as well, as opposed to the nuclear menace everyone loves.
For the paint job, it's pretty good for a figure this size. The only downside to the paint job is that the paint on top of his head features a large blotch where the dorsal fins end. It's distracting and makes the figure look awkward at a fair number of angles.
Where the figure excels is on the articulation front. Legs and arms both have a good degree of movement to them, and can bend at the half way point as well.
The arms and legs can also extend out as well, meaning you can make Godzilla look like he is doing jumping jacks. The head, hands and feet also all pivot from left to right. You can get some cool poses going, and it's generally fun to play with. My only complaint here is that it's not kid durable, as I had the hand pop off while toying around with it. Easy to put on, but almost guaranteed to be lost if that happens while a child is playing with it.
Titanosaurus
The aquatic dinosaur actually gets second billing in this set, which is a surprise. Visually speaking, he looks the best of the bunch. He suffers from a way too big chest, making it look like he has body armor, but is otherwise pretty good for a figure this size.
Paint wise, there is a good level of detail here including the small little "warts" on his legs and arms. The eyes are sadly a solid yellow, giving him a menacing look but lacking how he appeared in the movie. The prototype, pictured on the back, had a black slit on the eyes which looks a lot nicer and a shame corners were cut with the mass produced version.
Articulation is solid on this figure, and identical to Godzilla. You can place the figure in a fair number of poses and he is relatively emotive.
Unfortunately, the downfall of this figure is its tail because of its size and weight. It causes a lot of issues where it's really hard to get the figure to stand. He basically has to hunch over or else Titanosaurus will fall backwards onto its side.
Gigan
My favorite figure from the set, Gigan is a stand out. That said, the Showa based figure is not without problems. The detail is a slight cut above the others, second only to Titanosaurus, although the legs and arms are mostly a solid green with the hammer claws at the end.
Gigan's face looks great, as does the chest although it's super, super fat as the cyborg might be in need of a gym. Wings and tail also look good on this figure.
The paint job, outside of the boring arms and legs, is also well done and the most detailed of the four figures. Rather than painted gold, the wings on this Gigan are a lime green. It's not quite true to the movies, but it creates a nice contrast and additional variety.
For the articulation, it has the same level as Godzilla and Titanosaurus. The head is pretty thick, though, and looks a little strange when not lined up with the lower body on account of that. Sadly, for whatever reason, the hammer claws are upside down. They are facing up, like Gigan is in a constant "why god!?" stance. The prototype, seen on the back of the packaging, has his hammer claws facing the correct way. So either there was a mess up during mass production, or the change was done for balance... although I can't see it making much of a difference. As another side note, Gigan comes mostly assembled except for one of his arms that you will have to attach. Unfortunately, this particular arm tends to pop out ever so often as a result and doesn't stay in as well as the other.
Mothra
At the end of the line... and sadly the least appealing of the four figures. The insect deity has an awkward square midsection attached to two round body parts, creating a disjointing scheme. The figure requires minimal assembly, which is attaching the two wings.
Detail wise, there isn't much to Mothra. The abdomen looks okay, but the head should have been more detailed given how large it is on the figure.
For the paint job, it's a mixed bag. The wings look stellar with nice detail. In fact, the overall coloring makes it clear this is the Showa version of the character. The rest of the body, though, is really lazy. This is especially true for the underside which is all brown except the feet, making Mothra look like she is wearing shoes.
For articulation, the head has a lot of movement which is cool. It can swerve all around and is fairly dynamic. The wings and abdomen can also pivot... but otherwise that's it. Not much to work with compared to the others, and would have been nice had the legs been able to do something.
Box Set
Outside of Mothra, the set is fun and I admit I enjoyed playing with it. It's got it's share of problems, but the concept makes them fun to mess around with. My biggest beef with this release is the price tag. $20 for all four, shaking out to about $5 a piece, is simply too much. $6 for a pack of two would have been more ideal.
In closing I would also like to thank Diamond Select Toys for sending this in for review.
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