Original Figure Review - Sideshow Collectibles Knifehead Statue

Written by Arlo Hansen

I have had Sideshow Collectibles' Knifehead statue since last September, but I am just now getting around to reviewing it. No, it was not procrastination that has prevented me from sharing my reflections on this piece. I've contemplated for months whether or not to review this and the other Pacific Rim statues I have. I was not keen on doing anymore figure reviews on video, because it was just not my sort of thing. However, since I am going through a little bit of a dry spell, I thought this would be the appropriate time to review them. So far I only have three of the four released statues: Knifehead, Gipsy Danger and Slattern. I will pick up Striker Eureka eventually, but with me currently out of a job, I will just have to be patient for a little while longer.

Knifehead was the first of the Pacific Rim statues that Sideshow Collectibles released. The statues were sculpted with assistance and guidance by designers who actually worked on Pacific Rim (2013) including director, Guillermo Del Toro. In the movie, Knifehead was a Category III Kaiju that was the first to demonstrate intelligence in battle. It successfully killed one of Gipsy Danger's pilots, Yancy Becket, before being killed by a lone Raleigh Becket before he struggles to get the Jaeger back to the Alaskan shore. Since the film came out, Knifehead has become one of the few Kaiju to really stand out. Of all the Kaiju in the film, Knifehead has received the most figure treatments from tiny Gashapon figures from Kaiyodo, deluxe action figures from NECA, and an upcoming Large Monsters Series vinyl figure from X-Plus. However, by far one of the more impressive pieces of Knifehead released so far has to be this Sideshow statue. Let's take a closer look! 

First things first... Holy cow is this piece HEAVY! The statue is a very solid sculpt. I am not quite certain of the precise material used to sculpt the statue, but I am guessing it is resin or polystone. The box for it is HUGE too and features a great propaganda-styled artwork of Knifehead. When you remove the statue from the box it comes in three pieces - the main statue, base and the fishing trawler that you attach to the base. There are sockets beneath the statue's legs to insert into the base and connect it to the plug, which sends electricity into the figure to activate the light-up feature (more on that later).

The statue with the base stand at around 17-18 inches tall and is around a foot long and at least a foot and a half wide. Fortunately it does not require a lot of shelf space so it's easier to display on a shelf. The sculpt is absolutely amazing! No seams at all. The tugs and folds of the skin make it so lifelike. The detailing on the skin is very meticulous and the yellow markings are carefully painted on. The statue has a glossy finish that gives it the appearance that it is still soaking wet after rising from the ocean depths.

Speaking of water, the sculpt of the base is just amazing! The turbulent waves look great and create a scene. The cherry on top is the tiny fishing trawler, being tossed around by a giant wave caused by Knifehead's approach. It adds a great sense of scale to the piece, which I appreciated.

 On the back of the base is a button for the light-up feature. Batteries are included when you get the statue, which can be inserted on the bottom of the base. The light-up gimmick is limited to the base and mouth. It adds a great effect and really brings it to life in a sense. The lights beneath the ocean resemble the moments before Gipsy Danger rises from the sea to challenge Knifehead. The glow in the mouth is pretty spot on to how it looks in the film since the Kaiju exhibit bio-luminescence. Honestly, pictures really don't do the light-up features any justice. It is just something you have to see yourself in person.

Even though Knifehead is a big lad, it is still dwarfed by Sideshow's Godzilla (2014) Maquette which stands at around two feet tall. Compared in price though, Knifehead is a lot cheaper in comparison, retailing at around $380 USD plus shipping costs if you order it online. 

All in all, Knifehead is a pretty snazzy piece! In my opinion, it is the BEST of the Pacific Rim statues released by Sideshow Collectibles. It has amazing detail, the pose is menacing, the base adds a sense of scale to the statue, and the light-up features only enhance its best qualities. Totally worth the expensive price and makes for an excellent display piece in any monster collection!