Review – Frankenstein Collectible Figure

If I am only allowed one Frankenstein toy in my collection then I demand that it be this Frankenstein Collectible Figure* from Mezco. 9-inches tall and amazing, I almost missed out on this toy because I kept looking at it and then skipping it. But once the Mummy went up for pre-order (last mentioned here) then I went ahead and grabbed Frankenstein. I should have never waited so long . . . and you should grab one right now if you like the pics. This toy’s fabulously spooky!

Packaging

Nicely done. Minimalist and classy design, the Frankenstein Collectible Figure* comes in a box that shows off the toy and MIB collectors could probably be quite happy displaying the toy in its package. But not me. I ripped that box open and yanked Frankenstein free, and once the twist ties were removed and the packaging was in the trash I started to realize just what a great job Mezco had done with this Frankenstein action figure.

Heavy!

The boxy boots and heavy plastic legs really weigh the toy down, helping him balance perfectly even when you stretch his arms and body as far forward as they can go, Frankenstein reaching to grab whatever you place in front of him. He gets a little wobbly if you twist his feet too far to the sides, but as long as those giant boots are facing forward then the Frankenstein Collectible Figure* is one of the most stable action figures I’ve ever encountered.

Articulation

I’ll get this out of the way first: Forget any leg articulation with this Frankenstein Collectible Figure*. No hip joints. No knee joints. No cut thighs. Those legs are ramrod straight and hold Frankenstein up and ready to moan and stand there. I know that some articulation fanatics will find the lack of leg articulation painful, but I think that after a few moments with the toy most collectors will realize that the lack of any leg articulation isn’t a problem at all.

So if the toy’s legs are fused in place then what articulation is there? Actually, there’s just enough to make the Frankenstein Collectible Figure* a fun piece to play with and to make him look great in any collection.

• Head – A simple ball-jointed neck lets you move that head around, allowing Frankenstein to stare in several different directions.
  
• Feet – The two feet are on swivels. You can’t twist them too far to the sides without affecting his balance, but it does give you a little choice when posing the toy.

• Torso – The waist is on a ball joint and swivels left to right and up and down just a little while a second ball joint above the rib cage offers a slight bit of movement. Those two joints work well together and lets Frankenstein lean into his attacks.
  
• Arms – Swivel wrists and elbows combined with swivel-hinge shoulders. The wrist joints are less than perfect, and I would have loved hinges at the elbows, but even after saying that I’m still telling you to run out and buy this toy right now. It is far more incredible than I had hoped for.

Excellent Use of Cloth

The Frankenstein Collectible Figure* has a cloth jacket and shirt and this is one of those instances where the cloth accessories really help add texture to the character. I’m not even bothering to try to remove the jacket — it looks way too neat and I’m worried I’ll mess something up — and the shirt demands extra attention because Mezco pulled a cool trick: The cloth shirt tucks down inside the plastic legs, the shirt remaining connected perfectly even as I twist and bend the toy at the waist joint. I have no idea how much of a pain that shirt was to install in manufacturing, but the effect is amazing and really keeps the toy neat and tidy as I twist and turn him around.

Sculpt

From the very first time I saw this toy and NYTF in 2012 (photos posted here) the Frankenstein Collectible Figure* sculpt has impressed me. But photos can only share so much of the story and getting the toy in-hand really made me appreciate the sculpt even more. Especially the head; Mezco got a lot of character into that face design and it really makes Frankenstein look like a sad and forgotten creature.

Paint

While it isn’t exactly a grayscale toy, the paints used on the Frankenstein Collectible Figure* do tend to have a lot of gray in them, making the very faint greenish color of the skin look very gray in all but the closest of examinations. The red gash on the forehead and where the wrists are stitched together and the silver bolts are the brightest colors on the toy and every painted detail is incredible. And as if that wasn’t enough Mezco added a faint wash to the face and neck and hands — the skin — which really highlights the sculpt and helps make this one of the more impressive paint apps I’ve seen on a mass market toy in quite a while. Just click on some of those pics to enlarge them and get a closer look at the detail work. Great stuff!

Closing Thoughts

At $25 to $30 the Frankenstein Collectible Figure* is a far better deal than I expected. The heavy plastic feels durable and the toy doesn’t have a problem standing upright on the shelf. And everything — even the articulation, which does sound odd but is better once you’ve played with the toy — is masterfully done and shows that Mezco is serious about making their Universal Monsters line one that we’ll never forget.

Highly recommended! If you’re a Frankenstein fan then you should already own this. But if you’re just looking for a great representation of the classic monster and aren’t even truly a hardcore fan of the character then you cannot do any better than this toy. It’s big, relatively inexpensive for the size and quality, and it is far more expressive than the articulation makes it sound.

I am now even more excited about the other Universal Monsters toys Meczo has announced.