NECA have been producing Godzilla action figures since acquiring the licence from Toho in 2014. After releasing a number of contemporary and classic Godzilla figures in blister packs, NECA relaunched the line in 2019 with repacks of older figure alongside new releases from the Godzilla King of the Monster 2019 movie. These new figures moved to a boxed release and each uses the original movie poster artwork as a cover.
Packaging 5/5
The 1962 Godzilla is taken from the movie King Kong vs Godzilla and the red and black themed box art is taken directly from the original Japanese movie poster. This artwork and text remains consistent on both side spines and on the top of the box and only the back of the box begins to reveal the nature of the figure.
The box reverse carries three inset pictures of the Godzilla figure with overwritten Japanese script. Under this is a short english bio of the movie.
"The motion picture screen beckons you to adventure that thrills the emotions with shock and terror! Two giant monsters converge on Japan for a colossal collision, but in the final bout, which one will emerge victorious? Brace yourself! It's cataclysmic! It's catastrophe! The titanic terrifying battle between the mightiest monsters of all time! King Kong ...vs. Godzilla!"
This new packaging for Godzilla is the same format as the NECA Ultimate figures in that the front cover opens up - held in place with a Velcro pad - to reveal the figure beneath in a clear window. The cover also carries artwork of the Godzilla figure amongst scaled buildings (not included sadly) with Mount Fuji in the background.
This image of Mount Fuji is also included on the card insert behind the figure. This is perhaps not quite designed to be a free standing backing card, but could be repurposed for display if you wish.
Assembly
Being 12 inches from head to tail, and then avoiding an oversized box, means some assembly is required for Godzilla once unpacked. His tail has to be assembled by means of a ball joint half way up the section - and to do this NECA have kindly inserted a brief instructional slip indicating you are to warm up the tail section in hot water first.
While this may seem a bit odd, particularly to those who have never customised a figure or had to free up joints out of the box, it works perfectly and the tail clicks into place and holds firm.
Paint & Sculpt 4/5
Out of the box I was really surprised as to how heavy the Godzilla was - he is a very hefty piece of plastic. The sculpt is a faithful representation of the Godzilla suit used in the 1962 movie and starts with quite a flat head complete with yellow eyes and wide toothy mouth - complete with a sculpted tongue.
The body is ridged all the way down with a texture that is not quite fur, but not really reptilian either. From the back of the figure emerge the rear spine plates each shaped like a piece of coral. The whole body is a cast in a grey plastic and this has then been drybrushed with some more greys and browns to create the final finish. The claws on hands and feet, and the ends of the spines, are then painted in a bone white. Paint application throughout is neat and natural.
Accessories 4/5
The single accessory is an Atomic Breath piece that is cast in a hard lemon yellow translucent plastic. Over this is painted some white dry brushing which gives it a smoking effect.
The end of the piece is shaped to line up to a socket at the back of Godzilla's mouth. Once inserted the figure is heavy enough and the fit tight enough to hold the Atomic Breath in place while also posing the figure.
Articulation 4/5
Being a giant lizard monster, Godzilla is not articulated in the normal fashion and relies predominantly on ball joints to create the various body movements.
Head : hinged jaw, two neck ball joints
Body : mid-torso ball joint, x5 tail ball joints
Arms : ball joint shoulder, single joint elbow, pivot wrist, claw joint
Legs : ball joint hips, single joint knees, ankle rockers
That is 24 points of articulation in total, and allows for a good scope of movement when posing your Godzilla. The tail in particular is very mobile and can be displayed flat out or bent up and out as required.
The arms can be raised and outstretched in striking poses. But in contrast the legs wont really give too much more than a neutral stance or a stomping walk position with one foot partially raised. Bear in mind that due to the bulk of the figure, Godzilla does rely on his feet and tail being on the floor at all times to support him.
The atomic roar, when slotted in place, can be moved around using the two ball joints of the neck allowing it to be fired forward or downward - although it isn't long enough to rear the floor.
Summary
This is our first Godzilla from NECA, with my son being the driver around adding this to our collection. At £28-£30 it is at a higher price than other figures in a similar size, but once you consider the weight and bulk of this vs say a Marvel Legends or Black Series it is very much worth the extra.
The articulation built into such a large frame is impressive and the sculpting is excellent, remaining faithful to the original movie and the suits used at that time.
As an accessory the atomic roar works really well, it could perhaps have done with being a bit longer for "city devastation" poses. The only real downside is the lack of a King Kong to pose with him.
Godzilla 1962 is an impressive and heavy lump of plastic and I score him 4 out of 5 stars.
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, NECA, Godzilla, king kong, gojira, kaiju