NECA's Classic Godzilla Series of figures has certainly received mixed reviews from fans and collectors. I for one have been more forgiving to NECA's shortcomings in regards to the sculpts of some of their figures. Today we are reviewing NECA's latest addition to the figure line, Burning Godzilla, from the 1995 film Godzilla vs Destoroyah. When this figure was first unveiled, many people were pretty bummed that it is a redeco of the original NECA Godzilla 1994 figure rather than an entirely new sculpt.
So what are our thoughts on this figure? Let us take a look at what we have...
The NECA Classic Godzilla Series Burning Godzilla action figure stands at 6 inches tall and is 12 inches from head to tail. It reutilizes the original NECA Godzilla 1994 sculpt. The differences lie in the material that it is sculpted in and the overall paint job. The entire figure is sculpted in a translucent orange plastic. It then is painted over with a dark charcoal gray. Various spots of the body remain orange to replicate Godzilla's burning appearance in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. The burning parts, however, aren't entirely accurate to what we see on the actual suit or the S.H. MonsterArts figure.
When we turn Godzilla around, we get a good look at the dorsal plates and tail. The dorsal plates are sculpted out of a soft translucent rubber. I like the translucency of the dorsal plates, because when light shines through them at the right angle they look as if they're glowing. The downside of the dorsal plates is that they are NOT suit accurate. The dorsal plates are accurate to the 1994 Godzilla suit, but not to the 1995 suit. This isn't the first time a Burning Godzilla figure has been released with these plate designs. Bandai's original vinyl figures had the 1994 Godzilla body and spines with the burning patches painted on. The only figure Bandai has released in recent history that has the spines corrected was the S.H. MonsterArts figure. So, the dorsal plates, while not entirely accurate, aren't a deal breaker for me (barely.)
The eyes for Burning Godzilla are fairly well done. It looks like the eye color for the S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla 1995 served as a big inspiration for NECA's figure. The eyes are red with yellow irises. The mouth has a dark brownish red color and the teeth are individually colored. However, some teeth aren't colored all the way in such as the front teeth on the top jaw.
If you already have the NECA Classic Godzilla Series Godzilla 1994 figure then you should have a clear-cut idea of how the articulation on this figure works. However, if not, here it is in a nutshell: You have a hinge joint inside the mouth for the jaw. The head and neck are on ball joints. Shoulders, biceps, arms, and wrists are all adjustable. On the hands there are hinge joints that allow you to display the claws open or closed. The midsection is on a ball joint and allows you to rear Godzilla back or bend him forward. The legs and ankles are on ball joints and can be adjusted easily. The knees are on hinge and swivel joints. The first four segments of the tail are articulated, but beyond that the tail is rubberized with a bendable wire inside.
When displayed together with NECA's other 6" tall Godzilla figures, Burning Godzilla is the tallest of them all. Seeing these figures all together, they don't look as bad as some people let on. They may not be on par with NECA's other figures (i.e. Alien, Predator, etc.) and S.H. MonsterArts, but for the $18.99 price tag, and compared to Bandai USA's sculpts, the NECA figures are the attractive alternative and are good in their own right. It just depends on the person who buys them, in my own personal opinion.
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| NECA's entire Classic Godzilla Series collection to date |
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