Review – Ben 10 Ultimate Alien Hyperalien Vilgax

Manufacturer: Bandai * Year: 2010

And now we get to the opposite side of the “volume” coin. A few months ago, in my review of the Panzer Ace vinyl toy, I took a shot at explaining why so many designer toys are priced significantly higher than the toys we find in places like Wal-Mart and Target. Well, this Ben 10 Vilgax vinyl toy* is our chance to look at a fantastic vinyl toy that benefits from mass-market distribution; where the Panzer Ace was a run of 250 this Vilgax toy is clearly one of a run of thousands. Maybe even tens of thousands.

And it’s that higher volume that allowed me to grab this at Wal-Mart for only $10.

Packaging

Here’s an example of packaging design in which the graphic artists behind the project understood that the best way to sell the toy was to allow kids to actually touch the toy. This open box design isn’t marvelous in terms of appearance, but it’s perfect for showing off just how cool the toy actually is. Standing in the store I was able to get a feel for the toy’s plastic, take a close look at the paint, and even play with the figure’s full range of articulation. Basically — other than the back and the bottom of the feet — I was able to look closely at every bit of the toy. And I have to admit that it was the ability to actually touch the toy that had me walking out with both the Vilgax and the Highbreed*. Obviously, this packaging is a success.

A Fantastic Sculpt

Standing over 7-inches tall, this Ben 10 Vilgax vinyl toy* is absolutely a gorgeous piece of work. Look at any one of the photos I’ve posted here and you’ll see just how detailed the sculpt actually is; that gas mask design over the tentacles is excellent and the veins in the arms and segmented plates on the upper thighs and upper arms adds a hell of a lot of depth to the toy.

The two photos above (be sure to click them!) give you a good look at the front and back of the Vilgax toy. I honestly cannot see any reason why a fan of kaiju toys like the Kaiju Eyezon (review here) and Steregon (review here) wouldn’t jump on this toy . . . especially at the $10 price point. Seriously, this is one beautiful sculpt and I have absolutely no complaints with the toy’s appearance. And I really cannot believe that I found this in Wal-Mart; everything about this toy feels like something I should have seen online with a price of $50 or more.

Paint

And, fortunately, the toy’s paint apps equal the quality of the sculpt. Though it’s only got a few different colors, the combination of painted details (look at the painting of the upper thigh and upper arm segmented plates and the eye detail) and a black wash/paint wipe (look at the arms) came together to give us a great toy. And have I mentioned the $10 price point? Actually, you may as well just stop reading now because if you’re a fan of Japanese vinyl toys and kaiju at all you may as well just run out and grab one of these now. Yes, it’s cool enough that I’m recommending this to anyone who is a fan of kaiju toys.

That’s Not Kaiju

I know, I know. Hardcore kaiju fans would likely say that this is not a kaiju toy, but I do not care because it’s a cool vinyl monster toy and, for the common people in the world, it’s close enough to a kaiju toy to count. It’s vinyl, it’s a tentacle-headed monster in a gas mask, and it’s got technological elements blended into its organic form. Trust me, casual kaiju lovers, this guy counts . . . and it is well worth the $10 that I paid for it.

What About that Articulation?

Honestly, the articulation is the one place where the toy stumbles. The Ben 10 Vilgax* has only two points of articulation — at the shoulders — and the most you can do with it is swing the arms up or down. Poseability options are effectively non-existent, and if I had to give the toy a downcheck it would be this limited articulation. The head doesn’t even move! But it is a minor complaint since a lot of the Japanese vinyl toys in my collection have very limited articulation.

UPDATE: Double that articulation! I was taking a closer look at the Highbreed* and noticed that his legs were articulated at the hips. I thought it odd that Vilgax didn’t have the same articulation so I took another look and found that paint had fused his legs into place. A hard twist and POP the legs now move.

Closing Thoughts

I’ve looked at Ben 10 toys in the store before, but up until yesterday I never bought any of the toys. The designs always looked neat enough, but having never watched the series and with so many toy options out there I just never took the plunge. Well, now that I have this gorgeous Vilgax* (and the Highbreed*) I can see that I’ll have to keep an eye on the Ben 10 section of the toy store. After all, if Bandai is putting out vinyl monsters toys like these — and at these insanely low prices — it would be a huge mistake for me to ignore the line.

Above you can see a shot of the Vilgax with some of the Japanese vinyl toys in my collection, and I think that photo demonstrates just how well this toy fits in with kaiju toys. It also, for those of you who happen to own any of the toys in that pic, gives a sense of scale; you get a lot of vinyl toy for your $10.

The next time you’re in Wal-Mart (or any store that carries Ben 10 toys) keep your eyes open for this Vilgax*. Since the packaging is quite open you can play with it and form your own opinion before buying, but I’m confident that if you’re already collecting vinyl monster toys — and you look at this as a cool monster design — you’ll walk out with it. And, if you’re as geeky as me, you’ll likely love it.

Philip Reed needs to dig into the history of the Ben 10 toy series, because if there are more vinyl monsters like these out there he wants them.