Please share with your friends!
Introduction
Kong has gotten lots of treatment over the years, and while my personal favorite remains the Peter Jackson movie, I have to say that Kong: Skull Island was not unwatchable. There are parts I very much like - getting away from the rather creepy bestiality plot line, remaining on the island, the terrific cinematography, and the overall lead up to a Kong/Godzilla universe - but there are some super cringe worthy moments as well. It's better than some, not as good as others, pretty much like 80% of the films I see.
I did like the Kong design, and getting a decent size version on
the shelf has been a desire of mine. Star Ace picked up the license
awhile back, and they have released two versions of a 12" Kong in
soft vinyl format. One, the regular release, is $140 at most
retailers, and I'll be reviewing it tonight. There's a second deluxe
version that runs $180, and includes a diorama display stand and a
smashed helicopter for him to grip.
Packaging - ***
I like the 30's retro feel to the graphics and style of the box. It
has that pulp magazine adventure vibe, and the cover photo is pretty
representative of the figure inside. There's a single plastic tray
holding the figure safe, and there's no assembly required. Of
course, it's all collector friendly.
Sculpting - ***1/2
This guy is pretty big, standing about 12 1/4" tall. He's all one
piece - this is not an articulated figure in any way, shape, or
form. There are some assembly joints of course, but they've done a
marvelous job hiding the majority of them with the sculpted fur.
Speaking of the fur, it looks terrific. In photos it can appear almost too sharply defined, too craggy and complex. But in hand it's really nice, with a realistic appearance and fantastic texture.
And texture is what this guy is all about. The hair gives way to a rough skin texture on the face and chest, like the worst before picture ever in a Neutrogena commercial. The chest has the scars as well, a painful reminder of how hard life on Skull Island can be.
I particularly like the pose. He's standing fully upright, chest out, shoulders back, with his head turned slightly to the side. Unlike some Kong poses we've gotten in the past, no one will think this is just a gorilla statue. They'll recognize it as Kong, and probably even which film he is from, based largely on this pose.
There's no base with this regular release (unlike the deluxe), but he stands fantastic on his own. He is a soft vinyl figure though, which means he is completely hollow. He is very, very light, which might throw regular statue collectors for a loop at first. But this choice of materials means a) he won't topple over easily on the small feet and b) even if he does, he won't break.
Paint - ***1/2
There's not a ton of small detail work here, but the paint on the
skin and fur is very realistic, with a subtle transition between the
two and appropriate highlights. The angry, glassy, reflective eyes
look amazing, although they can be hard to see under the heavy brow.
The wounds on his chest are a fleshy red, not so bright as to scream for attention but very realistic in their appearance. They've also shaded the fur nicely, with some areas lighter and others darker. It's one of those paint jobs that might seem simple at first, but is actually quite difficult to do this well.
Articulation - N/A
This is an informational only category this time - it has no effect
on my Overall score. However, since you might be tempted to think
there's a joint here or there, I just wanted to reiterate there are
none. He's a straight up nerd hummel.
Value - **
it's not unusual for a soft vinyl figure in this scale to be around
$100, particularly when they are imported. The quality is here, but
the light weight feel of this type of collectible might put off some
statue collectors, who are accustomed to some heft. This guy is
running around $140 in the U.S. right now, and that extra $40 is
hard to justify. We don't know about production numbers here,
although the deluxe version is limited to 800, implying they
probably didn't produce a ton of the regular version either.
Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. As I said, he's all one piece, and there's little
chance for any damage.
Overall - ***
This is a terrific looking King Kong, assuming of course you're good
with the Skull Island design. The sculpt and paint have
recreated the look in a realistic and impressive fashion. I'm
not surprised he's this nice - remember, Star Ace is a subsidiary of
X-Plus, a company well known for doing terrific vinyl figures. He's
light weight, being a vinyl figure, but collectors of this medium
won't be shocked.
The price is the one sticky wicket. It may be hard to convince fans that the $140 is truly worth it, based on the general market right now. But if money is not a barrier for you, this guy will make a great addition to the shelf.
Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - N/A
Value - **
Overall - ***
Where to Buy
Online options include these site sponsors:
- Entertainment Earth is also at $140 (and $180), but have free shipping right now.
- or you can search ebay for a deal.
Related Links -
Other Kong items include the recent super
deformed style Kong from Star Ace, the
Mezco version
based on the Jackson movie, and the original
movie Kong
from McFarlane Toys.
You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.
Discussion:
Want to chat about this review? Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!
Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main
page to find thousands more just like it!
Please share with your friends!
This product was provided for the review by the manufacturer. Photos
and text by Michael Crawford.