During 2025's festivities, 31 Days of Toy Terror Takes the Universe, I featured the Bride of Frankenstein for my Halloween review, though she didn't get as much attention throughout the month like most of the gents. The Bride is absolutely an A-Tier Universal Horror icon despite the fact that she appears in only one film for less than 4 minutes. Still, that four minutes has cemented Elsa Lanchester and the Bride in horror history. Today I'm checking out the first of the fairly new Universal Monsters Toony Terrors, featuring The Invisible Man, the Phantom of the Opera, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Bride of Frankenstein. Today is a bit of a sneak preview for this Halloween season and I was inspired to check out the Bride as I've watched the trailer for Warner-Bros. upcoming 2026 film The Bride! like 3 or 4 times today and I'm pretty excited for it. Maggie Gyllenhaal directs Jessie Buckley as the Bride and Christian Bale as Frankenstein's Monster in a cross between Bride of Frankenstein and Bonnie and Clyde? That's a crazy choice and I'm ready for it. I'm always open for new takes on the classics. Let's check out a stylized version of the classic Bride tonight, though. Play here comes the bride and walk down the aisle after the break...
Height: 5 3/8ths (not including her hair)
Articulation: Swivel shoulders and balljointed head.
Accessories: 2 swappable portraits.
Non-Scalper Price: $15 to $19 dollars
The Positives:
* I really like NECA's Toony Terrors line and while I don't buy every figure released, I do grab the ones based on properties I really like. There's nothing like having my Saturday morning cartoon inspired Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface go up against the animated Ash Williams. The Universal Monsters are a nice subset to the line and NECA did a pretty admirable job of making them look like the stars of an animated series that never existed. I kind of think that NECA went slightly more realistic with the Universal Monsters versus the other characters in the line, but it's not a detriment. The Bride of Frankenstein is clothed very simply in her white robe with her surgical bandages only visible on her arms. There's some nice detail on the wrappings but nothing that looks overly complicated, capturing the cleanness of most classic animation targeted at kids.
* The likeness is really good, capturing a caricatureesque look at Elsa Lanchester as the Bride. NECA's sculptors captured her chin perfectly and gave her the serious, expressionless look she wears when she is first awoken.
* Her hair is really impressive, too. There's some simple texture work here and a white stripe, but nothing that doesn't look like hair you'd see on a cartoon character. I'm also really liking the scars on her chin and neck. They're neat, clean, and simple.
* A second portrait is included with the Bride, this time depicting her screaming when she is first introduced to the Frankenstein monster. There's some excellent work on this portrait, too. She doesn't just have an open mouth: Her eyes are opened wider, her face has some creases around her mouth, and her eyebrows are arched straight up. I could imagine in an animated series that the Bride would randomly scream like this anytime something displeased her or even mildly inconvenienced her.
* The Bride is a Salt Shaker figure. You know; the entire torso and lower body is essentially one piece with no articulation. Her arms swivel, though, allowing you to pose her, and with the balljointed head there's actually a pretty good range of movement for making expressive poses utilizing either head.
The Negatives:
* I only have one negative here and it's regarding some paint slop on the neckline of her robe and down the front. It just looks a little messy, no something you often see on NECA's figures.
How's the Bride of Frankenstein? She's a Good and a 1/2 figure. If you're collecting these then you probably realize that they're minimally articulated figures designed to display rather than really play with and pose. If you know what you're getting going into things, you probably should be pretty happy. I like the swappable portraits and they do help add some value to the figure, allowing you to mix things up a bit. I'm going to be reviewing the rest of the series in the coming weeks, so stay tuned! There's more of the Bride and Frankenstein's Monster to come, and certainly more frightful figures...
For more of the Bride of Frankenstein check out my review of the Funko ReAction figure of The Bride of Frankenstein, NECA's April O'Neil as the Bride of Frankenstein, the Funko POP! Bride of Frankenstein #1631, and the Mystery Minis Bride of Frankenstein.
For more Toony Terrors check out the following:
* I really like NECA's Toony Terrors line and while I don't buy every figure released, I do grab the ones based on properties I really like. There's nothing like having my Saturday morning cartoon inspired Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface go up against the animated Ash Williams. The Universal Monsters are a nice subset to the line and NECA did a pretty admirable job of making them look like the stars of an animated series that never existed. I kind of think that NECA went slightly more realistic with the Universal Monsters versus the other characters in the line, but it's not a detriment. The Bride of Frankenstein is clothed very simply in her white robe with her surgical bandages only visible on her arms. There's some nice detail on the wrappings but nothing that looks overly complicated, capturing the cleanness of most classic animation targeted at kids.
* The likeness is really good, capturing a caricatureesque look at Elsa Lanchester as the Bride. NECA's sculptors captured her chin perfectly and gave her the serious, expressionless look she wears when she is first awoken.
* Her hair is really impressive, too. There's some simple texture work here and a white stripe, but nothing that doesn't look like hair you'd see on a cartoon character. I'm also really liking the scars on her chin and neck. They're neat, clean, and simple.
* The Bride is a Salt Shaker figure. You know; the entire torso and lower body is essentially one piece with no articulation. Her arms swivel, though, allowing you to pose her, and with the balljointed head there's actually a pretty good range of movement for making expressive poses utilizing either head.
* I only have one negative here and it's regarding some paint slop on the neckline of her robe and down the front. It just looks a little messy, no something you often see on NECA's figures.
For more of the Bride of Frankenstein check out my review of the Funko ReAction figure of The Bride of Frankenstein, NECA's April O'Neil as the Bride of Frankenstein, the Funko POP! Bride of Frankenstein #1631, and the Mystery Minis Bride of Frankenstein.
For more Toony Terrors check out the following:
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