You would think at this point when I find certain product in the clearance bin I would stay far, far away. But noooooo, even at 1.99 I feel ripped off. Here’s my review of one of those silly Super Deformed Veritech’s by Toynami.

Released in 2002 with a bunch of other Toynami produced Robotech product, the Super Deformed Veritech’s ended up as peg warmers very quickly and ultimately in the clearance bins of most specialty stores.

The figure transforms between Fighter and Robot mode and isn't designed to hold any sort of Guardian mode.In fighter mode it has pull back motorized feature to make your fighter fly along which is not a feature that has ever impressed me in a toy.

Paint detail is ok, it's not great and it's not horrible. Articulation is almost non existent and the arms and legs are loose, as are the wings. I realize that this is just supposed to be a “cute” toy but I don’t really think it’s cute or fun and feels kind of cheap for the original retail price.

Even on clearance it’s a waste of money. If someone tries to give you one, say no. If they insist on trying to give you one, take it … then throw it out when they are not looking. It is better to spare their feelings than ridicule their taste in toys. Sorry Toynami, you probably should have re-released the old Bandai Super Deformed toys or at least taken more of a design nod from them.

If Bandai still made them like this, I would still collect Sentai.

I'm not going to even try to describe what the series was about. For that, check wikipedia.

What I can tell you though is that this figure is very cool, and one of my favorite releases from Wild Force / Gaoranger. The Deluxe Animus Megazord is based off of the Deluxe Wild Force Megazord. While the design is similar, very few of the parts are actually the same.

The Deluxe Animus Megazord consists of five power animals:

Saw-Shark

This shark features wheels on the bottom, a moveable jaw, fins, and a detachable tail.

Lion

The lion appears to be the same as the one used in the Deluxe Wild Force Megazord, aside from different coloring.

Condor

The condor features a new head and tail unit, redecorated wings, and metal feet.

Bison

The Bison is similar to the Bull used on the Wild Force Megazord, with different detailing, coloring, and different horns.

Leopard

The Leopard is similar to the tiger used on the Wild Force Megazord, with different coloring.

The combination is similar to that of the Wild Force Megazord, with a few notable exceptions.

On the chest of the Animus Megazord, the wings point upward and outward.

The horns on the head become a kind of bow weapon that can be held in the mouth of the Leopard.

Once again, this release retains all the metal of the DX Chogokin version. This is one heavy bot. If Bandai still made them this way today, I would still be a Sentai Fan.

So, what's different in this release from the Japanese release? The only thing I can see is that the gold metal shoulder plates are re-used from older US zords and not the ones that come with the Japanese version, which also has paint detail. Thats about it as far as I know, but perhaps purists will correct me.

Vincent Price as Dr. Erasmus Craven from the Edgar Allan Poe inspired movie, The Raven (1963).

In 2002 NECA released a 12" figure of Vincent Price in their line of "Reel Toys", as he appeared in the 1963 film from A.I.P. and directed by Roger Corman. Starring alongside Price in this film were legendary horror stars Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre, but unfortunately those two did not get their own toys. Actually, this figure comes with a small Raven accessory so I guess you could say that Lorre did get released, since he was changed into a raven by Karloff's character!

When this figure first came out, I wasn't buying any of the 12" monster toys on the market and even when I started to, it wasn't a priority. Now, I love Vincent Price, but a wizard in a furry robe just has to take a back seat to actual monsters. It just has to be that way. But I put it on my Amazon wish list and it found it's way into my collection this past Christmas.

So, now that I finally have it, do I like it? Yeah, but not quite as much as the Sideshow 12" monsters. The likeness of Vincent Price is really spot on and the costume seems well made, but the paint could have been better. The tip of the nose on mine chipped off just from brushing against the cellophane window of the box (before I even opened it) and I just noticed that when I took his hat off, there were black marks left on his forehead.

One thing that I'm sort of divided on is the hands. Unlike the Sideshow figures, this toy's hands are actually made of a flexible rubber that allows you to pose the fingers however you choose. But the material looks sort of funny to me. I think I would have loved something like this on the Sideshow figures since many of those have accessories that they should be able to hold (but often can't).

The only accessory included with the toy is a small plastic Raven, cast entirely in black with spots of red in the eyes. Mine actually has a spot of red on the back and on the chest too, though.

As mentioned before, the toy comes in a box with a cellophane front, but no outer lid this time around. But if you want to display this with your other 12" monster figure boxes, just flip it around. The back side features art from the movie. This Vincent Price figure is nice to have, but not a must own, in my opinion. At least not right away. Get all the monsters first, then come back for this one. It was limited to 5,000 pieces, but can still be had for about retail on Ebay.

"Terrifying monsters from a lost age!"

My shame continues. It's been over a full year since my review of the 8" Mole Man and I still haven't seen the movie. I guess I've been too busy buying toys instead of dvds. And I have added this 12" version of the character to my collection since then.

This toy features beautifully sculpted head and hands. And the paint job is amazing. On the head, you can actually see different shades of brown underneath all the bumps, giving the head's landscape a very rich texture.

The clothing is simple, yet effective. The foot coverings are just the same brown cloth as the pants and shirt. No fancy footwear for these worker slaves, I guess. Of course, this makes it just a bit harder to stand since there are no real shoes to provide traction against a smooth surface and there is no stand included to counteract this. You'll definitely want to get yourself a 12" doll stand for this guy.

For accessories, you get a large sack and 6 mushrooms-2 large, 2 medium and 2 small.

Unfortunately, once again we're presented with a problem with how the hands attach to the arms. The hands are accurate, but the arms are not. Strangely, the arms have been changed to brown instead of flesh colored, but that doesn't really help much. They still don't come anywhere close to matching the hands!

I would have preferred to see something more like the later Frankensteins that have the hands and forearms all one piece. Sure, you lose some articulation this way, but the overall presentation is much nicer. Compounding the problem here is that the sleeves are just a tad too short to completely cover up this shortcoming.

I hate to sound like I'm complaining too much. I like the figure a lot. I'll just have to display it with the arms lowered. The Mole Man was limited to 1,5000 pieces.

"Beneath your dancing feet are the tombs of tortured men----thus does the Red Death rebuke your merriment!"

With beautiful, bright red flowing robes and a feathered hat, this 12" figure of The Phantom of the Opera decked out as the Red Death is a real standout doll. Fully articulated like all the Sideshow dolls, the real draw here is the costume. It's just so eye-catching.

I think the sculpt of the face is the same as the regular 12" Phantom, just painted differently. But that's ok since in all likelihood you'll want to display this with the mask on. The mask is beautifully done and stays on just by pressing it to the front of the face. There are holes for eyes and if you look closely you can see the eyes in the head underneath.

Besides the hat and clothing, the other accessories are the standard base (best to get yourself a 12" doll stand though) and a staff. The staff has a snake winding up to the top and a skull in the mouth of the snake. As with other figures in the lineup, it would be better if this had a unique hand designed to actually hold his own accessory but unfortunately that is not the case. The best way to display it is to simply put it in his left hand and let the bottom end rest on your display surface for stability.

This is a great figure and a huge improvement over their 8" Red Death Phantom. It was released in 2002 and limited to 7,500 pieces. Maybe the only thing I don't like about it is that the box art is a little bland, especially in comparison to the figure itself. The artwork from the poster depicts the scene in the movie, but doesn't actually show the skull face of the Red Death!

"Fury stalks the streets and a city screams in TERROR!"

In the third and final Creature from the Black Lagoon movie, scientists capture the Gill Man and turn him into a regular air breathing creature. Hence, "The Creature Walks Among Us". It's often considered the worst of the three movies, but I quite like it. In some ways, I consider it better than "Revenge Of The Creature". That movie was fun, but didn't really offer much that the original classic didn't already have, outside of changing the location. This movie at least took the property in something of an unexpected direction.

While fans salivated over the potential release of a 12" Creature figure, they would have to appease themselves with this rendition of the character. There was initial disappointment that Sideshow didn't immediately do the regular Creature, but now that they have, I think in retrospect, we're extremely lucky to have this one. Not only is it a version that is rarely (if ever) done in toy form, it's a great figure too.

The sculpt of the head is perfect, one of my favorites in the whole line. Same thing with the hands and feet. And the feet are well shaped to allow the doll to stand pretty well on it's own, without the use of any kind of base. Most of the bases with these figures are pretty useless anyway so there isn't one included here.

The only accessories you do get are a gas container and road "boat torch". Nice accessory, although I must admit I can't look at it without thinking of Donkey Kong.

The clothes that the Creature wears are very simple, but bulky. He has a thin, brown hospital gown on the exterior but thick, green padding underneath. He is one of the most massive looking dolls in Sideshow's 12" series of classic monsters.

I put off getting this for the longest time and now that I have it, I'm not sure why. It's easily one of my favorites. And as usual, you get that great old 1950s poster art on the cover of the box. The Creature Walks Among Us figure was limited to 2,000 pieces, but is well worth seeking out now.

"Up from the depths of prehistoric mystery rages.....GORGO!!"

M1 and Club Daikaiju combined to release three non-Japanese giant monsters as part of their "Great Monsters of the Movies" series. (Besides Gorgo, there was also Reptilicus and Rat Bat Spider.) Gorgo is from the 1961 British film of the same name.

Interestingly, there was no consistency among the three releases in terms of packaging. Whle the Rat Bat Spider came in a box and Reptilicus loose with a tag, Gorgo comes in the more commonly used bag and header card.

The figure itself is beautifully sculpted in green vinyl and accented with metallic blue and silver spray. It stands 10" tall and is articulated at the hips, shoulders and tail. Unfortunately, though, you cannot turn the head at all.

In the movie, British scientists find a giant monster and bring it back to the UK. But it turns out that this "giant" monster is just a baby! Mama Gorgo comes for her child and reeks havoc in the process. And as an added bonus, this toy comes with a mini vinyl of the child Gorgo. Using the same vinyl and paint, the baby version has just one joint at the waist.

The Gorgo reviewed here is the "Irasawa" exclusive, but Gorgo was also released through Super7 Magazine in a blue spray, in unpainted beige and blue painted beige variations as well as green with gold spray instead of silver.

The first in another month of horrific monster toy reviews....THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!

Lon Chaney was already a film legend by the time 1925's "The Phantom of the Opera" was released, but with this film he would forever cement himself as a true horror icon. The makeup he came up with for the face of the Phantom never fails to send shivers up and down the spines of viewers.

2002 saw the release of the 12" version of the character as sculpted by Oluf W. Hartvigson and released by Sideshow Collectibles (then still known as "Sideshow Toys"). The 8" version they had done previously was nice enough, but this one is a vast improvement. With over 20 points of articulation, this figure much more poseable while retaining the same great quality in the sculpt of the characters features.

This version has the added advantage of a removable mask and hat, whereas on the smaller version you had to replace the head entirely in order to display the figure in masked/unmasked mode. Both accessories fit snugly on too, so there is little chance the either would fall off by accident.

The other accessories included with the figure are a base with a peg that fits into the bottom of either foot, and also a violin and wand. The detail on the violin is excellent and it even has real strings. However, it's quite difficult to get the toy to hold it properly since it re-uses existing molds on the hands. I don't mind a company re-using molds, but I think it a figure has accessories it can hold, it should have hands that are made for those accessories.

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Overall, this is a great figure in the line of classic horror characters from Sideshow. Well worth your buying dollar.

Star Wars figure collectors will undoubtedly already have Luminara Unduli in their collection. I suppose this review won’t matter to them, because she has likely never been taken out of the package. If you like to actually play with your figures, then you are going to be disappointed.

Luminara Unduli is one of those toys that honestly, I just bought to say I bought a toy that day. Toy nerds will know what I am talking about. This figure was bought during my Star Wars moratorium, and it only served to enforce my opinion that Star Wars figures at that time SUCKED.

First off all – the term action figure barely applies here. Sure, she is in an action pose, but she is essentially stuck in this one pose. The legs and cape are all molded into position. You can move the waist and head a little, and there is arm articulation, but anything besides the default pose looks silly.

To be fair, the sculpt is really detailed and dynamic. If you are just looking for a nice representation of the character, you won’t be disappointed. But if you actually want to play with this thing, forget it.

Included accessories are a lightsaber and a laser deflection bolt. This red translucent piece attaches to the blade of the lightsaber to replicate it deflecting a blaster shot.

Star Wars figure collectors will undoubtedly already have Luminara Unduli in their collection. I suppose this review won’t matter to them, because she has likely never been taken out of the package. If you like to actually play with your figures, then you are going to be disappointed.

An impressive Jumbo with a MASSIVE wingspan. Good luck finding room to display this guy!

The Jumbo Isis Megazord was the second of Bandai Creation's Power Ranger Jumbos to hit the market, following on the heels of their Jumbo Wild Force Megazord. In terms of pure size, it might be one of the most impressive Jumbos ever. Not only does it stand approximately 23" tall, but it boasts an impressive 35" wingspan! Among toys considered to be in the Jumbo Machinder family, only the World's Greatest Monsters Rodan can claim to have a bigger set of wings.

Obviously, such a large toy would not come pre-assembled so you have to attach each wing into the back. The piece it attaches to has what looks like a hinge, but unfortunately the wings do not move at all. The eyes in the wings are stickers that need to be applied. This is the only Bandai Creation Jumbo with stickers, which is a shame as it really helps recapture that old school toy feel when you have them.

In addition to the wings, the soft vinyl head needs to be inserted over the knob on the neck and the handle placed into the back. As usual, I've not put the handle on mine because apparently once in, they don't come out.

I really like the design of the head and the chest but where most Jumbo fans lose interest is again in the animal based design. This piece in particular is a bit frustrating because it doesn't have anything even remotely resembling hands. And I think the feet look pretty awful. It's always been my biggest complaint with the toy. They lack symmetry and detail in my eyes. They look much better on the DX version

The box for this toy measures approximately 22"x18"x9". One of the things that I've always thought was pretty cool about the Jumbo Megazord boxes is that they can be displayed two ways. You have both portrait and landscape images to choose from. The problem though is that the boxes are so large that, in addition to large shipping costs, it's just simply hard to find room to actually display them. And perhaps because of their size and cumbersome nature, I find that it's been surprisingly difficult to keep them a tip-top condition, despite the fact that they are made out of stronger cardboard than vintage boxes.

Now I liked these toys from the beginning. I felt that even though their sentai designs were drastically different from classic super robots, a $30 Jumbo that you could walk into a store and buy was worth having. But lately I've even warmed up more to the sentai aesthetic. Seeing JoshB's collection and even having recently been given a box of incomplete DX Megazords has helped, but I really think it might have been seeing the displays at the Bandai Museum that did it for me. Seeing the sentai stuff alongside the super robots, kaiju and tokusatsu items seems to have lent legitimacy to them in my eyes. Man, I HATED Power Rangers when I was younger. And while I still wouldn't watch the show, I'd kill to have more of these toys being made today.