Re-Animator
is one of my favorite movies. Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna’s
Lovecraft-infused Frankenstein tale is unique among the droves of
horror films about the undead. The visceral imagery and black humor
combine for a cinematic experience that many successive movies have
attempted and failed to mimic.
Just
a few years ago a sixth scale West was actually solicited in Previews
by Executive Replicas. Many websites listed it for preorder, but it
has yet to materialize.
In
the interim, Amok Time has released images of a 6” scale Herbert
West that is supposedly still coming.
And
then, out of nowhere, Amok Time announced that there was a Monstarz
3.75” Herbert West and that he was available right
now!
In
the same way that they sprang their Crite
vinyl figure
on us last year, they had suddenly offered this action figure that
nobody even knew was in development, let alone on the verge of being
sold to the public! That’s almost unheard of in this day and age.
I
jumped on the site and bought two of these the second I saw the
announcement on Facebook. It didn’t matter what size or format it
was, I was finally getting a Herbert West figure!
FIRST
GLANCE
He’s
simpler than a modern GI Joe, but a bit more detailed than Funko’s
ReAction figures. I think he could actually hang out on the Joe shelf
if he was in the back of Dr. Mindbender’s lab. But he’d stick out
like a sore thumb with Pinhead and Jason and the other ReAction guys.
PACKAGING
A
beautiful old-school style blister card the same size as GI Joe and
ReAction and other 3.75” figures. Which is good, because I have
plastic shells for this size. The card features the same cover art as
the Anchor Bay DVD release of the movie. It’s a beautiful painting
of Herbert West and Doctor Hill and is perfect for the retro style of
this release. It doesn’t say “Herbert West” on the front of the
card, but his name is mentioned in the movie blurb on the back:
The
image here is the same photo used on the cover of Elite
Entertainment’s Millennium Edition, my preferred release.
Yeah,
I’m sure these images have been used in plenty of other places, but
I like that I can relate this packaging to things I own. Seeing new
art or graphics on something like this isn’t quite as exciting as
seeing a classic image that’s been in your life for decades.
LOOKS
The
head looks oddly lumpy. It isn’t bad,
it just looks kind of uneven at first glance. But it is recognizable
as Jeffrey Combs. I’m not saying he has a lumpy head, but this
sculpt works, even if it isn’t quite as clean as I’d like. The
black paint on the hair, eyes, and glasses is applied precisely and
looks good.
I’d
go so far as to say the paint job on this figure is excellent. The
shoes, slacks, and shirt all have different glosses and look clean.
There’s no overlap or spatter anywhere, which is impressive for
this scale. The narrow black tie against the bright white shirt is a great contrast and is painted with more skill than the big companies tend
to employ.
It’s
an odd thing to love, but I love the sculpt of West’s shirt. All of
the folds and wrinkles are fantastic. The sculpted pocket and collar
sit well and are more than just afterthoughts – they have depth and
texture.
The
rolled-up sleeves also look good. The one sketchy paint app is the
watch. The black doesn’t quite cover the sculpt and it looks a
little rough. Otherwise the hands are great, particularly the one
posed to hold the hypodermic needle.
West’s
shoes are a glossy contrast to his slacks. The detail on them is
excellent. Laces and soles are well defined. The slacks are crisp and
pressed. These are clearly suit pants and not just black jeans or
something. I love this attention to detail.
ACCESSORIES
Herbert
West, Re-Animator comes with a syringe full of reagent and an extra
forearm and hand holding Dr. Carl Hill’s decapitated head.
The
hypodermic looks great for this scale. It has a great sculpt and
three clean colors. In a remarkable feat for a 3.75” figure, his
hand was sculpted to hold this item realistically, rather than just
sticking it into an open fist. Not only that, it actually fits
perfectly and stays put! I’m very impressed by this.
West’s
extra arm swaps out fairly easily.
The hand is holding Dr. Hills’
head by the hair. The head is, sadly, not sculpted to look like it’s
shouting at or berating West, but it does look great. The hair looks
appropriately messed up and has two shades painted on. The neck has a
gruesome torn look with garish red painted on the bottom.
FUN
The
figure has seven points of articulation, one of which is his
removable forearm. I’m glad the designers gave the figure elbows
because it just wouldn’t look good holding its items straight out
in front.
The
accessories add some play value and he has two extra joints over your
standard “retro” figure, but this is basically just a guy to
stand around. There aren’t any complimentary figures or a playset,
so there just isn’t much for ol’ Herb to do. Still, for what it
is and the spirit in which it was made, this is a solid toy.
Side
Note: IT IS NOT A TOY:
OVERALL
If
you’re a fan of Re-Animator,
this is a must-have – you’ll be the envy of all of your friends.
At $14.99 it’s a little steep, but what price can you put on owning
your own tiny, little Jeffrey Combs?
This
little guy scratches the itch and looks good on the wall or shelf,
but doesn’t completely satisfy. I still want the six and twelve
inch versions. Or, barring those, a laboratory playset and some more
characters.
4
out of 5
Buy
yours now from Amok
Time!
(we don’t make any money from this link, but that’s where you get
them)
This is awesome! I ordered one right away after reading your review. How cool to finally have a Herbert West figure! This is way cooler than most of Funko's ReAction figures. Plus, with free shipping, the $15 tag doesn't seem that steep.
ReplyDeleteYeah, so far the Monstarz line has been fun and reasonably priced. I'm impressed. Can't wait to see what they drop on us next.
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