One will stand, one will fall. In a time where NECA will no longer be making and selling any more Godzilla figures, PlayMates Toys swoops in and began releasing their Godzilla vs Kong toys a year ahead of time exclusively on Walmart's website. Due to PlayMates Toys reputation with their Classic Godzilla line not many people are too happy with PlayMates owning the master license and pushing NECA out of the competition. Despite the upset towards Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros./TOHO Co. for allowing PlayMates Toys to own the master license for Godzilla, does the 11" Giant Godzilla toy deserve the hate it is receiving or is it all just projection? Let us dive in and find out.
Packaging:
PlayMates Toys Giant Godzilla comes in an open box held together with zip-ties. When Godzilla is taken out of the box his tail will be detached, so slight assembly is required before playing with this toy. The first thing we notice is the new Godzilla vs Kong banner at the top of the box. It is technically the same banner we have been seeing for two years. The differences are the font for the title logo and the images for Godzilla and Kong being fully visible rather than in silhouette. It's not my favorite version of the banner. I think they could have kept both Godzilla and Kong in silhouette and they would have looked just as fine. Beneath the banner, we see a city in flames. Then, we see the Monsterverse logo with the "Giant Godzilla" label underneath.
On the left side of the box, we find the Godzilla vs Kong logo again. Nothing much to talk about other than the title logo is using a similar font that was used for Kong: Skull Island.
On the back of the box, we finally get to see the big picture that fans are debating over. The main focus here is the concept art showing Godzilla and Kong facing off on an aircraft carrier. This image lead to many people debating over whether or not this scene is too unrealistic. To me, I don't care about realism at this point. Giant monsters are never realistic in the first place. I think this is an amazing piece of art that I hope we get to see in the movie.
On the top right corner, we find the new plot summary for the movie. The summary reads, "Legends collide as Godzilla and Kong, the two most powerful forces of nature, clash in a spectacular battle for the ages! The monster war rages on the surface and deep within our world as the spectacular secret realm of the titans known as the Hollow Earth is revealed!" It does not reveal any new info about the movie. We already know that the movie will be exploring the origins of the monsters based on previous story summaries and the possibility of seeing other monsters fighting each other is highly possible.
On the bottom, we see the same logos we saw on the front of the box, but on the left corner there is the website for PlayMates Toys, the movie's hashtag, and where to find them on social media.
Paint, Sculpt, and Articulation:
There is no doubt that just by looking at PlayMates 11" Giant Godzilla it is heavily inspired by the 12" Godzilla figure released last year by Jakks Pacific. However, there are some major differences that suggest this figure is a completely new sculpt rather than using the same mold from Jakks Pacific.
One of the obvious difference is the size. As you can see, the PlayMates Toys figure is an inch shorter than Jakks Pacific.
Another difference is the size of the body. The PlayMates figure is less bulky and less detailed than the Jakks Pacific. The scales on the PlayMates Godzilla is very smooth. The Jakks Pacific figure is smooth on the body as well, but not to the point where the scales look erased. Also, you would think that by the figure's large size it would feel heavy when lifted, yet it's actually very light. A little lighter to pick up than the Jakks Pacific Godzilla. The PlayMates Godzilla has a matte grey paint all over the body, which always feels a little weird at the touch for me. An issue that I have with both of them are the lack of paint to make those details pop. Sure, the Jakks Pacific has a grey wash from the neck down to the groin, it does not really help show off those details and looks sloppy. The only other places where you can find paint are on the nails of both the claws and toes and the blue highlights on the dorsal fins.
However, I really love Godzilla's face on the PlayMates figure more than the Jakks Pacific. It looks more movie accurate than the Jakks Pacific. The eyes are not looking out to the side, but instead looking forwards and not as beady. The teeth are smaller and individually painted as they should be instead of being large and with globs of yellow/white paint.
What really makes the PlayMates Godzilla shine are the blue highlights on the dorsal fins. It really makes this Godzilla look like he is charging up his atomic blast or perhaps sending another monster a threatening sign like how Kong beats his chest before he attacks. If only PlayMates had used that same blue with the dorsal fins on the tail just for consistency. I think the blue highlights on the dorsal fins really helps make this Godzilla toy stand out more than the Jakks Pacific Godzilla, which is entirely dark-grey.
Another annoyance collectors will have a problem with are the screw holes that are found on Godzilla's left side. To me, it is not a big deal since I will be displaying the figure with the side that does not have the screw holes showing.
The PlayMates Giant Godzilla lacks in the articulation department about as much as the Jakks Pacific Godzilla. The PlayMates Godzilla can move his arms up and down, the hands can swivel, the legs can move up and down, the feet can swivel, and the tail swivel. Unless you know what you're getting yourself into with this figure, don't expect a crazy amount of articulation like how you see with an S.H. MonsterArts or NECA figures.
Size Comparison:
When it comes to size, PlayMates Toys 11" Giant Godzilla is pretty large so you are going to need clear a lot of space on your shelf. Despite being an inch shorter than the Jakks Pacific and the12" Godzilla 2014 figure from NECA, the tail on the PlayMates Godzilla will be demanding lots of room. So if you're gonna buy this toy, I suggest planning out your display before you make your purchase.
Final Thoughts:
The PlayMates Toys 11" Giant Godzilla figure is about on par as the Jakks Pacific Godzilla figure all around. I think that if Jakks Pacific made this figure than the one that they released last year then I think people wouldn't be complaining. It is a good toy for any child to play with. PlayMates Toys is not NECA and their target audience are not collectors. If you were looking for a highly detailed Godzilla figure to add to your collection then this is not for you. Seeing that the design for Godzilla in Godzilla vs Kong has not changed one bit, you may as well use either the S.H. MonsterArts or NECA Godzilla 2019 figures to display with your next Kong figure.
What did you think of the review? Did this help you decide to purchase one or are you going to skip? If you did buy one, what are your thoughts on the toy? Leave a comment in the comments section of your thoughts on the figure. Make sure to follow me on my Facebook, Twitter, and Minds pages to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.