Godzilla (2014)

Review by JoshB

I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when the design for Gareth Edward's Godzilla was unveiled. It's a new take on the iconic monster, but it keeps enough of the hallmarks to make him instantly recognizable. May 2014 cannot get here soon enough.

In advance of the movie, some of the merchandise has been hitting stores. Bandai's offerings are sort of terrible at this point (which is surprising, considering it's one of their flagship brands. It should have been a no-brainer). NECA's have not arrived in stores yet, and the biggest, most exciting release has come from a suprising source - Jakks Pacific.

Jakks has released a 24" tall Jumbo-Sized Godzilla from the new movie. It not only looks good, but it FEELS like the old Shogun Warriors Godzilla. All that's missing is wheels on the feet and a firing fist.

So you say, "whats the big deal?", there are plenty of big Godzillas. But not only is this one 24" tall, it's OVER THREE FEET LONG. To say this is immense is an understatement. Collectors are going to have a bitch of a time finding a place to put this. Clear out about 43" of shelf space.

Godzilla retails for about 50 bucks and comes in a large window box. It's virtually impossible to save the box as you remove the toy. Inside Godzilla is accompanied by a few tail sections that need to be assembled.

As you assemble the tail you may notice what looks like a battery cover where the tail attaches. This is for a sound gimmick that was abandoned late in production. The holes for the speaker are also still visible.

The head swivels and the jaw opens, revealing a nice, bright red tongue. I'm sure i's not accurate to the film, but it FEELS right. You know what I'm saying?

The head sculpt is just awesome. It's the best look at this new Godzilla design yet, and it's an instant classic.

The thing has such presence. It towers over most other toys in your collection. He's so big I had to shoot him outside as my light tent is just not big enough!

To give you a sense of scale, here's Godzilla on my Skateboard. Yes, I am 40 and I skateboard.

And also Godzilla next to Rosie. Who would win in a match?

The arms swivel at the body and the hands swivel at the wrists. Sorry, they don't shoot.

the legs swivel at the hips, and oddly, the feet swivel at the ankles. Not a lot of need for a joint there, but hey, more articulation.

The makeup of the toy is hard plastic with some areas of rubber. The spikes on the back are rubber. Note the screw holes on the left side. A bit unsightly but hey - kids toy.

The toy features tail slash action, which is really just a joint in the tail. It's an effective gimmick as the length of the tail gives it inertia.

In a word, this toy is awesome. Run out and get one before they are gone.