Sunday, October 6, 2024

31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe: The Mummy from Universal Monsters Select by Diamond Select

 

   Sundays are getting a Mummy theme this month and today I'm checking out the 2010 release of the Mummy from Diamond Select Toys. This guy is now 14 years old and I remember receiving him as a Christmas gift from my parents along with Diamond's Creature from the Black Lagoon figure as well. These were the first two releases in the series that began in late 2010 and which ended in 2016, though Diamond did release a few other Universal Monsters products after that. The series is interesting because it really started with very statuesque releases, like most Diamond Select Toys product of that era, but eventually evolved into having figures with much more articulation. Many figures had multiple releases and the Mummy was one of them. You could get Imhotep in the large Diamond Select standard half box/ half blister card package with the sarcophagus (the one I'm reviewing today) or in a Toys 'R Us exclusive slimmer card with slightly more articulation and a display base. This guy definitely is an impressive figure but, at the same time, is pretty much a statue with accessories. Want to check this one out further? Then join me after the break as we unravel the mystery of this mummy...






The Facts:

Height: 7 3/4ths inches

Articulation: Swivel neck.

Accessories: Sarcophagus and lid.

Original Retail Price: $15-$18 dollars

Year of Release: 2010









The Positives:

* Let's start with the positive: This is a darn fine sculpt of Boris Karloff as Imhotep, the Mummy that we all know and love. Since he's a mostly solid figure (only the head has a swivel joint), the sculpt isn't marred by any articulation, leaving this guy looking thin, emaciated, dehydrated, and all wrapped up. The sculpt is quite good with some nice detail work on the bandages. He looks old and moldy, just like you'd expect from a guy you've found in a 3,000 year old tomb. The paint work is basic, but the Mummy really doesn't have a lot of color, does he? It makes him look old and decrepit, which is what we want.









* The Mummy isn't a bad movie at all, though Karloff in this specific look only shows up at the very beginning of the film and it's pretty much the highlight of the film except for the closeups of Karloff's eyes as Imhotep in his Ardath Bey persona. This is a great likeness of Karloff with some pretty disturbing features. It's very creepy and very detailed with excellent work on the wrinkled skin, the closed eyes, and the ears. 









* Flip Imhotep around and you can see more of his gaunt figure and the bandages wrapped all around him. The paint wash definitely contributes to the old and moldy feel. 



* What really makes this figure standout is the sarcophagus. This think is huge and weighs almost two pounds. It's much larger than the figure and scale perfectly. It's huge, heavy, and just a impressive accessory. If I had suddenly been attacked by a mummy while shooting the pictures for this review I easily could have dispatched the undead fiend with a few melee strikes using this thing as an improvised weapon. It's just a huge brick of plastic.




* It's quite nice, too. It stands on its own and looks great on display. Its not as accurate to the film as NECA's more recent sarcophagus from the Mummy accessory pack but it's still pretty neat and impressive. The gold color is a bit washed out, kind of splitting the difference between a full color design and the black & white of the original film. You know what I'm talking about; it's a washed out effect. 





* There's a lot of detail on this including multiple hieroglyphics and a scale like pattern. It's either a curse of the pharaohs or some sort of ancient Egyptian "yo momma" joke. 













* The sarcophagus base is also given the texture to look like worn stone. Honestly, if you didn't know and looked at it you might easily think it's a polystone material, like you'd find on a statue or high end diorama piece. 








* Imhotep fits in here very nicely. You can lay him down in here, sure, but you can also stand him up. He really is impressive and he's definitely a figure I've kept on display for 14 years now.
The Negatives:



* The very clear, very obvious weak point about this action figure is that he has only one point of articulation: A swivel neck. Otherwise, he's a single piece of plastic that can't move. On one hand, it's a mummy in a sarcophagus. Until he's brought to life by the Scroll of Thoth, he really is just an inanimate dead guy. On the other, I think some folks were disappointed when he came out. Diamond Select did release a more articulated Mummy as a Toys 'R Us exclusive (without the sarcophagus) and later another Mummy with upgraded articulation. This one is almost as much an accessory or a diorama piece as it is an action figure.





   Listen, I'm not going to tell you that this guy is better than the more recent releases of Imhotep from NECA or Jada Toys, even, but the sculpt is good and is still pretty impressive on Diamond Select's Mummy and that sarcophagus is still fire. It will also hold the Mummy from NECA or Jada Toys just fine, too, so it might be something worth tracking down just for that piece alone. As a figure, the Mummy is really more of a ministatue, which most other figures in this line weren't. That might completely scratch him off your list, but everything goes so well together. Personally, I think it's a Great figure and just works nicely as a depiction of Boris Karloff as the Mummy. The Universal Monsters license has changed hands many times over the years (NECA currently is the main company putting out action figures) but this one just always stands out to me, partially due to the sheer weight off the figure and the tomb.




If you're looking for more of the Mummy, specifically Imhotep, I've reviewed the McFarlane Monsters Mummy Playsetthe Mummy ReAction figure, the Big Bucket of Monsters Mummy, and the mummy included with the Mighty Max set "Mighty Max Conquers the Palace of Poison."

For more figures from Diamond Select's Universal Monsters Select line check out the following:
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Lucy Westenra
Van Helsing









6 comments:

  1. I do love that sarcophagus.....maybe I should see if my own mummy will buy me one for Christmas

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    1. This one is great. I don't have the NECA version. It seems a bit more accurate and maybe easier to find these days.

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  2. I may have to pick this one up. Would work great with the new Four Horsemen Anubis set.

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    1. That would look nice. The NECA set is probably better scaled with them and probably easier to find these days.

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  3. That is a great set, both so well made! Quite nice.

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    1. They were nice and an interesting picture of collector action figures from about 15 years ago. I mean, who makes collector focused figures these days without articulation? Unless they're truly statues or those weird McFarlane Movie maniacs, almost no one. But at the time collector figures typically meant less articulation. I'm glad we've evolved and seeing high end, fully posable figures. But I do dig this guy.

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