Not as big as advertised, but this large size Godzilla figure from Bandai Creation is a real bargain.

Bandai Creation has released quite a few 6.5" figures from the Godzilla universe in the last couple of years, but 2008 marks their first foray in 12" kaiju. This Godzilla comes from "Godzilla: Final Wars", a film from 2004. I guess in the grand scheme of things it might be a bit weird that you should see merchandising four years after the fact for a movie that really didn't get a wide release in the first place, but you won't find me complaining.

Other than it's increased size, this toy is not really any different from the previous offerings by Bandai Creation. It's a unique sculpt for the US market and is made entirely of soft vinyl. Good old soft, squishy vinyl.

"Final Goji" here has 8 points of articulation, with 3 of those coming in the tail. The neck, hips and shoulders also turn. The paint job is simple but effective, with the best effect being the blending of the black and yellow on the claws.

Although advertised as a 12" figure, this toy actually only reaches about 10.5" in height. I don't wanna hear anyone complaining though. This is a substantial Godzilla figure that you can pick up for very cheap money. Although I tried to list as accurately as possible it's original release price (only thing I could find online was $26.95 from Amazon), I got mine on clearance at Toys R Us for just $15.99. I recommend that you hurry out and get one before they are all gone. Look for the 12" MechaGodzilla while you are there, too.

My very first commission with John Groff of KaijuZoo...and also one of my very first glowies. ...The start of a great friendship and a near-obsessive collection focus!

One obsession of mine that's no secret is my insatiable lust for glowies. The problem with many vintage-style (usually kaiju) glowies, though, is that their paint schemes are...well...either too dull for my tastes or the paint obscures too much of the glow power of the vinyl. I'm no stranger to customizing toys myself, but back in '05, I stumbled across a website advertising expertly-done custom/restoration work for vinyl kaiju figures at reasonable prices. I contacted the owner of the business, John Groff, and a great friendship was born...

His site, KaijuZoo Toys, offered something great for folks either lacking the gumption to take on customizing their own stuff or just not wanting to deal with the hassel of paint supplies, the mess, etc... Now, people can just relax and focus on the color scheme of whatever vinyl figure--glow or not--they want painted. John even offers services to remove old or damaged paint jobs prior to restoration or custom work. Whatever you want, just ask him! Jonee's a bit of a jack-of-all trades when it comes to customizing, and he'll work with you to create a masterpiece!

It's really a great service if you think about it. For example, lots of vinyl kaiju manufacturers these days release unpainted lucky bag versions or other exclusives of their figures--in glow or varying colors of opaque or translucent vinyl. The thing is that most folks may have no desire whatsoever to paint their own figures. I mean, I don't even own an airbrush--let alone have the space to set one up properly! This is where Jonee comes in! Besides being a great guy to chat about daikaiju eiga with, he'll work directly with you via phone or e-mail, and take as long as needed to come up with the perfect paint scheme for your figure. He's an experienced kaiju toy nut, himself, making his feedback in this process invaluable. He's a real fan, a true artist, and it clearly shows in his work.

So as a client, I get to sit back and let my imagination take off. This figure is actually my very first KaijuZoo custom! Sorry it's taken so long to review it properly! ;) It started its life as an unpainted glow M1 Manda figure from Atragon, Destroy All Monsters, and the opening moments of Final Wars. Jonee's transformation of this toy still has me speechless!

This guy's so good, I've gotten into the habit of doing Yahoo!Japan searches for unpainted (glow) vinyls for anything that catches my eye as something that Jonee can transform into a one-of-a-kind work of art.

Now, I've always loved Manda...something about a majestic undersea serpent had me pretty much hooked when I was little. M1's gorgeous sculpt of this monster certainly helped, too! This KaijuZoo custom would actually end up being my 3rd or 4th glowie ever. Ah...the good old days...when my vinyl kaiju could fit on one shelf...or could be counted using just your fingers! (I think at the time of writing of this review, I have somewhere around 120 glowies!)

Anyway, the paint scheme Jonee and I came up with mirrored a previous one he had painted for another client, only this time, he used translucent paints and left more glow vinyl exposed. I was definitely clear about that part: the finished product had to SHINE!! And, oh my head, did Jonee deliver!

Just check out the glow effect on the teeth and eyes--that's all Jonee's handiwork! He came up with this method of hand painting those details to make for an incredible glow effect.

Not much more to say about this piece, really. The pictures speak rather clearly for themselves. Again, this was my first KaijuZoo custom ever. Since then, Jonee's painted three others for me, including this Marmit glow Getter 1--yes, he can do robots, too! Next up? I'm just waiting patiently in queue for him to do a fifth custom for me! Stay tuned!

As she was ready to leave, she pulled a tattered VHS tape out of her purse and handed it to me. It was a well-worn copy of the original black and white Rodan movie...

Rodan occupies a special place in my heart. This Rodan is not the Rodan of my childhood, but I guess I will talk about it here.

I haven't seen my Mother in years. She's around, somewhere, but we travel in very different circles. Every once in a blue moon we connect, but the occasions are few and far between. The circumstances of our situation I will keep to myself, but let’s just say it affects me to this day.

On one such meeting a few years ago, I had my mother over to see my new baby. It was the first time I had seen her in a while. It was an emotional time, but this wasn’t about us, it was about the baby. As she was ready to leave, she pulled a tattered VHS tape out of her purse and handed it to me. It was a well-worn copy of the original black and white Rodan movie. She said “I saw this at a flea market and thought you might like it. I remember you watched it on Creature Double Feature when you were little”.

And then she left. We’ve crossed paths at funerals and such over the years, but that was the last time we ever had a moment. That stupid Rodan tape. I don’t really even remember watching Rodan as a kid. Each time I see that tape, or anything with Rodan it in, I remember that moment.

For better or worse.

This Rodan, from Godzilla Final Wars, is my first Rodan toy. I like to think that buying this toy means that I have been able to let go, to move on, but I am not sure. It means SOMETHING, but what that something means I don’t know.

I gave this rodan toy to my kids, and they play with it often – it resides on the shelves that are OK to play with. My hope is that my kids will have a much different connection with Rodan than I did.

The detail on this figure is really amazing - it is one of the best figures to come out of Bandai Creation's Godzilla line.

This Gigan is the version shown in Godzilla Final Wars. In Final Wars, the alien Xillians revive the mummified Gigan to fight Godzilla.The version you see here is the first version in the movie. This version is defeated, and is upgraded with chainsaw weapon hands.

Godzilla: Final Wars (ゴジラ ファイナルウォース, Gojira: Fainaru Uōsu) is the 50th anniversary film, the 6th and ostensibly last of the "millenium" era films (not counting the US atrocity), and the 28th installment in the overall Godzilla film series. (Wikipedia)

This figure was released during Bandai Creation's last Godzilla line and is identical to the 2004 Japanese release which had a tag instead of the cardboard packaging. Articulation is limired to the head, arms and legs. The detail on this figure is really amazing - it is one of the best figures to come out of Bandai Creation's Godzilla line.

This figure was released during Bandai Creation's last Godzilla line and is identical to the 2004 Japanese release which had a tag instead of the cardboard packaging.

We all know Godzilla had many different designs over the years, but did you know that each Godzilla had a different name?

This Godzilla design was used in the 2004 film Godzilla: Final Wars. Named Finaro-Goji, This godzilla suit stands about 6” tall and is made out of soft vinyl. The vinyl is dark olive green in color and features white spray on the fins, orange eyes, and cream-colored teeth and claws, The mouth also has excellent paint detail. Articulation is limited to the legs, arms and head.

Godzilla: Final Wars (ゴジラ ファイナルウォース, Gojira: Fainaru Uōsu) is the 50th anniversary film, the 6th and ostensibly last of the "millenium" era films (not counting the US atrocity), and the 28th installment in the overall Godzilla film series. (Wikipedia)

This figure was released during Bandai Creation's last Godzilla line and is identical to the 2004 Japanese release which had a tag instead of the cardboard packaging.

Nice to look at, but probably the most disappointing Chogokin kaiju.

I've always been a huge fan of zombie movies and Ryuhei Kitamura's "Versus" enjoyed a stretch of time where it was among the most popular entries in the genre. I, however, hated it. So when I heard that the last Godzilla movie was to be made by the same director, my expectations sank. And when I first saw the new design for Gigan, I nearly vomitted. I really HATED it. I nearly swore off the whole thing before it was even finished filming. When this toy was announced, I didn't give it a second thought. No way would I buy that horrible new design from that horrible new movie!

But a funny thing happened at the theatre, when I and several of my friends decided to give it a chance. As it turns out, I loved it! I thought the film was tons of fun, and taken within that context, even the new Gigan design didn't seem so bad. One of the first things I said when leaving the theatre was "Y'know, suddenly I can envision myself owning that new Chogokin Gigan!" The order was sent, the package was delivered......and I was met with nearly the same disappointment I had expected from the movie. This toy just doesn't do it for me.

My biggest complaint with it is the poor articulation. Sure, there's several places where you can move the joints (neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles), but in many of those spots, movement is severely limited. You can also adjust the three fins on his back, spreading them out or keeping them close together. Other than raising and lowering the arms, and twisting them at the elbows, you really can't do much with it. Poseability is almost nil.

The legs and upper torso are made of diecast metal, but there really isn't much weight to the toy at all. And all the fancy weapons that look impressive are really just soft plastic. Here was a chance for Bandai to make a REALLY dangerous toy and they blew it.

About the only thing that sets this toy above a simple Bandai vinyl is that it has interchangable weapons. You can replace the Hammer Claw hands with duel buzzsaws and you can change the head to display him in flight mode. A third head with a serrated horn is also included.

And while the extra metal in the toy gives is a nicer shine while on display, I'm just not sure it's worth the extra $40 or so more than it would cost to just get a cheap vinyl. Unless you are a chogokin or Gigan completist, I think this is one you can pass on.