I've done a couple silly or cutesy reviews over the past couple days, so let's get back to something really scary with a look at the Silver Scream Edition of the Phantom of the Opera from Sideshow Toys' Universal Studios Monsters toyline. I've looked at one figure from this line already this year (Frankenstein from series 1), so let's jump in and take a look at a series 2 figure. Lon Chaney's Phantom was part of the regular series 2 alongside of the Bride of Frankenstein and the Creature, but was also part of a Toys 'R Us exclusive "The Silver Screen Edition" series which offered the figures in a black & white greyscale color scheme. Sideshow has been one of the most prolific companies to release Universal Monsters merchandise (they still do today), and they included far more characters than most other companies, going back to the silent era films and including more sci-fi characters like the Metaluna Mutant and the Mole People. The Phantom was one of the few characters to get a true non-color scheme variant in the line with a Mask of the Red Death variant in series five. This is the basic Phantom, though, and sculpt and paint-wise, I think it's held up pretty well. Let's check out the Phantom of the Opera after the break...
The Facts:
Height: 8 inches
Articulation: Hinged knees, V-swivel hips, swivel waist, swivel shoulders, hinged elbows, swivel wrists, and a swivel head.
Accessories: Display base, 2 portraits, and a cape.
Year of Release: 2000
Original Retail Price: $10 dollars
* This figure really looks good in that greyscale/ black and white color scheme. Usually I prefer colorized versions of characters from black & white films, but this one just really appeals to me. This figure is now 24 years old (which means it originally came out when I was a Sophomore or Junior in high school), but I haven't had it that long. I probably bought it back in 2009 or 2010 when it was only about a decade old. I think it's held up quite well. It's articulated, yeah, but it's still mostly meant to be displayed rather than truly played with. The Phantom's suit is nicely detailed with a tie of some kind (a cravat, perhaps?) and buttons on the cummerbund. He's a bit preposed, but I think it works.
* In my review of Frankenstein, I mentioned that these figures were pretty on par for articulation for the time (and maybe even a bit ahead of some figures). Series 1 was quite prone to breakage but series 2 seemed to fix the problems of the clear plastic joints that disintegrated.
The Negatives:
* Unfortunately, the elbows are loose and can just come out. It's weird and I'm not sure why the joints don't stay in. The addition of V-swivel hips is also a weird new feature.
I'm really trying to remember if I ever saw any of these on store shelves. Maybe at places like Media Play or in ToyFare magazine? The Universal Monsters definitely weren't too much on my radar at the time but looking back I wish I'd collected these instead of some of the other things from the late 1990s and early 2000s I collected. Are they great action figures? They have some decent movement but the joints have problems and they're really meant for display. Are the great likenesses though? Absolutely. I love the unmasked portrait of the Phantom here and getting things like swappable heads and a fabric cape would have still been quite novel in 2000. This is a Great and a 1/2 figure and the display presence on the shelf is just excellent, especially with that cool display stand. I'm honestly thinking about working on completing a set of these over the next year or so. I wonder how difficult that would be? Some of the later figures were produced in more limited numbers.
If you're looking for more of the Phantom of the Opera then check out my review of Funko's ReAction The Phantom of the Opera, Super7's ReAction of The Phantom of the Opera as the Masque of the Red Death, and The Phantom from Monster in My Pocket.
For more reviews from Sideshow's Universal Studio Monsters line check out the following:
Very nice. But yeah that alternative head is freaky!
ReplyDeleteIt sure is. It's supposed to make him less creepy, but it sure doesn't work.
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